Staying Healthy with the Seasons: Fall

By Eyton Shalom

Fall, the Hinge Between Summer and Winter

In Chinese medicine, Fall and Spring are the "hinges" between Summer and Winter. The seasons are a kind of love dance between heaven and earth. In Summer, Gaia (Mother Earth) opens like a flower, her energies are at their maximum, she flourishes and reaches up to embrace her cosmic lover. In Winter, she withdraws, taking her energies back into the core of her being. It is a time of maximum Yin, whereas Summer is a time of maximum Yang.

A Time of Wind

Fall and Spring are both times of movement, of what Chinese medicine names wind.  Wind starts up suddenly and dies down just as suddenly. From September to November there is rapid give and take: one day it’s really hot, the next day cold is in the air.  In Spring it is the same; one day we smell Spring coming and notice the buds on the trees, the next day it snows.

In Chinese medicine this push and pull, this wind, is dangerous. It is a time when the body must continually adapt to change of weather, from opening the pores to sweat to closing them to protect from cold.

Lungs, the Organ of Grief

And in the case of Fall, it is a time when our bodies and souls have to make the adjustment from the abundant splendor that is Summer, to the more circumspect spare experience of Winter. The sky is different. The stars are different. There is nothing like a night sky in the crisp weather of November and December. However, there is a natural sadness that many people experience as the days fall away and the night time lengthens. And the lungs are the organ most affected by sadness and grief.

Chinese Concept of Immune System: Defensive Qi

One of the strengths of Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, is an awareness of the interplay between living with the seasons and maintaining a healthy immune system. Chinese medicine breaks the immune system down into three particular kinds of "Qi" (energy) that regulate different aspects of immune function.

The first is called "Wei Qi" or "Defensive Qi."  Wei Qi is the first line of defense against infectious disease.  Weak Wei Qi is a factor in patients who easily or repeatedly catch colds, bronchitis, and flus. It is also a factor in allergies  and  Asthma. And producing Wei Qi is primarily a function of the lungs.

In the body, preparation for Winter is centered around the lungs, the organ whose power is exerted in Fall. That means that poor maintenance of the body, poor diet, sleep, insufficient or excessive exercise, and stress will easily damage the lungs during this time of year. The power of Fall is the power of the harvest. And when the harvest fails, you go hungry in Winter.

Protection for the Lungs from Dryness in Fall

The chief climactic "evil" in Fall is dryness. The lungs are like giant tissue paper in which the tissue is like fine mucosa. They like to stay moist, not "damp," and cool but not cold. During illness the lungs often become hot, which in turn dries them out. That is why people recovering from bronchitis often end up with a lingering dry cough.

People with Asthma often have "cold trapped in the lungs," which is why many of the herbs given are warming.

Three Steps for Protecting Lungs

1. The first step to protecting the lungs is to protect them from exposure to severe cold or severe dry. Since you can't control the weather (though you can wear a scarf), we use herbs and food to ameliorate nature's effects.
2. As the lungs are the organ most affected by grief and sadness, it is important, especially if you have weak Wei Qi or Asthma, to be in touch with issues of grief and sadness, so that you may process them. That means allowing the discomfort to be felt and then moved through.
   Unsuccessfully processed emotions, like anger, grief, sadness, worry, fear, are all "internal" causes of disease in Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.
3. Knowing your constitution (Dosha) and having a lifestyle and diet appropriate to it is an excellent way to ensure lung health. Many Americans have a diet that is far too heavy with wheat and gluten. Most of us can do better with less wheat. And for people with a tendency to excess damp accumulation (for example, easy weight gain, chronic yeast or bladder infections, chronic bronchitis, oily skin, issues of excessive phlgem), it is imperative to have a cleansing diet rich in green leafy and other cruciferous vegetables. Cold beverages and foods can also be harmful.

Kitchen Medicine for the Lungs in Fall

This year has been particularly dry, with Santa Ana conditions prominent during much of September and October.

This dries out the mucus membranes of the nasal passages, lungs, and even the eyes. Lots of natural pollutants come in as particulate matter and desert plant pollens. Our skin also gets dried out, especially with the cold desert nights.

Protecting the lungs from external pathogen dryness is a first line of defense against catching colds. Adequate moisture in the mucosa makes them slippery. When the nasal mucosa is dry, it is much easier for the Rhino viruses that cause colds to attach and get into the blood stream.

The most common kitchen medicine in the East in Fall are pears. Pears are cooling and moistening. Bite into a ripe pear. Compare with a ripe apple. Apples tend to be crisper and are astringent. Pears have a viscous quality that helps moisten the lungs. And they have a very cool energy, like cucumbers.

In Fall I use pear in salads a lot (whereas in Winter I prefer to eat more warming food, like cooked pears). Here is a favorite I learned years ago. It’s simple, delicious, and cleansing. Most of the year I use apple, but in Fall I switch to pear. Any kind of pear can be used. This salad combines the cleansing properties of celery, the nourishing and warming properties of walnuts, and the cooling moistening properties of pears.

Fall Pear Waldorf Salad  (hold the mayo!)

• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2/3 cup chopped walnut or cashews (depending on your taste. Walnut is slightly bitter, cashew more sweet)
• 2/3 cup chopped pear

That's it!  You can modify this recipe to taste. I like to use a high ration of celery, since it’s a wonderful kidney, blood, and intestinal cleanser. And this is an easy way to eat lots of it. If you want to make the dish sweeter, change the ratio. Sometimes I add toasted sesame seeds, too. You can also add some fresh or bottled pear juice to make it sweeter.

Where to buy Asian pears? Asian pears are ludicrously expensive at American markets. In San Diego, go to Nijiya Japanese Market on Convoy Street or the 99 Ranch Chinese Market on Clairemont Mesa Blvd, for the best prices and variety. Perhaps the best are the yellow Korean pears. Korea is famous for its pears, and not just its Kim-chee.

Asian pears can be cooked, too. They are commonly boiled with licorice root for dry cough in Korea and with a kind of barley called Job's Tears in China. You can just boil a pear or two, and when cooked, add some honey, which also moistens the lungs, and drink the liquid. I like to add saffron and cardamom to mine. Afghanis make a wonderful cooked pear dish I will talk about in winter.

Other Foods That Benefit the Lung Qi and Yin

Persimmons are a wonderful Fall fruit. They are mild and light, help to dissolve phlegm, and reinforce the digestive energy. Persimmons are especially good when there is a heat condition in the lungs with cough.

Almonds reinforce the lung Qi and Yin. They are a Sattvic food in Ayurveda, which means they balance all the doshas and create harmony. Try Persimmon muffins with almonds and saffron.

Turnips strengthen lung Qi, and Tremella mushrooms benefit the Yin. Try Miso soup with turnips and Tremella mushrooms. If you suffer from digestive system dampness (thick or greasy tongue coat), eat your Miso soup with cooked Job's Tear's barley, and avoid or eliminate wheat and gluten. This can be critical for people with allergies and Asthma.

Lotus Rhizome is also good for the lungs. It is very healing to lung tissue and helps alleviate damp cough. You can buy it at any Asian grocery. Try juicing it with pears and a little ginger root. It looks funny and has a mild taste. Also excellent in soups and stews.

Chinese and Ayurvedic Herbs for the Lungs

Chinese White Ginseng, Ophiopogon and Schizandra:  Sheng Mai San

The above three herbs make up the venerable herbal remedy called Sheng Mai San. This is a formula that protects and nourishes the "yin" and "qi" of the lungs. That means it strengthens lung function and restores the lungs after respiratory illness. In Fall, Sheng Mai San in small doses can protect the lungs, but never in the presence of a fever or while you have a cold.

If someone has a weak immune response, or has a very "damp" constitution, I also give them Astragalus and Reishii mushroom. This combination strengthens the "Wei Qi" and lungs to improve immune response and the ability to fight external attack.  It also strengthens the transformation of dampness and fluids which tend to collect lung-side.

Ayurveda for Fall

Fall is the season characterized by Vatta. Vatta is dry and cold. That means people with Vatta imbalances (like arthritis, insomnia, and anxiety) will need to take protective measures during this season. As Fall is a time for consolidating the gains of summer, a renewed meditation practice is an excellent way to help with the adjustment into the season.

Symptoms of Vatta imbalance: Anxiety, restlessness, fatigue, insomnia, constipation, anxiety, joint pains.

When Vatta is balanced one feels calm, creative, happy, energetic, communicative, and light.

The most general principal of food for Vatta is to go for warming and moistening foods, without extremes, such as vegetables and meat cooked in olive oil with mild spices.

The following is a tasty spice mixture (churna) you can make for Vatta. Generally churnas are cooked in with the food, but this one could also be sprinkled onto things in small amounts.

Vatta  Spice Churna

Cardamom seed, Cumin seed, Fennel seed, Hing, ginger, and Turmeric

Grind together equal amounts of the first three seeds, and then 1/5 the amount of each of the last three.

Vatta Tea

A wonderful tea for Vatta contains fennel, licorice root, ginger, Cinnamon, Black Cardomom, and Ajwain. This is an excellent warming and calming combination that warms and balances Vatta and also benefits the large intestine, the seat of Vatta in the body.  It is available at my clinic, $5 per box of 48 grams.  

Keeping Skin Moist in Fall: Ayurvedic Oil Bath

Ayurveda's remedy for Vatta imbalance and for dry skin is an herbal oil bath. It’s simple. On a day when you don’t need to be anywhere and are not multi-tasking, take one cup of organic sesame oil, or if you are a hot type, coconut oil.  Even better is medicated herbal oil, sesame oil in which certain beneficial herbals have been cooked and extracted.  

Whatever oil you use, warm it gently on a very low flame, equivalent to a candle. Or you can place a bottle of oil in hot water for 5 minutes. 

Now massage generous amounts of oil into your body from head to toe, leisurely and fluidly. Allow the oil to seep into your scalp and skin. You can even get it in your ears and eyes, if it does not irritate you. The molecular structure of sesame oil is such that it penetrates past the dermis of the skin. That is why sesame oil is in many of the finest and most expensive body care product lines, such a Dr. Hauschka. 

When your body is soaked in oil, lay down in a quiet spot for 15 minutes or more, as if napping. Really relax. People with dry skin will notice that after 15 minutes, much of the oil has been absorbed into your skin. This is like moistening a dry twig so it won't snap. 

Now get in the shower and gently wash the oil off with a natural soap such as NeemTulsi soap (available at my office, $4). This is a wonderful soap made from coconut oil, with the medicinal qualities of Neem (good for the skin, clears Pitta, antibacterial anti fungal),  Tulsi (warms and calms Vatta and is very Sattvic), and Multani Mati, a kind of mild Indian clay that benefits the skin, and is not drying.  

Allergies and Santa Anas

Kitchen Medicine: Take a break from wheat and perhaps dairy. Many people's allergies improve when they avoid grains with gluten, but especially wheat. Some people do better without dairy products. Everyone benefits from use of the herb Nettles. Nowadays it is easy to get even bread that is wheat free. Just go to a health food market and look at the gluten-free section. Whole Foods' is quite large.

Herbal Protocols: Stinging Nettles, Quercitin, and "Ma Huang Tang plus"

First and foremost I use fairly high doses of Stinging Nettles. This herb has been shown in many studies to reduce Histamine response, the chief culprit in allergic reactions. For respiratory allergies I recommend a product called "Allermax."  It contains all the stinging nettles you need plus a substance called Quercitin that also reduces allergic response.

Chinese medicine favors a formula called Ma Huang Tang, which is called "Allergease" by the supplier I use. This is a 2000 year-old formula used for common colds, allergies, and sometimes Asthma. It has been modified recently with a few herbals that modern science shows to have anti-allergy response, such as Scutellaria and Wume Plum.