Struggle with Colds, Digestive Upset, Seasonal Depression & Fatigue Every Autumn?
How acupuncture & TCM can help guide you to a successful seasonal transition
Do you struggle with coughs, colds, digestive upset, fatigue, or low mood when the seasons change? You’re not alone. Many people feel these shifts more strongly in the fall, when our bodies are asked to adapt from the expansive energy of summer to the inward focus of autumn. The cause is often that we haven’t adapted our diet to the seasonal shift. Let’s explore how this affects our health—and what we can do to strengthen our Gathering Qi, prevent colds naturally, prevent seasonal fatigue, and boost energy this fall.
What is Gathering Qi?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this transition is about Gathering Qi—building the energy that fuels our breath, immunity, and resilience for the colder months ahead.
In TCM, Gathering Qi (Zong Qi) forms in the chest from two essential sources:
Food and drink (Grain Qi)
Air we breathe (Clear Air Qi)
This Qi fuels our lungs and heart, powers breath and circulation, and even strengthens our voice. From here, it transforms into the Qi that sustains all aspects of health, including:
Defensive Qi (Wei Qi) – your immune shield against colds and illness
Nutritive Qi (Ying Qi) – the energy that nourishes your organs, tissues, and blood
When our Gathering Qi is strong, we feel resilient. When it’s weak, we’re more prone to the very struggles that show up each fall.
Why Seasonal Eating Matters
Nature doesn’t change overnight—it moves in cycles, and our bodies are meant to flow with them.
Summer (Fire): Bright, outward, expansive. Cooling and light foods balance the heat.
Late Summer (Earth): The season of the Spleen and Stomach—our digestive centre. Warm, gently sweet foods stabilize and strengthen.
Autumn (Metal): The time of the Lungs and Large Intestine. It’s about clarity, boundary, and letting go. Protecting lung health and immunity is key.
If we keep eating like it’s summer—lots of raw, cold, or overly light foods—we can weaken digestion and leave ourselves vulnerable to dampness, digestive upsets, lowered immunity, fatigue, and seasonal depression.
How to Strengthen Your Immune System, Digestion, Mood & Energy This Fall
The shift from late summer to autumn is the perfect time to fortify digestion and gather energy for the months ahead. Here are a few simple ways:
Eat warm, seasonal foods – soups, stews, porridges, and roasted dishes made with root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, beets, squash, and sweet potatoes, along with apples, pears, and late-harvest greens.
Favour gentle sweetness – naturally sweet foods such as squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, chestnuts, and cooked fruits nourish the Spleen without the crashes that come with refined sugar.
Support your lungs – pears, apples, white radish (daikon), lotus root, almonds, sesame seeds, honey, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, and warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, garlic, and scallions help keep the lungs clear, moist, and resilient.
Limit cold/raw foods – salads, smoothies, and iced drinks can weaken digestion this season
By aligning with these rhythms, we don’t just prevent illness—we cultivate energy, resilience, and emotional balance as we move into the darker months. Don’t wait until coughs, colds, or fatigue set in. Support your body with seasonal acupuncture—book your visit today.