Herbalism doesn’t operate under perfect conditions, it’s dirty, it’s diy, it’s using what you have rather than worrying about what you don’t. Herbalism is radical community care after all. It’s the people’s medicine and it’s a practice that’s very near and dear to my heart. And it’s what my ancestors mobilized as a means to thrive and survive in some of the harshest, most violent, and inhospitable conditions imaginable.

So when readers from our lovely Substack community garden, living in places like France and Spain, asked how to survive this punishing heat, I immediately got to work, for my friends, in these hot times.

Something I Can Do

I read a sobering article in the New York Times titled “Why Europe is the Fastest Warming Continent.” The reason Europe is warming faster than other continents comes down to a combination of shifting atmospheric patterns, proximity to the rapidly melting Arctic, and historical changes in air pollution.

It’s the kind of article that makes you want to close the laptop and stare at the ceiling for a while. (which I absolutely did).

And it’s not just Europe. Right now, a heat dome is scorching the eastern and central US, right into the Fourth of July weekend. More than 160 million people are under heat alerts. In some places, it will feel like 115°F (46°C). None of us are escaping this.

Reading all of it, I came back to something I already know to be true: staying grounded in this moment, in the things I can actually do. Even while the planet keeps heating up around us.

Herbalism is timeless in this way because it lives in the real world. It’s a tool that meets us exactly where we are.

Summer Damp Heat

Early Summer in TCM combines the energetics of hot and damp, which results in the kind of humidity that sticks to the skin and makes the air feel heavy.

Humidity plays a big role in how we experience heat, and it can actually make us feel even hotter than what the thermostat is saying. This is because your body has a very sophisticated cooling system that you may know as sweating. Normally, when sweat evaporates it carries heat away from your skin. But when the air is extremely humid like what we’re observing across Europe right now, sweat doesn’t evaporate nearly as easily, which makes it that much harder for your body to cool down. Essentially, your body is trying to help you out, but the outside environment is just making it that much worse.

There’s also severe cardiovascular strain that occurs during such high heat. In order to cool down, your heart starts to pump blood harder. This can increase your heart rate by 10 or more beats per minute, raising blood pressure and placing significant stress on the cardiovascular system.

We can even observe the physical results of this as the heart pumps blood toward the surface of the skin. That’s why in TCM we have a saying that the state of the heart is going to be immediately reflected in the face. On lighter skin tones that’s going to be a very pink, ruby-like flush and on darker, more melanated skin that color may be more plum-like or you may have to check for flushing in areas of the body with less melanin, such as the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, lips, and inside the eyelids.

Damp heat can also make us grumpy, lethargic, and even anxious as our cardiovascular system is working extra hard to try and keep the whole system from overheating.

So what do we do to cool down in extreme heat?

Well, for starters, we stay out of the sun. We shut the blinds. Crank the strategically placed fans on high. Skip the lights, skip the cooking that heats up the kitchen. We eat and drink whatever keeps us cool, watermelon included. And this recipe does exactly that.

Every Herb Has a Story

This is a cooling, hydrating, cold-infused herbal tea blend for the days your body feels like it’s losing a fight with the sun. And every herb in it has a story.The base of this blend uses hibiscus, one of my favorite cooling herbs with powerful cardiotonic properties. The variety known as Hibiscus sabdariffa finds its origins in West Africa, and it made its way to the Americas during the Transatlantic slave trade. To me, no other plant represents the resiliency and strength of my African ancestors the way Hibiscus sabdariffa does.There are red drinks using hibiscus from all over the African diaspora: zobo in Nigeria, bissap in Senegal, agua de Jamaica in Central America, sorrel in the Caribbean, and vinagreira in Brazil.Throughout enslavement, hibiscus was seen as a healing beverage used to cool overheated and overworked bodies in the plantations. It was specifically prized for its ability to relieve inflammation, throbbing pain, and lower blood pressure exacerbated by extremely stressful and inhumane conditions and was often mixed with kola nut, another herb that’s extremely important to many in the African diaspora. Hibiscus, to me, is a symbol of black joy, black survival, and black culinary and herbal ingenuity and it’s the predecessor to the kool-aid we drink every Juneteenth.We also have Marshmallow root (Althea officinalis), a premier demulcent. That means it’s rich in mucilage, a viscous, gel-like substance that coats inflamed tissue in the body and helps replenish the fluids lost from sweating.Fun fact about Marshmallow root, it is best extracted in cold water because heat damages its polysaccharides (mucilage). That’s the important gooey, soothing compound responsible for its medicinal benefits. Cold water extracts a pure, thick mucilage while leaving behind the plant’s bitter, inert starches, resulting in a cleaner, more effective brew.I’ve also placed motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) into this blend. Motherwort’s Latin name translates roughly to “lion-hearted”. It’s long been known as mother’s wort (wort being the old english word for herb), traditionally used to steady anxious hearts and ease heart palpitations, especially in new mothers. I talked about its bitter, heart-soothing properties at length in last week’s article on Early Summer bitters.Lemon balm is named for bees. Melissa is Greek for “bee,” and the plant’s blossoms have drawn them for centuries. Monks grew it in monastery gardens for exactly the reason we’re using it here: to calm the nervous system. It’s one of my favorite nervines, and there’s real science behind the feeling. Lemon balm may help increase GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps the body settle into rest. That matters, because heat itself is a kind of unrest.We also add a few warming spices (cinnamon, clove, fresh ginger) to keep the blend from turning too cooling. In TCM, this is a familiar move: a little warmth to balance a lot of cool, so the formula doesn’t tip too far in one direction. It’s also a callback to the traditional hibiscus drink, which has always leaned on warm spices this way.Watermelon rounds it out, hydrating, gently sweet, and a classic Summer favorite for restoring moisture to the body in TCM. But use whatever fruit you have on hand: blueberries, cherries, peaches, oranges, pineapple, raspberries, apples. Whatever fits your vibe.

Cold Brewed Hibiscus & Motherwort Tea 

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 10 Minutes | Serves: 3 

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Equipment: a large pitcher and a fine-mesh strainer (or cheesecloth). Nothing fancier than that.

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Ingredients: 2 cups watermelon, cut into chunks

3 tablespoons dried hibiscus

2 tablespoons dried motherwort

2 tablespoons dried lemon balm (or a large handful fresh)

2 tablespoons dried marshmallow root

4 cinnamon sticks

10 cloves, lightly crushed

6 ups cool water

1 tablespoon of honey to taste (optional)

Preperation: 

✿ Step 1
Add the watermelon: Add the watermelon, cut into chunks, to your pitcher.

✿ Step 2
Add the herbs and spices: Add the hibiscus, motherwort, marshmallow root, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and cloves.

✿ Step 3
Add the lemon balm: If using fresh lemon balm, crush, tear, and smash the leaves to release the oils, then add it to the pitcher.

✿ Step 4
Steep overnight: Steep overnight: Pour the cool water over everything. Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate. At least 8 hours, though a full 12 gives you a stronger brew.

✿ Step 5
Strain: Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pitcher, pressing gently on the herbs and watermelon to release any remaining liquid. You may need to strain it twice, and even then, a few small bits may make it through. That’s normal, not a mistake.

✿ Step 6
Serve: Pour and drink straight from the fridge, sweetened with honey if you like it sweeter.