Fall Foods | Root to Branch

Fall Foods

an overflowing spoon with honey drizzling in

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Written by: Mandi Sawyer

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Published on: 17 Oct 2023

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Autumn | Food

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In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), autumn is the season of dryness. You may have noticed that your skin or throat feel dry, or your stools are a little drier and harder to pass than usual. Seasonal dryness is especially common in the Fèi (Lung) and Dà Cháng (Large Intestine) organs. These organs are associated with the throat, skin, and stools. This is why see the dryness effecting these parts of the body.

Using TCM food therapy we can eat to help alleviate seasonal dryness. Not only are some of these foods quite common and frequently associated with autumn, but they taste great together!

Pears are great for nourishing and moisturizing the Fèi (think throat and skin dryness) and addressing constipation without adding too much dampness like we sometimes see in foods that address dryness. If you don’t like pears (like me), apples are a good substitute.

Oats focus less on the Fèi than pears, but are better at boosting digestion, which is the main contributor to Qi. Without Qi we cannot fight off dryness or other seasonal invasions. Oats moisten the whole body, especially the intestines to address dry stools.

Like pears and oats, walnuts help all the above with the addition of being particularly good for the elderly and constitutionally weak. Almonds are better for those who are overworked.

While fresh ginger does not address seasonal dryness, it helps digestion, transforms phlegm that can accumulate from moisturizing herbs, and helps release the common cold.

A fantastic food to address autumn dryness; honey aids digestion, moisturizes dryness causing cough, skin, or stool dryness. Topically, honey acts as an excellent emollient and nourishes the skin. Honey is very concentrated – not much is needed to moisturize and nourish. Note: honey can be cloying and may cause phlegm and dampness in those who are susceptible.

So why not make yourself some oatmeal with pears or apples, walnuts or almonds, ginger, and honey? It’s a delicious and nourishing dish to help make this autumn more comfortable.

Flaws, Bob. The Tao of Healthy Eating: Dietary Wisdom According to Chinese Medicine. Blue Poppy Press, 2008.

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