Autumn relates to element Metal. To element Metal also relate the color white and the Lung. The white color has a nurturing and tonifying effect on the Lung thus the fall is a good time to add various white foods to the diet. Together with other color foods white foods such as daikon, radish, turnip, cauliflower, garlic and onion can be gathered in the fall. Daikon, radish and turnip are cooling in nature and clear heat and phlegm in the Lung; garlic and onion have warming pungent nature and are excellent food for Wind-Cold but also for Internal Cold. Cauliflower has a neutral temperature.
Great autumn food is button mushrooms and white fungus mushrooms. They have moistening effect on the Lung and help with dry cough due to Lung Yin deficiency(1) (to learn more about the Lung form the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine visit the Physiology chapter).
One of the main climatic characteristics in autumn is dryness. Dryness attacks the Lung therefore white, moistening foods such as eggs, milk and dairy products are good to counteract seasonal and internal dryness(1). Some white spicy foods such as garlic and onion are good to be added to enhance the digestion.
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(1) Pitchford, Paul (2002). Healing with Whole Foods. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books
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The Six Climatic Factors and the Five Elements
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