Autumn & the Metal Element: Supporting the Lungs
The Autumn Equinox is the turning point that shifts us from the Earth Element into the Metal Element in East Asian Medicine. This element governs both the Lungs and the Large Intestine/Colon. At the beginning of the Metal Season, the energy shift moves into the Lungs.
Simultaneously, we begin to see the up and down shifts of the temperature of our environment: cooler evenings and sometimes random spikes to heat that don’t last as long as summer heat. These up and down spikes are the signal to the Lung Energy (Wei Qi) and the Immune System to start to become more alert to the coming of the viruses that come in Fall and Winter.
Strengthening the Lung Qi keeps the immune system strong to prevent and lessen the severity of colds and flus.
It’s important to note, “healthy” does NOT mean, “never getting sick.” It’s important to have the immune system and Wei Qi work. What is important is how quickly the can body recover and and how completely it recovers (no lingering cough after or back to back ).
Consider these suggestions for Nourishing Lung QI:
Regular, moderate exercise. Think getting the blood circulating, increasing your breath rate that leaves you feeling warm but not overexerted or tired.
According to EAM nutritional wisdom, Lung-strengthening foods usually are “white” or have white centers– like cauliflower, daikon radish, potatoes, turnip, parsnip, rutabaga, apple, pear, almonds, rice, oats, sesame seeds, onion, & garlic.
Shift to warm temperature foods. It’s time to move away from icy cold foods like smoothies and toward warming foods like oatmeals, soups & stews and teas.
Avoiding Processed Sugars and Excessive Dairy & Caffeine. These foods can lead to damp and lead to inflammation in the body. They impair the bodies abilities to transform fluids, recover from viruses and often to finally rid oneself of the end of a cold/fl
Autumn Spiced Steel Cut Oats
Here’s a yummy spiced up spin on a warm oats breakfast. We are using Steel Cut Oats because while they have similar nutritional benefits to regular oats, steel cut oats have a lower impact on blood sugar.
Prep Time: 40 min
3 cups filtered water
1 cup non-dairy milk: almond milk, coconut milk, etc.
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup steel cut oats (for GF make sure you buy GF labeled)
1/2 cup chopped pears and/or apples.
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
Optional mix-ins: slivered almonds, hemp seeds, black sesame seeds, nut butter and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup if need more sweet
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium saucepan, combine the water and milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Stir the oats into the liquid once simmering. Reduce the heat to medium-low, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is very thick.
Add in apples or pears, spices, and coconut oil. Continue to simmer the mixture and stir with reduced heat until almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. The oatmeal should be a creamy consistency when it’s done
Remove from heat and let the oatmeal rest for 5 minutes before serving so it can thicken and cool a little bit.
Serve oatmeal into bowls and add any extra toppings. Walnuts, Hemp Seeds, Black Sesame Seeds and/or a scoop of Nut Butter would be some suggestions.
Let any extra oatmeal cool completely putting in a container the refrigerate to reheat for future breakfasts. You may want to add a little more water or milk in the reheating process if it is too thick.