According to Chinese Medicine, Autumn is the season of harvest, organization, protecting boundaries, and shedding what is unnecessary while contracting and preserving what is essential, in order to prepare and store for the coming winter. As microcosms of the universe, we too, are bound by this cycle that occurs in nature.
In Chinese Medicine, the Autumn season is characteristic of a dry season that is associated with the Metal Element and corresponds to the Lung and large Intestine organs. The Lung is responsible for our defensive “Wei” qi, that protects us from external invasions, so it is important during this season to protect ourselves from the cold air and loss of moisture from our skin leading to dry, itchy and cracked skin. Some common issues that results from this season are respiratory issues such as dry cough, itchy throat, itchy skin, dry mouth, dry eyes, dry and cracked skin, constipation, and catching colds.
Eating more moistening and nurturing foods that are in tune with autumn will help greatly in keeping your body happy during this change of season, and keep you healthy for the coming winter months.
Below are a few foods to add to your diet for the next few months!
6 Autumn Healthy Foods:
1. Pear: Pears are sweet in flavor and cold in nature. It is a juicy fruit with the properties to clear heat, nourish yin, generate fluids and moisten lungs, stop cough and dissipate phlegm.
2. Persimmon: Sweet in flavor and cold in nature. It is a neutral tonic that moistens the lungs, generate fluids, stops cough, moistens the intestines and moves stools.
3. Sugar Cane: Especially goods or dry cough due to autumn dryness. Good for dry mouth, dry throat, generate fluids and moistens dryness, clear heat and detoxifies.
4. Loquat: Sweet and sour in flavor, cool in nature. It moistens the lungs and stops cough, harmonizes the stomach and generates fluids.
5. Carrot: Sweet in flavor and neutral in nature. It descends qi to stop cough, moistens the stomach and benefits all organs.
6. Lotus Root: (Raw Lotus Root is sweet in flavor and cool in nature. It clears heat and cools blood, dissipates blood stasis, it quenches thirst and dry throat.) (Cooked Lotus Root is sweet in flavor and warm in nature. It promotes the appetite, tonifies and benefits the spleen and stomach, and it nourishes blood.)
Remember to stay warm during this season, avoid spicy, pungent, deep fried foods, as well as avoid baking too much, as baking dries out the moisture from the foods and can lead to more dryness associated problems!
