Sometimes, the hot and humid days make you feel tired and/or dizry and you may also lose your appetite and/or weight. During the summer, it would be beneficial to your health to eat some bitter vegetables. According to the theories of traditional Chinese medical science, the summer's heat and humidity are harmful to kidney qi, the spleen and the stomach. But bitter foods may help balance organic
functions, by replenishing the qi and invigorating the functions of the kidneys and spleen. Studies of modern medical science have also proved that bitter vegetables contain rich contents, such as amino acid (one of the substances that combine to form proteins), vitamins and mineral substances, which help relieve summer heat, refresh a person, and invigorate the functions of the stomach. Excellent bitter vegetables include bitter gourds, common sow thistles, lettuce, celery, lotus seeds and lilies.
