Colds, a dry throat, constipation, breathing problems, fever, a cough that comes back up, dry lips, the flu, hyperventilating, children and adults waking up at 5 or 6 in the morning instead of the usual time of day, throat infection, dry skin, sinusitis, painful cracks around the heel of the foot, sore throat, a stomach flu and perhaps you are a bit down because of the end of summer.
The symptoms associated with this fall season can feel like they come on out of nowhere. How do you prevent that?
So that was the summer, now it's time for the cool seasons
All things in nature reach their full growth in the 3 months of autumn. The grains ripen and the harvest takes place. The energy in the air cools, just like the weather. The wind begins to stir. The duration of daylight becomes shorter and the temperature drops. We move from an active phase (summer) to a passive phase in autumn and winter.
Just as we mentally prepare ourselves in the morning for the day to come, we should prepare our body and mind for the seasons.
“If a year were put into a clock, autumn would be the magic hour.” Victoria Erickson
Surprisingly simple ways for vitality in autumn
Do you want to feel vital in body and mind during autumn, walk through the leaves symptom-free and be well prepared for winter? Eastern medicine (TCM) has very nice additions to go in harmony with the seasons. Below I share 14 secrets for a vital autumn.
1. Drink the summer heat and dried toxins from your body
In the summer our body has been a reservoir from which we have extracted water and salt through the heat and sweating. This causes our body to dehydrate and create a higher concentration of waste products. If we do not remove this, various symptoms mentioned above may arise. To make sure everything goes smoothly, hydrate well (drink warm water) every day, as this is one of the most important components for a healthy colon. The colon is responsible for releasing toxins from your system and promoting a healthy digestive system. The large intestine needs extra attention during this period.
Waking up between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. means you need to focus on the colon, which includes hydrating properly.
2.Prevent heat explosion in autumn
That makes you warm, the chai's, ginger and yogi teas and spicy meals with cinnamon, chili, curry, cocoa, star anise, garlic, cayenne pepper and black pepper. These ingredients provide a small heat explosion and the heat of the summer is still in your body. This can lead to further dehydration of our bodily fluids. Eat or drink it at most in one meal or drink per day. So have you already had a plate of oatmeal porridge with cinnamon? Then it is better to leave the heating herbs alone for the rest of the day. Instead, add some spices like turmeric, sage, parsley, a pinch of salt and lemon juice to your meal to make it more digestible and give it a good taste. You don't need garlic or pepper for that in every meal.
3. Make sure you continue to drink warm water throughout the day.
Because point 1 is so important, I have made it another point. Not only hydration is important, but also what you hydrate yourself with. Above all, warm water is preferred. No tea bags in it, just warm water. You can use tea if you want it to do something for your body, such as going to the toilet better, falling asleep better, to induce contractions, against heartburn, for a bloated stomach, etc. Preferably drink water that has been boiled and which you then drink at a temperature that is comfortable for you. Warm water takes less energy for your body to bring to body temperature than cold water, so you have more energy for other things.
4. Eat hot 3 times a day.
A smoothie, bowl of yogurt or cheese sandwich causes cold and mucus in the body. You want to avoid this, especially in the colder months. Therefore, it is best to eat as much warm food as possible. This can also be a meal that you eat at room temperature. For example, if you have little time, you can also make pancakes in advance and eat them for lunch. Also consider soup, a boiled egg or an omelet for breakfast or lunch. Stews, soups, congees and porridge are also a welcome addition to your body.
5. Go back to simple routines
Just as trees shed their leaves in the fall, it's time for us to slow down. Withdraw with the sunset and rise with the dawn. Dress warmly, put a shawl around your neck and possibly a hat on your head when you go outside. Because your lungs and large intestine are sensitive to drafts during this season.
6. Take care of your dry skin, dry lips, dry snot, dry feet, dry cough and dry hair.
The skin has to endure more because of the changing temperature inside and outside, the wind, draft and rain. Do you suffer from these types of dryness symptoms:
Then add some butter or pear pieces to your porridge just before serving. So make sure the butter melts and stir it into the warm porridge or first fry the pear pieces in some butter and when they soften you can stir the porridge through them.
If you suffer from a dry cough, a cough or heartburn, drink 2 cups of marshmallow root tea per day. At most 2 per day and no longer than 3 weeks in a row. (also safe during pregnancy).
Garnish your meal with some peanuts, make a meal with duck or aduki beans. These ingredients moisturize your body.
Dry brush your skin, this promotes blood circulation and removes old skin cells, so your body can better absorb coconut oil or another body oil.
7. Autumn, what a beautiful time with all those colorful things that blow your mind
“Everyone should make time to stop and watch the leaves flutter.” Elizabeth Lawrence
Keep your lung energy clean and still. Your lungs need extra attention this season. Dry central heating air, the drying effect of coffee, black tea, green tea and cigarettes place a strain on the lungs.
You can do this, for example, by walking outside, going to the woods or park and tweeting with the birds. If you have the chance to see nature in all its nakedness, you wouldn't stay indoors, would you?
8. Go to the sauna.
This allows you to sweat out the accumulated toxins from the summer. Make sure you continue to drink plenty of fluids during and after your visit to the sauna. Preferably water that is at room temperature or warm. Don't go to the sauna every day, as this can dry out your body fluids. Think more about once a week or once a month.
9. A storm is the best time to cling to someone.
Sadness is the emotion that belongs to the lung. Allow the sadness to process and then let go.
This prevents problems with the kidneys or digestion in winter. If this natural order is violated, damage occurs in the lungs, resulting in diarrhea with undigested food in winter. This causes your body's ability to store energy during the winter to stagnate. Get together with friends or do an activity that takes you out of sad moments and brings out the joy. A storm is the best time to cling to someone.
10.Shorter days are nice if you don't have your day.
Stay focused. Just as the weather turns harsher in the fall, so does our emotional climate. It is therefore important to remain calm and peaceful and to refrain from depression where possible, so that the transition to winter can go smoothly. This is the time to gather one's mind and energy, be more focused and not allow one's desires to run wild.
11. Bring light and coziness into your home.
Take the bedspreads out of the cupboard and light some candles in the evening.
12. Improve your lung qi
Your lung qi is the energy that resides in your lungs. The healthier it is, the better you can process your grief, breathe more deeply and you will experience less mucus in your chest.
Breathing exercises are very good for optimizing lung qi.
13. Would you rather dance to get off the toilet or have a baby who defecates every day?
Dryness causes constipation in many people, including babies. For anyone who suffers from this, please note: this is also for mothers who are currently breastfeeding, try not to drink green tea, black tea and coffee or at least as little as possible, these dehydrate our body. This will make it even more difficult for your stool to come out.
A baby can defecate every day, as can an adult. People in the regular circuit think differently about this; not having a bowel movement for a few days is not that bad. But have you ever wondered where all your food from the past few days goes? You become a kind of garbage dump with a bad mouth odor, smelly farts, symptoms of fatigue and an unpleasant feeling in your stomach.
I know plenty of babies and adults who don't have a bowel movement for 5 to 10 days. After they have had 1 or 2 treatments from me, that becomes a different story. Then going 3 times a day is no exception. Therefore, try baby reflexology or foot reflexology . This will help you or your baby take some steps forward, both physically and mentally. In addition, a reflexologist can work on other ailments or simply provide relaxation.
You can also get started immediately with the booklet ' Reflexology for babies, massage away your child's ailments in 1 minute ', the techniques in the booklet will last a lifetime.
14. Medicinal mushroom to prevent viral infections
One of my ways to boost my resistance and that of my husband and children is by using medicinal mushrooms. Now you may be thinking, “Sounds a bit psychedelic, Floor?” I can reassure you that those are not medicinal mushrooms. A mushroom, shiitake or oyster mushroom are all medicinal mushrooms. My favorite for viruses is the elf bench. But did you know that it is better not to take this when you are pregnant. And that there are many suppliers on the market who grind them raw and offer them? I don't eat raw mushrooms, but I do when they are heated in the pan. If you eat them raw you can suffer from them. Therefore, make sure you heat your mushroom or, if you buy them in extract form, like I did, choose a producer who has heated them before grinding. If you would like to know which mushroom is suitable for you, you can always email me for a telephone consultation and I will find out for you.
Source
Maoshing Ni Ph. D., M. (1995). The yellow emperor's classic of medicine. Boston. Massachusetts, USA: Random House Inc.