How to support your body during the transition to fall

As the seasons transition and temperatures fluctuate, our bodies are tasked with the job of re-adapting and our immune system is working extra hard. Many cultures talk about this time of seasonal transition. In Ayurveda, seasonal transitions are ruled by Vata, which, when imbalanced, may lead to anxiety, restlessness, dizziness, or feeling ungrounded. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), seasonal transitions are ruled by the Earth element, which rules all aspects of digestion. In TCM, the organs associated with Autumn are the Lungs and Large Intestine. According to ancient medical astrology, Virgo, which leads us to the autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere, rules many organs involved in digestion, such as the pancreas, liver, upper intestines, and ascending colon. Libra rules the kidneys is responsible for balance in the body (e.g. hormonal balance, pH balance, etc). A lot during this time calls for support of our elimination pathways in addition to our immune system.

Have you heard the quote credited to Hippocrates that, “all disease begins in the gut”? As modern research continues to emerge, it is increasingly apparent how gut health is really at the crux of our overall health.

The best ways to support your digestive system during the change of seasons are by ensuring daily bowel movements (are you getting enough fiber in your diet, drinking enough water, eating fermented foods?), eating locally sourced foods when possible (eating seasonally), and eating warming foods. Spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove are more popular this time of year thanks to pumpkin pie spice, but also with good reason as they are warming by nature. As we head toward Vata season and the most Yin time of the year, it is also important to eat grounding foods like protein and root vegetables.

Since the immune system is working harder, sufficient rest is vital. Sleeping early and long enough to experience optimal deep sleep will help the glymphatic system and liver to clear out cellular waste while you are sleeping. During sleep, our bodies also produce cytokines to help fight infections. Partial night sleep deprivation has been shown to increase inflammatory markers (Irwin and Opp, 2017). Essentially, you want to give your body the best chance of supporting your system by getting enough sleep. Good sleep preparation begins in the morning with getting uninhibited (even by windows) natural light in your naked eyes upon rising in order to sync your circadian rhythm and produce proportional levels of cortisol and evening melatonin.

While your glymphatic system clears out during sleep, the lymphatic system moves through pressure gradients affected by muscle contractions. Therefore, exercising and moving your body every day is essential for optimal lymph flow and health. Rebounding on a mini trampoline is a useful tool for moving lymph, but doing any exercise you enjoy is beneficial.

Autumn is a particularly vulnerable time to “wind invasions”. Following TCM, wind is one of the external pathogenic influences that can lead to disharmony in the body. The body’s defensive system, the wei qi, has to fight the wind invasion and if the defensive capabilities are weakened this can lead to symptoms such as chills, fever, body aches, runny nose, and sore throat. Protect your wind gate area, or the back of your neck and upper back, by bundling up when it is cold and windy.

Check out my next post for immune system supporting herbs.

References

Irwin MR, Opp MR. Sleep Health: Reciprocal Regulation of Sleep and Innate Immunity. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017;42(1):129-155. doi:10.1038/npp.2016.148