At the beginning of autumn, the weather starts to become cooler and the air gets drier. As a result, the body will have some reactions. The dry conditions during this season easily wear out the body’s fluids, especially in the elderly. A proper diet for autumn health is based on moisturizing and nourishing one’s Yin nature. During this season, people with poor immunity are more prone to colds, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The air is relatively dry, and the skin will lose a lot of moisture making the body feel very uncomfortable. Everyone should be aware of how to maintain health at the beginning of and during autumn, especially the elderly. Eating appropriately for the season will help.
3 kinds of foods to avoid in autumn
1. Ginger
Because the weather in autumn is relatively dry and ginger is a spicy food, people often say not to eat ginger at this time of year. Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), an excessive intake of ginger will lead to an excess of internal heat. However, many people have a habit of putting ginger in their cooking no matter what dish they make because ginger is known to have an antibacterial effect.
The physical resistance of those with lower immunity and the elderly is relatively poor. In addition, the functions of the elderly are declining. If they consume too much ginger, the lungs can be damaged. Also, those who more easily have an excess amount of heat should eat less ginger; otherwise, diseases such as oral ulcers can occur.
2. Watermelon
Watermelon is a fruit that many people like in summer and into the beginning of autumn. However, as the weather begins to turn cooler and the temperature difference between morning and evening is more noticeable, eating watermelon can cause damage to the stomach. After the beginning of autumn, the stomach begins to become more fragile, and it needs to be well-conditioned at this time. Based on TCM watermelon is classified as a cool fruit, and excessive intake will cause indigestion.
3. Cold drinks
At the beginning of autumn, there will still be days that are very hot and people will want to drink something cold, especially when they come inside from the hot outside. Many people will immediately drink a cold bottle of soda or juice from the refrigerator, which is very bad for overall health in early autumn. When the body feels very hot and dry, the sudden intake of an ice-cold drink will cause a serious burden on the gastrointestinal tract and may even cause abdominal pain and diarrhea.
The autumn diet should be sweet and moist
Autumn is the time of year when health-nurturing practices are the most needed. Now, it is necessary to moisten dryness, and the diet should be sweet and moist. Many fresh fruits and vegetables have the good effect of moisturizing the lungs and moistening dryness. For fruits, you can eat more pears, persimmons, citrus, and bananas. For vegetables, you can eat more carrots, wax gourd, white fungus, as well as beans and soy products. Kelp and seaweed are also good choices.
For food supplements in autumn, start with herbs and foods that have a neutral property in their nature, such as wolfberries, codonopsis root, white fungus, and lotus seeds. Chicken soup with fo-ti root and pork ribs with Chinese herbs are all suitable for your autumn diet.
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