Autumn is here with life giving rain, crisp air, colorful leaves, and shortening days. Many of us rejoice in the beauty of fall but it is a season of big transition from the warm easy days of summer into the cold hibernation of the winter season.  

Autumn is the perfect time to strengthen your system before heading into the cold, dark days of winter. Laying the groundwork for a healthy mind and body now will make staying healthy through months of wintry weather, long stretches of time indoors, and lack of sunlight easier and more enjoyable.  

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective fall, is a time to reflect on the activities, emotions, habits, and thoughts that we have gained over the spring and summer seasons. A time to get clear on what is serving us and what is not. The emotion associated with fall is grief, for although fall is full of beauty it marks the transition from the light and life of the growing seasons into the dark resting introspection of winter.  

It is beautiful to see the colors flare and change but it means the end of outward expansive energy and if you do not do the work to get centered now you may face a challenging winter season staring into an unsettled inner world. Fall is a time of letting go. In this article we share lifestyle tips, recipes, and practices to support whole body health through the fall months. 

Strategies for Fall Wellness 

The organs of autumn are the lungs and the large intestine. The health of these organs is important to ensure that oxygen and nutrients are optimally absorbed and that unwanted substances are blocked from entering the bloodstream. Both these organs stand at the interface between the outer world and your innermost tissues. Fall is a time to get clear on what things we need in our lives (and bodies) and to filter out the rest. Storing the good and doing away with the unnecessary and harmful, just as the lungs and large intestines do. * 

Much like spring cleaning, reorganizing, and practicing letting go of unneeded belongings can be a clarifying practice in the fall. Moreover, fall is a wonderful time to set boundaries with those around you so that you are free to spend the winter months focused on the things that bring you the most joy and rest. All these practices are in line with the clarifying nature of fall.* 

Seasonal Imbalances 

Some common imbalances brought on by the shift into the autumn season include scratchy throat, stuffy nose, blocked sinuses, itchy eyes, skin issues, and fatigue. Fall marks the beginning of increased immune imbalances, so anything you can do to support respiratory health is a plus. More time indoors, increased cold, and leaf mold/decay can lead to various imbalances in the upper respiratory tract. Try Dr. Morse’s Throat Sooth Spray for a sore and scratchy throat. * 

If the fall weather and decomposing leaves make your eyes itchy, try our Eye Health tincture. Note that this is an internal formula and is not to be placed directly in the eyes. In addition to supporting proper eye function, this tincture supports all the mucus membranes of the upper respiratory tract. Another wonderful way to support dry itchy eyes is to simply soak a chamomile tea bag in hot water, squeeze it out, and place it over your eyes while still warm. This can be soothing while reducing swelling and redness. * 

Spice it Up 

The weather is getting colder and now is a crucial time to warm up your insides and keep cold winds and unwanted organisms out. According to TCM, the flavor of fall is pungent. Now is the perfect time to incorporate pungent spices into your daily food and drink. You may wonder what herbs besides spicy hot cayenne pepper are considered pungent. The classic pumpkin spice flavors of fall are a pungent blend to support fall wellness. Similarly, chai tea is packed with pungent warming flavors to help break up stagnation, encourage circulation, aid in digestion, and keep unwanted organisms at bay.  

Try a hot cup of chai of your own making or if you are short on time try the Liver Detox (Chai Spice) Tea for a warming fall boost. Below is a recipe for an herbal masala chai. There are countless variations on this kind of recipe so feel free to get creative and do not be deterred from making it just because you do not have every ingredient. All the herbs and spices in this recipe are warming pungent spices so any combination will be supportive of optimum autumnal health. * 

Herbal Masala Chai Recipe:  

1 large stick cinnamon 

5 cardamom pods 

Thumb sized knob of fresh ginger 

8 black pepper corns 

3 clove buds 

½ tsp. Fennel or anise seeds 

4 cups water  

honey 

Optional: milk of choice 

Instructions:  

• Chop the ginger finely. Crush the rest of the spices in a mortar and pestle or give a quick grind in a coffee grinder until coarsely ground. If you do not have either of these tools the cinnamon can be cut with garden shears and the cardamom pods crushed under a mug and everything else thrown in whole.  

• Place the spices in a small saucepan with the water and bring to a boil.  

• Turn the burner on low and let the spices simmer for 15 minutes. 

• Strain the tea and pour into mug of choice.  

• Add honey to taste and some type of milk if you desire.  

Get Steamy 

Herbal steams are a simple and enjoyable way to support the lungs, skin and uplift the spirits.  

Steps to Create an Herbal Steam: 

1. Place a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Once the water has boiled,
     
2. Put dried or fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, fir, eucalyptus, and peppermint into the hot water. If you do not have any aromatic fresh or dried herbs, you may use essential oils instead. 
    
3. Once the water has cooled sufficiently 
   
   
4. Take a towel and place it over your head and over the pot of water and hover over the open pot of water and aromatic herbs. The towel is used to keep the steam in and create a mini steam room if you will.  
   
   
5. Move your face closer or further away from the pot depending on how hot the steam is. Be careful not to burn yourself. Now relax and breathe in the aromatic steam slowly and deeply.  

At Dr. Morse we have several herbal formulas to support your sinus and lung health. Try the Lung Detox Tincture or our Three Herb Blend if you are feeling the need for some extra lung support. We also have a Lung Health Daily Bundle, Lung Health Gentle Mover, and Lung Health Moderate Mover in case you need a multi-system approach to lung health in the autumn months. * 

Fall Detox  

You may be familiar with spring cleansing but here at Dr. Morse’s, we recommend doing a full body detox in the spring and fall. These transitional seasons of change are a perfect time to reset your body for better health moving forward. A detox can be a physical form of letting go of anything that is not serving you before resting your body in the winter months.  

If you are new to detoxing, we recommend the Daily Detox Kit or the Fab Four Kit. The Daily Detox Kit is a four-formula protocol that is designed to support the body’s innate detoxification process. The kit contains GI Daily, Lymph Drainage Daily, and Kidney and Bladder Daily to support each of the body’s 4 central detox organs. The Fab Four Kit has a stronger lymph formula and allows you to choose a GI formula based on your personal bowel movements.  * 

If you are a veteran in the detoxing world, try the Ultimate Detox Kit for a 16-week protocol. This Kit contains nine rotating formulas and goes beyond the four central body systems of detoxification for a more whole-body approach. These kits also include parasite formulas to help rid the body of any unwanted organisms. The Ultimate Detox Kits are broken up into two-week increments with differing bundles as you move through three months of whole-body detox.  

 

All these detox kits should be accompanied by a diet of mostly raw fruits and vegetables and plenty of fluids for proper hydration. A PDF of Diet Recommendations that pairs well with an herbal detox can be found on the Dr. Morse website. Read our Food Combining Chart to make sure you are eating the right food together, as even the healthiest food can cause digestive imbalances when combined improperly. *  

Be mindful as you transition to a diet dominated by raw fruits and vegetables. You may wish to eat smaller meals more often throughout the day to give your body a chance to acclimate. You may be hungry more frequently until you begin experiencing proper absorption and utilization of nutrients. Remember to incorporate warming spices and herbs that will keep you warm in the coolness of fall. If you are feeling unwell, dizzy, or fatigued you may want to back off a little and eat some cooked vegetables to slow the detox process. The goal is to support your detoxification channels, not to get through the detox as quickly as possible or to push your body too much. *  

Final Thoughts 

Fall is an ideal season to focus on wellness using TCM principles as a guide. This ancient philosophy gives us a holistic picture of how to support our overall health through the seasons. By focusing on nurturing the lungs and the large intestine you can move into winter with strong overall health and immunity. Detoxing during the fall is an inner clarification that aligns with outward practices to keep only what is serving you in your daily life. By harmonizing with the rhythms of nature and following TCM guidance you can create a foundation for a healthier body, clearer mind, and more balanced spirit as you prepare for the colder months ahead.