Late Summer Transition

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), the fifth season of Late Summer is one of the most important times of year as it focuses on the health of our digestion and nourishment. After an indulgent summer with a variety of raw foods, our digestive system can be taxed. TCM believes that digestion is where our health and wholeness is based. It's responsible for our immunity, nourishment, and often emotional stability.

In modern science, this is reflected as more research is done on the human biome. Studies recently show that the gut microbiota is now considered an important partner of human cells, interacting with virtually all cells. Although gut microbes have been explored for decades, investigations of the role of microorganisms that reside in the human gut has attracted attention beyond infectious diseases. Numerous studies have reported changes in the gut microbiota during not only obesity, diabetes, and liver diseases but also cancer and even neurodegenerative diseases. (I love when science catches up with ancient wisdom!).