The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Cold Dew, (Chinese: 寒露), the 17th solar term of the year, begins this year on Oct 8 and ends on Oct 22. In China, the 24 solar terms were created thousands of years ago to guide agricultural production. But solar term culture is still useful today to guide people's lives through special foods, cultural ceremonies and even healthy living tips that correspond with each term.
Autumn is the season of autumn harvest. The yin and yang atmosphere is relatively peaceful, presenting a pleasant and refreshing scene, and it is also the most suitable season for beauty and detox. In terms of yin and yang and five elements corresponding to the five internal organs of the human body, regulating and nourishing the five internal organs will naturally get our body better.
So how should we detoxify and maintain health in autumn?
Fall Detoxification: Focus is the Lungs
From a Chinese perspective, autumn is the golden rule of the lungs, which means that during the year, the lungs act as executive officers in the meridians of the human body. During the autumn season the following symptoms tend to be more common:
1. The skin is rusty and dull. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the lungs manage the skin of the whole body, and whether the skin is moist and fair depends on the good function of the lungs. When there are more toxins in the lungs, the toxins will be deposited on the skin along with the action of the lungs, making the skin color look dull.
2. Constipation. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the lungs and large intestine are a connected system. When there are toxins in the upper lungs, there will be abnormal stasis in the lower intestines, and constipation will occur.
3. Sentimental and easy to be sad. Toxins in the lungs will interfere with the circulation of qi and blood in the lungs, making the lungs unable to smooth the suffocation in the chest normally, and feeling depressed much more sentimental.
How to detoxify lungs smoothly?
The ideal strategy for each person varies based on health status and constitution. It is always best to work with a practitioner when you are starting any form of detox, but here are a few recommendations that may apply:
1. White radish is a detoxification food for lungs. In TCM opinion, the large intestine and the lungs are the most closely related. The degree of toxin excretion from the lungs depends on whether the large intestine is unobstructed. White radishes can help the large intestine to excrete stool. It can be eaten raw or mixed with cold dishes.
2. Lily improves lung resistance to poison. The lungs have always disliked dry air. In dry conditions, it is easy to accumulate toxins. Mushrooms and lilies have a good effect of nourishing the lungs and nourishing yin, and can help the lungs to fight toxins. Do not process them for too long when eating, otherwise the juice in the lily will be reduced and the anti-virus effect will be greatly reduced.
3. Your practitioner can show you the meridian points of lung detoxification. The acupuncture point beneficial to the lungs is He Gu, which is located on the back of the hand, between the first and second metacarpal bones. At the midpoint of the radial side of the second metacarpal bone, you can pinch this part with your thumb and index finger and press hard.
4. Perspiration and detoxification. The lungs manage the skin, so we sweat smoothly, allowing the sweat to take away toxins from the body and refreshing our lungs. In addition to exercise, the method of sweating can also be a hot bath. Add some ginger and peppermint essential oils in the water before the bath to make the sweat secrete more freely and expel toxins deeply in the body.
5. Take a deep breath. Every time you breathe, there are residual exhaust gases in the lungs that cannot be discharged. Compared with those fresh, oxygen-rich air, these exhaust gases are also a toxin. Just a few deep breaths can reduce the residual exhaust gas in the body.
6. Good sleep. TCM believes that the movement of the twelve meridians begins with the lungs, and the yin and yang alternate time of the day in the human body is at yin every day, at 3 to 5 in the morning, starting with lung qi. At this time, if you can sleep soundly, it will have a cosmetic effect, which will help the lung meridian to smooth the distribution of qi and blood.
7. Also, because of the dry climate and low air humidity, especially after the Mid-Autumn Festival, people’s skin is prone to dryness. You can choose plants that can moisturize the skin. You can blend one or two kinds of fungus, almonds, pine nuts, yam, mulberry, and honey. If you want to make your skin look more delicate. You can choose pear juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, loofah water or barley juice, one of which is used to wipe the face (double dilution with water).
8. The best time to detoxify the lungs is from 7 am to 9 am. At this time, it is also better to detoxify through exercise. Performing aerobic exercises such as jogging when the lungs are at their strongest can strengthen the lungs to discharge toxins.
We have talked about Lung detoxification in autumn. I will continue to discuss the detoxification of other organs (kidney, liver, heart, and spleen) in winter, spring, and summer.
According to《Huang Di Nei Jing》 (an ancient Chinese medical text that has been treated as the fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for more than two millennia), there are two types of toxins in the human body, endogenous and exogenous. If the toxins in the body exceed the ability of the body's detoxification system to interpret, it will easily lead to various diseases, and also easily lead to premature aging and accelerated aging. Strengthen detoxification and timely removal of toxins from the body, which can protect the body from disease and prolong life.
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A vital force of life (called Qi in TCM) is the foundation to health. What is optimum varies from person to person and is dependent on your underlying conditions, your age and health status.
If you have questions about what type of TCM treatment or nutrition plan is best for your body type, we would welcome the opportunity to work with you. For more information on my approach to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), nutrition, check out our blog or check out our bio on the Yan’s Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine website https://www.yantcm.ca .
To book an appointment, please contact Yan’s Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine Clinic at 647-982-5240 or email us c.yan@yantcm.ca.
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