Detox your intestines and strengthen your heart.

The Summer Solstice kicks off the beginning of the season on the longest day of the year, which falls on June 21^st. Summer and all of its fiery element, sets the stage for energy, vitality, growth and maturing. Flowers bloom and fruits and vegetables become plentiful. It is a season packed with activities.

In this season we will nourish and detoxify the heart and small intestines. With every pulse, your heart helps pump vital nutrients to every sector of the body, working in tandem with the liver, the regulator of circulation. The heart controls the circulation so that the detoxification process can move effectively. This four-chambered muscle pumps approximately 3,000 gallons of blood daily to the lungs, where it absorbs oxygen. Your heart can keep going and going as long as it has enough oxygen.

A number of factors can endanger your heart’s functions. Emotions play an important role. Every time you become tense, the rate and rhythm of your heart are affected, which disturbs the flow of blood and oxygen. This causes blood vessels in your wrists, ankles and head to constrict. When blood vessels in your head constrict, migraine headaches occur.

Escalated levels of a potentially toxic amino acid called homocysteine can become so dangerous to your cardiovascular system that it actually equals the dangers of smoking. Homocysteine is the metabolic byproduct of methionine breakdown, an amino acid found in animal protein. It is usually converted to the nontoxic amino acid cysteine, but this process can operate properly only if vitamins B₁₂, B₆ and folic acid are readily available. Having low amounts of these vitamins, consuming too much animal protein, and drinking a lot of coffee all can aggravate normal functions and cause homocysteine levels to climb. This results in forgetfulness, cloudy thinking and Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.

When the fire of your heart becomes out of balance because impaired kidneys are not keeping it cooled, your heart produces hot flashes, night sweats and palpitations. You then become irritable and experience insomnia. It’s important to drink a lot of water and eat cooling fruits and vegetables, especially during the summer.

Summer is also the time to focus on your small intestine, another important organ of the detox process. The vital nutrients that your body needs to detox depend on how available they are through your small intestine. The small intestine digests and absorbs nutrients then ships them off to the bloodstream, where they are carried to the liver. If your intestinal lining becomes coated with mucus, nutrient absorption is greatly diminished, which zaps your immune system functions and opens the door to food allergies. Your digestive system needs the enzyme ptyalin (saliva); hydrochloric acid (HCL) and pancreatic enzymes. HCL helps metabolize protein, minerals, calcium and iron. When HCL is missing, protein can’t be broken down properly into amino acids. The non-metabolized proteins begin to decay and enter the bloodstream, resulting in a toxic dump. Low HCL levels can cause anemia and arthritis as well. Low HCL levels can happen to anyone at any age. The main triggers are emotional stress and diet. Try not to eat when too upset or quarrel during meals. Also chew your food thoroughly and don’t drink, especially carbonated beverages, during a meal. When HCL production is low you have a slow-moving bowel, also known as constipation.