🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Autumn begins with Start of Autumn, followed by End of Heat, White Dew, Autumn Equinox, Cold Dew, and Frost Descent—six solar terms, with Autumn Equinox marking the turning point in seasonal climate. The *Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor* states: “In the three months of autumn, the world is tranquil and balanced; the sky’s energy is swift, and the earth’s energy is bright.” By autumn, the sky is clear and pure, the earth is serene, the cool breeze brings comfort, and all things mature—this is the season of harvest. Autumn is a transitional phase where yang declines and yin grows. From Start of Autumn to End of Heat, the sun remains fierce, temperatures are high, and occasional rains increase humidity—characterized by combined heat and dampness, hence the term “Autumn Tiger.” After White Dew, rainfall decreases, the air becomes dry, days are hot and nights cool, with fluctuating temperatures. One misstep easily leads to catching a cold, and many chronic conditions may flare up—earning autumn the name “a season of many troubles.” Since human physiology adapts to natural changes, internal yin and yang also shift accordingly. Therefore, autumn health preservation must emphasize the principle of “harmony” in emotional well-being, diet, daily routines, and physical exercises.
Harmonizing Emotions to Avoid Melancholy
After entering autumn, according to “Heaven-Man Correspondence,” the lungs belong to metal and correspond to autumn. The lungs govern respiration and are associated with sorrow in emotion. Those with weak lung qi are sensitive to autumn’s climatic changes. Especially middle-aged and elderly people, witnessing autumn winds, cold rain, falling flowers, and withered trees, often feel melancholy, desolation, and the sadness of aging, easily developing depression. As Song Dynasty health expert Chen Zhi said: “In autumn, with gloomy wind and rain, the elderly often feel moved. If they appear unhappy, we must distract them with various topics to divert their focus and forget their autumn thoughts.” Clearly, regulating emotions is essential for autumn health preservation. As the *Suwen* says: “Let the will remain calm to alleviate autumn’s severity. Gather and conserve spirit to balance autumn’s energy. Do not scatter your will externally, keeping the lungs clear. This is the essence of autumn health preservation.” Thus, for middle-aged and elderly people, embracing the philosophy of “no attachment to thoughts, no illness arises,” cultivating a mindset free from joy and sorrow, optimistic, open-minded, tolerant, and peaceful, gathering spirit and conserving energy, helps mitigate the impact of autumn’s harshness and aligns with the season’s balanced nature. Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people should visit scenic countryside, climb high mountains, and enjoy the magnificent autumn scenery—flowers in full bloom, fiery red leaves—erasing all worries and rejuvenating their spirits with vitality.
“Autumn Cold” with Moderation for Strength
The ancient Chinese saying “Wear more in spring, less in autumn—no illness will arise” aligns with autumn’s principle of “light clothing to withstand cold.” But “autumn cold” must be correctly understood and scientifically grasped.
After the Start of Autumn, temperatures gradually drop, and the daily temperature difference increases. After Cold Dew, cold air from the north invades frequently, bringing “one autumn rain, one chill.” From a preventive health standpoint, gradually practicing “autumn cold” strengthens resistance to cold, enhances heart and lung function, improves the body’s ability to adapt to changing climates, and helps prevent respiratory infections. However, in late autumn, sudden temperature drops, persistent rain, and continued wearing thin clothes can easily expose the body to cold, weakening immunity and triggering colds—especially dangerous for middle-aged and elderly people with chronic bronchitis, asthma, COPD, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. Neglecting weather changes and failing to stay warm can easily lead to recurrence of old illnesses. Cold stimulation reduces vascular elasticity, increases peripheral resistance, activates sympathetic nerves, raises adrenal cortex hormone levels, causing vasoconstriction and elevated blood pressure—increasing risk of cerebral hemorrhage. Cold also increases blood fibrin concentration and viscosity, promoting thrombosis formation, endangering life and health. Therefore, one must adapt to autumn’s climate changes, appropriately add or remove clothing, practicing “autumn cold” with moderation—harmonizing with nature’s shifts—for wise self-care.
Dietary Harmony to Moisturize Lungs and Prevent Dryness
After Autumn Equinox, rainfall decreases and atmospheric humidity drops, making autumn dryness the dominant climate from mid-autumn to late autumn. Autumn is also the season of Metal (Lungs), so neglecting care easily allows autumn dryness to deplete body fluids, causing dry mouth, sore throat, and lung heat cough. Thus, autumn is ideal for consuming foods that clear heat, generate fluids, nourish yin, and moisten the lungs. Examples include loach, eel, white duck meat, sesame, walnuts, lily, glutinous rice, honey, milk, peanuts, fresh yam, white fungus, tangerines, ginkgo nuts, pears, red dates, lotus seeds, sugarcane, and other gentle, nourishing foods. These help nourish yin, moisten lungs, and enrich blood. For middle-aged and elderly people with weak stomachs, breakfast should be porridge, which helps harmonize the stomach, nourish the stomach, and generate fluids. Li Xue in *Medical Introduction* noted: “Morning porridge clears out old waste, benefits the throat, nourishes the stomach, generates fluids, and makes one feel refreshed throughout the day—its benefits are significant.” Examples include lily-red date-glutinous rice porridge for nourishing stomach and yin, lily-lotus seed porridge for moistening lungs and tonifying kidneys, three-color porridge for clearing heat and nourishing lungs, lily-almond porridge for resolving phlegm and stopping cough, fresh rehmannia juice porridge for cooling blood and moisturizing dryness, red adzuki bean porridge for strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the middle, ginger porridge for warming and stopping vomiting, walnut porridge for moisturizing skin and preventing dryness, pine nut porridge for moistening lungs and intestines, chrysanthemum porridge for brightening eyes and calming the spirit, tea porridge for dissolving phlegm and aiding digestion, bird’s nest porridge for nourishing lungs and stopping cough, yam porridge for strengthening the spleen and consolidating the intestines, and chrysanthemum-jujube porridge for nourishing liver and kidneys. Choose porridges based on individual conditions to harmonize zang-fu organs, balance yin and yang, and achieve optimal nourishment.
Exercise: Balance Between Movement and Stillness
Golden autumn, with clear skies and refreshing air, is ideal for physical exercise. With many exercise options, choose based on individual needs: seniors may walk, jog slowly, practice Wuqinxi (Five Animal Frolics), tai chi, fitness exercises, Ba Duan Jin (Eight Pieces of Brocade), or self-massage; middle-aged and young adults may run, play ball, hike, take cold showers, or swim. Combine “dynamic” exercises with “static” practices such as the Six-Character Breath Method, Nei Qi Gong, or Yi Shou Gong to achieve harmony between movement and stillness—movement strengthens the body, stillness nurtures the spirit, resulting in holistic well-being. Note: those who enjoy cold resistance training should gradually adapt to seasonal changes, persist consistently, to enhance the body’s adaptation to variable climates and boost resistance.
Emphasize Prevention for Harmonious Health
Autumn is a peak season for intestinal infectious diseases, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and many chronic conditions—like gastritis, chronic bronchitis, and asthma—may recur. Middle-aged and elderly people with hypertension, coronary heart disease, or diabetes risk worsening conditions in late autumn, potentially leading to hypertensive crisis, acute myocardial infarction, or stroke—threatening life. Everyone must adopt a prevention-first mindset. First, maintain dietary hygiene—do not drink raw water, avoid spoiled or contaminated food. Gastric patients must carefully regulate diet, nourish the stomach, eat in moderation, consume warm, soft, bland, and light meals; avoid raw, cold, or overeating foods, and abstain from smoking and alcohol. Second, improve environmental hygiene—eliminate mosquito breeding grounds and take measures to prevent bites. Children should receive JE vaccines on schedule; those exposed to JE or susceptible populations should also be vaccinated promptly to enhance immunity. Third, protect against colds during sudden weather changes—this helps prevent recurrence in chronic bronchitis and asthma patients. Fourth, intervene in hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes—keep blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood glucose within ideal ranges to maintain harmony and prevent complications, improving quality of life and ensuring a peaceful autumn.