The Frost Descent Health Preservation Chapter of the 24 Solar Terms

Frost Descent is one of the 24 solar terms. It begins on October 23rd or 24th of the Gregorian calendar each year when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 210 degrees. At this time, the weather is getting colder and frost is beginning to fall. In the "Collected Explanations of the Seventy-Two Solar Terms", it is recorded: "In the middle of the ninth month, the air becomes cold and congeals, and dew turns into frost." Every time Frost descends, the southern regions of our country enter the busy season of autumn harvest and sowing, while the Yellow River Basin usually experiences the first frost. There is a common saying among the people that "If there is no frost on the first day of frost, there will be no famine in the coming year." In Yunnan, a place where ethnic minorities live in large numbers in China, there is even a saying that "If there is no frost on the first day of frost, there will be no chaff at the top of the rice mill." From this, it is not difficult to see that people have summarized the influence of climate on life through long-term labor practice, as well as how people should adapt their organic whole to the changes in nature in different seasons, thus maintaining a dynamic balance between human beings and nature. From the perspective of traditional Chinese health preservation, this dynamic balance can be summed up in two points. Firstly, it refers to the balance of normal physiological functions among various parts of the organism itself; Secondly, it refers to the relative balance between the functions of the organism and the process of material exchange in nature. And coordination and balance is one of the important theories in traditional Chinese health preservation. According to the Five Elements theory in ancient China, all substances in the world are generated by the movement and change among the five basic substances: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Among these five substances, there exists a "generation, restraint and transformation" relationship of mutual generation and restraint, thereby maintaining the ecological balance of nature and the harmonious balance of human physiology. The time of Frost's Descent is the late autumn season. In the Five Elements, it belongs to metal. Among the five seasons (spring, summer, long summer, autumn, and winter), it is autumn. Among the five internal organs of the human body (liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidney), it belongs to the lung. According to the perspective of traditional Chinese health preservation, in the interrelationship of the four seasons and five tonics (spring for ascending tonics, summer for light tonics, long summer for light tonics, autumn for moderate tonics, and winter for warm tonics), the principle of moderate tonics should be followed. In dietary tonics, food should be distinguished based on its nature, taste and meridian tropism. Autumn is a season when coughs are prone to occur and also a period when chronic bronchitis is likely to recur or worsen. Here we introduce several suitable fruits, dried fruits, vegetables and table recipes for autumn to everyone: Pear: [Nature, Taste and Meridian Classification] It is cool in nature, sweet and slightly sour in taste, and enters the lung and stomach meridians. [Functions] Promotes the production of body fluids, moistens dryness, clears heat and resolves phlegm. If one eats pears when thirsty during labor, it gives a refreshing and detoxifying feeling. Eating pears after drinking alcohol is sweet and fragrant, with the intention of enjoying the fresh and delicious taste of the nectar, all the alcohol will disappear. Apple: [Nature, Taste and Meridian Tropism] Cool in nature and sweet in taste. [Functions] Promotes the production of body fluids, moistens the lungs, AIDS digestion and quenches thirst. The efficacy of apples was recorded as early as in the "Thousand Gold Food Therapy" of the Tang Dynasty. Westerners once had the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." In China's apple-growing areas, there is also a saying, "An apple after a meal makes an old man as good as a young man." Olive: [Nature, Taste and Meridian Tropism] Neutral in nature, with a sweet and sour taste. [Functions] Clear the lungs, relieve sore throat, quench thirst, and detoxify. In "Ben Cao Qiu Zhen", it is stated: "Olive is the fruit of the lungs and stomach. It has the properties of quenching thirst and promoting the production of body fluids. It is most suitable to chew after drinking alcohol." If a person takes pufferfish liver and roe, they will feel dizzy and suffocated to death. Drinking the boiled juice can relieve the symptoms. Ginkgo nuts: [Nature, Taste and Meridian Tropism] Neutral in nature, sweet, astringent and bitter in taste. It enters the lung and kidney meridians. [Functions] Consolidate lung qi, relieve wheezing and coughing, reduce defecation, and stop turbid vaginal discharge. Ginkgo leaves are shaped like duck feet, hence the name "duck feet". The Song Dynasty literary figure Ouyang Xiu once said, "Duck feet are born in the south of the Yangtze River, but the name and reality are superficial." "Due to the tribute of the Jiangnang, ginkgo trees are precious in Zhongzhou." " This sentence. The ginkgo tree is also known as the "grandfather and grandson tree", because it grows slowly and the saying goes, "When a grandfather plants a tree, his grandson can eat it." Onion: [Nature, Taste and Meridian Tropism] It is warm in nature and pungent in taste. Enters the lung meridian. [Functions] Clearing heat and resolving phlegm. Lower lipid and blood sugar. Onions are widely spread among the people as diuretics and expectorants, and they are also an indispensable high-end seasoning base in Western cuisine. Recent medical research has found that Onions contain a substance that can lower blood sugar - methylsulfonylurea. Regular consumption is quite beneficial for diabetics. Mustard greens (snow mustard) [Nature, taste and meridian tropism] are warm in nature and pungent in taste. It enters the lung and large intestine meridians. [Functions] Promotes lung function and eliminates phlegm, warms the stomach and dispels cold. It is suitable for people with acute or chronic tracheitis who have excessive cold phlegm, cough with white and sticky phlegm, and chest and diaphragm tightness to consume. Ginkgo and Radish Porridge: Ingredients: 6 ginkgo nuts, 100 grams of white radish, 100 grams of glutinous rice, 50 grams of white sugar. Method: Wash the radish, cut it into thin shreds, blanch it in hot water until cooked, and set it aside. First, wash the ginkgo nuts and cook them together with glutinous rice. When the rice blooms, add sugar and simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes. Then, mix in the shredded radish and it's ready to be served. [Functions] Tonifies the kidney and lungs, relieves cough and asthma. From China.org.cn