Why Autumn is the Season for the Lungs and Large Intestine

According to Oriental tradition, the metal element encompasses the autumn season and highlights the lungs and large intestine.  The fall is the perfect time to address the needs of these two important organs.

Specialized Kinesiology is the energy system I use for assessments.  This gives one the opportunity to look at the body relationally; organs, glands and muscles.  Muscle testing can give a profound up to the moment insight into the body’s strengths as well as its stresses.

In regard to the lungs, the muscles sharing this same meridian are:  the anterior serratus (think the 'red cap' salute), the deltoids (rotator cuff), coracobrachialis (think ‘the Fonz’ salute), and the diaphragm.  If the energy circuit to the muscles is weak, logic would say that this same lack of energy supply would also affect the organs and glands on the same river of energy.

The lungs often get used by the body’s detox system as an overflow system.  This once a year clean out can be really helpful, especially before the additional stresses of extreme cold and dry heat.  There are many herbal formulas this help to clean the lungs and respiratory system.  Lung Flush by Omega Alpha and the Inula formulas by Genestra are excellent. 

Hydration is essential here as well.  This means 1 to 2 ounces every ½ hour.  Foods rich in Vitamin C and eating lung and spleen can be helpful to strengthen the lungs.  This can be obtained in pill form for the squeamish.

The large intestine is the other organ on the metal meridian.  The muscles in this group include the Fascia lata which runs down the outside of the thigh from hip to knee, the Hamstrings, and the Quadratus lumborum. We don’t tend to see back issues or knee issues, or chronically tight hamstrings as having at their root, an elimination problem.  As with the lungs, Vitamin C and optimum hydration are essential for bowel health.

There are many good bowel cleanse products available.  I do have a caution here.  If you have or suspect you have some problems or impacted areas, bulking up all of a sudden is not a wise plan.  Something simple like increasing vegetables in your diet will increase natural fibre.

Flax seed tea (a heaping teaspoon of seeds cracked open in a coffee grinder, put into a mug and fill mug with very hot water.  Let it sit for a few minutes until the contents get a little thick and drink it down).  Food grade aloe vera juice can be helpful as well.  This is a very gentle healing approach especially if there is discomfort or inflammation present.  Marshmallow herb and Slippery Elm are helpful to lubricate and soothe.  These herbs do not interfere with absorption in the GI tract.

To improve hydration in the bowel, cook barley grain in lots of water. To decrease excess water in the bowel pan-toast barley until it is fragrant and then add water and tender-cook.

How fortunate we are to have a 2,000 year old health system at our fingertips; the best of the east and west and the old and the new.  Integrated health is the blessing of this day and age.  

  

Metal Element Nutrition

The following are Metal Element foods:

 Fennel seed, Fenugreek, Flax seed, Parsnips, 

Horse radish, Daikon radish, Chai tea in milk, Ginger, Barley, White potatoes, Cauliflower, 

Cabbage, Tofu

Wilted Kale Salad with Mushrooms and Red Onion

• Curly Green Kale sliced fine, enough to fill a large heat proof salad bowl, taking out the large stems and veins
• Slice ¼ medium red onion in thin slices
• Slice 2 Cups of firm white button mushrooms 
• Heat 1/3 Cup of light oil in sauté pan on medium heat

Add the sliced mushrooms sauté and stir frequently until you see the mushroom exuding juice

Quickly add ¼ Cup of Balsamic vinegar and cook for 2 minutes

Take off heat and add 1 heaping tsp of Dijon Mustard into the centre of the pan stirring well to mix

Quickly pour hot dressing over the kale and mix well

The Kale will turn a bright green.

Taste add more Balsamic dressing if needed

Add onions and toss lightly

To serve, grind Gomasio coarsely and sprinkle on top

In this way Gomasio tastes like bacon

Japanese Gomasio

Rinse 1 cup of brown sesame seeds in sieve under tepid running water

Let drain

Use dry cast iron skillet –medium heat 

Cut dulse into very small bits using scissors

Toast dulse in pan until the dulse is crisp

Add 1 tsp Celtic salt –ground fine

Up end the sieve and dump in sesame seeds all at once

Spread the seeds over bottom of skillet and leave it to dry for several minutes until the seeds no longer stick to the bottom of the pan.  Be patient.  This is the 'screw up' point.

Stir gently and fairly constantly (you may need to reduce heat)

This is ready when seeds are fragrant, slightly golden and hollow (crush one to see)

Cool and store in an airtight jar.

To release the calcium and minerals inside the seed, coarsely grind the seeds with a mortar and pestle or by using a small coffee grinder.  Do this just before serving. 

For an interesting and calcium rich salad dressing, grind about ¼ cup with mortar and pestle, or small coffee grinder and add to a basic vinaigrette.  

2 parts oil to one part vinegar - If you find dressings have too much bite, add 1 tablespoon of water.  

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Balsamic Vinegar is strong tasting – so add a little less than the full part

Crush 1 garlic clove and add to oil

Add 1Tbs of Dijon mustard (emulsifier)

Herbamere to taste

The Healing Overview

 My mom was a socially involved go-getter and when I was a child, (I was the youngest of four) and I needed more individual attention, I would have sick days where I would be looked after: couch, blankie-wank, eggnog  Mr. Dress-Up. 

Of course when I was an adult (with a child of my own and a full time job to look after) and I felt neglected or overwhelmed, guess what? I had all of the exact same symptoms over and over, except for the adult-self, there were no perks. 

I was experiencing a pattern; successful for the child at the time it was wired in, but this certainly diminished the quality of life for me as an adult.


When you think of the human body as a complex computer, it makes sense to recognize that our bodies get hardwired over time. Neurological goat paths turn into Neuro-super- highways as we traffic those same patterns over and over. Our emotional experiences become our cellular experiences.

I question people around: is it seasonal, does it change with barometric pressure, or times of elevated pollen, or by going indoors/outdoors, are your symptom worse when you lie down, or bend down, thirsty/thirst less? Do your symptoms occur only on weekdays or weekends? Many small pieces when put together, make a more complete picture.

Laterality is an interesting phenomenon. For many people, all their physical concerns will tend to be on the same side of their body. Often they will not notice until I point this out. Grief and loss often revolve around significant dates. This has been coined ‘anniversary syndrome’. 

Like Frodo, people often have a difficult time yearly, around the date of a traumatic or significant date. Often women will feel unaccountably depressed around the date of a miscarriage or lost child. Again, we may not consciously be aware this is happening.

I also pay attention to people’s languageing. I will often hear “I can’t stand it” or “I'm working my ____ off” or “I'm losing my grip”. Our bodies are designed to be expressive, and I assume that the area of our body that is expressing discomfort is only our body attempt to get our attention. The body talks, but are we listening?

We can live in a house for a couple years and a Plumber or Carpenter will listen to us with rapt attention to hear clues about what the problem may be. Yet we can live in our own bodies for decades and our health care providers will act as if we are a stranger in our own house. 

As a complementary health care provider, listening is my most valuable tool. Sometimes people need to hear something come out of their own mouths.  

When working with a health care provider, make sure they are not by-passing the interview. This is a valuable process where locked-in patterns can be illuminated.

Notes About Observing People Over Time

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I seem to have found myself in the perfect place and time.  I am in the ‘mastery’ phase of my career, just when the rest of society has woken up to realize that they want more choice in respect to their health services.  I’m not really sure how I actually navigated here into this future?  It’s a wonder, really!

In retrospect, it looks like a straight line, but from the starting point, it was all about faith. Twenty six years ago, I had already been a hairstylist for 13 years.  (By the way, my professional goal was to become a hair colour technician.) Being a complimentary health care provider wasn’t something I had even heard of, so that was definitely not on my list of career choices. 

In the course of my usual hair-type occupational duties, I would observe people’s skin and hair.  I would take note of things like chronic dryness, irritated, skin that was inflamed or dull.  I would notice that some people would be inclined to swelling and ‘bloat’ while others would appear to be under-nourished, and ‘dried up’. Many clients were already using creams and treatments that were either over the counter drugs or products that were prescribed by their physicians.

Was I observing a whole body problem? This got me to wondering about what was going on inside them.  One could suggest topical creams and conditioners, but really that was not going to change the chronic nature of the problem.

I also had the privilege of listening to people. People who get haircuts, tend to talk about whatever stress they are chewing about inside.  This was a rare chance for me to view the world from another perspective and to see how other people ‘ticked’.    Along the way, I got to hear really fascinating stories and learned a lot about people’s dreams and hopes, their losses and pains.  All in all, it was quite an education, and although I didn’t realize it at the time, a wonderful training ground for the intuitive observer.

One of my favourite customers was the daughter of the Patent Medicine Woman of the local First Nation community.  She knew that I had an interest in herbal remedies.  I knew the English names for many herbs, and with an introduction to my client’s mother; a whole vast area of knowledge was generously shared with me. 

I also studied with a practising Herbalist who was willing to teach me the basics of Iridology, which is the study of the body using the iris of the eye as a ‘map’.  From this start point, a charmed journey unfolded; correspondence courses, a major move, workshops, serendipitous meetings, mentors, seminars, falling into Behavioural Kinesiology, more questions, more courses, more moves, more mentors, and more questions….

Maybe God does work in mysterious ways.

And I still have more questions….

I hope this finds you well and happy_

Nelda