The main characteristics of autumn climate and natural changes are dryness. During this season, women should go to bed early and rise early, gather their spirit, and keep their minds at peace. Their diet should reduce spicy foods and increase sour ones. Women must eat three dishes in autumn to nourish blood, strengthen the spleen, and moisten dryness.
Symptoms of autumn dryness include a hoarse voice, nasal sensitivity, and dry skin; as well as spasms, dry hair, and constipation. These are caused by the beginning of cool weather, the crispness of the autumn air, and the natural world's process of gathering and storing energy. In the human body, this corresponds to the gradual withdrawal of Yang energy and the growth of Yin energy, leading to a scarcity of bodily fluids and blood dryness. The lung Qi becomes more active, while the body's surface Yang energy is drawn inward, and the functional activities of Qi become more settled and descending. For women, the main focus of nourishment during this season should be "moistening Yin and nourishing the Lung." Suitable foods to eat donkey-hide gelatin, red dates, black-bone chicken, fish, tremella, honey, sesame seeds, soy milk, lotus root, walnuts, coix seed, peanuts, duck eggs, spinach, chrysanthemums, chestnuts, apples, and pears.
Red Date, Brown Sugar, and Donkey-Hide Gelatin Soup
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, donkey-hide gelatin and red dates are both considered tonifying foods, and they are excellent choices for women to combat autumn dryness. Donkey-hide gelatin nourishes blood, stops bleeding, secures the fetus, nourishes Yin, and moistens the lungs. Eating it in autumn can nourish blood and Yin, replenish the lungs and moisten dryness, strengthen the body and bones, and resist aging. It is suitable for those with a constitution of deficiency and internal dryness, or Yin deficiency. Red dates have the effects of calming the mind, improving intelligence and brain function, enhancing appetite, removing fishy odors, reducing allergies, and boosting immunity. They can also help prevent high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and anemia, making them an excellent nourishing food for women in autumn.
Women should consume more congee (rice porridge) during the dry autumn. This is because in early autumn, the weather can still be hot and the air humid. With the abundance of autumn fruits and vegetables, it's easy to overeat and damage the spleen and stomach. Drinking congee regularly can help the body resist the effects of autumn. Therefore, it's advisable to eat hawthorn and japonica rice congee, duck pear and japonica rice congee, rabbit meat and japonica rice congee, white radish and japonica rice congee, or tangerine peel and japonica rice congee for breakfast.
Here are three recommended dietetic recipes for women's reference:
1. Red Date and Chrysanthemum Congee: Use 5 red dates, 100 grams of black rice, and 15 grams of chrysanthemums. Boil them with an appropriate amount of water until the congee thickens, then add brown sugar to taste. This congee has the effects of strengthening the spleen and nourishing blood, as well as clearing the liver and brightening the eyes. It is very suitable for women's nourishment during the dry autumn season.
2. Tomato and Rose Juice: Blend tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh roses together, then strain the mixture. Add lemon juice and honey. Drinking this daily can help make the skin delicate, fair, and smooth.
Stir-fried Carrot with Bitter Melon
3. Stir-fried Bitter Melon with Carrot: Slice fresh bitter melon after removing its seeds, and slice the carrots thinly. Season with salt, MSG, and scallions, then stir-fry quickly over high heat. Regular consumption can make the complexion delicate and radiant.