The Limit of Heat is the second solar term in autumn. It is not like the Beginning of autumn, which is still clinging to the hot summer, nor is it like the White Dew. In ancient times, the Limit of Heat was a travel time similar to spring outing. In addition, with the low rice ears, full water chestnut and abundant grains, the joy of harvest drove the bleak autumn away.

Three "characteristics of judgment" are also selected in the book of the collection of seventy-two orders of the moon: "first, the eagle is a sacrifice to birds; second, the world is beginning to bleak; third, standing grain begins to appear on the stage." "At the beginning, the eagle begins to sacrifice birds" refers to the fact that in the Limit of Heat, when the eagle feels the chill of autumn, it begins to hunt birds in large quantities, such as "people sacrifice first, then diet", which is displayed and then eaten. "Second, heaven and earth began to bleak" refers to the temperature began to drop, bleak autumn gradually came. In the Limit of Heat, the temperature is changing from hot to cool in autumn. But people often feel cool autumn in the morning and at night, but they are always swept by the tail of summer in the afternoon. Deeper in autumn, all things begin to wither and fall everywhere.

Summer heat is an important season for grain filling, seed setting and filling in autumn, and rain is particularly important. At this time, crops such as sorghum gradually matured, before harvesting, farmers maintain the full state of grain while they are in the rain. After harvest, they have to dry, thresh and load the grain in the dry climate. From this, the farmer gains a steadfast psychology to spend autumn and winter in peace.

The key point of health preservation in this period is "invigorating the spleen and moistening the lung" to resist "autumn dryness" with nourishing and moistening food. At the same time, early autumn is suitable for tonic, but too much is not enough. Duck meat with sweet taste and cold nature stands out from a large number of meat products.

As the saying goes, "send ducks in the Limit of Heat, every family has no disease". There is a custom of eating ducks in the summer.

There is a custom of "boiling medicinal tea" in Guangdong and Guangxi. The two regions are close to the equator, and they can still feel the heat when the temperature gradually drops in the north. Therefore, people will go to pharmacies to make prescriptions, and then cook medicinal tea at home to relieve the heat. In Fuzhou, people will eat porridge with longan, and take longan partial temperature, which can "benefit the heart and spleen, and replenish Qi and blood".

As the summer heat subsides, people's appetite gradually returns. But it should be noted that at this time should not be too much tonic, so as not to increase the burden of the stomach, but also to eat less spicy, eat more moist and dry food to resist "autumn dryness".

In the Limit of Heat, the gradually cool weather makes people relax their vigilance to "heatstroke prevention". Due to the influence of short-term hot weather, it is still possible to have a sustained high temperature after the summer heat, "autumn tiger" will covetously "watch" the opportunity to return. When hot and cold temperature alternates, we should change clothes in time to prevent cold. When the next solar term "White Dew", you can feel a "strong autumn".

Time: August 22, 2020

Source: People's daily online