For friends with weak spleen and stomach, and indigestion, it is essential to "draw a clear line" with nourishing and greasy ytonifying products such as deer horn glue and donkey-hide gelatin during the Start of Autumn. Otherwise, it is very likely to worsen symptoms such as loss of appetite and indigestion. After the Start of Autumn, "light nourishment" should be the main focus. Compared to meat, the light nourishing effects of leafy greens, cauliflower, and some melons and fruits are more prominent. Therefore, choosing light foods such as eggplant, fresh lotus root, mung bean sprouts, loofah, cucumber, winter melon, and bitter gourd all have the effect of clearing summer heat and transforming dampness.
Poria, Gordon Euryale seeds, Chinese yam, cowpeas, and millet all have the effect of strengthening the spleen and benefiting the stomach. The "Shennong Ben Cao Jing" (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica Classic) even lists poria as a top-grade herb, stating that "long-term use can calm the soul, nourish the spirit, prevent hunger, and extend life." Therefore, medicinal porridge is the best diet for regulating the spleen and stomach at this time. A bowl of porridge in the morning after the Start of Autumn can both expel the autumn coolness and prevent autumn dryness.
As the saying goes, "autumn melons harm the stomach." After the autumn begins, although the weather is still very hot, the yang energy is gradually receding. Except for coastal areas in the south like Guangdong and Hainan, it is not advisable to eat summer cooling fruits in most provinces and cities in China. Eating large amounts of melons in summer can reduce the disease resistance of the digestive system. Consuming large amounts of raw fruits and vegetables after the Start of Autumn will inevitably further promote dampness pathogens, damage the spleen's yang energy, and lead to diseases such as diarrhea.