“Three Deficiencies After a Summer Without Illness” – Eight Taboos for Autumn Adjustment
Saying goes: “No illness in summer, but three deficiencies.” Upon entering autumn, though mornings and evenings grow cool, the “autumn tiger” still roars—making people prone to fatigue, listlessness, and poor appetite. According to TCM’s principle of “nourishing yang in spring and summer, nourishing yin in autumn and winter,” autumn supplementation is essential. But supplementation must not be random—observe eight taboos:
1. Avoid unnecessary supplementation without illness. Unnecessary supplementation wastes money and harms health. For example, excessive vitamin D supplements can cause poisoning; long-term glucose intake leads to obesity, elevated blood cholesterol, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
2. Avoid indiscriminate supplementation for deficiency. TCM principle: supplement only when deficient. Non-deficient individuals shouldn’t take tonics. Deficiency itself includes yin deficiency, yang deficiency, qi deficiency, and blood deficiency—correct diagnosis ensures effective nourishment. Otherwise, it backfires and harms the body. While health preservation is less strict than treatment, at minimum, dietary subjects should be categorized as cold or hot types. Cold-type individuals feel cold, prefer warmth, have cold extremities, 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, dry stools, short, red urine, red tongue, and rapid pulse. Ignoring cold/hot distinctions and blindly consuming tonics risks “adding fuel to the fire.”
3. Avoid excessive supplementation. Overconsumption of any tonic is harmful. Believing “more supplements, better health—illness cured, wellness enhanced” is unscientific. Excessive ginseng or deer antler supplements cause bloating and loss of appetite; excessive vitamin C leads to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
4. Avoid assuming all tonics must be meat-based. Animal foods are excellent tonics—nutritious and tasty. But they are hard to digest. Long-term or excessive intake burdens the weakened digestive systems of the elderly. Moreover, byproducts like excess fats and sugars during digestion are often causes of common and serious age-related diseases like heart disease and cancer. Light diet doesn’t mean no supplementation—vegetables are indispensable. Modern nutrition science confirms fresh fruits and vegetables contain multiple vitamins and trace elements—essential nutrients for the body.
5. Avoid replacing food with medicine. Food supplementation is superior to medicinal supplementation. Prioritizing drugs over food is unscientific. Many foods themselves have therapeutic value. For example, eating more celery lowers blood pressure; more radish aids digestion, relieves bloating, and clears phlegm; more yam strengthens spleen and stomach. Common foods like walnuts, peanuts, red dates, broad beans, and lotus root are also excellent tonics.
6. Avoid focusing solely on intake while neglecting output. With improved living standards, many families eat meat daily and oily meals constantly. Metabolic waste from such foods must be eliminated promptly. Yet fast-paced lifestyles lead to irregular bowel movements or constipation. Thus, recent health experts advocate a new concept: “negative nutrition”—emphasizing elimination of body waste, minimizing intestinal toxin retention and absorption. Supplementation should be paired with timely, smooth bowel movements.
7. Avoid lifelong fixed supplementation. Some people prefer one tonic, sticking to it for years—developing food preferences or obsessions. This harms health. Medicines and foods have both benefits and side effects. Long-term, repeated use disrupts internal nutrient balance. Especially for seniors, 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 stick to one method.
8. Avoid equating cost with effectiveness. “Rare is valuable”—expensive traditional foods like bird’s nest or shark fin have no special healing power. Meanwhile, humble foods like sweet potatoes and onions hold significant therapeutic value. All food therapies suit specific individuals and indications. Choose based on needs—“supplement what’s missing,” not by price. Especially for seniors, practicality and affordability should guide supplementation.