Eating in harmony with the seasons - Autumn

Throughout the year, nature provides us with the appropriate foods to protect us from the climate, support our health, and keep us in balance. Becoming aware of seasonal foods and seasonal eating habits can attune us to the natural cycles of nature, and our bodies. 

Read on to learn about how to eat in harmony with the changeable energy of Autumn, and how this can help protect your "Lungs" - the organ system associated with Autumn in TCM and the organ most vulnerable to illness during 'flu season' (click here to learn more about your amazing Lungs). 

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Autumn is the harvest season for rich, dense foods that support and fuel the body, providing additional heat to protect us from the cooler, damper climate. The concentrated foods and roots available at this time also “thicken” the blood in order to keep us warm in cooler weather. Our diet should shift toward foods rich in protein-fat and whole grains. Make sure to keep active whilst consuming more nutrient dense foods to prevent any weight gain and to stay healthy! 

Preparing foods in harmony with this season means cooking with more astringent, sour foods. Some foods that are sour to include in your diet are – sourdough bread, sauerkraut, olives, pickles, leeks, aduki beans, salt plums, rose hip tea, vinegar, cheese, yogurt, lemons, limes, grapefruit, and sour varieties of apples, plums, and grapes. Be careful with extremely sour food, because small amounts have strong affects upon the body and blood pressure. (Avoid large amounts of sour foods if you have a history of high blood pressure.)

Our appetites are also stimulated by the fragrance of aromatic flavors and spices. Other foods that are useful during the Fall are pungent foods. These foods both cleanse and protect the lungs and large intestine. Some pungent foods are - garlic, turnip, ginger, horseradish, cabbage*, radish*, daikon, and white peppercorn.

To help boost your Wei Qi (a concept in TCM similar to our Western concept of an immune system – see previous blog), consume dark green and golden-orange vegetables. They are high in beta carotene and appear to protect the lungs and large intestine against illness. Carrots, winter squash, pumpkin, broccoli, parsley, kale, turnip, mustard greens, and blue green algae are foods to consume this time of year. You may also want to use herbs such as ginseng, yerba santa, nettles, mullein, and astragalus.

Adding the above foods to your daily diet may help bolster your immunity and support the health of your lungs. In general, cook with less water, and at lower heat, for longer periods of time. If you would like any more information or guidance on how to eat according to the seasons, you can always talk to us at your next appointment for suggestions that are specific to you.

Here is a handy list of foods to prioritise for Autumn health:

FRUIT

Apple
Blackberry
Cranberry
Date
Fig
Grapes
Mandarin Orange
Melons
Pear
Persimmon
Plum
Pomegranate
Rosehip

VEGETABLES

Bell pepper
Broccoli
Burdock root
Carrot
Cauliflower
Corn
Garlic
Ginger root
Horseradish
Leeks
Onions
Parsnips
Pumpkin
Red cabbage
Shallot
Spinach
Squash
Sweet potato
Turnip

BEANS

Adzuki
Black
Carob
Garbanzo
Kidney
Lentil
Lima
Navy
Soy
White

NUTS

Almond
Brazil
Cashew
Pecan
Pinenuts
Pistachio
Walnut

GRAINS

Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat
Corn
Millet
Quinoa
Rye
Wheat

SEEDS

Flax
Pumpkin
Sesame
Sunflower