Every summer, the word ‘Dog Days’ is often mentioned by the elders, and the flavor of childhood is inseparable from the Dog Days and the folding fan in Grandma’s hands. However, many people do not understand what the Dog Days are. In this humid and hot season, people often feel thirsty and have no appetite. When exactly do the Dog Days start and when do they end?

When does the Dog Days start and when does it end

The time of entering the Dog Days every year is not fixed, and the length of the middle Dog Days is not the same either. It is necessary to consult an almanac for calculation. Simply, the four-character phrase ‘Xiaoshu San Geng’ can be used to indicate the time of entering the Dog Days, that is, starting from the third ‘Geng’ day after the Small Heat, the first Dog Days is 10 days, the middle Dog Days is 10 or 20 days, and the last Dog Days is 10 days. In ancient China, the method of ‘Gan Zhi Jiri’ was popular, using 10 celestial stems and 12 terrestrial branches to form 60 different names, which are used in a cyclic system.

What food to eat for health preservation during the Dog Days

1, lotus seeds

Eating lotus seeds after the Dog Days can remove fire, and in summer, the heart is most sensitive. The oppressive heat is easy to cause irritability and distress. Although the core of lotus seeds is bitter, it can clear heart fire and also has the effect of lowering blood pressure, which is suitable for people with weak bodies, palpitations, and insomnia with frequent dreams. However, those with dry and hard stools and abdominal distension should eat less.

2, mung beans

Mung beans are cool in nature and sweet in taste, with the effects of clearing heat and removing fire, dispelling summer heat and relieving烦躁, quenching thirst, and improving digestion. For those who suffer from skin itching or red rashes due to wind and sun exposure during the Dog Days, eating mung beans can alleviate the symptoms. However, the elderly and children with symptoms such as weakness of the limbs, diarrhea, and other diseases should not take them.

3, ginger slices

As the saying goes, ‘Eat radishes in winter and ginger in summer.’ Ginger has the effect of clearing and nourishing, and eating more ginger during the Dog Days can help replenish Qi and blood. Ginger slices are pungent and warm, with various effects such as dispelling cold, inducing sweating, cough relief, harmonizing the stomach, and preventing vomiting. The golden time for drinking brown sugar ginger tea also arrives during the Dog Days. Put 4 slices of ginger, 4 red dates, and appropriate amounts of old brown sugar into a cup, pour boiling water, and a cup of ginger and date tea to warm the stomach and dispel coldness is ready. Drinking brown sugar ginger tea is a simple and easy health care method, and it seems to be increasingly popular. Brown sugar ginger tea can be drunk all year round, but summer is the most suitable season for drinking it.