You may have felt the heat back in April when Seattle had record high temperatures, but it’s now official – summer is here!  On Monday, June 20th, the sun was visible for the longest period in the sky and marked the first day of astronomical summer.  This year was also met with an astronomical phenomena that hasn’t occurred since 1967 – the meeting of the full moon with the summer solstice.  The Strawberry Moon (named after the harvesting time of this ripening fruit) hung low and the light being forced through the thicker air caused a beautiful glow of amber (not pink or red like the fruit).  In case you missed this beautiful sight, here is a link with pictures of the full moon from around the world: http://earthsky.org/todays-image/photos-solstice-full-moon-june-19-20-2016

The summer in Chinese medicine symbolizes expansion, growth, activity and creativity.  It’s the most ‘yang’ time of the year and is associated with fire, the color red, and joy.  The organs associated with the summer are the heart and the small intestine.  It’s important to nourish our bodies with cooling foods such as salads during these hot months.  Summer is a time when heat and toxins can build in the body and cooling foods will help clear the heat and generate much needed body fluids.  Other cooling foods to incorporate into the diet at this time are watermelon, apricots, lemons, peaches, cucumbers, oranges and corn.  Stay cool by drinking lots of water with cucumber or lemon slices.  It also helps to eat smaller meals during this time and stay away from overly greasy or deep fried food.  Enjoy the heat!