Chinese Medicine Nutritional Tips To Eating Healthy For The Fall Season
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine the fall season has different nutritional requirements. The ancient physicians discovered the secrets to anti-aging and longevity by eating and living according to the different seasons. In this blog, I will share with you the secrets on how to thrive during the autumn and the proper foods to eat in the fall so you can be your healthiest.
Autumn is the season where the daylight gets shorter and the cold weather arrives. As the season shift so does the climate. Autumn is impacted by the dryness in the air and cooler temperatures. This shift in the season means the Yang energy from summer is shifting to the Yin energy towards winter. We just went from the warm sunny days of summer to approaching the long dark nights of winter. The Yin energy is about the is inward stillness and the contracting of essence of life and storing it for the winter, which is what nature is preparing for. So we want to follow the cycles of nature instead of resisting it. This will promote optimal health when we live in balance with each season.
HEALTHY EATING TIPS FOR THE AUTUMN SEASON
Here are some nutritional tips on how to eat and what to eat during the autumn so can thrive and be your healthiest as the cold and flu season arrives.
1. This is the season to transition from the raw food diet into more cooked foods. Raw uncooked foods are more cold in nature and with the colder weather outside it's just not a good combo. Your body is more in a contracted state in the cooler temperatures so cooked foods will be easier on your digestion.
2. Consume foods that are warmer in temperature. Foods can range from warm, cool, and neutral. It is about warming up to help your body stay warm. Here is a list of foods that range from the warm to hot in nature. Caution...if you run hot or have hot flashes then the hot foods you may want to avoid.
Beef
Lamb (hot)
Chicken
Venison (hot)
Cauliflower
Leeks
Carrots
Radishes
3. Consume fall foods that are acrid in flavor. Acrid flavor will move the Qi and bring your defensive Qi aka "immunity" to the surface to keep you protected from colds and flus.
Garlic
Onions
Ginger
Cinnamon
Chili peppers
4. Foods to avoid during the fall are especially important as you modify your diet for the season. Avoid foods that create dampness and phlegm like dairy, oily, fatty, and cooling foods. You don't want to become phlegmy especially during the cold and flu season.
5. Consume sour foods, because it will assist the movement of contracting the energy inward. We want to start thinking about storing and conserving our energy, which will be the primary focus during the winter months.
Olives
Sauerkraut
Pickles
Lemons/limes
Vinegars
Be sure to enjoy the local fall harvest foods and bring in those pumpkin spices. I hope you find a few of these tips or all to incorporate in your health routine for the autumn season. This will definitely help you avoid getting sick and staying super healthy.
Wishing you a VIBRANT LIFE!
Stacy
PS-if you would like a complete list of the all the things to eat in the fall, feel free to shoot me an email.
MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU:
Chinese Nutrition Therapy by Joerg Kastner, MD, LAc
Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford
Did you learn some cool tips? Please feel free to share on Facebook and Instagram.
Stacy Spence, LAc. MSOM
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