AUTUMN is traditionally a time for harvest. It is a time when the energy in your body moves inwards and downwards, in preparation for winter. The emphasis now needs to be on nurturing, building and supporting your organs for the cold change ahead. It is time to clear the heat of summer from your body.
The wind at this time of year will affect your lungs, making breathing more difficult and coughs more frequent. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes that wind is the root of many diseases. But wind also has the ability to move the internal blockages that cause emotional outbursts. Healthy lungs will help you maintain your purpose and fulfill arrangements and commitments.
Helpful foods
• apples, pears, persimmons, lima beans, spearmint, peppermint, sweet potato, zucchini, carrots, figs, adzuki beans, grapes, olives, spelt, kamut or rye sourdough bread, millet and brown rice, sustainably caught seafood, soups, leeks, vinegar, yoghurt, lemons, limes, grapefruit, cabbage and fresh nuts
• increase the amount of good oils you eat during autumn, as these will protect your skin and therefore protect your lungs.
Miso Recipe – use veggie stock instead of dashi, if you can’t find it, and tamari instead of soy sauce. Leave the fish sauce out for a vegan option.