“No Illness in Summer, Three Parts Weakness” — Eight Taboos for Autumn Adjustment
Common saying: “No illness in summer, three parts weakness.” Upon entering autumn, though mornings and evenings grow cool, “autumn tiger” still roars—making people prone to fatigue, listlessness, and poor appetite. According to TCM’s principle of “nourish yang in spring and summer, nourish yin in autumn and winter,” autumn supplementation is essential. Yet, supplementation must not be random—eight taboos must be observed:
One: No illness, no supplementation. Unnecessary supplementation wastes money and harms health. For example, excessive fish liver oil causes poisoning; long-term glucose intake leads to obesity, increased blood cholesterol, and higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Two: Confusing deficiency and excess. TCM’s principle is “supplement deficiency, not excess.” Non-deficiency patients should not use tonics. Even among deficiencies, there are yin deficiency, yang deficiency, qi deficiency, and blood deficiency—correct medication is essential. Otherwise, it backfires and harms the body. While health preservation is less strict than treatment, at minimum, dietary subjects should be categorized as either cold or hot types. Cold-type individuals feel cold, prefer warmth, have cold limbs, bland taste, excessive saliva, loose stools, clear urine, pale tongue, and deep fine pulse. Hot-type individuals have hot palms and soles, dry mouth, bitter taste, bad breath, hard stools, short red urine, red tongue, and rapid pulse. Misjudging cold/heat and blindly taking tonics risks “adding fuel to the fire.”
Three: More is better. Overconsumption of any tonic is harmful. Believing “more supplements mean cure for illness, strength for health” is unscientific. Excessive ginseng and deer antler supplements cause bloating and loss of appetite; over-consumption of vitamin C leads to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Four: All supplements must be meat-based. Animal foods are excellent tonics—high nutrition and tasty. But they are hard to digest. Long-term or excessive intake burdens the already weakened digestive systems of the elderly. Moreover, byproducts of meat digestion—like excess fats and sugars—are often causes of common elderly diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Light diet doesn’t mean no supplementation—vegetables are indispensable. Modern nutrition science holds that fresh fruits and vegetables contain various vitamins and trace elements—essential nutrients for the body.
Five: Medicines instead of food. “Food supplementation is better than medicine.” Prioritizing drugs over food is unscientific. Many foods also have therapeutic effects. For example, eating more celery treats hypertension; more radish aids digestion, relieves gas, and clears phlegm; more yam strengthens the spleen and stomach. Common foods like walnuts, peanuts, red dates, broad beans, and lotus root are also excellent tonics.
Six: Emphasize intake, neglect output. With improved living standards, many families eat meat daily, meals are oily. Metabolic waste from such foods must be eliminated promptly. Yet, fast-paced lifestyles often lead to irregular bowel movements or constipation. Thus, recent health experts advocate a new concept: “negative nutrition”—emphasizing elimination of bodily waste, minimizing intestinal toxin retention and absorption. They recommend ensuring timely and smooth bowel movements alongside supplementation.
Seven: Constant supplementation without change. Some people stick to one favorite tonic, developing long-term preferences—leading to “picky eating” or “obsession.” This harms health. Drugs and foods have both benefits and side effects. Long-term or excessive use disrupts internal nutrient balance. Especially for the elderly, whose organ functions decline variably, comprehensive, systematic regulation is needed. Different seasons require different supplements. Thus, adjusting supplementation based on circumstances is essential—never rigidly fixed.
Eight: Expensive equals better. “Rare is valuable”—luxury traditional foods like bird’s nest and shark fin have no extraordinary therapeutic value. Meanwhile, humble foods like sweet potatoes and onions hold significant therapeutic potential. Furthermore, all food therapies have specific targets and indications. Choose based on needs—“supplement what is lacking”—not by price. Especially for the elderly, practicality and affordability should guide supplementation.