After the start of autumn, we bid farewell to summer and welcome the golden season. Following summer's intense heat, transitioning into autumn can bring various physical issues and discomfort. So how should we maintain our health? In daily life, diet is undoubtedly the best approach. Below, we'll introduce some key principles.
Five Key Principles for Autumn Dietary Wellness
As scorching summer gives way to crisp autumn, many believe it's time to nourish the body. However, nutrition experts remind us that autumn's dietary principles should balance nourishment with easy digestion and absorption.Additionally, seasonal transitions weaken our resistance, making those with weaker constitutions more susceptible to illness. Consuming foods that boost immunity and resilience during this time greatly benefits health.>>>This Food Lowers Blood Pressure and Fights Cancer Amazingly
Principle One: Sweet and Mild Nourishment
Ancient wisdom states: "Rich flavors harm without awareness; sweet and mild simplicity is my teacher. From these three thousand simple things, nourishment truly begins." This highlights the health benefits of combining simple, unadorned foods.The Suwen—Zhenyao Dalan states that sweetness first enters the spleen. In the Five Elements, the spleen and stomach belong to earth, which generates metal—the lung and intestines. Sweet flavors nourish the spleen; a strong spleen ensures sufficient lung (metal) energy. Sweet foods also promote fluid production, whereas salty foods often induce thirst.This means that during the six solar terms of autumn, when dryness prevails, one should consume more foods that are moisturizing and mildly sweet in nature, such as honey, sesame seeds, and almonds. These foods nourish the spleen and stomach while also moisturizing the lungs and intestines. They help prevent the common discomforts caused by autumn dryness—such as dry cough, dry throat and mouth, intestinal dryness leading to constipation—as well as signs like dull skin and brittle hair.
Therefore, autumn diets during the six solar terms should prioritize sweet, mild, and moisturizing foods. Increase intake of fresh fruits and vegetables that nourish the lungs and combat dryness, such as pears, persimmons, citrus fruits, and bananas.For vegetables and fruits, prioritize carrots, winter melon, white fungus, legumes and their products, edible fungi, kelp, and laver. Through scientific preparation, create visually appealing, aromatic, and flavorful dishes. Alternatively, prepare them as accompaniments or beverages, such as honey-glazed white fungus or various fresh fruit and vegetable juices.Alternatively, prepare them as soups, porridges, or thickened broths like shiitake mushroom and tofu soup, mung bean porridge, or lotus root starch soup. These dishes are both nutritious and effective at alleviating dryness. Moreover, the abundant water content, vitamins, and fiber in fruits and vegetables significantly help prevent common autumn ailments during the six solar terms, such as dryness in the mouth, nose, and eyes, rough skin, and constipation.
II. Balanced Nutrition
Nutritionists emphasize that only dietary diversity can provide comprehensive nutrition. For instance, grains primarily supply energy and vitamin B1; beans and bean products mainly provide plant-based protein; while vegetables and fruits chiefly offer vitamin C, minerals, and dietary fiber.Autumn demands particular attention to dietary diversity and nutritional balance to compensate for summer deficiencies caused by heat-induced loss of appetite. Emphasize chewable, fiber-rich foods.
Autumn dietary principles should balance the five flavors while moderately incorporating sweet, bland, sour, and moisturizing foods based on individual needs—but avoid excess.