We are in the last serveral weeks of the season, and this is the time of the year when the weather fluctuations can cause all kinds of problems. The changes in temperature can cause the opening and closing of the pores on your skin to not regulate properly. This can allow exterior pathogens ( virus, bacteria, pollen, dander, pollutants) to enter the body more easily. It is often during this time that people tend to get sick. There are things you can do to help protect your body.
This article will help you prepare for the Fall Season, with some tips and tricks on what to do to prepare your body and help make it stronger and prevent you from getting sick. It will mostly involved food choices, and if you follow them, people will start to wonder why you never get sick!
The two weeks before Fall begins, you will want to take care of your self with the most care. This means getting exercise, not overworking, relaxing, doing things for you and eating right.
The energy at this time of the year is inwards and down. This is the opposite of the spring when the energy is up and out as the trees blossom and flowers bloom. Fall is a time the body needs to store energy for the cold winter, a time when your body may naturally gain some weight to help keep the internal organs warmer and functional during colder conditions.
The foods to focus on to help the body naturally adapt to fall are sour flavoured foods, because they have the same type of inwards and downward energy. You can relate it to your reaction when you put something extremely sour into your mouth; your response is to contract. Sour foods include sour apples, sour grapes, sourdough bread, leeks, pickles, vinegar, limes, lemons, saukeraut, cabbage, radish, olives, etc.
The Season tends to be dry. You can see this in nature when the leaves fall off the trees, and become very brittle and dry. The air tends to be dry, and as winter approaches, people tend to use their humidifiers a lot more, especially at night. Dryness will attack the lungs, and you may notice a dry hacking cough, dry throat, dry nose, dry skin, sore throat, dry eyes, dry mouth, and high thirst. To prevent dryness, drink water at room temperature, use a humidifier, eat foods with more water content, such as watermelon, celery, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers etc. This will provide more moisture for your body, and your skin will feel better too! Each person is unique, and that is why it’s important to have a full Chinese Medicine Diagnosis, and you can eat right for your body type. Chinese Medicine deals with the nature of foods, and how they affect you after you have eaten. If you tend to be hot, you will want to focus on cold natured foods, and if you tend to be cold, you want to focus on hot natured foods.
The way you prepare your food is also important. If you have trouble digesting or even if you don’t, choose to cook your foods for longer periods of time during the fall. This can involve making soups and stews which are packed full of energy and cook for long periods of time. Soups also have a high water content, which helps combat any dryness. The extra cooking time helps breakdown food particles, which are then easier to absorb by you and requires less energy for your body to absorb its nutrients and energy. Generally cook on lower heat for longer periods of time during the fall time. Using a slow cooker is a great idea!
The Fall Season is directly after the Summer Season. Humans tend to have less order in their lives during summer because they are travelling more within their own city and abroad, are more active, and in general more reckless. The fall season should be used as a time to organize your life as the hectic Summer Season ends, and focus inwards on your own personal needs.
As winter approaches, start to choose foods which are bitter and salty. Make sure you look out for our Winter Edition which will help you prepare for the winter! If you follow the advice given here, you will be more prepared for the Fall Season, and you will have a better chance of staying healthy, fit, and strong.
Chinese Medicine uses Acupuncture, herbs, massage to powerfully influence the entire body and regulate its processes. Try using Traditional Chinese Medicine help keep your body strong during this fall and Winter Season. If you tend to get sick, being preventative will mean the difference.
Call 647-346-2780 to book an Appointment. You will get a complete Oriental Diagnosis and Treatment and you can eat right for your own body.
