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Autumn in TCM: Letting Go and Looking After Your Lungs

 

As the leaves fall from the trees, nature shows us what autumn is about: letting go. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), autumn belongs to the Metal element, which governs the Lungs and Large Intestine. Both are about taking in what we need and releasing what we don’t, whether that’s air, food or old habits and worries.

This is also the season when dry air and cooler weather make us more prone to dry throats, coughs, colds and flu. A few simple changes to what you eat and how you live can help.

 

What to eat

Pears: Steamed or poached, they moisten the Lungs and soothe a dry throat or cough.

 

Warming foods: In TCM, digestion works like a gentle fire that “cooks” your food and turns it into energy (Qi). That energy also fuels your body’s defences against colds and flu. Cold and raw foods put out that fire, so your body has to spend extra effort warming them up first. Soups, stews, porridges and cooked meals are easier to digest and keep your energy strong as the weather cools. If you love salad, try lightly cooking your vegetables or eating them at lunch rather than late in the day.

 

Root vegetables: Carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnips and beetroot grow beneath the earth, and in TCM they are seen as grounding. As nature draws inward in autumn, these foods help us do the same. They have a naturally sweet, gentle flavour that nourishes the digestive system, builds Qi and gives you steady, lasting energy.

 

Ginger, garlic and spring onion: These help warm the body and fight off the first signs of a cold.

 

White foods: In TCM, white foods such as rice, pears, daikon, onion and lily bulb are linked to the Metal element.

Fibre and water: Oats, cooked greens and warm drinks keep the Large Intestine moving.

 

Go easy on iced drinks, raw food in large amounts, and very spicy or greasy meals, which can dry or burden the body.

 

Try this: autumn sweet potato congee. Congee is a classic TCM comfort food, soft and gentle on digestion. You’ll need: ½ cup white rice, 1 medium sweet potato (peeled and cubed), 4-5 red dates (jujube), a few slices of fresh ginger, 6 cups water, a pinch of salt.

 

Method: Rinse the rice and add it to a pot with the water, ginger and red dates. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 45 minutes. Add the sweet potato and cook for another 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and creamy. Season with a pinch of salt and top with spring onion.

 

Optional extras: Add a handful of goji berries at the end, or a few dried lily bulbs at the start for extra Lung support.

How to live with the season.

 

Wrap up your neck and chest. TCM says wind and cold enter through the back of the neck, so a scarf is real protection.

Go to bed earlier. As the days shorten, we need more rest to build immunity.

 

Breathe

Take a walk outside and take some deep breaths of fresh air, or try gentle qigong or stretching.

Keep dryness at bay. Drink warm water and herbal teas, and moisturise your skin.

Let go. Clear out a cupboard, tidy your desk, or write down what’s weighing on you. Letting go of clutter can help you let go emotionally, too.

 

One small step

Pick one thing this week: a warm breakfast, a pear in the afternoon, or an earlier night. Small changes, made with the season, add up.

 

- Helena