Explore every episode of the podcast AcuTing | Ancient Medicine. Modern Evidence.

Did you notice the exact day summer ended?After a summer away, AcuTing is back — just in time for 白露 White Dew,the solar term arriving September 7th, when the nights turn cool and dewreturns to the morning. This is a gentle welcome into autumn: what thetwenty-four solar terms actually are, why this summer's smoke and stormsput the air on everyone's mind, and why classical Chinese medicine pairsautumn with the Lung — "the delicate organ."In this episode:• 白露 White Dew and the 24 solar terms — including the three five-day windows inside this one, all of them about birds• Why autumn dryness hits the throat, the cough, and the skin first — and how the classical idea of 肺喜潤惡燥 lines up with what modern medicine says about your mucous membranes• 潤肺 moistening the season, at kitchen level: steamed pear with rock sugar (with the actual method), snow fungus, lily bulb, honey water• The autumn eating rule 少辛增酸 — less pungent, more sour — and why the extra chili works against you this month• 白露身不露 — the scarf rule — plus wildfire-smoke days and the two symptoms that mean "see a doctor," not "steam a pear"This show is educational and not a substitute for medical care.More at acuting.comMusic: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The heat of summer can affect more than just your comfort.

It can change your appetite, disturb your sleep, shorten your patience, and leave you feeling more tired than you expected.

In this episode, we explore how Traditional Chinese Medicine understands the summer season and share a few simple, practical ways to care for yourself during hot weather. From food and hydration to sleep, emotions, and a few easy acupressure points, this is a gentle conversation about working with your body instead of fighting against it.

Because sometimes, staying healthy isn't about doing more.

It's about slowing down, paying attention, and finding a little more balance.

Chinese Words You'll Hear

陽 (Yáng)
The active, outward energy that naturally peaks during summer.

脾 (Pí) – Spleen
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Spleen is responsible for transforming food and drink into energy and nourishment.

胃 (Wèi) – Stomach
Works together with the Spleen to support digestion and fluid metabolism.

心 (Xīn) – Heart
More than the physical heart. In TCM, it's also associated with the mind, spirit, sleep, and emotional balance.

Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and supplements are often grouped together, but they do not work in the same way.

In this episode, we look at what each approach may do best, why convenience is not always the same as effectiveness, and how Chinese medicine may support chronic health, prevention, and long-term balance.

We also explore the traditional idea of 治未病, zhì wèi bìng, which means caring for the body before illness fully develops.

Because the best treatment is not always the strongest or the trendiest one. It is the one that is appropriate, safe, and realistic enough to become part of your life.

Does it really matter if you sleep from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. instead of 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.?

In this episode, we explore an idea that both modern sleep science and classical Chinese medicine seem to agree on: not all hours of sleep are equal.

You'll learn about the ancient Chinese Medicine Body Clock (子午流注), why the hours between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. were considered the body's most important time for restoration, and how the Liver and Gallbladder were believed to support recovery, blood storage, and even clear decision-making.

We also connect these classical ideas with today's understanding of circadian rhythms, deep sleep, and overnight repair, then finish with a few realistic ways to improve your sleep without chasing perfection.

Because better sleep isn't only about getting more hours.

Sometimes it's about choosing the right ones.

KEY TOPICS

• Sleep timing
• Circadian rhythm
• Chinese Medicine Body Clock (子午流注
• Liver Hour (1–3 a.m.)
• Gallbladder Hour (11 p.m.–1 a.m.)
• Deep sleep
• Wind-down routine
• Suan Zao Ren (酸棗仁)

Ancient wisdom. Modern evidence. Better nights, one hour at a time.

You're exhausted. Your body feels heavy. But the moment your head touches the pillow... you're wide awake.

If you've ever wondered how you can be both tired and unable to sleep, you're not alone. In this episode, we explore why exhaustion doesn't always lead to restful sleep through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

We'll talk about the different patterns that can hide behind insomnia, why "being tired" isn't always the real problem, and how your body may be sending signals that are easy to miss. Along the way, we'll connect these ancient ideas with what modern science tells us about stress, the nervous system, and recovery.

By the end of the episode, you may start looking at sleepless nights in a completely different way.

Key Topics: Insomnia, Fatigue, Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM, Sleep, Stress, Nervous System, Yin Deficiency, Blood Deficiency, Acupuncture, Holistic Health

Summer does not make everyone sick in the same way.

In this episode, we explore two traditional Chinese medicine ideas: Yang summerheat and Yin summerheat, or 阳暑 and 阴暑. One feels hot, flushed, thirsty, and obvious. The other feels cold, achy, heavy, and strange after sweating, travel, air conditioning, or sudden temperature changes.

We also talk about 正氣, Zheng Qi, the body’s inner reserve, and why slow daily care may matter more than any quick fix.

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.

Key topics: summer sickness, Yang summerheat, Yin summerheat, heat exhaustion, air conditioning, sweating, Zheng Qi, Tai Chi, Qigong, Chinese medicine lifestyle

What if the hottest days of summer were more than something to endure?

For centuries, Chinese medicine has viewed San Fu Tian, the hottest period of the year, as a unique seasonal window.

In this episode, we explore the idea of Dong Bing Xia Zhi, or “winter disease, summer treatment,” and why recurring winter patterns may be addressed during summer.

We’ll also look at San Fu herbal patches, biological timing, and a few practical ways to observe how your body responds to heat, cold, sleep, digestion, and seasonal change.

This is not about fearing iced drinks or treating summer as magic. It is about timing, patterns, and learning to notice what your body does before winter returns.

No prior knowledge needed. Just curiosity.

San Fu Tian Titoks:

https://www.tiktok.com/@acutingr/video/7655997578575711518?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Have you ever woken up and thought...

I'm not sick, but I don't feel quite right?

You're not imagining it.

In this first episode, we explore why Chinese medicine starts not with needles or herbs, but with a single question:

what changed around you?

No prior knowledge needed. Just curiosity.