The arrival of the End of Heat (Chushu) signals the official farewell to summer. Temperatures will gradually drop, so what should we eat during Chushu to maintain good health? Let's find out together:
1. Focus on nourishing yin and moistening dryness. Health tips point out that the weather after Chushu is mostly dry. Therefore, it's important to eat more foods that nourish yin and moisten dryness to avoid harm from pathogenic dryness. In addition, the diet should be light. With the abundance of seasonal fruits, it's a good idea to eat more pears, grapes, watermelon, and similar fruits to moisten the body and combat dryness.
2. Eat more sour foods. After entering autumn, the lung meridian is dominant. Traditional Chinese medicine experts believe that "excessive lung energy can restrain the liver wood, so more sour foods should be consumed to strengthen the liver wood." Therefore, it's advisable to eat more sour foods in autumn. Soon, oranges and hawthorns will be ripe, so it's a good time to eat these two foods to protect the liver and lungs.
3. Supplement with vitamins. In autumn, it's essential to eat more foods rich in vitamins, such as tomatoes, fresh chili peppers, eggplants, and potatoes. These foods can replenish the body's nutrients and help avoid the invasion of pathogenic dryness. Similarly, it's important to consume more alkaline foods, such as apples, kelp, and fresh vegetables. These foods are also rich in water and are indispensable for the autumn season.
4. Intake adequate high-quality protein. Autumn health tips consider protein the foundation of life. Therefore, whether in summer or autumn, it's crucial to ensure sufficient intake of high-quality protein. For example, eggs, lean meat, fish, dairy products, and soy products. Autumn is a special time for increasing body fluids and nourishing moisture, so moderately increasing protein can boost immunity.
5. Emphasize warming food therapy. Autumn is the most important time for food therapy, especially for special groups like the elderly or those with chronic illnesses. In autumn, you can eat moderately warming foods, such as fresh chili peppers and chicken. If you have the habit of drinking, it's advisable to drink moderately, with white liquor and yellow rice wine being the best choices.
6. Avoid barbecue. Autumn brings significant climate changes and dryness. Most spicy and barbecue foods are dry and hot, damaging body fluids, and can seriously affect health. Therefore, in autumn, it's crucial to avoid these spicy foods, such as chili peppers, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, cassia bark, and alcohol. Also, avoid eating too greasy food.
While what to eat during Chushu is important, how you eat should also be given attention. Only good eating habits can guarantee our health.