11/06/2025
There’s a lot going around right now — colds, flus, and that general sense of transition that comes with the changing season. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this time of year is considered a pivotal moment to support the body’s immune defences and help it adapt to the shift in temperature and light.
One of our favourite traditional remedies for this is **Change of Season Soup** — a deeply nourishing broth that comes from classical Chinese herbal medicine. It’s often made in the fall, when our *Wei Qi* (translated as defensive energy, or perhaps immune system) is most vulnerable. The idea is to strengthen the body’s reserves *before* illness hits, helping us move through the season with steadiness and vitality.
✨ **A simple recipe:**
Start with a rich bone broth base — chicken, beef, or lamb bones — along with onion, garlic, and carrots. Add a handful each of:
- **Astragalus root (Huang Qi)** to support immune resilience
- **Codonopsis root (Dang Shen)** to replenish energy and digestion
- **Chinese yam (Shan Yao)** to nourish the spleen and lungs
- **Goji berries (Gou Qi Zi)** for vitality and antioxidant support
Simmer on low for 6–12 hours. You can drink 1 cup daily or use it as a base for chicken soup or another favourite. This version is a preventive tonic — it’s meant to build you up, not to treat an active cold or flu.
We love the symbolism behind this tradition — the idea that *prevention is nourishment.* This soup is not for fighting illness; it’s for cultivating resilience and immune strength early on and from the inside out.
Some other TCM principles to support yourself this season:
- Eat warm, cooked foods that are easy to digest.
- Protect the neck and kidneys from getting cold (sounds weird perhaps but try it - it feels good)
- Honour your energy — get rest, slow down, and allow time to recalibrate.
As we move deeper into autumn, reminder that wellness isn’t something we chase when we’re sick — it’s something we build, sip by sip, in the in-between times. True health is built through our everyday rhythms of nourishment, movement, and rest — the small, steady choices that keep us grounded through change.
