Pay attention to health preservation, diet and daily life during the spring rainy season

The "Rain Water" in the 24 solar terms has arrived. There is an old saying, "When the Big Dipper points to Ren, it is Rain Water. The east wind thaws the ice and snow, and all turn into water, and then into rain, hence the name Rain Water." The arrival of the Rain Water solar term means that the weather with snowflakes flying and bone-chilling cold will gradually disappear, and days of humid air, mild sunshine and drizzle are coming to us. So what should we pay attention to in terms of health care during the rainy season?

Diet: Lamb tonic is served to strengthen the spleen and stomach and clear internal heat

It stands to reason that people are less likely to get angry during the Rain Water solar term when it rains abundantly. However, Yin Zhichao, director of the Chinese Health Association and a health expert, reminds us that we should be more careful about getting angry during the Rain Water solar term. During the Rain Water solar term, the weather gradually becomes warmer, but it is still cold in the mornings and evenings, and the wind evil gradually increases. At this time, the internal heat accumulated from eating hot foods such as mutton and supplements throughout the winter and in a heated environment will be generated in the human body as the earth recovers, and people are prone to dry mouth, oral ulcers, etc., which is commonly known as getting a sore throat. Therefore, during this solar term, you should eat more fresh vegetables and fruits and a light diet to replenish the body's water. Spinach, leeks, etc. are good vegetables, and eat less greasy food. Porridge is the best diet therapy , which can be made into lotus seed porridge, yam porridge, red date porridge, etc. During this season, you should eat less warm foods such as mutton and dog meat.

Experts say that although rainwater health care should focus on "clearing internal heat", it is not advisable to use bitter medicines. Bitter foods are mostly cold, and they should not be consumed too much in early spring when the human spleen and stomach are soft. You can choose some soft and cool foods such as cold shredded radish, cold shredded cabbage, steamed sweet potatoes, steamed yams, etc.

Daily life: "Cover up in spring and keep cool in autumn" requires proper daily life and regular schedule is the key

The Rain Water solar term is the second of the 24 solar terms, and is also the solar term when late spring cold weather is most likely to occur. Because the rainfall during this period will cause a sudden drop in temperature, it is particularly threatening to the health of the elderly and children. For example, the blood pressure of the elderly will increase significantly, which can easily induce arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, etc.; children are more likely to develop respiratory diseases due to changes in temperature, leading to colds and fevers.

We would like to remind you that while you are not in a hurry to take off your winter clothes, you should also not over-cover yourself in spring - don't rush to wear only single clothes, but you should not keep yourself covered in thick cotton clothes either, so as to prevent yourself from getting too hot and having high blood pressure. Generally, you need to keep warm when the average daily temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius. If you know that cold air is coming, you need to add more clothes and keep warm one or two days in advance. The principle of covering in spring is to pay attention to covering thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top, with the focus on the back, abdomen and soles of the feet. In addition, the yang energy begins to rise in spring, and hypertensive patients are prone to unstable blood pressure. Such people should pay special attention to avoid staying up late. The weather during the Rain Water solar term is unpredictable, and it is one of the seasons with the most cold waves throughout the year. The chances of suffering from asthma, heart disease, and chronic stomach disease are higher. At this time, people should pay more attention to keeping warm, eating in moderation, and getting up and going to bed on time.

In addition, the growth rate of Yang Qi in spring begins to be faster than that of Yin Qi, and the liver fire is also on the rise and needs to be released appropriately . The liver likes to be released and hates depression. Anger and rage can easily cause stagnation of qi and blood in the liver and lead to various liver diseases. Therefore, one should not be depressed or angry in spring. During this period, in addition to maintaining a happy mood, you can also praise others more. When others are happy, you will be happy too. Maintaining a good mood is also a tip for protecting your liver.

In addition, rheumatism is prone to occur in this season. If there are patients with rheumatism at home, you can burn mugwort frequently. Because mugwort is warm and dry in nature, fragrant and can ward off evil and remove dampness. In addition, ordinary citizens can also use moxibustion to fumigate acupoints such as Zusanli to prevent diseases and maintain health. Regularly using moxa sticks to fumigate Sanyinjiao, Yinlingquan, Yongquan and other acupoints can strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness, warm the yang and promote diuresis. From a modern perspective, bacteria multiply rapidly in spring, and some experiments have shown that the smoke produced by burning moxa sticks can kill many types of bacteria.

Fitness: Gentle exercise is the main method and it is not advisable to exercise too early in the morning

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine describes that "The three months of spring are called the time of renewal. Heaven and earth are giving birth, and all things are flourishing. Sleep late and get up early, walk around the yard, let your hair down and relax your body, so that your spirit can be born. Give life and do not kill, give and do not take away, reward and do not punish. This is the response to the spring energy and the way to maintain health. Going against it will hurt the liver, and summer will turn into cold, with fewer people respecting the elders." This means that in daily life, you should go to bed late and get up early, and advocate the correspondence between man and nature. Spring is here, the days gradually become longer, the nights gradually become shorter, the Yang energy gradually grows. Yang is active and Yin is quiet. When the Yang energy grows, people must follow the Qi of nature, reduce the time for sleep and increase the time for activities.

Yin Zhichao reminded that Rain Water is still an early spring weather, and it is still relatively cold in the morning and evening with heavy fog. It is not suitable to do overly strenuous exercise to avoid losing control of the liver qi due to excessive consumption of energy (zhong qi) in the body, which can lead to excess liver qi and symptoms such as fever and getting angry. You can do some relaxing exercises such as taking a walk or practicing Tai Chi to allow the liver qi to rise slowly. However, because there is a lot of rain, it is best not to exercise too early in the morning. Some middle-aged and elderly people who like to get up at five or six in the morning to exercise should go out later. It is best to get up with the sun and do some gentle exercises when the temperature is slightly higher.