Why do people eat watermelon on the Start of Autumn?
According to legend, during the Ming Dynasty, many people in Nanjing suffered from dysentery. Someone imitated the daughter of Cui Xianggong from Luzhou Prefecture, who ate watermelons to let "dysentery" heal by itself. It really worked, and later this practice gradually became a custom. Every year, when autumn comes, families cut open watermelons and call it "biting autumn."Watermelon was introduced from the Western Regions to Central China. Watermelons are just ready for harvest in the northwest around the Start of Autumn, so eating watermelon on the Start of Autumn is essentially a way to taste the fresh fruit. This custom began to influence the south during the Qing Dynasty. By the time of the Start of Autumn, watermelons in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai had already entered their final selling season, and people gave various explanations for the reason of eating watermelon on the Start of Autumn. Some said that watermelon could eliminate the accumulated heat from summer, while others believed it could help accumulate "yang energy" for winter.
What Fruits Should Be Eaten During the Start of Autumn?
1. WatermelonAccording to traditional customs, people should eat watermelon during the Start of Autumn. Not only does it help remove summer heat, but it can also prevent diarrhea in winter and the following spring. However, not everyone is suitable for eating watermelon after the Start of Autumn. People with stomach problems should avoid eating chilled watermelon after the Start of Autumn; pregnant women should especially avoid eating too much chilled watermelon. For patients with congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease, eating too much watermelon may increase the burden on the heart and kidneys due to a sudden increase in water intake, so they should also avoid eating too much.
2. Persimmon
After the Start of Autumn, persimmons become available. Eating more persimmons can help relieve autumn dryness. Persimmons are sweet and delicious, rich in nutrition, and contain 1-2 times more vitamins and sugars than most fruits. Moreover, according to traditional Chinese medicine, persimmons have multiple benefits such as moistening the lungs, dissolving phlegm, clearing heat, generating body fluids, tightening the intestines, stopping dysentery, strengthening the spleen, and benefiting the stomach. Eating them appropriately is very beneficial to health. However, persimmons contain a lot of tannins and pectin, which can form insoluble hard masses under the action of stomach acid when eaten on an empty stomach, so they should not be eaten on an empty stomach.
3. Grape
After the Start of Autumn, the focus of health care should be on preventing "autumn dryness," and eating grapes and other nourishing fruits is recommended. Grapes are rich in glucose, vitamins, and various minerals, and have high nutritional value. Grapes contain a lot of tartaric acid, which helps digestion. Eating some grapes appropriately can strengthen the spleen and stomach and is very beneficial to the body. However, diabetics and constipation patients should eat less. When the spleen and stomach are unbalanced or there is cold deficiency and diarrhea, they should avoid eating grapes.
4. Longan
Longan trees bear fruit in early autumn, and the fruits hang down in clusters. They are round and full, with white and transparent flesh. Longan has nutritional and health benefits comparable to ginseng, but its price is much more affordable, making it a popular health supplement in southern China. Longan is sweet and neutral in nature, so eating a few is harmless. However, those with excessive internal heat or coughs should avoid eating too much. When selecting longans, pay attention to the fact that the flesh should be transparent without a membrane, and no juice should spill out, which indicates freshness.
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