What is Late Summer?
In TCM the “five seasons” include not only Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, but also a transitional season often called Late Summer (sometimes “Long Summer” or cháng xià 長夏).
For Australians, Late Summer corresponds approximately to February and March (or in the Southern Hemisphere between late January and early March) when the heat begins to wane but humidity and lingering warmth remain.
This season is linked to the Earth element — the organ systems of the Spleen and Stomach.
Classical texts provide us with some guidance on how to handle Late Summer. It carries the characteristic of dampness and transition, so the digestive system becomes particularly important. A weakened or over‐burdened Spleen can lead to sluggish digestion, poor absorption, heaviness, bloating, brain‑fog or overthinking – all qualities linked to the Earth element in TCM.
Getting the most out of Late Summer for your Gut Health
Why this season needs special attention
DAMP - Be aware of Damp environments including houses, bedrooms that harbour mould. Typical of late summer in Australia, (especially Northern NSW, QLD and NT), humidity is an environmental dampness. Mucus forming foods such as dairy and nuts enable physical forms of dampness such as phlegm, fluid and congestion.
- SWEET - Avoid large quantities of sugar or processed foods, greasy, heavy food. These create dampness and impair the Spleen.
COLD - Avoid eating too many raw foods, physically cold beverages as this is considered too cooling or cold for the Spleen. The spleen likes warm or warming foods.
THOUGHTS - Emotionally, the tendency to worry, overthink, mull things over (instead of letting go) is linked to the Earth element
What to do instead?
To Balance the DAMP: Drying foods such as complex carbohydrate vegetables eg sweet potato, pumpkin, potato or grains such as barley/ Job's Tears, legumes mop the dampness. Pungent spices can also help percolate damp eg. Ginger, Cinnamon.
To balance the SWEET TOOTH: Choose foods with a naturally sweet flavour (not refined sugar) eg fruit and eat the whole fruit. Nature's perfect packaging means the fibre offsets the natural sugars in fruit. If you're on a Candida diet, eliminate most fruit and consult with a nutritionist experienced in treating it. Candida is a classic example of dampness overriding the Spleen Qi and being systemic within the gut and other locations in the body.
To balance the RAW: Cook your food in some way, even if it is steaming or blanching, rather than eating raw, cold foods straight out of the fridge. Avoid excessive cold/raw/icy foods.
To balance the COLD: Simple cooking methods: soups, porridges, light stews, steamed vegetables, whole grains. Gentle warming spices (ginger, cinnamon, cardamom) can assist if there is internal cold or sluggishness.
- To balance STRESS: Eat at regular times, chew thoroughly, stay calm and avoid rushing the meal – the Spleen benefits from slower and mindful eating habits.
Late Summer in Australia offers a good opportunity to reset your digestion and inner terrain. By supporting the Earth element — with warm, simple cooked foods, mindfully eaten, and paired with emotional attunement to your internal rhythms — you provide your Spleen and Stomach the best chance to process food, thoughts and life with gentleness.
If you need help with digestive symptoms such as bloating, flatulence, IBS and nausea, you xan seek extra help with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine consultations. If you're on Sydney's Northern Beaches, you can book online here.
