How to Stay Healthy This Fall According to Chinese Medicine
Today is officially the first day of fall, which means cooler mornings, shorter days, pumpkin everything—and, according to Chinese medicine, an important shift in how we should be taking care of ourselves.
Traditional Chinese medicine looks at health a little differently than conventional medicine. Instead of treating your body exactly the same way throughout the year, we pay attention to the seasons.
Just as nature changes, your body's needs change too.
Fall is considered a time to slow down, nourish yourself, protect your immune system and begin transitioning away from the more active, outward energy of summer.
And yes, this is also my permission slip to start making soup again.
Fall Is Lung Season in Chinese Medicine
In Chinese medicine, each season corresponds with particular organs and energetic patterns.
Fall is associated with the Lung and Large Intestine systems.
The Lung system is responsible for much more than breathing in Chinese medicine. It also plays an important role in immune defense, the skin, the nose and sinuses, and your ability to adapt to changes in the environment.
This is one reason fall is such an important time to start supporting your immune system—preferably before everyone around you starts coughing.
The Large Intestine is paired with the Lung and is associated with elimination and, symbolically, the idea of letting go.
Which is rather appropriate for a season when the trees are doing exactly that.
Start Eating More Warm, Cooked Foods
One of the easiest ways to transition your body into fall is through food.
During the heat of summer, we naturally gravitate toward salads, smoothies, watermelon, cold drinks and lighter meals.
As temperatures begin to drop, Chinese food therapy encourages us to gradually transition toward warmer, cooked foods.
Think:
soups and stews
cooked apples and pears
onions and garlic
cinnamon
bone broth
You don't need to suddenly abandon every raw vegetable because September 22 appeared on the calendar.
The idea is simply to begin shifting the balance.
Your digestive system generally has to work harder to warm and transform very cold or raw foods. For people who already experience bloating, loose stools, low appetite, fatigue or feeling cold easily, increasing warm cooked foods can be particularly helpful.
Eat More Pears
If Chinese medicine had an official fruit of fall, the pear would have a pretty strong case.
Pears are traditionally used in Chinese food therapy to moisten the Lungs and generate fluids, making them especially popular during the dry fall months.
I particularly like cooked pears.
Try baking or poaching a pear with cinnamon, or gently cooking sliced pears until they're soft.
Apples are another wonderful fall option, especially when cooked with cinnamon or ginger.
If you just saw my Apple Pie Greek Yogurt Bowl recipe, you can probably see where I'm going with this.
Seasonal eating doesn't have to be complicated.
Don't Forget About Dryness
Fall is associated with dryness in Chinese medicine.
You may notice this as:
dry skin
dry lips
dry throat
dry cough
nasal dryness
This is where hydration becomes especially important.
But hydration doesn't only mean carrying around a giant water bottle all day.
Foods can contribute to hydration too.
Soups, broths, cooked pears, apples, zucchini, squash and other water-rich foods can help provide fluids while also giving you valuable nutrients.
Healthy fats are important as well. Foods such as avocado, olive oil, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed and fatty fish can be part of a nourishing fall diet.
Protect Your Neck
This is one of those pieces of Chinese medicine advice that sounds charmingly old-fashioned until you realize how easy it is to do.
In Chinese medicine, the back of the neck is considered particularly vulnerable to external influences such as wind and cold.
That's why you'll often hear Chinese medicine practitioners tell patients:
Protect your neck.
As mornings become cooler, bring out the scarves, higher collars and light jackets.
Will wearing a scarf create an invisible force field against every respiratory virus?
No.
But staying appropriately warm and comfortable as the weather changes is a perfectly reasonable habit—and your acupuncturist will be very pleased with you.
Support Your Wei Qi
You can think of Wei Qi as part of the body's protective system—the energy that circulates near the surface and helps defend against external influences.
When Wei Qi is weak, a person may tend to get sick frequently, catch every cold going around, sweat easily or have difficulty adapting to changes in weather.
Supporting Wei Qi isn't about taking one magical immune supplement.
I look at the whole picture:
Are you sleeping enough?
Are you eating enough protein?
Are you chronically stressed?
Are you getting outside and moving your body?
Are you eating nutrient-dense foods?
Is your digestive system working well?
In Chinese medicine, strong immunity and strong digestion are closely connected.
Get Enough Protein
This isn't necessarily ancient Chinese medicine advice, but it's something I talk about frequently with my patients.
You need adequate protein to support muscle, immune function, blood sugar regulation, hormone production and healthy aging.
Fall meals make this surprisingly easy.
Try building meals around foods such as:
eggs
chicken
turkey
salmon
white fish
bison
beef
Greek yogurt if tolerated
bone broth as an addition to meals
Then add cooked seasonal vegetables and an appropriate carbohydrate source.
A bowl of warm food with protein, vegetables and a nourishing carbohydrate is often much more satisfying this time of year than trying to survive until dinner on iced coffee and a salad.
Prioritize Sleep as the Days Get Shorter
Nature starts slowing down in fall.
We probably should too.
Shorter days are a reminder to begin shifting toward a little more rest and restoration.
Sleep supports immune function, hormone regulation, metabolic health, nervous-system regulation and brain health.
If your bedtime has gradually migrated later and later during summer, fall is a good time to reset it.
Try dimming the lights in the evening, reducing screen exposure before bed and creating a consistent sleep schedule.
Your body loves rhythm.
Fall Is Also About Letting Go
The emotional association of the Lung in Chinese medicine is grief.
That doesn't mean sadness automatically means you have a Lung imbalance.
Rather, Chinese medicine recognizes that emotional and physical health aren't completely separate experiences.
Fall is traditionally viewed as a season of letting go.
That might mean clearing clutter, simplifying your schedule, ending habits that aren't serving you anymore or simply creating more quiet space in your day.
You don't need to dramatically reinvent your entire life before October.
Sometimes letting go means deciding you don't actually need to say yes to everything.
Acupuncture Can Help Your Body Transition Into Fall
Seasonal acupuncture is one of my favorite ways to support the body as we move from one season into another.
Treatment is always individualized.
Depending on what I'm seeing in your pulse, tongue and symptoms, fall acupuncture treatments may focus on supporting the Lung, digestion, immune system, sleep, stress response or other areas that need attention.
Someone coming in with sinus congestion and frequent colds may receive a completely different treatment from someone experiencing constipation, insomnia and dry skin.
That's the beauty of Chinese medicine.
We're not treating “fall.”
We're treating you during fall.
Dr. Stephanie's Tip: Don't wait until you're sick to start thinking about your health.
Fall is a wonderful time to get back into the basics:
Cook more of your food. Eat enough protein. Go to bed a little earlier. Stay hydrated. Move your body. Protect your neck. And make soup.
Lots of soup.
You don't need a complicated wellness routine to support your body through a seasonal transition.
Usually, your body appreciates consistency much more than another 17-step protocol.
Welcome Fall by Working With Your Body
Chinese medicine teaches us that health isn't static.
Our environment changes.
Our schedules change.
Our food changes.
And our bodies respond to all of it.
Instead of fighting those seasonal changes, we can learn to work with them.
This fall, start bringing more warmth into your meals, prioritize sleep, support your digestion and immune system, and give yourself permission to slow down a little.
FAQ
What does fall represent in Chinese medicine?
In Chinese medicine, fall is associated with the Lung and Large Intestine systems and the element of Metal. It is traditionally viewed as a season of gathering inward, letting go and preparing the body for the colder months ahead.
What organ is associated with fall in Chinese medicine?
The Lung is the primary organ associated with fall in Chinese medicine and is paired with the Large Intestine.
What should you eat during fall according to Chinese medicine?
Chinese food therapy often emphasizes more warm, cooked foods as the weather cools, including soups, stews, root vegetables, squash, cooked apples and pears, ginger and other seasonal foods.
Why are pears recommended in Chinese medicine during fall?
Pears are traditionally used in Chinese food therapy to moisten the Lungs and generate fluids, making them especially popular during the dry fall season.
Should you eat fewer cold foods in fall?
Chinese food therapy generally encourages gradually shifting toward warmer, cooked foods as temperatures decrease, particularly for people who experience bloating, loose stools, fatigue, low appetite or feeling cold easily.
Can acupuncture support health during fall?
Seasonal acupuncture treatments can be individualized according to a person's symptoms and Chinese medicine pattern. Treatment may focus on areas such as digestion, stress, sleep, sinus symptoms or overall wellness.
What is Wei Qi?
Wei Qi is a traditional Chinese medicine concept describing the body's defensive Qi. It is associated with the body's ability to protect itself and adapt to environmental changes.
At New Direction Natural Medicine in Altamonte Springs, I use acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, functional medicine and food therapy to help patients support their health throughout every season.
If you're in Altamonte Springs, Orlando or the surrounding Central Florida area and would like to incorporate acupuncture or Chinese medicine into your fall wellness routine, schedule a consultation and let's create a plan based on what your body actually needs.
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