What's this?
Frost's Descent is the eighteenth of the twenty-four solar terms and the last solar term of autumn, usually on October 23 or 24 every year.
"Frost" does not mean "frost", but refers to the weather getting colder and the water vapor on the ground beginning to condense into frost. This is the final step in the transition from autumn to winter.
After the frost, it is the beginning of winter - the official entry of winter.
Why is it important?
Frost's descent is the "end" of autumn.
During this solar term, nature has completed a round of harvest: the persimmons are red, the chestnuts have fallen, the cabbage should be put into the cellar, and the sweet potatoes should be dug out. The Chinese say, "When frost falls, you will see frost, and the rice grain warehouse will be full." This means that when frost falls, seeing frost means that next year's harvest will be good.
For the body, frost is the best time to take supplements. Traditional Chinese medicine says that "it's better to replenish the winter than to replenish the frost." Rather than waiting until winter to replenish the body, it is better to start replenishing it at the frost so that the body can reserve energy in advance and prepare for the winter.
How to do it?
The key words of Shuangjiang’s diet are: nourishing, storing and warming.
What to eat?
- Persimmons - It is an old tradition to eat persimmons during frost. Red persimmons hang on the branches, like small lanterns. Persimmons moisten the lungs, but don’t eat too much, and don’t eat them with crabs
- Chestnut - "Frost-falling chestnut laughs haha", chestnut nourishes the kidneys and strengthens the muscles.
- Radish - "Eat radish in winter and ginger in summer." Start eating radish at the beginning of frost to help you digest food.
- Mutton - the protagonist of warming and repelling cold
- Beef - replenishes Qi and blood
- Cabbage - "A hundred vegetables are not as good as cabbage", cabbage is the sweetest after frost
- Sweet potato - warms the stomach and replenishes energy
How to eat?
- Breakfast: sweet potato porridge + walnuts
- Lunch: Stewed mutton with radish, or roasted chicken with chestnuts
- Dinner: not too greasy, but warm, hot noodle soup is excellent
- Fruit: persimmons and apples, do not eat them directly from the refrigerator
Life Adjustments
- Add clothes, especially to protect your neck and ankles
- Start to reduce strenuous exercise and switch to walking and Tai Chi
- Go to bed early at night and get up a little later in the morning
When?
October 23 or 24 every year. It is already very cold in the north at this time, the first frost may have appeared in Beijing, and there is also a clear chill in the south.
Where?
Frost is experienced all over the country, but it is more ceremonial in the north - because frost can really be seen in the north. Frost may not be visible in the south, but the temperature drop is also noticeable.
One sentence summary
> Frost's descent is autumn's farewell feast - eat this meal well to have the strength to enter winter.