Seasonal Wellness Tips for Qiu Fen -Autumn Equinox

The 16th of the 24 solar terms that make up the ancient Chinese agricultural calendar is Qiu Fen, which falls just after the Autumn Equinox, on the 22nd, 23rd, or 24th of September each year.

Its name literally translates as "autumn division," and it marks the midpoint between the beginning of autumn and the beginning of winter.

At this time of year, the sun is directly over the equator, resulting in days and nights of equal length; a perfect balance between yin and yang.

It is a time to take stock and prepare for the shorter, colder days ahead. A time to slow down, replenish our reserves, and to maintain a state of equilibrium within our bodies and minds.

Read on for my seasonal wellbeing tips for Qiu Fen and learn how to optimise your health as we head into the darker months.

Maximise Nutrition

Eating a nutritious and well-balanced diet is especially crucial at this time of year, compensating for increased activity and decreased appetites during the summer months.

This means consuming a wide range of foods that contain the seven key nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and water.

However, Chinese medicine teaches us that our diets should be moderate as well as varied, meaning that we should limit our intake of rich, sweet, and fatty foods and focus on fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and pulses while eating smaller amounts of animal products, including meat, fish, and eggs.

This prevents the digestive organs from becoming strained, which can lead to poor nutritional absorption and increase the risk of disease.

Good Eating Habits

As well as paying attention to what we eat, it is also important to pay attention to how we eat.

Good eating habits can help us to get the most out of our food and keep our digestive organs functioning efficiently.

According to Chinese medicine, we should consume most of our nutrition at breakfast time, followed by a moderate lunch and light evening meal.

This is because the digestive organs are said to function best in the morning, while food eaten late at night can linger in the Stomach, causing discomfort and interfering with sleep.

It is also important to take time out to eat, pay attention to our food, chew it well, and be mindful of every bite. This aids the production of saliva and digestive enzymes, helping us to efficiently extract the nutrients from our food.

Exercise Early

As the evenings draw in, we tend to want to close the curtains and snuggle on the sofa rather than exercising outdoors. However, it is beneficial to stay active and particularly to do so in the sunlight to increase our vitamin D levels.

Therefore, it is best to exercise early in the day, although this might leave you with the question of when to eat breakfast.

Generally speaking, it is best to eat breakfast as soon as possible after getting up, but if you have limited time in the morning and don't want to exercise on a full-stomach, this may not be an option.

In this case, be sure to eat an adequate evening meal the day before, including some protein, fibre, and slow-release carbs. This should give you enough energy to exercise before breakfast, without feeling like you're running on fumes.

For more personalised seasonal wellbeing advice, you can book a holistic health coaching session via the contact page.

References

• 买雯婷 (2011) 第一养生药膳 - Tangmark Publishing and Distribution, Beijing

• Leggett, D. (2005) Helping Ourselves (second edition) - Meridian Press, Totnes

• Liu YZ, Wang ZM, Zhang JZ (2015) Dietary Chinese Herbs - Springer-Verlag, Wien