Fall is here - the time when the days get shorter, the weather gets cooler and plants return to their roots. Plants and trees shed their leaves, stop reaching towards the sun and focus on storage for winter.
In the last 100 years, we have seen so much development that we often don’t feel the same effects of the changing seasons as our ancestors felt. Our grocery stores receive imported fruits and vegetables from other countries and we spend much more time indoors
However, we can seek to understand the changes in the seasons and use this knowledge to live in harmony with the seasons.
Fall is the time to get back to our roots, to let go of things that no longer serve us. This helps clear us as we move into the holiday season.
I freely and easily release the old and joyously welcome the new.
-Fall Mantra
In Chinese medicine, it’s the season for our large intestine (also called the colon) and our lungs.
Element - Metal
Color - White
Yin Organ - Lungs Emotion - Grief
Yang Organ - Large Intestine (also known as the Colon) Emotion - Letting go
- Autumn -
The focus of autumn is letting things go. This includes grief and trauma as well as physical and mental clutter.
As the days get shorter it’s a time for more sleep and rest.
We go out less in the fall than in the summer and it’s a great time to focus our energy inward with journaling, goal setting, and activities that bring introspection.
Fall is a great time to do a Marie Kondo organizing session and remove the items in your home that no longer bring joy into your life. By letting go, it invites new, positive things to enter.
When you pick up an item, ask yourself these three questions:
- Does it lift my energy when I think about it or look at it? Your mind is good at inventing excuses but your body knows the truth. Trust your gut feeling.
- Do I absolutely love it? Does it inspire me or is it just nice?
- Is it genuinely useful? When did I last use it and when I am likely to use it again?
Clearing clutter is about letting go of the old, which may have served a purpose but no longer does and trusting the universe to bring you what you need when you need it.
- Foods of Fall -
In the summer we focused on raw, cooling foods. In the fall we can start to incorporate comforting cooked foods, soups, and stews.
- Fermented Foods such as sauerkraut, pickles, and miso
- Garlic and Ginger Root vegetables like sweet potatoes or russet potatoes (think potato leek soup!)
- Vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, onions, leeks
- Citrus fruits such as grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and limes
- Fruits such as apples and pears
- Squash of all kinds
- Dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach, chard, mustard greens
- Spices such as cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, rosemary, turmeric, chili
- Nuts such as Chestnuts and Walnuts
Deep breath allows the lungs to take in clean air and eliminate toxins. If we don’t breathe enough, our shoulders will slouch forward and the body will be tight.
Right now close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
The fall is a great time to do activities that tie movement to the breath. Meditation, Yoga and Tai Chi are great activities.
Emotionally the lungs are about grief, so it’s a great time to embark on some releasing therapies. That could be with a therapist or coach, or even on your own through journaling or other self-help processes.
We have 22 feet of the small intestine which digests the nutrients from the foods we eat. This leads to around 5 feet of the large intestine, or colon which separates water and salt from the stool and pushes it to the rectum for excretion.
A western diet devoid of fresh vegetables and fruits that are full of fiber can lead to an unhappy colon. Ideally, you are eliminating 1-3 times per day, and if not, adding in fiber-rich foods and extra water will be beneficial.
- Proper Squatting Position -
Believe it or not, the ideal position to be in for optimal elimination is to squat. This was done throughout history until we created indoor plumbing. With that came a whole host of issues from incorrect positioning, such as hemorrhoids and constipation. See below for a comparison of sitting versus squatting:
The squatting position adopted by people in the East opens the colon and clears the bowel. Products like the Squatty Potty help humans reach a more natural position.
If you suffer from the following issues, you may consider doing a colon cleanse:
- Constipation
- Frequent diarrhea
- Intestinal rumblings
- Stomach pains
- Gas and bloating
- Bad breath
- Body odor
- Smelly feet
We don’t talk about this much in the west, but it’s an important part of our health. Bowel movements should:
- Come out easy and within seconds
- Emerge in 1 piece and float (mucus makes it sink)
- Light brown color
- Doesn’t have an overpowering odor
- Cylindrical
- Breaks apart when flushed
- Colon Supplements -
Herbal formulas combined with clean eating can make a big difference. Below are a few options to help with the health and happiness of your colon. Remember to hydrate, and keep up your fiber intake.
Colon-CLNZ
Colon CLNZ helps improve digestion, relieve gas and cramps, increase the flow of bile (which in turn cleans the liver, gall bladder and bile ducts), destroy Candida albicans overgrowth and promote a healthy intestinal flora, destroy and expel intestinal parasites, and increase gastrointestinal circulation.
Intestinal Restore supports gastrointestinal healing and function by reinforcing the regeneration of mucosal tissues, maintaining healthy digestion, and balancing gastrointestinal immunity.
Premier Psyllium Fiber
Premier Psyllium Fiber contains a blend of herbs from South America that helps clean out toxic colon pockets and move foul, stagnant waste matter out of the colon. In addition, its scrubbing action can help trap and pull out parasites and their eggs. It thoroughly but gently cleanses the entire intestinal tract.
Systemic Formulas Bind
This formula provides toxin and heavy metal binding matrices such as activated carbon and purified humates to support natural toxin elimination.
Klaire Labs Therbiotic Complete
Probiotics are important for our gut. This formula contains a blend of 12 lactic acid bacteria vital to our gut health.
Designs for Health Colon RX
It helps support bowel motility and tonicity in people with occasional constipation. It can be used as a fast-acting mild laxative for occasional constipation, or as a daily bowel tonic.
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