5 Healthy Fall Habits, Inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine
Fall is a season to reflect on the abundance of summer and prepare for the slowdown of winter. The days get shorter and darker, with temperatures that lead to a game of limbo, challenging us to see how low they can go before we finally cave and turn on the heat. Now’s also the time to get outside, enjoy the crisp fresh air and soak up some sunshine before the gray winter arrives.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, fall is all about the lungs and large intestine. Since the large intestine is at the end of your GI tract, you can think about letting go of things, literally and metaphorically. And the lungs are what give us life, so consider where you can breathe new life into your daily routines.
Here are five healthy fall habits, inspired by TCM.
1. Wake up with the sun.
The days are shorter, so like it or not, getting up earlier is the best way to actually see some sunshine. But you know what makes those earlier alarms more tolerable?
Coffee. Specifically Good Morning Sunshine™ Coffee + Adaptogens, which help you fight fatigue with more than just caffeine.* They’re also ready at the touch of a button and consistently taste great, with organic, fair-trade, single-origin Arabica coffee paired perfectly with ginseng’s floral, spicy finish. This is a healthy fall habit you can carry with you into every season!
2. Focus on your breath.
Fall is about slowing down and breathing – so let’s commit to doing just that. As the mornings get chillier, you might want to swap outdoor runs for warm yoga sessions. Go for it! Listen to your body and honor what you need.
Whether you choose a rigorous practice or a more restorative one is up to you. Both forms of self-care can help you attune with your breath, in turn helping you balance your stress.
3. Go back to your roots.
To eat seasonally, reach for the hearty root vegetables in vibrant oranges and earth tones. Add more grains, stews and soups to your meal plan in place of raw salads and cold smoothies.
Think about foods to balance this windy season, from roasted sweet potatoes and bone broth to butternut squash risotto and pumpkin-flavored everything. (There’s no shame in adding a glug of pumpkin spice creamer to your mug of Good Morning Sunshine™!)
4. Think about, you know, going regularly.
When was the last time you thought about your bathroom habits? As we learned in the body clock blog, there’s a time for everything and everything has a time in TCM. That includes your (hopefully) daily bowel movements.
Staying hydrated, drinking water when you wake up and eating plenty of fiber (which is by the way only found in plants) can all help your regularity. (This is a year-round tip, not only a healthy fall habit.)
5. Turn in earlier.
Even with the early darkness, we can all use support when it comes to sleep.* Stash your Hello Dreams™ sleep strips with Melatonin & Calm Down™ herbs in your bedside table, letting one melt on your tongue about 10 minutes before you want to be sawing logs. (Don’t forget to swallow!) Make them one of your healthy fall habits, especially as time change nears.
And, while melatonin is helpful (we did include it in our sleep strips, after all), it’s not the end-all, be-all or bee’s knees of sleep support. That’s why we use more than melatonin – get to know the 6 herbs in our Calm Down blend.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.