Diet

As we move out of summer into the cooler, dryer weather of fall, consider eating a diet that is in alignment with this seasonal shift. This will mean eating foods that are spicier and well-cooked.

While raw green salads supported your body’s health during the heat and humidity of summer, it will be helpful to decrease the amount of raw food you eat and increase the amount of cooked food in your diet. Your body is using more of its qi, or energy, to stay warm in the cooler temperatures. Eating raw food requires more energy than digesting food that is well-cooked, so don’t squander the energy you need to stay warm by eating lots of cold and raw food.

Consider adding more onion, garlic, ginger and other warming spices to your food. Instead of raw green salads, cooking your vegetables with herbs and spices will help the body both increase and preserve its warmth. Garlic and ginger are both traditionally believed to be helpful in supporting the immune system which may be more challenged by the colder weather if you are prone to respiratory illnesses.