Seasonal Node: Frost’s Descent

It's scary how close we are getting to Christmas now. I’m seeing Christmas getting mentioned more and more. But we need to first get to the depths of winter.

This occurred to me as I walked the dog this morning and noticed the dew and small remnants of frost on the grass beneath me. We are a few days away from the next 'Solar Term,' which is called Frost's Descent (霜降) which officially starts on the 24th.

No two years are the same because of their unique energies, and this is why we see more extreme heatwaves one year and colder summers in other years. I think that this year the autumn has been quite unusual, and this is no different now. It's definitely been a warmer autumn, but Frost's Descent often brings a stark change in temperature, which I noticed on Monday this week. So perhaps it has come a little early this year.

Apart from the appearance of actual frost, one of the other tell tale signs of the next Solar Term is a sudden change in temperature. I noticed on Monday that suddenly I am feeling a lot colder, especially in the mornings, but the last of the autumn rays are still apparent. This definitely does indicate that we are in the earthly transition between the seasons. It's also apparent in the people who have been to the clinic, where there have been a lot of colds and especially lingering colds this year.

So, what are we advised to do in the next two or three weeks? Food is one of the most important considerations in Frost's Descent. This includes:

• On the first day of Frost's Descent, the 24th of October, there is a long-standing tradition of eating duck. In the Fujian region, there is a saying which is "Even nourishing all year is not as good as nourishing the human body on the first day of Frost's Descent." So I know what I will be eating next week!
• There is a saying in China which is "Eat an apple after meals, even old men can be as strong as young men." Eerily similar to "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." This is important during this Solar Term as apples are said to moisten our lungs, help quench any thirst we might have, and aid our digestion.
• Having chestnuts during this Solar Term is also said to be important. This is because they are warming with an element of sweetness, which helps our digestive system. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, it is said to help improve the circulation of blood, relieving coughs, reducing colds, and also reducing sputum.
• Pears are also important over the next couple of weeks as they help with producing and secreting body fluids, clear away any excess heat, and also reduce sputum. I know a few patients have been feeling like they have had more sputum, phlegm, and general congestion.

The ancients believed that you must resist the cold and protect your bones in the next couple of weeks. In the countryside, like where we are, it is said that if you don't obey the rules of Frost's Descent, you will suffer from cracked lips. So watch out for this!