Know the tricks and know the tricks - Talk about health in the beginning of winter

In order to resist the cold in winter, people start to eat tonic food. Winter belongs to water, and the human kidneys are also water. In winter, the kidneys are more vulnerable to damage, so it is advisable to nourish the kidneys in winter. Among the five flavors, salty enters the kidneys, while sweet suppresses the kidneys. If you understand this theory, you will have some options when taking supplements in winter. There are two types of tonic: food tonic and medicine tonic. The methods of dietary supplements vary from person to person and from place to place. Generally, people with weak yang energy can choose lamb, chicken, dog meat, etc. People who suffer from both qi and blood deficiency can use goose meat, duck meat, black chicken, etc. For those who cannot tolerate raw or cold food, you can choose wolfberry, red dates, walnut meat, black sesame, fungus, etc. When taking supplements, you must follow the doctor's instructions. Each person has a different method, and the whole family should not take supplements at the same time.

At the same time, in order to allow the stomach and intestines to adapt, it is best to do some induction and supplementation first, which means laying the foundation. Generally speaking, you can first choose to stew beef with red dates, peanuts and brown sugar, or you can cook some ginger, jujube and beef soup to adjust the spleen and stomach function. We should also follow the ancient teachings of "nourish yin in autumn and winter", "do not disturb yang", "replenish the weak and warm the cold", and adjust our diet according to the changes in climate in the four seasons. In addition, China has a vast territory, different geographical environments, and people have different lifestyles. Even in the same winter, the climatic conditions in the northwest region are quite different from those in the southeast coastal areas. The weather in the northwest region is cold in winter, so it is suitable to take warm and hot foods, such as beef, mutton, and dog meat . Although the areas south of the Yangtze River have entered winter, the temperature is much milder than that in the northwest region, so it is suitable to take light, sweet, and warm foods, such as chicken, duck, and fish. In areas located in plateaus and mountainous areas with less rainfall and a dry climate, it is suitable to take sweet and moist fruits, vegetables, and rock sugar. In addition, it also varies from person to person, because food is divided into grains, meat, fruits and vegetables, people are divided into men and women, old and young, and the body (constitution) is divided into deficiency and excess, cold and heat. Based on the growth laws of the human body and the principles of health preservation in traditional Chinese medicine, young people focus on nourishment, middle-aged people focus on adjustment, old people focus on protection, and the eighties focus on prolonging life. Therefore, "winter tonic" should be targeted according to the actual situation to choose clear tonic, warm tonic, small tonic, large tonic, do not blindly "tonic".

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the beginning of winter is the most suitable time to use moxibustion to maintain health. On this day, the clinical application of two acupoints can prevent and treat certain diseases.

1. Shenque: This acupoint is the root of human life. Moxibustion on it can warm the yang and dispel cold, warm the meridians and expel numbness, promote qi and blood circulation, remove dampness and dredge the collaterals, restore yang and consolidate deficiency, and support yang and nourish the essence, thereby playing the role of dredging the meridians, regulating the internal organs, strengthening the body and expelling evil, adjusting yin and yang, and preventing aging and prolonging life. In addition, moxibustion at Shenque also occupies an important position in many health care therapies, and is gaining more and more attention due to its simplicity, ease and low cost. Moxibustion on Shenque point can prevent colds and improve immunity. All patients with chronic diseases can use moxibustion on this point. The specific operation is to moxibustion on children with moxa sticks for 20-30 minutes, or moxibustion on moxa cones with ginger and salt for 5-7 times; for adults, it is 30-60 minutes, or moxibustion on adults with moxa cones for 7-15 times.

2. Guanyuan: This acupoint is an effective acupoint for treating reproductive and urinary system diseases, and has been used as an important health care acupoint since ancient times. Its main functions can be summarized as nourishing the kidney and strengthening the foundation, regulating Qi and restoring Yang. Moxibustion uses the power of fire to warm and unclog the meridians, promote qi and blood circulation, and replenish yang energy. When applied to Guanyuan, it can enrich the essence and qi in the kidneys and make the body stronger. Moxibustion can be used on Guanyuan acupoint to treat men's and gynecological inflammation, male sexual dysfunction, impotence and premature ejaculation, and female genital coldness. The specific operation is to moxibustion with moxa sticks for 60-120 minutes or with moxa cones for 100 to 300 times.

People who missed the Beginning of Winter can also apply moxibustion on the Winter Solstice using the same method as above.

Daily life and exercise

1. Sweating a little

Winter is the season of Yin, so health preservation should be based on protecting Yin essence and it is advisable to lose less body fluids. Therefore, it is necessary to “get rid of the cold and keep warm” in winter to prevent cold invasion. But you should not heat yourself too much, especially not wear thick clothes or furs, drink alcohol near the fire, burn your stomach and back, or sweat profusely. In this way, the "warmth" is achieved, but if it is too much, it is easy to cause illness. To maintain good health in winter, you need to exercise your muscles and bones appropriately and sweat a little to strengthen your body.

Especially modern people take frequent baths in winter, which is not in line with the health-preserving principle of keeping Yang energy within the body. Due to the water and heat, people sweat profusely and are very likely to catch cold and get sick. It is more appropriate to take a bath once a week in the north during winter, while it is more appropriate to take a bath once every three days in the south during winter. As for physical exercise, it should be a combination of static and dynamic movements. When running or doing exercises, you should only sweat slightly. Excessive sweating will cause you to lose energy, which goes against the principle of storing yang energy in winter.

2. Adjust the “point” of God

Winter is cold, which can easily make people feel depressed and frustrated. The best way to change low mood is to exercise. Of course, it varies from person to person. You can choose some sports activities of varying intensities such as jogging, dancing, skating, playing ball, etc. according to your own health condition. These are all good remedies to eliminate winter boredom and regulate your spirit.

3. Go to bed early

The Yang energy is weak in winter, especially at night, so the ancients advocated that people should "go to bed early and get up late." Sun Simiao, a medical scientist in the Tang Dynasty, said: "In winter, it is not suitable to go out early in the morning and return late at night, as this will expose you to the cold." Go to bed early to nourish the yang energy and get up late to consolidate the yin essence. Therefore, to maintain good health in winter, you must ensure adequate sleep, which is conducive to the hiding of Yang Qi and the accumulation of Yin essence; after the beginning of winter, you must remember to "nourish the body" in your daily life. You should keep warm, get more sun exposure, and be careful to prevent cold when going out to reduce the stimulation of cold air to your body.

4. Open the "point" wind

It's cold in winter, and some people like to close doors and windows or cover their heads when sleeping. This is a very bad habit. Because indoor air pollution in winter is dozens of times more serious than outdoor air pollution, people should open doors and windows frequently to ventilate the air to clean the air, invigorate the brain and refresh the mind. In addition to opening doors and windows during the day to allow air convection, you should also open small windows for ventilation at night.

5. Protect your feet

Keeping your feet healthy in winter means keeping fit. People must always keep their feet clean and dry, wash and change socks frequently, and wash their feet with warm water every day. If conditions permit, it is best to massage and stimulate the acupoints of both feet at the same time. Walk for more than half an hour every day to exercise your feet. Rub the soles of your feet every morning and evening to promote blood circulation. In addition, it is also very important to choose a pair of shoes that are comfortable, warm, lightweight and have good moisture absorption performance. If you take good care of your feet, you can achieve twice the result with half the effort in winter health preservation.

6. Prevent "spot" diseases

The cold winter climate can easily induce recurrence or aggravation of chronic diseases. The cold can also induce myocardial infarction and stroke, increase blood pressure and aggravate symptoms of diseases such as ulcers, rheumatism, and glaucoma. Therefore, patients should pay attention to keeping warm, especially prevent the adverse stimulation of strong winds and cold weather to the body, and prepare first aid medicines. At the same time, we should also pay attention to cold-resistant training, improve the ability to resist cold and disease, and prevent the occurrence of respiratory diseases.