Eating this thing during the dog days of summer can remove all hidden diseases in the body

The "dog days" are often the days with the highest temperature, humidity and sultryness in a year. The "bitter summer" that people often talk about occurs at this time. Do you know how the dog days of summer came about? What other interesting folk customs are there?

The saying of dog days originated in the Spring and Autumn Period

According to historical records, the term "Futian" originated in the Qin State during the Spring and Autumn Period. Sima Qian recorded in "Records of the Grand Historian: Qin Ji VI" that "the first dog days of summer came in the second year of Duke De of Qin." Zhang Shoujie of the Tang Dynasty made relevant annotations.

Liang Yong: "In the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Shoujie explained: "The third hottest month of June was started by Duke De of Qin, so it is called the first hottest month. 'Fu' means hiding from the heat." "It means that in the second year of Duke De of Qin, which was 676 BC, Duke De of Qin was afraid of the heat, so he hid himself to avoid the heat. So from this time on, there was already a custom of avoiding the first dog days of summer."

How to calculate the dog days of summer

As the saying goes, "The first three days of the dog days begin after the summer solstice," which refers to the method of calculating the three dog days. In ancient my country, ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches were used to record years and days. According to the traditional calculation method, the third Geng day after the summer solstice is the "first dog days", the fourth Geng day is the "middle dog days", and the first Geng day after the beginning of autumn is the "last dog days", collectively known as the "three dog days".

Liang Yong: "Because according to the Heavenly Stems, there is a Geng day every ten days. This year, the summer solstice in our country is on June 21st, and the third Geng day will appear on July 17th. So the counting of the dog days begins from this day."

This year's dog days have 40 days

As the saying goes, "The dog days last for ten days", but in fact the dog days do not necessarily last 30 days. Generally speaking, the first and last dog days are fixed at 10 days, while the middle dog days is sometimes 10 days and sometimes 20 days. Therefore, there are two types of dog days: the "normal version" of 30 days and the "extended version" of 40 days. This year it is the “extended version” of 40 days.

Liang Yong: "This is based on the relationship between the sun and the earth. In our ancient calendar, the length of the dog days is used to measure the duration of hot weather. The fourth Geng day is called the middle dog days. If the fifth Geng day comes after the beginning of autumn, it is called the last dog days, and the middle dog days last for ten days. If the fifth Geng day comes before the beginning of autumn, it is the middle dog days, and the middle dog days last for twenty days. It is commonly known as the two middle dog days."

The first day of the dog days of summer is called “eating dumplings” and “planting radishes”

In ancient times, the dog days of summer were like other festivals, with many customs passed down among the people. In Hebei, old people often say, "Eat dumplings in the first dog days, eat noodles in the second dog days, and make pancakes with eggs in the third dog days", "Eat radishes in the first dog days, eat vegetables in the second dog days, and grow buckwheat in the third dog days". Liang Yong, a cultural and historical expert from the Shijiazhuang Academy of Social Sciences, explained that whether it is "eating dumplings" or "planting radishes" in the first ten days of the dog days, they are experiences in diet, farming, etc. that the ancients summed up through careful observation of the weather during their labor, and they also embody people's yearning for a better life.

Liang Yong: "Because it is hot and humid during the dog days, people lose their appetite. Dumplings are traditionally eaten by the Chinese to whet their appetite and relieve their cravings. Chinese dumplings are shaped like ingots, which also means seeking wealth. Similarly, noodles, pancakes, and scrambled eggs are all nutritious and easy to digest foods in summer. So our ancients insisted on eating these delicacies and drinking hot soup during the dog days. They could also eat noodles mixed with mashed garlic and drizzled with marinade, which was called 'reducing the heat of the heart.'"

Spend the summer in a carefree mood

Unlike people today who stay at home to avoid the heat, the ancients also had "clever tricks" to avoid the heat during the dog days of summer.

Liang Yong: "In the Qing Dynasty, a scholar named Gu Lu recorded this in his Qing Jia Lu, which mentioned "playing cards", "playing music", "telling stories" and so on. This means that you can get together with friends to play cards, or go to a storytelling hall to listen to stories, and spend the summer in a carefree mood."

To prevent heatstroke, you should drink water at any time and eat more "bitter" food

"During the dog days of summer, the sun is scorching." Li Yanling, director of the Nutrition Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that during the dog days of summer, the human body sweats a lot and consumes a lot of energy, so health care must pay attention to replenishing physical strength, relieving fever and preventing heatstroke.

She recommended avoiding outdoor activities under strong sunlight, especially during the hot afternoon hours. If you must work or do activities outdoors, be sure to replenish water at all times. You can drink more cool drinks, light salt water, mung bean soup, etc., and take sun protection measures.

In terms of dietary conditioning, she recommends eating more bitter foods, such as chrysanthemum, celery, cucumber, bitter gourd, radish leaves, etc. These foods contain amino acids, vitamins, biotin, trace elements, etc., and have many functions such as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and heat-relieving, refreshing the mind, and eliminating fatigue.

Eating bitter food in summer can clear away the summer heat and increase appetite. But it should be consumed in moderation, otherwise it will hurt your stomach.