Folk Prescriptions Library

🤧 Common Cold 😷 Cough 🤕 Headache 🍲 Stomachache 😴 Insomnia ❤️ Hypertension

7000+

Total Prescriptions

9

Languages

24/7

24/7 Access

⚡ Quick Access

Quick links for common symptoms

🌱 Common Cold 🌱 Cough 🌱 Headache 🌱 Stomachache 🌱 Insomnia 🌱 Constipation 🌱 Hypertension 🌱 Diabetes

Autumn Health Preservation Values Harmony

🔑 Keywords: Health Food Recipe · Autumn begins with the Start of Autumn, progressing through End of Heat, White Dew, Autumn Equinox, Cold Dew, and Frost Descent—six solar terms, among which the Autumn Equinox marks a pivotal transition in seasonal climate. The *Huangdi Neijing* states: "During the three months of autumn, this is the period of ripening and tranquility; the sky's energy becomes sharp, and the earth's energy becomes clear." Autumn represents a transitional phase of "declining Yang and rising Yin." From Start of Autumn to End of Heat, intense summer sun persists, temperatures remain high, and occasional rainy days bring heavy humidity, making the climate characterized by combined heat and dampness—hence the term "autumn tiger." After White Dew, rainfall decreases, the air grows dry, day heats up while nights cool down, and climate fluctuates dramatically. A minor lapse can easily lead to colds and flu, and many chronic conditions tend to recur, earning autumn the name "a season full of troubles." Since human physiology adapts to natural changes, internal Yin and Yang also shift accordingly. Therefore, autumn health preservation must emphasize the concept of "harmony" in mental state, diet, daily routines, and physical exercise.<br>Harmonizing Emotions: Avoiding Melancholy in Autumn<br>With the arrival of autumn, according to the principle of "unity between man and nature," the lung corresponds to metal and aligns with autumn. The lung governs Qi and respiration, and its emotional expression is sorrow. Individuals with weak lung Qi are particularly sensitive to autumn’s climate shifts. Especially middle-aged and elderly people, witnessing autumn winds, cold rains, falling leaves, and desolate scenery, often feel melancholy, loneliness, and aging, leading easily to depressive emotions. Thus, regulating mental state is paramount in autumn health preservation. The *Suwen* says: "Let the will be calm, to mitigate autumn’s severity. Gather and conserve spirit, so autumn’s energy remains balanced. Do not let the mind wander outward, so the lung Qi stays pure. This is the proper response to autumn’s essence, the way to nourish and gather." For middle-aged and elderly individuals, cultivating a mindset of indifference to external gains and losses, maintaining optimism, openness, tolerance, and serenity, gathering spirit and conserving energy, helps reduce the impact of autumn’s harshness and allows adaptation to autumn’s tranquil nature.<br>Appropriate Cold Exposure: Harmonious Strength Building<br>The traditional Chinese saying, "Wear more in spring, endure cold in autumn—no illness shall arise," aligns with the autumn practice of light clothing for cold resistance. However, "autumn cold exposure" must be correctly understood and scientifically grasped. After the Start of Autumn, temperatures gradually drop, and diurnal temperature differences increase. After Cold Dew, northern cold fronts continuously invade, bringing "one autumn rain, one chill." From a preventive health perspective, gradually practicing "autumn cold exposure" strengthens cold resistance, enhances heart-lung function, and improves the body’s ability to adapt to natural climate changes, helping prevent respiratory infections. However, if during late autumn, sudden weather changes cause significant temperature drops and persistent drizzle, wearing only thin clothes remains dangerous, easily triggering cold stimulation, weakening immunity, and causing colds—especially perilous for middle-aged and elderly individuals with chronic bronchitis, asthma, COPD, cardiovascular diseases, or diabetes, whose conditions may flare up upon catching a cold. Therefore, one must follow autumn’s climate changes, appropriately add or remove clothing, ensuring "cold exposure with moderation" and harmony with climate shifts—this is wise conduct.<br>Dietary Harmony: Moisturizing Lungs and Preventing Dryness<br>After the Autumn Equinox, with decreasing rainfall and lower air humidity, autumn dryness becomes the dominant climate from mid-autumn to late autumn. Autumn is also the time when the lung (metal element) dominates. Negligence can easily result in dryness depleting body fluids, manifesting as dry mouth, sore throat, cough without phlegm, and other symptoms. Thus, autumn diets should favor foods that clear heat, generate fluids, nourish yin, and moisten the lungs. Examples include loach, tench, white duck meat, sesame seeds, walnuts, lily bulbs, glutinous rice, honey, milk, peanuts, fresh yam, white fungus, tangerines, ginkgo nuts, pears, red dates, lotus seeds, sugarcane—foods that are gently nourishing and moistening. These help nourish yin, moisten lungs, and enrich blood. For middle-aged and elderly individuals with weak stomachs, breakfast should consist of porridge, which aids digestion, strengthens the stomach, and generates fluids. For example: Lily-red date-glutinous rice porridge nourishes yin and soothes the stomach; lily-lotus seed porridge moistens lungs and nourishes kidneys; lily-almond porridge relieves phlegm and stops cough; fresh rehmannia juice porridge cools blood and moisturizes dryness; adzuki bean porridge strengthens spleen and harmonizes the middle; ginger porridge wards off cold and stops nausea; walnut porridge moisturizes skin and prevents dryness; pine nut porridge moistens lungs and benefits intestines; chrysanthemum porridge brightens eyes and calms the spirit; tea porridge dissolves phlegm and aids digestion; bird’s nest porridge nourishes lungs and stops cough; yam porridge strengthens spleen and consolidates the intestines; chrysanthemum-goji porridge nourishes liver and kidneys... Each person can choose different porridges based on their condition to achieve balance in zang-fu organs, Yin-Yang, Qi, and blood, thus achieving overall health enhancement.<br>Exercise and Fitness: Balancing Movement and Stillness<br>Golden autumn offers ideal conditions for various physical activities. Choose suitable exercises based on personal age, constitution, and environment. Elderly individuals may walk slowly, jog lightly, practice Wuqinxi (Five Animal Frolics), Tai Chi, fitness exercises, or Ba Duan Jin (Eight Brocades), and self-massage. Middle-aged and young adults may run, play ball games, climb mountains, take cold showers, or swim. While engaging in active exercises ("dynamic practices"), complement them with quiet practices such as the Six-Character Breathing Method, Nei Qi Gong, or mindfulness meditation—combining movement and stillness to strengthen the body and nurture the spirit, achieving optimal physical and mental well-being.<br>Prevention First: Harmony Leads to Health<br>Autumn is a peak season for intestinal infectious diseases, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and recurrence of many chronic conditions such as gastritis, chronic bronchitis, and asthma. Middle-aged and elderly individuals with hypertension, coronary heart disease, or diabetes are especially vulnerable in late autumn; neglecting prevention can worsen their conditions, potentially triggering hypertensive crisis, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, or even life-threatening complications. Therefore, everyone must adopt a preventive mindset. For patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes, timely intervention and treatment are essential to keep blood pressure, lipid, and blood glucose levels within ideal ranges, maintaining harmony and balance, thereby effectively preventing complications and improving quality of life during autumn.

No detailed content available

◀ Previous Adding Fire to Yang Deficiency and Cold Sensitivity "Using Cold to Cool Down" Brings Many Benefits Next ▶

📖 How to Use

Enter disease name or symptom in search box
Click search button to find related remedies
Browse results and click on remedy name
Read the detailed formula and instructions
Consult a physician before use

⚠️ Important Notice: Remedies are for reference only. Consult a physician before use.