In the autumn, if you consume a large amount of nourishing supplements, especially those that are overly greasy and yin-nourishing, it can further burden the spleen and stomach. The gastrointestinal tract, which is already in a long-term weakened state, may not be able to handle the sudden influx of supplements, easily leading to digestive dysfunction. Therefore, when it comes to diet in autumn, regulating the spleen and stomach before nourishing is the correct approach! In most parts of our country, for a long time after the beginning of autumn, the temperature is usually high, and the air humidity is also significant. Under such climatic conditions, regulating the spleen and stomach should focus on clearing heat, eliminating dampness, and strengthening the spleen. It might be beneficial to eat more mung beans, broad beans, and coix seeds, allowing the body's damp-heat pathogen to be expelled through urination, promoting the recovery of spleen and stomach function and maintaining a healthy vegetarian diet.
Secondly, beauty and complexion care require individualized regulation of the spleen and stomach. Specifically, the following three groups of people need special attention:
First, patients with spleen deficiency often exhibit symptoms such as reduced appetite, abdominal distension, lack of energy, fatigue, occasional diarrhea, and a sallow complexion. Before taking tonics, these individuals can moderately consume some spleen-strengthening and stomach-harmonizing foods to promote the recovery of spleen and stomach functions. Foods like polyporus cake, lotus seed, yam, cowpea, and millet are all good choices. Eating congee can harmonize the stomach, strengthen the spleen, and moisturize dryness; therefore, cooking the above-mentioned foods into porridge can enhance their therapeutic effects.
Second, individuals with excessive stomach fire who regularly consume spicy and greasy foods tend to generate heat and fire over time, accumulating heat in the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include a burning sensation in the stomach, preference for cold drinks, halitosis, and constipation. Before taking tonics, it is essential to clear and reduce the stomach fire by consuming more bitter gourd, cucumber, winter melon, bitter herbs, and bitter tea until the stomach fire subsides before proceeding with supplementation.
Third, the elderly and children, due to weaker digestive capabilities, often have undigested food in the stomach, manifested by lack of appetite or abdominal distension after eating. Therefore, before taking tonics, emphasis should be placed on digesting food and harmonizing the stomach. Foods like hawthorn and white radish that aid digestion, strengthen the spleen, and harmonize the stomach are appropriate choices. For severe cases, medications like Bao He Wan or Xiang Sha Yang Wei Wan can be taken under the guidance of a doctor.
Except for individuals with yang deficiency constitutions, one should not excessively consume warm or hot foods or drugs such as lamb, dog meat, ginseng, deer antler, cinnamon, and fu slices, as doing so can easily exacerbate autumn dryness.
1. Healthy Diet
The dietary principle for autumn should focus on nourishing yin and moistening the lungs. Elderly individuals with weak stomachs can benefit from eating congee in the morning to enhance the stomach’s production of fluids, such as lily lotus seed porridge, silver ear fungus sweet rice porridge, almond chuanbei rice porridge, and black sesame porridge. Additionally, eating sour fruits and vegetables while reducing the intake of spicy and stimulating foods is highly beneficial for liver protection and lung health.
2. Regulating Spleen and Stomach
After the beginning of autumn, one should avoid eating too many cold or raw fruits, especially those with spleen and stomach deficiencies. During the transition between summer and autumn, the focus should be on clearing heat and strengthening the spleen, eating small frequent meals, and consuming cooked, warm, soft, and appetizing foods that are easy to digest. Spicy, oily foods should be avoided, and attention should be paid to clearing stomach fire to expel internal damp-heat through urination before proceeding with supplementation.
3. Preventing Autumn Fatigue
As the saying goes: "Spring drowsiness and autumn lethargy." Autumn fatigue is a protective response compensating for the excessive consumption during summer, often manifested by lethargy, weakness, and lack of spirit. The best way to prevent autumn fatigue is to engage in moderate exercise, paying attention to gradual progress. Maintaining sufficient sleep can also help prevent autumn fatigue.
4. Preventing Autumn Dryness
Autumn has less rainfall and dry weather, making the human body prone to "autumn dryness" caused by rising false fire. According to traditional Chinese medicine, dryness easily harms the lungs, and autumn Qi is related to the human lungs. Excessive lung Qi can lead to insufficient body fluids, resulting in "dry syndrome" symptoms like dry skin and coughing. Preventing autumn dryness focuses on dietary adjustments, appropriately selecting foods that can moisten the lungs, clear dryness, nourish yin, and produce fluids, such as pears, sugarcane, water chestnuts, lilies, and silver ear fungus.
5. Preventing Colds
Colds increase in autumn. To prevent colds, clothing should be adjusted according to temperature changes, especially for the elderly. The indoor air conditioning temperature should not be set too low, ideally around 25°C to 27°C. Autumn is a high-incidence period for diseases, and timely medical attention is crucial to avoid delaying treatment.
6. Early Rising and Early Sleeping
Early sleeping aligns with the collection of yin essence, and early rising promotes the flow of yang Qi. Modern studies show that appropriately waking up earlier in autumn reduces the risk of thrombosis. Lying in bed for a few more minutes upon waking and stretching the whole body significantly helps prevent thrombosis.
7. Strengthening Exercise
As the weather gets colder in autumn, clothes should not be increased too quickly. Allowing the body to endure some cold exposure enhances its adaptability to the cold climate in winter. The crisp autumn weather is an excellent time for physical exercise, such as morning exercises, jogging, and cold water baths, improving resistance to diseases.
8. Being Cautious with Fruits
Excessive fruit consumption in summer, though not causing immediate harm, reduces the gastrointestinal resistance. Continuing to eat large amounts of fruit in autumn will further damage the spleen yang, leading to acute or chronic gastrointestinal diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, or loose stools. Therefore, fruit intake should be limited in autumn, especially for those with spleen and stomach coldness.
9. Timely Supplementation
It is commonly said: "Supplementing in autumn allows one to fight tigers in winter," but when supplementing, it is important to avoid unnecessary supplementation and indiscriminate supplementation without distinguishing between real and virtual needs. The principle of Traditional Chinese Medicine is to supplement those who are deficient. Those without deficiency syndromes should not use tonics. Deficiencies are categorized into yin, yang, qi, and blood types. Symptomatic medication can effectively replenish the body, otherwise, it could backfire. Attention should also be paid to the appropriate amount of supplementation, avoiding using medicine as food, and advocating food-based supplementation. Autumn food supplementation mainly focuses on nourishing yin and moisturizing dryness, such as black-boned chicken, pig lungs, turtle meat, bird's nest, silver ear fungus, honey, sesame, walnuts, lotus root, and pears. Combining these foods with Chinese herbal medicines can enhance their efficacy.
10. Paying Attention to Nourishing Yin
Autumn weather is dry, and autumn health care should focus on nourishing yin. First, drink more water to replenish the moisture lost during summer. Second, get closer to nature, walking in fields or parks, which helps nourish yin. Third, avoid excessive sweating, as excessive sweating damages the body's "yin." Therefore, exercising in moderation in autumn is recommended.
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