The beginning of autumn means that nature has entered the “autumn mode”. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine records: “In the third month of autumn, this is the stage of peace, the weather is urgent, and the ground is bright.”
From the perspective of the changes in the rise and fall of yin and yang in the four seasons, at this time, the gasification movement of nature changes from “transformation” to “collection”, the yang gradually decreases, and the yin gradually becomes heavier.
But at this time, the residual heat of midsummer has not dissipated, and under the influence of the “last dog days” of the three dog days, the temperature may not drop but rise, and even “autumn tiger” may appear.
What should we pay attention to in health preservation during this special period?

Early Autumn “Three Dishes”

Fried eggplant with cowpea

Ingredients: 1 eggplant, cowpea, garlic slices, and salt in appropriate amounts
Method: Wash and cut eggplant into strips, wash and cut cowpea into sections, add a small amount of garlic slices to neutralize the cold nature of eggplant, stir-fry and season, and you can eat.
Efficacy:
Eggplant tastes bitter, belongs to the spleen, stomach, and large intestine meridians, can remove dampness and swelling, reduce “fire”, and eliminate autumn dryness. It is rich in nutrients and has antioxidant and cardiovascular protection effects.
Cowpea tastes salty and has a neutral nature. It belongs to the spleen and stomach meridians. It can regulate the middle and replenish qi, harmonize the five internal organs, and stop thirst.

Pumpkin shreds fried meat

Ingredients: 500 grams of pumpkin, 200 grams of lean pork, and salt.
Method: Wash and cut pumpkin and lean pork into shreds, stir-fry the shredded pork first, then add pumpkin shreds, stir-fry and season.
Efficacy:
Pumpkin tastes sweet, belongs to the spleen and stomach meridians, can replenish qi, clear heat and detoxify, and can also improve the symptoms of “autumn dryness” and “autumn fatigue”.

Crucian Carp and Dragon Soup

Ingredients: 1 crucian carp, 5 slices of ginger, 15 grams of plantain seeds, 15 grams of five-fingered ginseng (recorded as “five-clawed dragon” in “Chinese Materia Medica”), vegetable oil, chopped green onion, coriander, and salt to taste.

Method: Wash the crucian carp, remove the internal organs and scales, cut the back, fry the crucian carp slightly with vegetable oil, add water, add five-fingered ginseng, plantain seeds, and ginger slices, stew until the soup is milky, season according to personal taste, add chopped green onion and coriander as needed and it is ready to eat.

Efficacy:
Crucian carp tastes sweet, is neutral in nature, and belongs to the spleen, stomach, and large intestine meridians. It has the effects of strengthening the spleen and eliminating dampness, reducing swelling and promoting diuresis.

Ginger tastes spicy, is slightly warm in nature, and belongs to the lung, spleen, and stomach meridians. It has the effects of promoting diuresis, promoting yang, and warming the lungs.
Five-fingered ginseng is sweet and slightly warm in nature. It enters the spleen and lung meridians. It has the effects of clearing heat and dampness, detoxifying and reducing swelling. After boiling the soup, there is a faint coconut milk aroma.
Plantago is sweet and slightly cold in nature. It enters the liver, kidney, lung, and small intestine meridians. It has the effects of clearing heat and diuresis, removing dampness and relieving stranguria, improving eyesight, and removing phlegm.