Beat the Heat: Lu Dou Tang
By Tory Wegner, LAc
I’m sure nobody will be too shocked to hear that June had 23 days of temperatures above 90 degrees, the hottest June on record since World War II! July and August haven’t been much better and I know everyone is feeling the heat this summer. You have to be sure to stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, and not stay outside too long or you’ll get what Chinese Medicine refers to as “summer heat,” and western medicine would call “heat exhaustion.” Some symptoms include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, irritability, and even fainting. I’m sure many of you have experienced this at some point in your lives but once you got inside, cooled off, and drank lots of water you felt much better. Even though heat exhaustion usually resolves, it can become a serious issue especially for people with medical issues, the elderly, and the very young.
China also has hot and humid summers so “summer heat” is something we are familiar with treating. As usual, Chinese herbs are often foods that are used as part of a regular diet. One such food is lu dou more commonly known as mung bean. Lu dou is often made into a tea and sipped throughout the summer months to prevent summer heat. It’s also made into a sweet soup that is enjoyed hot or cold and often eaten as a snack or dessert. You’ll also be happy to know that watermelon (xi gua in Chinese) is also a food that clears summer heat, which makes sense since most people naturally crave watermelon in the summertime anyway (the white part of the rind is also good to eat). Ju hua or chrysanthemum tea is also commonly consumed in the summertime in China for its cooling properties. Here’s a recipe for a sweet mung bean soup, simple and actually quite tasty on a hot summer day!
Lu Dou Tang Recipe:
Ingredients:
½ cup of mung beans
6 cups of water
5 tablespoons of sugar or brown sugar (more or less to taste)
Method:
Soak the beans overnight in water
Drain
Place in a large pot and add the 6 cups of water
Bring to a boil, add sugar, stir, and simmer for 1 hour
Let cool and serve. Can be served hot or cold
Notes: Mung beans can be found at most Asian markets such as Grand Asia in Cary or in the bulk foods section at Whole Foods.