We will be going into the Li Qiu (立秋) solar term (节气) starting from 7 to 21 Aug 2024. Li Qiu is the 13th solar term out of the entire 24. This also marks the end of the summer season and the beginning of the autumn season.
The weather will remain warm, but instead of warm and wet, it will gradually shift to warm and dry (with lesser rainfall).
The day and night temperature difference will also widen, especially in September/October.
According to《津门杂记·岁时风俗》, it says “立秋之时食瓜，曰咬秋，可免腹泻”. This means there is a tradition where people consume watermelon during the Li Qiu solar term, especially on the first day of (or the day before) Li Qiu. It is said that consuming watermelon on either of these days will help to prevent diarrhea in the upcoming Autumn season.
Having said this, some people with weaker spleen may experience stomach discomfort after eating watermelon, so it is best to know your own body constitution first.
Do note that it is important not to consume too much watermelon as it is very cooling in nature. You can consume more if you are experiencing heaty symptoms like feeling warm all the time, sweating a lot, and always feeling thirsty. But if you do not have any heaty symptoms, you can just consume watermelon once or twice a month.
There are two dietary guidelines to follow in this solar term:
- Increase the intake of lung-Yin (肺阴) nourishing foods. The reason is that during this solar term, our lungs will be drier as compared to other periods of the year, so we should nourish and moisturize the lungs whenever possible.
- Continue to consume foods that can clear the summer heat. Although the summer season is over, the summer heat effect will still linger in the environment for quite a while. Thus for the next two weeks, eating foods/fruits that help to cool the summer heat is recommended, especially for people who experience heaty symptoms.
The following are some recommended foods to eat during this solar term:
Pear – Raw pear is good for moisturizing the lungs, especially in warm and dry weather. Cooked pear is good for nourishing Yin, especially for people who are Yin deficient. If you have heaty symptoms, go for raw pears. Otherwise, cooked pears are a better choice during this period.
Black Sesame – Not only does black sesame have a Yin-nourishing effect, it also helps to relieve constipation (that some people may experience during this solar term). An easy way of eating black sesame is to spread black sesame paste on your bread for breakfast.
Lily Bulb (Chinese name: 百合) – Lily bulb is one of the best foods to reduce heart fire as its main property is nourishing heart Yin energy. When the heart’s Yin energy is sufficient, the heart is less likely to be in a heaty state. You can purchase dried lily bulb at most TCM retail shops or fresh ones at the supermarket.
Mung Beans (绿豆) – Also known as green beans. You can easily prepare a mung bean drink in 5 minutes, which helps to clear summer heat in the body. It also has the property of quenching thirst, detoxing and reducing dampness. This makes it an ideal drink during this period.
White Fungus – White fungus can help to moisturize the lungs and dissolve phlegm. It can also help to nourish the stomach Yin, so it is a good food to add to your diet in this solar term.
General Wellness Recommendation
As the summer heat effect (秋老虎) still lingers in the environment, this is not yet the time to let your guard down against the summer flu.
The following are some general guidelines to keep your spleen healthy and have stronger body immunity:
- Avoid entering an air-conditioned room immediately after sweating from the heat. Instead, find a sheltered place to cool down and let the sweating subside before entering the air-conditioned area.
- Avoid consuming cold drinks especially when you are feeling very warm and hot. It is best to drink room-temperature water in this case so that it won’t hurt your spleen. This is the most common reason why people get summer flu.
- Avoid consuming oily and sweet foods as they will burden and weaken your spleen and increase your vulnerability to summer flu.
Have a healthy Li Qiu solar term!