After the beginning of autumn, the rainfall decreases and the weather becomes dry, but the temperature remains hot, causing many people to experience "autumn dryness" symptoms. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "dryness" is the dominant element of autumn and one of the six evils (six climatic factors); dryness is a seasonal evil that easily injures body fluids and damages the lungs, depleting lung yin. Therefore, attention should be paid to dietary therapy to moisten and protect the lungs during autumn.
Experts believe: For autumn dryness and lung protection, fruits and vegetables come first!
1. Pear: Rich in water and various nutrients, it has multiple benefits such as clearing phlegm, stopping cough, clearing the heart, moisturizing the lungs, detoxifying, relieving fever, quenching thirst, and reducing heat. It is the best fruit for preventing autumn dryness and is excellent for treating cough, asthma, sore throat, heat-induced cough with yin deficiency, and hemoptysis due to heat. Take two pears, wash and cut them with skin, add 150g rice, cook into porridge, then add rock sugar. This helps treat lung heat, dry mouth, dry cough, sore throat, and nasal dryness, a practice widely used in folk traditions.
2. Garlic and Onion: Have strong antibacterial and germicidal properties and can inhibit cancer cell growth. Known as "Chinese herbal antibiotics," they effectively prevent respiratory and digestive system diseases, especially tonsillitis, upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, tuberculosis, and asthma.
3. Carrot Porridge: Carrots contain beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A, ideal for those with dry skin, chapped lips, and autumn dryness. Carrots have a sweet taste and neutral nature, entering the lung, spleen, and stomach meridians. They moisturize the lungs, remove dryness, nourish the middle energizer, and calm the lungs, treating dry lips, dry mouth, constipation, gastrointestinal discomfort, and bloating. Especially suitable for elderly people who are weak and often ill.
4. Radish: Helps prevent upper respiratory infections, sore throat, and bronchitis. It also clears the lungs and transforms phlegm, effective for treating colds, cough, and excessive phlegm.
5. Tremella (Silver Ear Fungus): Contains eight essential amino acids, acidic heteropolysaccharides, tremella polysaccharides, and various compounds including organic phosphorus and iron. It is an excellent choice for strengthening the weak and protecting the lungs during autumn dryness, enhancing immunity and having anticancer effects. It shows significant efficacy for bronchitis, lung infections, and chronic bronchitis.
6. Lotus Seed and Lily Porridge: Benefits include nourishing yin, moisturizing the lungs, quenching thirst, generating fluids, and improving eyesight. It treats dry cough due to lung dryness, low-grade fever, irritability, and insomnia. Cook lotus seeds, lilies, and glutinous rice together until soft, then add honey. Consume three times daily. Fresh lilies have moisturizing, cough-relieving, and calming effects, suitable for patients with bronchitis, emphysema, and hemoptysis due to tuberculosis.
7. Water Chestnut Honey Porridge: Has the effect of clearing heat, quenching thirst, detoxifying, and moisturizing dryness. It treats yellow phlegm, sore throat, and constipation. Long-term use has no adverse effects.
8. Chrysanthemum Porridge: Moisturizes dryness, clears liver fire, improves eyesight, and lowers blood pressure. Ideal for elderly people with hypertension and coronary heart disease. Use 50g chrysanthemum and 150g rice. First boil chrysanthemum into tea, then use the tea to cook rice into porridge.
Additionally, mountain yam, lotus seed, sesame, honey, red dates, lotus seeds, fish bladder, and bird's nest have nourishing yin and moisturizing lung effects. Cold sugar tremella soup, Huangjing pear soup, snow pear paste, lily and millet soup, mountain yam and millet soup, lotus seed and mountain yam porridge, and other similar dishes also have nourishing yin and moisturizing lung effects—consider incorporating them regularly.
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