A recipe from Confucius Institute Online

http://www.confuciusinstitute.net/tcm/en/article/2009-09/09/content_52255.htm

Autumn Wilds

Hey.. it's pretty crazy out there!

First, it gets cold.  Then, it gets windy.  After that, warm again, like it was in the end of Summer. Yesterday we had a huge lightning storm that went on all night. 

Good way to confuse homeostasis in a body whose job is to maintain an optimum temperature?

You bet.

Seasonally, this is the time of year when annual plants die, trees defoliate (how's about those huge piles of orange maple leaves along the roads on the CBD outskirts?), the days get shorter and the Sun starts to go into hiding for the Winter.

From the TCM perspective, Autumn is the time of year when the body has  the most vulnerability to *dryness*.  When Dryness presents itself the obvious happens - we get thirstier, our skin feels dry and can be itchy, lips feel dry and may crack.. All these things are common and happen to many of us from time to time.

Autumn is the season associated with the Metal element.  Metal's corresponding emotion is Grief, its colour is white (the colour of mourning in China),  its flavour is Pungent (like Garlic or Ginger) and its biological affinity is with the Lung, which is said to "open" to the nose.  This means that Autumn is the time when we are more likely to contract diseases associated with the Lungs and breathing apparatus (although Spring is another important time for Lung issues, but we'll discuss that in September =).

One of the Lung's main functions is to nourish the skin and control the opening and closing of pores.  The skin and the pores are our immune system's first barrier to assault from outside.  If the Lung energy (Qi) is weak, control of the pores is lost and we sweat a lot.  It can show itself in other ways as well.  If Dryness - which is more often contracted in Autumn - occurs, skin rashes which are dry and itchy become prominent, or a dry cough from insufficient fluids in the Lungs can result.  These are just a few of the ways in which Autumn health issues can manifest.

So, we've talked about the dangers of the season but instead of just putting up with health problems, let's talk about prevention.

Diet is usually the best way to prevent short-term illness.  The first dietary rule for preserving Lung Qi - if you have a long history of Lung problems, or in Autumn particularly - is to avoid excesses of pungent foods like Garlic, Ginger, Galangal, Chilli, Cinnamon, Mint, Coriander, Basil etc.  I imagine now you are starting to get the picture of what Pungent means.  What the Pungent flavour usually does is dissipate things or send them outward.  Many of the aforementioned herbs and spices, if eaten in the appropriate quantities, are capable of opening the pores and inducing a sweat.  Right now, in Autumn, a sweat with open pores is the last thing we need because it leaves us open and vulnerable to environmental factors, and scatters our Defensive energy or Wei Qi (Way Chee).

Secondly, we need to make sure we nourish ourselves to preserve the Yin of the Lung - the natural, freshly flowing body fluids, and the ability to *contain*.  Foods to eat which are useful for preserving Lung Yin consist of meats like chicken and pork, other protein sources like tofu and almonds, fruits such as pears, apricots and other stone fruits, vegetables like sweet potato, white turnips and water chestnuts.  It's always good to remember to *eat what's in season* as well, because if it's actually grown by the Earth in your region at the time, chances are it's going to be the right thing to eat.  Not saying we should all run out and nibble on some Belladonna in the summertime, but you get my drift.

Numerous Chinese herbs are useful for preventing Lung Qi Deficiency and boosting the immune system.  It's reasonable to use some of these in cooking as they make a healthy addition and interesting flavour enhancement for creative home cooks.  Some herbs suitable for cooking that help boost Lung Qi are Chinese Yam - Shan Yao (Shan yow) and Astragalus - Huang Qi (Hwung Chee).  The suggestion is that you don't use these when a cough or cold is in the acute phase, as there is a possibility that they may strengthen the Exterior Defensive layer of Qi and instead of letting the environmental factor out, may instead block it inside the body.

Lifestyle factors to consider are:

Keeping out of the wind; Remembering to breathe consciously (like, who remembers to do that?);  Avoiding saunas or Bikram yoga (just for now, it will be great in a couple of months).

I hope you've enjoyed the first Journey to the West TCM Blog, and would love to see you back for more next time I post.