​Things to note during End of Heat

As we all know, there are twenty-four solar terms in our Chinese traditional customs. Most of us modern people may not pay much attention to these solar terms, but for our older people, we usually pay more attention to these solar terms, because these solar terms have a relatively large impact on our lives. Chushu is one of the 24 solar terms. So what are the precautions for Chushu?

Many people know about the Beginning of Autumn, because the solar terms can be seen on some calendars, so most people will know it if they pay a little attention. But usually during and after the Beginning of Autumn, there are many things we need to pay attention to in our lives. So, let’s talk about the things to pay attention to during the Beginning of Autumn.

1. Sleep an extra hour

The Beginning of Autumn is a period of transition from heat to cool. The Yang energy in nature tends to be restrained instead of released, and the rise and fall of the Yin and Yang energy in the human body also changes accordingly. Therefore, from the perspective of health preservation, daily routines should be adjusted accordingly at this time.

Experts say that adding an hour of sleep and ensuring a quality nap can keep people alert and also conserve energy and recharge before winter comes. Especially for the elderly, as they age, their qi, blood, yin and yang are deficient, and they will experience insomnia during the day and sleeplessness at night. Therefore, you can go to bed early at night and stick to the good habit of taking a nap. Even if you can't fall asleep, closing your eyes and resting is good for your body.

According to media reports, modern research has found that between 0 to 4 o'clock in the night, the functions of various organs in the body drop to the lowest point; from 12 to 13 o'clock in the noon is the time when the human body's sympathetic nerves are most tired. Statistics show that taking a nap in the afternoon can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in the elderly. Therefore, the noon nap not only has the significance of disease prevention and health care, but also conforms to the principles of health preservation.

For young people, adequate sleep can make study and work more energetic, and can also reduce the occurrence of "autumn sleepiness".

2. Eat more heat-clearing and calming foods

“Diseases come from the mouth,” and diet and disease can easily be “linked.” After the Beginning of Autumn, the temperature difference between morning and evening begins to become obvious. The stomach and intestines cannot accept the stimulation of sudden changes in temperature. Gastric acid secretion increases, and the gastrointestinal tract undergoes spasmodic contractions. Resistance and adaptability will decrease accordingly. At this time, some gastrointestinal diseases are prone to occur. Patients with chronic gastrointestinal diseases often experience symptoms such as acid reflux, abdominal distension, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Coupled with improper diet, this discomfort will be further aggravated, so you must be careful about your diet.

From the perspective of health preservation, it is suitable to eat foods that clear away heat and soothe the mind during the Beginning of Autumn solar term, such as white fungus, lily, lotus seeds, honey, yellow croaker, scallops, kelp, jellyfish, celery, spinach, glutinous rice, sesame, beans and milk. However, do not eat too much of these foods at one time, and eat small meals frequently. In addition, as the climate gradually becomes drier, the lung meridian in the body is on duty. At this time, you can eat more yin-nourishing and dryness-removing foods to prevent damage from dryness. Such as foods that nourish yin and promote body fluid, such as pears, rock sugar, white fungus, adenophora, duck, or foods that can replenish qi and provide health, such as astragalus, codonopsis, squid, and turtle.

Of course, eating more fruits and vegetables can help promote salivation and relieve dryness, eliminate heat and promote bowel movements, and can replenish the body's body fluids. You should eat less or no fried foods, as these foods will aggravate the symptoms of autumn dryness.

3. Avoid adding clothes too early

The common sense of keeping in good health in autumn suggests that "keeping body temperature low in autumn" means keeping body temperature low in autumn to help restrain yang energy. Because when the heat goes out, the cold must come in to replace it. However, you should wear more clothes when going out at night to protect the yang energy. At the same time, it is cooler in the morning and evening, so remember to put on more clothes.

4. Keep your stomach warm

When sleeping at night, you should close the doors and windows and cover your abdomen with a thin quilt. In autumn, you should pay attention to keeping your stomach warm to prevent the autumn wind from cooling your spleen and stomach. According to the rules of nature, in autumn, the yin energy increases and the yang energy decreases. Correspondingly, the yang energy in the human body also retracts inward in order to store the yang energy in the body. However, as the weather turns cooler, many people will feel lazy and tired, staying in bed in the morning and not moving during the day. This is the "autumn fatigue" that people often refer to when they say spring sleepiness, autumn fatigue and summer naps.

Because of this, everyone should ensure adequate sleep, change the habit of staying up late in the summer, try to fall asleep before 10 pm, it is better to sleep one hour more than in the summer, and ensure to go to bed early and get up early. In addition, a proper nap is also helpful in relieving autumn fatigue.

The four points introduced in detail above are about the precautions that people should take in their daily lives when experiencing the Beginning of Autumn. Specifically, they are: add one hour of sleep, eat more heat-clearing and calming foods, avoid adding clothes too early, and pay attention to keeping the stomach warm, etc. Knowing so much will be of some help to everyone's health preservation, so everyone must pay attention to this aspect in the future.