[Today is the Autumnal Equinox] After the Autumnal Equinox, it is easy to get six major diseases. To prevent diseases and maintain good health, remember the six ones!

Content compiled from Health Times WeChat

Autumnal Equinox Daily Life: Go to bed early and get up early

In mid-autumn, the weather is changeable and the temperature difference between morning and evening increases, so you should increase your sleep time at this time.

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine says: "In the third month of autumn, go to bed early and get up early, and wake up with the rooster."

Going to bed early can regulate the body's yang energy, which is in line with the "principle of nourishing and storing"; getting up early allows the lung qi to be released, preventing it from being too contracted.

Normally, it is more appropriate for us to go to bed at 9 to 10 pm and get up at 5 to 6 am.

Autumnal Equinox Dressing: Add Clothes and Quilts

After the Autumnal Equinox, the clothes you wear should conform to the need of "storing yin essence and collecting yang energy". You can "cool down" appropriately, but the premise is that you don't feel cold.

In addition, as the temperature drops, we should pay attention to putting a pure cotton mattress on the bed with better warmth-retaining effect. Especially for elderly friends with chronic diseases, it is not advisable to sleep on a cool mat after the autumnal equinox. It is best to replace the towel blanket with a thin blanket with better warmth-retaining effect.

Autumnal Equinox Diet: Less Spicy and More Acidic

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that autumn corresponds to the lungs, and dryness is the main air of autumn. Dryness can easily damage body fluids, so the lungs are easily damaged by autumn dryness.

According to the principles of "moistening the dry" and "less pungent and more sour", you can eat more foods that have the effect of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, such as sesame, walnuts, honey, pears, sugarcane, persimmons, bananas, water chestnuts, olives, lilies, white fungus, radishes, soy milk, etc.

In addition, sour and sweet can transform yin, so it is also advisable to eat some sour foods, such as grapes, pomegranates, apples, mangoes, star fruits, grapefruits, kiwis, lemons, hawthorns, etc.

At this time, you should eat less spicy foods such as chili peppers, peppercorns, pepper, onions, ginger, etc., especially avoid very spicy and hot foods such as spicy hot pot.

Autumnal Equinox Exercise: Combining Movement and Stillness

As the weather gets cooler, people's physiological functions weaken relatively. At this time, you should increase your exercise appropriately to enhance your cardiopulmonary function and improve your body's ability to resist the cold.

At this time, "combining movement and stillness" becomes the most suitable exercise method for this season.

“Movement” can include jogging or climbing, and “stillness” can include abdominal breathing or navel massage.

Jogging: Jogging can effectively improve heart function and ensure blood supply to the brain. In addition, it can stimulate the body's metabolism, enhance the body's energy consumption, improve resistance, and make people more energetic.

Climbing: Climbing can enhance physical fitness and has direct benefits on vision, cardiopulmonary function, limb coordination, consumption of excess body fat, and delaying human aging.

Abdominal breathing: Lie flat on the bed and take 100 long breaths to help expel waste gas from the abdomen.

Umbilical massage: Lie flat on the bed and massage the area around the navel clockwise 100 times with your palms, which will help improve gastrointestinal function.

Tips for keeping healthy during the autumnal equinox

01

A bowl of pumpkin porridge

After the autumnal equinox, the climate gradually becomes cooler, and the gastrointestinal tract is very sensitive to cold stimulation. Friends who suffer from digestive system diseases such as chronic gastritis should pay special attention to keeping their stomach warm.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that pumpkin is warm in nature and sweet in taste. It enters the spleen and stomach meridians, can replenish the middle and benefit the qi, and is an excellent product for warming and protecting the stomach.

Put a few pieces of pumpkin when cooking porridge for breakfast, or add a dish of pumpkin vermicelli soup to the dinner table. It is simple, convenient, nutritious and delicious.

02

A basin of water for foot bath

Many people will experience symptoms such as cold hands and feet, fatigue, etc. at this time, especially thin women. These are all manifestations of insufficient kidney qi, so you must insist on soaking your feet at night.

There are many acupoints on the feet, such as the Yongquan acupoint, which can dispel the cold in the body through the evaporation of hot air. It is very effective in enhancing the yang energy of people with weak constitution. It should be noted that the foot soaking time does not need to be too long, 15 minutes is appropriate.

03

A good habit

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that kidneys govern bones, and teeth are the remains of bones. If kidney qi is weak, teeth will become loose and fall out. Sun Simiao, a famous doctor in the Tang Dynasty, advocated "knocking teeth 300 times in the morning" to nourish the kidneys and strengthen teeth.

Teeth tapping can be done at any time and any place. Just close your lips and tap your upper and lower teeth together. After tapping your teeth, slowly swallow the saliva in your mouth.

04

An orange peel

After the Autumnal Equinox, oranges become available in large quantities. Since the feeling of autumn fatigue will be more obvious at this time, you might as well put some leftover orange peels on your desk or next to your bed in the bedroom.

Its fresh smell can stimulate the excitement of the nervous system, making people feel refreshed. It can also clear the polluted air and beautify the indoor environment.

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the aroma of oranges can eliminate dampness, invigorate the spleen, avoid filth, and open the mind. The soft color of oranges will give people a warm feeling. Placing oranges at the bedside can also help promote sleep.