Summer Qi Chats | Week 13
Decisions + Digestion
This week we discuss several ways to get you out of your summer food rut and into a fresh meal plan for the Autumn season.
Nourish the Harvest
The abundance and outward expansion of Summer begins turning inward as plants mature, crops are harvested, and energy is gathered for the colder months ahead. The Zhangjishan Yinshu (an ancient texts) describes this rhythm simply: “Spring births, Summer flourishes, Autumn harvests and Winter stores.” It taught from these texts that to age well, we need to respond accordingly to the seasonal cycles.
You’ve learn about the foundation of health through the lens of Yang Sheng 養生, aka “nourishing life” where diet and exercise alone don’t nurture the aging body. In fact, seasonal eating is not simply about making a list of “Autumn foods.” It is about recognizing that our environment is changing and adjusting the way we nourish ourselves with it.
In our Seasonal Neuro-Qi Course for the Autumn season, I introduce the word shōu 收 meaning to gather, harvest and collect. Our meals can begin reflecting that same intention by becoming warmer, simpler, more nourishing and easier to digest as we prepare the body for Winter.
MAKING THE SHIFT
Nutrition can be complicated so let’s keep autumn training simple with these two concepts that I’ll dive into for this week’s Qi Chat.
1. Protect the Fire + Nourish the Yin
Early Autumn is an interesting transition because Yin is growing while remnants of Summer heat and dampness may still linger. Henry McCann recommends supporting the Spleen and Stomach during this period with lighter, clearer meals, seasonal vegetables and foods that do not unnecessarily burden digestion. Congee is one traditional example because it transforms grains and water through cooking into a warm, simple meal that is traditionally used to support the digestive system.
2. Cook with the Season
Autumn Yang Sheng also changes how we prepare food. Summer makes raw, cooling and quickly prepared foods appealing. As the weather cools, the kitchen naturally begins doing more of the digestive work for us. Steaming, simmering, roasting and light stir-frying soften foods before they reach the stomach. Soups, stews, porridges and congees bring warmth and moisture together, making them particularly fitting as the environment becomes cooler and drier.
This Autumn, let Yang Sheng bring greater awareness back into the kitchen. Eating seasonally does not require a rigid Chinese medicine diet. It asks us to notice the changing environment, notice how our own digestion responds, and gradually adjust our habits accordingly.
Autumn teaches us that nourishment is not always about adding more. Sometimes nourishing life means knowing what to gather, how to prepare it, and what to preserve for the season ahead.
Neuro-Qi Tip o’the day!
Step into Autumn…
First, check in to see if you’re in a food rut and need to shift your actual foods (nutritional diversity is key to a healthy diet!)
Second, notice if you’re in a hydration rut. This is a perfect season to drop a pear slice into your water to moisten the lungs.
Lastly, get back into rhythm with the season and dive into the Autumn Seasonal Neuro-Qi Course. [click here]
*Video posts every Friday by 11:30am MDT
