During the Dragon Boat season, it is traditionally a time in China to develop balance and harmony between the mind, body, and nature to build up disease resistance to ensure wellness over summer. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theories, we must refrain from doing three things to maintain good health when the yang energy is at its peak. First, we must abstain from raw and cold foods in the evening, as they are hard to digest. Second, we should not take cold water baths. Our sweat glands and skin pores are open in the hot summer months. Taking a cold shower will make our body vulnerable to cold air, leading to an imperceptible loss of our yang energy. Third, we should not sleep exposed to the cold air at night.

On today’s program, surgeon Dr. Lo Lai-Oi will share her practical knowledge about the connection between food and health. Owing to her medical training, she knows how to find reliable sources of nutritional information, and can easily discern what is anecdotal and what is based on science. From her research and experience, Dr. Lo has found four equally essential strategies for healthy eating. First, she makes sure her food is free of contamination. After that, she tries eat most of her food raw. The other two strategies are that her diet is plant-based and whole food.