Women's wellness is a process that works from the inside out. It requires not just external care, but also maintaining a positive mindset, engaging in regular exercise, ensuring a comprehensive and nutritious diet, and minimizing exposure to environmental pollution. It cannot rely solely on "surface-level" treatments. On the other hand, supplements are not always better the more expensive they are; on the contrary, some common, inexpensive "supplements," when used correctly, can yield twice the results with half the effort.
Step 1 in Self-Supplementation: Learning to Let Go
Eat less spicy and irritating food. The climate in northern regions is relatively dry, so it's not advisable to overindulge in spicy and irritating foods. This is especially true during this season.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the lung's qi is more vigorous in autumn. As pungent flavors enter the lung, consuming spicy food can cause the lung qi to become excessively strong, leading to respiratory issues such as pharyngitis and coughs. Spicy food can also affect health in the following season. TCM holds that the lung belongs to the Metal element and the liver to the Wood element. In the Five Elements theory, Metal overcomes Wood, so excessive lung qi will inevitably damage the liver qi, leading to symptoms like irritability in the next season. Therefore, in autumn, it is advisable to reduce pungent foods and increase sour ones to nourish yin and moisten the lungs.
Step 2 in Self-Supplementation: Learning to Choose
Choose juicy fruits in autumn.
This season is a good time to eat more fresh jujubes, which can nourish the heart and calm the mind and are also rich in vitamin C.
When choosing fruits in autumn, opt for juicy ones, such as fresh longans, grapes, and pears.
Especially now, fresh longans are a great choice. There's a saying that "one longan is equivalent to one egg." At this time, fresh longans are at their juiciest and offer the best nourishing effects for women, with benefits including calming the mind, nourishing qi and blood, and beautifying by moistening yin and dryness. Note that you should not eat dried longans, as they can increase internal heat in the body.
Step 3 in Self-Supplementation: Learning to Use Medicines
Donkey-hide gelatin is not suitable for those with poor spleen and stomach function; Angelica sinensis should not be taken during menstruation.
Many women know that donkey-hide gelatin has the effect of nourishing blood. However, because it is made from boiled donkey hide, it is very difficult to digest and is not suitable for women with poor digestive systems. If you want to nourish yin and moisten dryness, you can eat some almonds or sesame seeds appropriately.
Besides donkey-hide gelatin, other common TCM supplements for women include Astragalus root, Codonopsis root, and Angelica sinensis.
Early autumn still has damp-heat, so it is not suitable to take Astragalus root or Codonopsis root, as both are warming herbs that can impede the body's ability to expel damp-heat. Astragalus root is divided into raw and prepared (honey-fried) versions. Raw Astragalus root's function is to tonify qi and promote pus discharge, while prepared Astragalus root tonifies qi and strengthens the spleen. Codonopsis root is mainly used to tonify the middle jiao and qi.
Goji berries are more suitable for use now, as they nourish yin and benefit the liver and kidneys. Moreover, goji berries are neutral in nature and can be used by most people. For example, you can cook more goji berry and japonica rice porridge.
Angelica sinensis is a herb that harmonizes the blood. It should not be taken during menstruation. Additionally, Angelica sinensis is a root-based medicinal herb and cannot be infused in water. Another point to note is that Angelica sinensis has a very strong medicinal flavor and requires processing by a professional herbal chef to be consumed.