Most of us are pretty overjoyed that we get to sleep an extra hour now due to "Daylight Savings Time," however, the extra hour of sleep may not always make up for the energetic requirements of the fall to winter seasonal shift. Chinese medicine is a great venue to read and research in regards to what needs to be done to adapt to the season changes. Fall is traditionally the season of the harvest...this is not only pertaining to the obvious, crops, but to all of our work and projects over the past six months. The proverbial seeds have been sown, fall is when we reap the end result of the work/growth. For even if we are not growing all of our own food, which would be ideal, autumn is the time for preparation for the season traditionally called the season of rest and introspection, winter. I know, you are thinking, "rest~!"...winter seems to be anything but with two holidays, snow to shovel, cars to warm up, that is a pack of hooey! Nature even assists us by shortening the hours of sunlight from September 23rd to December 21st (the longest night), after which, the days start becoming longer again. While humans as a race do not seem to live by the seasons anymore, when we become cognizant of them and accept them, we can live more harmoniously with them rather than dreading and fighting them. Change cannot be avoided, yet, humans fight change "tooth and nail," unfortunately, this is to no avail, as it is an inherent process and the one truth of the universe amongst all people. Maintaining a balance this time of year is a combination of outward and inward-based activities. As I touched upon last year in this blog, one must find physical activity they enjoy and do this throughout fall/winter as well, this will not only help one to sleep better, it will keep one's moods up as well. According to Chinese Medicine, fall is a good time to cleanse, which I have yet to do, to prepare the body for the ingestion of more heavy and sustaining foods, such as soups, stews, etc. The Metal Element is associated with fall and is associated with the lungs and large intestines. It is important to keep these organs healthy to offset colds and flu. The balance of intake, through breathing air and eating food, and output, breathing out, activity and elimination is crucial to stay healthy. The lungs are vulnerable to cold/damp climates and thus set one up for colds and lung infections. Since the nose is the opening to the lungs, I suggest buying a good Neti Pot and Himalyan Pink Sea Salt, which is very high in all trace minerals, and rinsing the nostrils daily to help prevent the onset of colds/flu. Another very important nutritional aspect is to get one's vitamin D levels checked, as virtually everyone in the upper midwestern states is deficient in this nutrient, which is considered a pro-hormone. Research continues to unveil the multitude of benefits that this nutrient provides to the body. One key factor which has been disclosed is that it is needed to maintain healthy immunity. I recently had my levels tested through my practitioner and they were borderline low. This is not good as I bike outside all summer and the fall season is considered the "trough" for D levels. What this means, is that levels of this nutrient need to be at a peak now in order to sustain one through the winter months. I would recommend a vitamin D test for all who are interested in staying healthy this winter season! For more detailed information regarding the implications of season change on the human body, I suggest picking up a copy of Elson M. Haas, M.D., book-"Staying Healthy with the Seasons."
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