Fall Season General Diet Recommendations

Fall Season General Diet

As the season grows colder, the surrounding environment looks to move towards a dormant state in order to save and store energy for the winter. To help balance the body with the surrounding “Qi” of nature, it would be beneficial to introduce spicy and warming foods to help combat the cold and boost the immune system. Foods that are great to sprinkle into dishes during the fall include green onion, ginger, garlic, and pepper.

Additionally, as the air is becoming crisp and dry, we should look to find foods that are nourishing, rehydrating and lubricating. These foods include sweet fruits, leafy greens, and lubricating roots and vegetables such as Chinese yam, okra, carrots, and potato. These kinds of foods are said to replenish our “Yin,” which represents and includes our body fluids and physical energy reserves such as fat, which helps the body stay in balance during the cold and dry weather. 

A disclaimer; make sure to take the recommendations with a grain of salt as one should still avoid overly spicy or lubricating foods. By over-consuming spicy, the energy that is released in the body that keeps us warm and moving may exacerbate “Yin” reserves and leave the body overly dry or desiccated. Ideally, we add just enough spice to give our digestive system a gentle push and nudge in the right direction to prevent our lubricating foods from sticking, stifling, and adhering to our digestion too much. On the flip side, lubricating foods should be eaten in moderation, so it’s just enough to address the dryness and replenish our bodies, but not so much that the body feels heavy, sticky, or weighed down (I’m looking at you, post-food coma Thanksgiving dinner).

Written by Dr. Eric Sun, DTCM, L.Ac

Box Acupuncture Traditional Chinese Medicine