Wowza! Can you believe it? Kids are going back to school. The days are getting shorter but it is still summer.
However, in Oriental medicine Autumn starts in August. There is plenty of Yang with the hot, steamy days but the Yin is increasing as those days get shorter. We have cooler nights, plants are starting to contract down and we are in the heavy harvest time. Only a few weeks until the Equinox – balanced light and dark. This is the perfect time to focus on minimizing the dampness that begins to accumulate in the air.
The digestive organs – here the Stomach and Spleen – are involved in keeping us nourished with fully digesting our food. Best to eat lightly steamed or sautéed veggies. Some light green raw salads are OK. Understand cold food is harder to digest because we have to bring the stomach temperature up to body temp after it has been cooled off by cold food and drinks. Alcohol is also very hard to digest but who doesn’t like a cold beer or icy soft drink after a hard day working outside. When the digestive organs have challenges with our food and drinks there is a residual dampness and phlegm that develops in us.
The Spleen energy is very responsible for supporting the Lung energy and the immune system. What isn’t digested fully gets passed onto the next organ system – Lung – and sludge builds up. This leads to a swamped immune system and Lung passages that are not clear and filled with phlegm.
The phlegm in your airway passages can act like flypaper and have all sorts of intruders hanging around longer than you would prefer. Important because….when the kids go back to school they start bringing home cold and flu viruses. While this is not quite the issue yet with kids homeschooling, they more they start to gather the more they share. This is the concept behind all of us safer staying at home more now with the Covid situation and wearing a mask and keeping our distances when out.
Oh yuck!! 
So what can you do? You don’t want to take a bunch of over-the-counter medications that just make you feel worse.
Watch what you are eating and drinking to help your Spleen help your Lungs.
Actually eat a bit lighter but maybe more often.
Make sure you are eating nutritious food (all year).
At this time also you can begin taking some Chinese herbs that help build up your defense system and keep the invading viruses out of you. If you do get something many herbs can be a god-send at clearing them out of your system. You don’t always need antibiotics – and shouldn’t take them if you have a virus.
Contact Oregon City Acupuncture and we can discuss what you can do to fit your personal needs.
There is a free 30min consult (not a diagnosis / treatment). It is best to call to make that appointment or email is even better.
I am in the office Monday, Thursday, and Friday 10-4. I will get your emails when I am not in.
Let talk and get you into a better preventive program this year.
When your Lungs stay healthy they are more resistant to Spring allergies also.
Let’s connect soon.
