We are into the Shuang Jiang (霜降) solar terms (节气) starting from the 24 Oct to 07 Nov 2023. Shuang Jiang is the 18th Solar Term out of the entire 24.
Shuang Jiang is the last solar term in Autumn. After Shuang Jiang, we will be going into the winter season and solar terms.
During this Shuang Jiang solar term, the focus is still on moisturizing the lungs (润肺), nourishing lung-yin (滋肺阴), and building up our immunity to prepare for the cold weather (or cooler weather, depending on where you live) ahead.
There is a saying “一年补透透，不如补霜降”. It means that rather than eating tonic foods and herbs all year round, it is better to consume such tonics in the Shuang Jiang solar term!
From the above phrase, it already tells us how important it is to boost our immunity in this solar term.
Diet Recommendations
1) Persimmon
The first food (fruit) I recommend to eat during Shuang Jiang solar term is the persimmon. The harvesting period of persimmon is around this period too. And hence, it is known as the fruit/food of the season (应季食材).
The reason why persimmon is the perfect fruit to eat in this period is because it has the properties of moisturizing the lungs, quenching thirst, and protecting the heart. And it is also used for treating cough (heat-type), mouth ulcers and sore throat.
There is a saying that 霜降吃了柿,不会流鼻涕. It means if a person were to eat persimmon in this solar term, then he/she will not catch a cold during the winter/cooler season at year-end.
However, there are a few things to take note of when eating persimmon. First, people with constipation should avoid eating it because it has a property of (涩肠), which means restricting bowel movement.
Second, do not eat persimmon together with foods that have high iron (animal organs etc) and high protein (crab meat) as it will cause stomach upset.
2) Ginkgo Nuts
Another food to eat during this solar term is ginkgo nuts. Ginkgo nuts have great benefits to the lungs (moisturizes lungs and dissolves phlegm to stop cough) and kidneys (relieves frequent urination) so it is ideal to eat during this Shuang Jiang solar term.
Although ginkgo nuts have good benefits to health but it is dangerous to over-eat it. For adults, please do not eat more than 10 ginkgo nuts a day. For children, limit the consumption to less than 5. And for children below 5 years old, it is best not to eat ginkgo nuts.
There is a recipe called the ginkgo radish porridge that you can try to make at home.
Ingredients:
- Ginkgo nuts (6 pieces)
- Radish (300g)
- Rice/Mixed grains (100g)
- Sugar (according to personal preference, if need be)
Steps:
- Wash radish and cut it to slices.
- Put the radish into boiling water for about a minute then take out for later use.
- Wash the ginkgo nuts and cook it with the grains.
- Depending on the types of grains you use, it may take about 15 to 25 minutes for it to be cooked.
- Finally, add the sliced radish to the porridge and serve.
This ginkgo radish porridge has a strong property of dissolving phlegm and it is very good for treating cough and dissolving phlegm. It can also nourish and moisturize the lungs.
3) Duck Meat
If you are non-vegetarian, and you also have a yin-deficient body constitution, then eating duck meat during this period is very beneficial to your body.
Duck meat has the strong property of nourishing the yin of a person.
You can prepare the Shi Quan Duck Soup, which is a very popular soup that nourishes the body’s yin. This soup is also suitable for almost everyone (except people who is having the flu).
You can purchase the Shi Quan soup base in any supermarket or TCM medical store. The following video shows briefly how the soup is cooked.
General Wellness Recommendations
During Shuang Jiang period, the temperature difference will continue to widen between day and night. Thus, remember to keep warm during sleep especially if you are sleeping near a window in a non-aircon room.
Remember to wear socks to keep your feet warm if you often wake up feeling cold during this period.
This is still a good time to exercise to build up your immune to prepare for the year-end weather! Just make sure to stay hydrated and exercise moderately!
Hope you find this post useful!