Late Summer: Why September Is the Best Time to Bolster Your Digestion (Before Cold & Flu Season)
About this episode
Dr. Kelly Cmolik discusses the significance of September in Chinese medicine and its impact on digestion and immune health.
Episode Summary September isn't just "back to school" season — in Chinese medicine, it's its own distinct season entirely. In this episode of Chinese Medicine in the Modern World , Dr. Kelly Cmolik explains Late Summer , the fifth season in Chinese medicine theory, and why it's the ideal window to strengthen digestion, calm the nervous system, and build immune resilience before heading into fall and winter. Dr. Kelly breaks down the spleen and stomach's role as the body's "central pivot," explains how chronic stress and the vagus nerve directly sabotage digestion, and makes the case for treating September as a foundational reset month — not through detoxing, but through nourishing food, seasonal eating, and a structured gut-reset protocol. She also unpacks the Chinese medicine concept of Wei Qi (the body's immune "force field") and why never getting sick isn't always the flex people think it is. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Chinese medicine recognizes five seasons instead of four — and what "Late Summer" means How the spleen and stomach act as the body's "central pivot" for chi, blood, hormones, and immunity The real reason stress wrecks digestion (hello, vagus nerve and…
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