Mangzhong, the ninth of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese agricultural solar system, is not only a vital time for the sowing of cereal crops during the two weeks from June 5 to June 20, but is also important for people to stay healthy because of the changeable weather. And the Global Times has discovered some practical tips for keeping fit during mangzhong, everything from daily living to diet and disease prevention.

Temperatures are rising

Mangzhong indicates that the weather is about to turn hot. And with rising temperatures, the daily hours of sunshine normally increase. During this period people are advised not to go to bed too early and to get up earlier than normal in order to be exposed to as much sunshine as possible (but not direct sunlight). This helps to circulate the qi (or life energy) and blood in the body.

"Mangzhong is still part of the transition period between spring and summer, and the differences in temperature in just this period can be substantial," Zhou Duan, a doctor at Shanghai Longhua Hospital (a TCM hospital), told the Global Times. "People with angiocarpic diseases (affecting the heart or blood vessels) should be careful because of the sclerotization of blood vessels caused by the decrease in digestive juices during increasingly hot weather."

At this time of year, the body sweats more easily, especially around midday. So frequent bathing is a good idea because it helps relax the skin and helps remove excessive "heat" from the body. But be careful of having very cold showers after sweating intensely to avoid catching a cold. And the habit of changing and washing clothes frequently is important.

In the soak

Medicinal baths, adding liquid medicines or herbs to bath water to steam or soak the body, has long been used as an effective way to strengthen the body and prevent illness. This method has been used for a long period of time stretching back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046BC-221BC), and Chinese people traditionally take medicinal baths on important lunar festivals and during solar terms, such as the Spring Festival and the second day of the second month on the lunar calendar.

For the summer season, a mixture called wuzhi (with five ingredients: cassia twig, pagoda tree branch, peach branchlet, willow branch and kenaf twig) is commonly used. Making this medicinal liquid at home is easy. Firstly wrap a small piece of each ingredient (each roughly the same size) in a piece of gauze. Immerse this package into a large pan of cold water that is roughly 10 times the volume of the ingredients for 20 minutes. Then boil the water for a further 30 minutes before pouring the steeped liquid into a hot bath which can then be used to bathe in.

A medicinal bath is also a great way to keep your skin looking young and fresh. The medical prescription for this purpose includes mung beans, lily bulbs, borneol (10 grams for each), and talc, rhizoma typhonii, Chinese angelica, white sandalwood and rosin (30 grams for each, ground into fine particles). This therapy helps to make the skin more delicate.

Preventing seasonal diseases

The best diets for this period are light and should contain more vegetables and fruits than meat. Also avoid foods that are oily, "fishy" and spicy.

"Mangzhong also sees increasing humidity in the weather with the promise of more rain to come, so foods that eliminate dampness are also recommended," Zhou added.

Foods that help to increase body fluids include watermelons, tomatoes, mung beans, white gourds, edible tree fungus, pawpaw and towel gourd. Mung bean soup is especially popular during this season.

What's more, foods that strengthen the spleen and tonify the body's qi are also good options, such as Job's-tears seeds, lily bulbs, amaranth and Cucumis melo (a type of melon).

Note that the taste of dishes using these ingredients should be neither too sweet nor too salty. According to Zhou, excessive sodium ion (from salt) in the blood can easily elevate blood pressure, and the accumulation of sugar can bring about hyperlipoidemia (excess lipids in the blood) and high levels of cholesterol in the blood.