1. Health Preservation In Autumn & Winter
Summer has gone, and it is winter now. We can feel the weather is getting cold and windy and wet. how to preserve the health during the autumn and winter seasons, according to TCM, today we will talk about it.
The UK is mostly under the influence of the maritime tropical air mass. The climate is mild, wet and windy. but the climate in different regions are slight different. South and south-east are a bit dry and warm; South-west and wales are warm and moist; North-east and east of scotland are cold dry; North Ireland and west of scotland are cool moist air.
According to chinese lunar calendar, 24 solar terms, winter starts from 7th Nov- winter begins (立冬）。

2. -- The Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic of Medicine,Plain questions
“Nourishing Yang in spring and summer, and nourishing yin in autumn and winter”
-- The Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic of Medicine,Plain questions
Health preservation in TCM has a long history. Documents concerning health preservation and health protection can be found in almost any literature of TCM through the ages.

3. “The wise man will surely conform himself to the changes of the four seasons, adapt himself to the cold of winter and the heat of summer”
Guided by the concept of holism. Internal Classic suggests that, to preserve the health “.....”

4. To guard against the invasion of pathogenic factors at all time, especially when the weather changes abruptly and unexpectedly.

5. The four seasons of a year
Spring and summer are of Yang nature.
In TCM, yin-yang theory and five element theory are two of basic theories. according to these theories,....
Spring and summer are yang of nature, autumn and winter are yin of nature. The natural phenomena will present, with the changes of the climate, sprouting in spring, growing in summer, harvesting in autumn and storing in winter. Thus, people should, accordingly, cultivate yang-qi in spring and summer, namely, “to cultivate the vital energy for sprouting” and “the vital energy for growing”. and in autumn and winter, cultivate yin-qi, namely, “to harvest and store the vital essence”.
Sprouting in spring;
Growing in summer
Cultivate Yang-qi in spring and summer

6. The four seasons of a year
Autumn and winter are of Yin nature
to conform to the fundamental. namely, “to harvest and store the vital essence”.
Harvesting in autumn;
Storing in winter
Cultivate Yin, to harvest and store the vital essence

7. Nature world progresses with the alternation
Excess and deficiency of Yin and Yang;
Variation of climatic weather in temperature;
changes of all things on earth from development, growth, harvesting, to hiding.
All these exert important influence on the physiology and pathology of the human body.

8. Pattern of daily life
“Going to bed at night fall and rising early” in spring and summer
“Going to bed early and rising early” in autumn
Pattern of daily life Should be varied according to the climatic changes of the four seasons.
It is necessary for human to vary his work schedule in accordance with the changes of the four seasons.
“Going to bed early and rising late” in winter.

9. The Five Elements Theories
Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water
ZANG ORGANS
Liver
Heart
Spleen
Lung
Kidney
FU ORGANS
Gall Bladder
Small Intestine
Stomach
Large Intestine
Bladder
SEASONS
Spring
Summer
Late Summer
Autumn
Winter
CLIMATE/EVILS
Wind
Heat
Dampness
Dryness
Cold
TASTES
Sour
Bitter
Sweet
Pungent
Salty
TISSUES
Tendons
Blood Vessels
Muscles
Skin
Bones
SENSE ORGANS
Eyes
Tongue
Mouth
Nose
Ear
Five elements theory: All things which have an action or feature of the flourishing growth correspond to wood. All things characterized by warmth, heat, ascending action correspond to fire. All things which have generating, transmuting, carrying, and receiving actions correspond to earth. All things which have clearing, descending, and astringent actions correspond to metal. All things which are cold and cool, moist and moving downward correspond to water. 
In the attribution of the five yin viscera to the five elements, the lung corresponds to metal because it is concerned with descending; the kidney corresponds to water because it governs water. 
In addition, the five- element theory also holds that things corresponding to the same element are related. For example, dryness, metal, and pungent taste are all related to the lung. 
wind-warm syndrome in Spring; Heatstroke in Summer; Lung-dryness in Autumn; Affection by Cold in Winter.

10. The Five Elements Theories
Interrelationship of the five elements:
Interpromoting (Sheng)
Counteracting (Ke, Overacting, Controlling)
Five element theory shows the integrity and harmony of things according to the interrelationship of the five elements and hows what happens to the five elements after they have lost their balance.
To sum up, the five-element theory is used in physiology to explain the interconnection between the organs and the tissues and the body& its external environment. It also explain the influence of the organs under various phthological conditions.
The reasons why the overacting relation occurs are: firstly, one of the elements is so strong that it acts excessively upon and weakens another, resulting in abnormal interaction of the five elements. Secondly, one of the elements is so weak that overacting of one by another appears to be stronger, resulting in one getting weaker.

11. Autumn
Yang-qi begins to weaken while the Yin-qi starts to become abundant.
Gastrointestinal diseases occur frequently
Attention must be paid to the diet
It is getting cool; Nothing grows any more and fruits are ripe to be harvested.
Human being are weak in resistance to diseases as their functions of the stomach and intestines become deficient;
also Chronic diseases frequently attack at the supersession of the seasons when the weather is changeable.

12. Winter Yin-qi is in excess while Yang-qi is insufficient.
After the winter Solstice, Yang-qi begins to rise again, and in hiding, exist active signs of life.
Best time for the persons who are constantly weak to tone up the body.
Winter is the coldest season.
According to TCM theories, in winter, everything on earth hides and Yang-qi of the human body lies low.
People should carefully avoid wind and cold by going to bed early and rising as late as until the sun rises so as to respond to the storage-qi of winter.
The key lies in taking dietetic tonics.

13. Wind, Cold, Summer-heat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire
According to TCM theories....
now, I would like to talk some of those six factors which are more likely to attack human body during autumn and winter.
six different climatic changes of the natural world
factors that cause disease due to affection by excessive exogenous pathogens.

14. wind causes movement. causes sudden change.
causes shaking and swaying.
has the effect of penetrating the exterior of the body.
Its disharmonies are often characterized by their sudden onset.
Wind is related to the Spring according to the Five Elements correspondences. This suggests that an individual is more likely to be susceptible to external wind disharmonies in the Spring.
Wind is a very influential external factor. It can often combine with other external factors-especially Cold-to invade the body.
A very common condition related to Wind is the common cold.
Cold: If the Wei Qi is weak then wind and cold can readily penetrate the surface of the body and rapidly penetrate to the most “external” of the internal Zang, namely the Lungs. This leads to the classic symptoms of sneezing, shivering, and free-flowing clear mucus.
If the Wind-Cold disharmony takes hold, then the cold symptoms will turn to Heat symptoms- as Yin transforms into Yang. Thus, the disharmony will then change to show as fever, sore throat, dry mouth, and thick yellow phlegm.

15. Cold is a Yin pathogen, easily consumes yang qi. constrains movement.
constrains warmth in the body.
causes contraction of the body.
can lead to stagnation.
In winter, the body is likely to be invaded by cold as the temperature falls rapidly.
External invasion of pathogenic cold is subdivided into “cold injury” and “pathogenic cold attack”. It is called “cold injury” because pathogenic cold injures the body surface and obstructs defensive Yang Qi. “Pathogenic cold attack” means that the pathogenic factor attacks the interior of the body directly and injures the Yang Qi of the viscera.

16. Damp is a yin pathogen, likely to obstruct qi and consume Yang.
is wet.
is heavy and lingering.
is slow to clear.
Exogenous pathogenic damp retained within the body often first obstructs the spleen.
Pathogenic damp is prevalent in late summer. However, damp can occur at any season of the year, depending upon the local climatic conditions.
Damp tends to descent and invade the yin portion of the body.

17. Dryness
consumed body fluids, forming the pathological state of deficient body fluid, with dry mouth and nose, dry throat and thirst, dry or even chapped skin, constipation, etc.
is likely to injure the lung as the lung is a delicate viscus and tends to favour moisture not dryness.
usually invades the body via the mouth and nose.
Dryness is associated with the autumn. It is divided into warm dry and cool dry.
Lung corresponds externally to skin and hair and opens to the nose.
Body fluids are likely to be consumed, and the dispersing, clearing and descending functions affected, resulting in dry cough and less sputum (phlegm), or mucoid sputum difficult to expectorate or blood streaked sputum, asthmatic breath, thoracalgia (chest pain), etc.

18. Diseases in Autumn &Winter
Cold
Cough
Skin itchiness
Rheumatism
Arthritis
Gastrointestinal diseases.
Heart attack, Hypertension, Stroke.
Human being are weak in resistance to diseases as their functions of the stomach and intestines become deficient;
also Chronic diseases frequently attack at the supersession of the seasons when the weather is changeable.
Beginning of Autumn, although the weather is still hot, people must not be gluttonous for melons, fruits and cold drinks, to prevent the impairment of the spleen and stomach.

19. Food Beef: sweet flavour, can be used to reinforce the spleen.
The spleen and stomach provide the material basis for the acquired qi and blood; to tonify the spleen and stomach means to tonify all.
Mutton is one of the best food for winter.
Mutton: sweet in flavour and hot in nature, can be used to invigorate and restore qi and warm the middle-jiao & lower- jiao.

20. Food
Chicken: sweet in flavour and slightly warm in nature, can warm middle-jiao, invigorate qi, replenish the vital essence and marrow. suited to all those who suffer from consumption and emaciation.
Duck: sweet in flavour, and slightly cool in nature, can nourish yin of the five zang-organs, remove fever due to consumptive diseases. suited to all those who suffered from deficiency of yin.

21. Food
Spirits & Wine: bitter& acrid in flavour and hot warm in nature.Can not only regulate blood flow, promote circulation of qi, invigorate the mind, and keep out cold, but also stimulate the appetite and relieve tiredness.
Therefore, proper amount of spirits can be drunk to promote the tonifying effect of dietetic tonics taken in winter.

22. Chinese Medicinal Food
Chinese medicinal cuisine is one of the long-standing means practiced by the Chinese that aim at health preservation.

23. Chinese Medicinal Food
White Jelly fungus soup
White fungus is sweet in flavour and neutral in nature. nourishing ying of lung, stomach and kidney. it is used for dry cough, beauty, and some symptoms due to ying deficiency.
soup also can add chinese dates, lotus seeds.

24. Chinese Medicinal Food
Mutton soup
Mutton soup is suitable for the yang deficiency people, who always feel cold in the winter, and also may have lower back weakness. Best consumption food in winter.
Mutton is sweet in flavour and warm in nature. It is associated with spleen, stomach, kidney and heart meridians. It restores the vitality, enrich yang and blood. warm &nourish spleen,stomach and kidney Yang.

25. Chinese Medicinal Food
Walnuts & chinese dates rice soup
Walnuts: sweet in flavour and warm in nature, nourishing brain, intestine, kidney and lung, promoting qi and blood.

26. Chinese Medicinal Food
Longan soup
nourishing the heart to calm spirit, invigorating the spleen function and enriching the blood.
Longan is sweet in flavour and warm in nature, it is associated with the heart and spleen meridians. It is used to relieve palpitation, insomnia, poor memories, and anxiety associated with blood and qi deficiency.
This soup is used to treat the syndrome of deficiency of the heart blood marked by insomnia, amnesia and palpitation.
Longan contains several Vitamins (A and C) and minerals, iron, magneslum, phosphorus and potassium.
Porridge ingredients: Longan, chinese dates, rice. or with lotus seeds.

27. Chinese Medicinal Food
Lotus seeds soup
Lotus seeds are sweet in flavour and neutral properties, are associated with spleen, kidney and heart meridians. They tonify the spleen, reinforce the kidneys and nourish the blood. They are used to treat diarrhea, poor appetite, palpitations, insomnia and irritability.

28. Chinese Medicinal Food
Chicken mushroom soup
Chicken can warm middle-jiao, invigorate qi, replenish the vital essence and marrow.

29. Chinese Medicinal Food
Stir-fired Lily bulbs
Lily bulbs are sweet in flavour, slight cooling in nature, are associated with the lung and heart meridians. are used to relieve coughs, dry throat, clear heat, and moisten the lung. also calm the spirit, promote restful sleep, and lessen irritability.
Lily bulbs provides protein and starch, contain small amounts of calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamins B1,B2,and C.

30. Chinese Medicinal Food
Black chicken (Silkie) soup
Black chicken in TCM is sweet in flavour and neutral in nature. It is associated with liver and kidney meridians. can restore the vitality and enrich the blood. Adding Huang Qi or Dang gui can get more benefits.
Black chicken contains high levers of a substance called carnosine. it is a powerful anti-oxidant. ( in supplement form to improve muscle strength and alleviate the effects of aging.

31. Popular herbs Flavour Nature Meridians Ginseng sweet, slightly bitter
warm
spleen, lung
Codonopsis Root (党参)
sweet
neutral
Glehnia Root (沙参)
sweet, bland
slightly cool
lung, stomach
Astragalus Root (黄芪)
slightly warm
lung, spleen
Chinese Angelica Root (当归)
sweet, bitter, pungent
heart, liver, spleen
Pragant Solomon Seal Root (玉竹)
Wolfberry (Goji berry)
liver, lung, kidney
Chinese Almond
bitter
lung, large intestine
Chinese dates
spleen, stomach
Chinese Yam
spleen, lung, kidney
Longan
heart, spleen
Lily bulb
heart, lung
White Fungus
Lotus seed
heart, spleen, stomach
Ginkgo nut
sweet, bitter, astringent
lung
Walnut
kidney, lung
Ginger
pungent
lung, spleen, stomach
Chinese peper
warm/hot
stomach, large intestine
Garlic
spleen, stomach, lung
Cinnamon
pungent, sweet
hot
liver, kidney, spleen
Shiitake mushroom (香菇)
liver
Job’s tears (薏米)

32. Thank You