Early Autumn
As we come out of the late summer months our body tends to hold on to more dampness. When we think of dampness in the body, we could compare it to the humidity we feel stepping outside after a summer rainstorm. This includes feeling that stagnant heat where the air doesn’t want to move, and all our brains and body want is to run back into the air conditioning where life was cool, and we were able to breathe and think clearly.
During this time in Traditional Chinese Medicine it's best to strengthen the spleen. The spleen is responsible for transforming and transporting our food and turning it into nutrients. Not only this but it is responsible for the production of our white blood cells which nourish other organs including our thymus gland. This helps to keep us healthy and fight off colds and infections. Since colds are more prominent in the fall with the change of weather, strengthening the spleen and getting rid of that dampness we’ve accumulated throughout the summer months is important to maintain health. Eating more juicy foods like apples, pears, grapefruits, and dates are great in these early days of fall to help your body adapt. It's best to avoid cold foods like watermelon and bitter melons which are great in the summer months but during this transition can lead to digestive problems such as diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Foods that contribute to building more damp within our bodies are things like noodles, potatoes, bananas, wheat, dairy, and those are just a few. It's best to avoid these things in early autumn in order to help the body adapt and transition itself into a new season. Just like the weather we are constantly transforming with nature around us and need to make the necessary changes in order to do it smoothly and with as little discomfort as possible.
A great tea to incorporate in early autumn is radish tea. Drinking this can clear summer heat, transform the phlegm and dampness that has accumulated, improve appetite and digestive functions, and also works as an anti-inflammatory for the lungs. The method to making this tea is as followed:
“First wash your 100 g of white radish slices that will be boiled. Add a small amount of non-MSG salt to the water and add the radish. After about five minutes of brewing pour into a cup and enjoy up to two times a day for maximum health benefits.”
Mid-Autumn
In TCM when yin and yang are in balance, we refer to that as being in homeostasis which is our body's natural state. In the mid-autumn months nourishing yin is of utmost importance. Yin is our body's energy that restores us and allows our bodies and mind to slow down, rest, and relax. Like the animals that hibernate and use these months to prepare we are similar. Storing up our energy and giving ourselves time to decompress and relax is prominent in making it through the colder months to come and doing so in a healthy manner. Not only nourishing yin is important but with mid-autumn comes dryness so moistening that dryness is important to stay in balance. If you think about nature, it rains less during this time and we’re decently into the dry season. Our bodies tend to reflect our surroundings so ways to combat that dryness can be with acupuncture and Chinese medicine and even the food we eat. If you know us here at Eastern Acupuncture and Wellness you know that we preach that food is medicine.
Eating dry foods such as anything fried or smoked isn’t the best during mid-autumn. Incorporating things in your diet such as honey, soy milk, pears, white wood ear, and so on could leave you feeling nourished and energized. A higher intake of water is also extremely important in maintaining health and balance in these months.
Mid-Autumn is usually the time of mid-terms for students. With the new norm of being on and in front of the computer so much the eyes can begin to feel sore and fatigued. By incorporating a goji tea it can help combat those feelings of soreness and fatigue. Goji is rich in carotene, vitamin B1, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Therefore, it has amazing therapeutic effects. To make, add goji berries, mulberry, and the flesh of the longan fruit (similar to lychee), to boiled water for 30 minutes. You’ll want to wait for it to cool before drinking for maximum benefits.
Late Autumn
With late autumn comes colder weather accompanied by that same dryness that we saw in mid-autumn. This is the time of the year that the lungs are most affected and we’re more likely to catch a cold or the flu. During this time it’s good to choose more foods that are black in nature such as black sesame and black beans. Some other great foods to eat all fall long and how they help our insides are:
White wood ear – This benefits the blood and also harmonizes the stomach keeping our digestion functioning properly.
Sweet potato – Sweet potato has the effect of quenching thirst, moistening the lungs, benefiting the digestive system, and can even have an anticancer effect.
Pumpkin – Rich in nutrients, it contains vitamin C, glucose,vitamin E, folate , iron, and more. TCM believes it has anti-inflammatory pain relief and detox effects.
Grapefruit – Grapefruit is rich in insulin, pectin, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and can even suppress bacteria. It is also anti-cancerous, good for blood sugar, and high in antioxidants.
Being aware of our bodies and what works and doesn’t work for us is key to maintaining health. What works for one person may not work for you. Chinese medicine and nutrition can help you stay in tune with your body and help you adapt to nature and the change of seasons easier and easier every year. It’s as easy as coming in for a consultation and learning what steps to take to be the best version of your internal self.
