1. Autumn Health Preservation Tip: Drink More Boiled Water

During the dry autumn and winter seasons, the amount of moisture evaporated through the skin each day is More than 600 milliliters—thus, adequate hydration is essential. An adult should drink at least 1,500 milliliters of water per day; in autumn, drinking 2,000 milliliters is necessary to keep the lungs and respiratory tract well-lubricated. The appropriate amount of water to drink should be adjusted according to one’s daily level of physical activity; under normal circumstances, one should consume at least 1.5 to 2 liters of water each day. Each time, limit intake to 1 to 2 cups.

2. Sleep and Daily Routine: Autumn Health Preservation Practices

Traditional Chinese Medicine believes Autumn and winter are governed by yin; in autumn, yin energy is gathered and stored, while in winter it is concealed. Therefore, during these seasons, focusing on nourishing and conserving yin and improving sleep quality will yield twice the results with half the effort. It is recommended to rest between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., aiming to fall asleep during the Zi hour (11 p.m. to 1 a.m.). This is because the Zi hour is when yang qi is at its weakest and yin qi is at its strongest; sleeping at this time best nourishes yin and ensures the highest sleep quality, often achieving remarkable health benefits with minimal effort. On average, healthy individuals should aim for about eight hours of sleep per day, while those who are frail or frequently ill should appropriately increase their sleep duration.

3. Dietary调理 for Autumn Health Preservation

Autumn nutrition should also focus on balance. It is inadvisable to overindulge in tonifying foods. Individuals may select food ingredients with appropriate flavors and properties based on their own constitutional type to tailor dietary therapy for corrective purposes: those with a deficient-cold constitution may appropriately consume warming, yang-tonifying foods to warm the yang and replenish deficiency, while those with a dry-heat constitution may opt for sweet-cool, moistening foods to nourish yin and reduce fire. Sweet-cool, moistening foods include bananas, sugarcane, apples, snow pears, water chestnuts, loquats, mulberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, loofahs, lotus roots, lilies, adenosine, ophiopogon, dendrobium, and American ginseng, among others. Warming, yang-tonifying foods include chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, scallions, garlic, chives, cinnamon, fennel, durian, longan, lychee, chestnuts, eel, shrimp, chicken, beef, lamb, and venison, among others.

4. Emotional Regulation in Autumn Health Preservation

The desolation of nature in autumn This makes it easy for people to be moved by the sights around them; especially for the elderly, such scenes can readily evoke feelings of desolation, bleakness, and the approaching end of life, stirring up melancholy. Under these circumstances, emotional self-care should focus on maintaining tranquility and calmness, in order to mitigate the psychological impact of autumn’s austere and somber atmosphere.
Adjust one’s mental state to align with the characteristics of autumn. Maintain a tranquil yet composed demeanor—restrained but not revealing, clear yet not turbid—allowing your spirit to remain inwardly focused. Cultivate inner peace and quiet, banish extraneous thoughts, and attain a state of serene equanimity. After the Autumn Equinox comes the Double Ninth Festival, a time when the autumn air is crisp and refreshing. Rather than staying indoors with the doors shut, it is advisable to go out for leisurely outings, climb high to take in the distant vistas, and fully savor the beauty of nature, which can uplift the spirit and dispel all melancholy.

What Foods Should You Eat for Autumn Health Preservation?

1. Hawthorn: Autumn is the peak harvest season for hawthorn. This fruit is rich in citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, and other bioactive compounds that help break down fats. In addition, hawthorn has a tart flavor that cuts through greasiness; after a heavy, oily meal, brewing a cup of hawthorn tea will quickly banish that lingering greasy feeling.
2. Pears: Pears are low in calories, and their dietary fiber can inhibit the absorption of fats and sugars in the small intestine, which is beneficial for weight loss. For those looking to slim down, it’s recommended to eat a pear before meals to enhance satiety, thereby reducing overall food intake and helping to avoid excessive fat consumption. In addition, as autumn arrives, the air tends to become drier, and pears are juicy and hydrating, making them an ideal fruit to enjoy during this season.

3. Winter Melon: The Beginning of Autumn signals the end of summer, yet the “autumn tiger” can be fierce, keeping temperatures stubbornly high. Winter melon, on the other hand, is cooling in nature and sweet in flavor, with the effects of moistening the lungs and generating body fluids, transforming phlegm and relieving thirst, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, as well as clearing heat and dispelling summer heat. In addition to cooling the body, the malonic acid it contains can effectively inhibit the conversion of sugars into fat; moreover, winter melon itself is virtually fat-free and low in calories, making it highly beneficial for preventing weight gain and helping to maintain a fit, well-proportioned figure.

What are the taboos for autumn health preservation?

1. Avoid unnecessary tonifying when you are healthy: Unwarranted tonification not only wastes money but also harms your health, resulting in a net loss. For example, long-term intake of glucose can lead to obesity, increase blood cholesterol levels, and thereby increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
2. Do not confuse deficiency with excess: “Tonify the deficient” is a fundamental principle of TCM treatment. If a patient does not actually have a deficiency syndrome but is nonetheless given tonifying herbs, it can harm the body and even endanger life. Although health preservation is not as rigorously differentiated as disease treatment, failing to distinguish between cold and heat and indiscriminately prescribing medicinal diets can easily exacerbate the underlying condition.
3. “More is better” is unscientific: The common belief is that “taking more tonics can cure illness when you’re sick and strengthen your body when you’re healthy,” but this is not scientifically sound, because any tonic, when taken in excess, can be harmful. For example, excessive intake of vitamin C may lead to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.