As we enter the first few weeks of December, the chillier season surrounds us in full. In TCM, this is the season of looking and moving inward, in preparation to store energy for the winter. We see this in the way small animals harvest their food and how trees let loose their leaves for the frost. Here in Texas, Autumn lasts until December 21st, and we are therefore in the season of the metal element. The emotion of grief, the lungs, and the skin are called to attention in this season.
To align with the nature of autumn, foods that are both contracting and nourishing will show great benefit. Nourishing and heartier foods will be those like winter squashes, pumpkins, and vegetables from the ground (beets, carrots, radishes). Cooking methods for these are also important. Slower and longer cooking times will usually be needed when preparing autumnal foods (such as baking, or making stews). For bringing nature inward and to contract, sour foods are used here. These are usually fermented foods like sourdough bread, sauerkraut, pickled plums, vinegar, lemons, and limes. The contracting nature of these foods allows our bodies to move inward as well, storing energy as temperatures decline.
Dryness is also more prominent in windier and colder temperatures. We often see this in ailments relating to the nose, throat, and skin as we begin spending more time inside and making use of our humidifiers. Moistening foods are often used to counter dryness and give skin and lungs a more protective layer. These are foods like soybean products, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, or foods that hold water like spinach, pear, apple, persimmon, fungus, and seaweeds. One way to integrate a few of these and honor the season would be with a warm batch of pear apple cider. You may also add a few spices like clove, cinnamon, and anise to circulate qi and blood to warm the body. If this cider happens to follow a filling dinner, adding a few orange peels for digestion and zest will also be enjoyable. Make sure to eat the pears, apples, or even persimmons in your cider after finishing for a hydrating treat!
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