The Eight-Character Guideline for an Early Autumn Diet
As the saying goes, "A summer without illness leaves one a third deficient." As soon as the Start of Autumn arrives, while the weather is cool in the mornings and evenings, the autumn tiger still rages during the day. At this time, it is even more important to follow the principles of health preservation to nourish the body. What should one eat more of when autumn comes?
The Top Choice for Moistening Dryness: Lotus Root
The lotus plant is a treasure in itself, and the autumn lotus root is the most nourishing.
After the Start of Autumn, the air is dry, and people are prone to irritability and unease. It is then important to eat more foods that clear the heart and moisten dryness to combat autumn dryness, such as: pears, sugarcane, tremella, chrysanthemums, duck meat, and rabbit meat, among which lotus root is the top choice.
Lotus root whets the appetite, clears heat, moistens dryness to quench thirst, and also calms the mind and soothes the spirit. It is rich in trace elements like iron and calcium, plant-based protein, vitamins, and starch. It has significant benefits for nourishing the blood and qi, and can also enhance the body's immunity.
The preparation method for lotus root is suitable for both raw and cooked consumption. Eaten raw as a fruit, it is sweet and cool, beneficial to the lungs. Steamed with glutinous rice and honey, it becomes pink, translucent, soft, and moist—a delicious autumn dish. When stewed with pork ribs, it strengthens the spleen and whets the appetite, is nutritious, and is suitable for people with a weak spleen and stomach for nourishment and health maintenance.
The Top Choice for Tonifying the Lungs: Almonds
Radish, almond, dried ginger, and pear; to cure a cough, you need no doctor to inquire.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, the seasons correspond to the five zang organs, and autumn corresponds to the lungs. After the Start of Autumn is the best time to nourish, tonify, or treat lung ailments. Foods that tonify the lungs include tremella, lily, pig lung, dried persimmons, loquats, and water chestnuts. Among these, the best seasonal choice is none other than almonds. Almonds come in two types: sweet and bitter, with sweet almonds having a stronger effect in moistening and tonifying the lungs.
The "Compendium of Materia Medica" lists the three major effects of almonds: moistening the lungs, clearing indigestion, and dispelling stagnation. Almonds are rich in protein, trace elements, and vitamins. They have effects such as moistening the lungs, stopping coughs, and lubricating the intestines, and can provide relief for symptoms like a dry cough with no phlegm or a lingering cough due to lung deficiency.
It is best to cook almonds with Job's tears in a 1:5 ratio and drink the porridge while it is warm. Stewing them with pig lung also has a nourishing and soothing effect. Of course, roasted almonds can also be eaten as a snack. Sweet almonds and roasted large almonds can be bought in supermarkets and farmers' markets, while bitter almonds are generally sold in Chinese medicine pharmacies and should be taken under a doctor's guidance.
The Top Choice for Nourishing Yin: Honey
Morning salt water, evening honey soup.
As autumn arrives, the primary task is to nourish the body's "yin." There are many foods that nourish yin, such as loach, sesame, walnuts, glutinous rice, milk, peanuts, fresh Chinese yam, ginkgo nuts, pears, and red dates. Among these, honey is the most representative. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that honey has the effects of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, moistening the lungs and tonifying deficiency, lubricating the intestines to relieve constipation, neutralizing drug toxicity, nourishing the spleen's qi, and improving complexion, earning it the beautiful name "the essence of a hundred flowers." Honey is an excellent energy supplement and has a significant effect in relieving fatigue.
Honey can be directly mixed into warm water to drink, or blended with fresh-squeezed fruit juice. Scooping out the core of a snow pear, pouring in honey, sealing it, and then steaming it can supplement lung yin deficiency. Adding honey to cold dishes like a tomato salad is also a good idea; honey can also be mixed with seasonal fruits for a delicious taste.
The Top Choice for "More Sour": Grapes
Honey moistens the intestines and prolongs life; grapes add color and keep you young.
"Less pungent, more sour" is one of the most important principles in Traditional Chinese Medicine nutritional theory for autumn diets. In autumn, one should eat more sour foods, such as oranges, hawthorn, and green apples, and eat less sweet watermelons and muskmelons.
The grapes currently in abundance are a great "sour" fruit. Grapes replenish qi and blood, promote the production of fluids to quench thirst, strengthen the spleen, and promote urination. Eating more in early autumn can also help the body detoxify and relieve internal heat. Red grapes can soften blood vessels and invigorate blood circulation, so people with cardiovascular issues might consider eating more. White grapes have a moistening effect on the lungs and are suitable for people with coughs or poor respiratory systems. Green grapes are more focused on clearing heat and detoxifying. Purple grapes are rich in anthocyanins and can beautify and fight aging. Black grapes have a more prominent effect in nourishing yin and the kidneys.
It is best to eat grapes whole. Grapes can also be stewed with fermented glutinous rice and sweet osmanthus to make a fermented rice and grape soup; adding some to sweet congee is also good. Additionally, making homemade wine from grapes is also delicious and natural.