We are now in the Bai Lu (白露) solar term, which is the 15th solar term of a year. Bai Lu starts on 7 September and ends on 21 September this year (2024).
In the Bai Lu solar term, the weather will start to turn cooler (the intensity depends on which part of the world you are living in). This also means that the difference in day and night temperatures will start to widen.
During this time, sudden temperature changes are likely to trigger sinus issues and headaches in more people. People are also more likely to catch the flu if they do not consciously keep themselves warm, especially at night.
Here are some simple diet and wellness tips that you can consider to help boost your body’s resistance to flu and maintain a healthy body during this period:
Diet Recommendation
In Fuzhou, China, there is a tradition of eating longan during the Bai Lu solar term. It is believed that consuming longan during this period provides a stronger tonic effect than drinking herbal soups.
Based on the records of the TCM herbs and foods, longan can boost blood and Qi in the body, and hence, it is a good food for boosting immunity. You can read more about the benefits of longan in this separate post (which includes a recipe for longan porridge).
Having said that, longan may not be suitable for certain individuals. For example, people who are having a sore throat, fever or flu should avoid consuming longan.
If you find longan too heaty for your body constitution, you can add some lily bulb (百合) to your longan drink. Lily bulb is cooling in nature so it can help to neutralize the heaty effect of longan.
Additionally, lily bulb helps to nourish the lungs, calm the mind, and promote better sleep, thus making it ideal for evening consumption.
You can purchase fresh lily bulb from supermarkets or the dried form from TCM retail shops. If you are using dried lily bulb, make sure you soak it in warm water for 60 minutes before you cook it (cook for 15 to 20 minutes is enough).
General Well-Being Recommendation
As the day and night temperature gap widens, we need to take care to keep ourselves warm, especially at night.
While sleeping, ensure that your chest and stomach area are covered. Leaving the stomach exposed during sleep may result in diarrhea/sticky stools for some people with weak spleen.
Having said that, it is also not ideal to keep yourself overly warm during this period as there is a saying, 春捂秋冻. Following this principle, it is important to ‘train’ your body to be resistant to the upcoming cooler weather as well. Thus, wearing just enough not to feel too cool is the recommended approach.
Exercising is also good for improving your resistance to cooler weather ahead. Do consider this!
I hope you find this post useful!