Tips for Staying Healthy in the Fall

Foods – Eat more cooked and fewer raw foods. Sour, astringent foods like lemon, lime, pickle, vitamin C, seaweed, and sourdough bread can all benefit your health. Enjoy spicy/pungent foods like onion, garlic, radish, horseradish, and cabbage. Hearty concentrated foods like root vegetables, soy products and barley are also foods for the Fall. Pumpkin, winter squash , and sweet potato are all great choices. Almonds, apples, and pears (especially Asian apple pears) are beneficial to the respiratory system.

salad-tomatoes-onion-dill-thumbHerbs – Astragalus is an herb that is often used to boost immunity and aid resistance to illness by increasing phagocytosis and your white blood cell count. Chinese research has shown it to have a protective effect against the common cold when taken consistently for two to eight weeks. Astragalus works best as a long-term preventive measure. It is best to take it as a tea through the cold and flu season to enhance immunity and prevent illness.

Boost the Immune System Soup

1 Whole Chicken 10oz shitake mushrooms
2 pints of water 1 tsp chopped ginger
3 slices of Astragalus 4 chopped garlic cloves
1tsp olive oil  

Directions

  1. Place chicken and astragalus in water. Bring to boil, simmer 1 hour.
  2. Add shitake, giner, garlic and oil.
  3. Simmer 45 minutes longer.

Protect – As the weather changes, it is easy to catch colds and flus. Protect the back of your neck from the winds with a scarf or collar. Be mindful that the temperature can change quickly, keep warmer cloths with you to prevent getting chilled.

Aromatherapy – Eucalyptus is good for preventing colds especially if exposure is high to someone with a cold or flu, as it is antiseptic in nature. Rub onto the glands under the jaw and inhale the vapor deeply this targets the areas where the bug could take up residence. It is also good at opening the nasal passages if a cold does strike.

Acupuncture – Supports and strengthen the immune systems and the production of Wei Qi, which is the energy of the body which defends us against invaders. By building the supply of Wei Qi, and facilitating the smooth and free flow of it throughout the body, the body’s organs and meridian system become strong, enhancing their ability to effectively fight off illness and disease.  Acupuncture treatments especially around the season change helps the body transition through the change, and stay healthy.