Winter health preservation should focus on cold protection and warmth preservation. The Start of Winter solar term implies the meaning of autumn harvest and winter storage. With the arrival of the Start of Winter, it is a season when grasses and trees wither and hibernating insects hide, and all activities tend to stop, preparing for the vigorous spring by conserving energy in hibernation. However, for humans who do not hibernate, how to resist the cold and nourish yin while protecting yang is undoubtedly a major issue concerning physical health, and cold protection and warmth preservation naturally become the top priority of winter health care.
Accordingly, health experts from Wuzhou Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital remind that in winter, one should ensure the warmth of the head, back, and feet, especially for those with yang deficiency, because these three parts are most susceptible to invasion by cold evil. Moreover, women during their menstrual period should pay special attention to keeping the abdomen warm. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, "If injured by cold in winter, one will likely suffer from feverish diseases in spring," meaning that if one gets excessively chilled in winter, winter's cold enters the body, leading to febrile diseases in spring, such as influenza.
Since people with yang deficiency are more easily troubled by dampness, those with yang deficiency should reduce the time spent on back massage during winter body massages and preferably use infrared lamps to warm the back. TCM believes that the abdomen represents yin and the back represents yang; exposing the back or massaging it can easily disturb the yang qi, causing it to disperse outward. On the contrary, one should focus on the health of the yin meridians, such as using cupping or moxibustion on the Conception Vessel located along the midline of the chest and abdomen. The Conception Vessel is connected to the six yin meridians and plays a role in regulating the qi of all yin meridians throughout the body.
Supplementing with health products is most suitable in autumn and winter.
In today’s era where people increasingly emphasize health preservation, choosing health supplements is indeed a way to enhance the body's immunity and improve health. In this regard, TCM believes that in autumn and winter, due to the easy dispersion of yang qi and difficulty in gathering yin and protecting yang, it is the best season for supplementation, and there is a custom of supplementing during the Start of Winter in folk culture. Among the four seasons of the year, winter is considered the best time for human body supplementation. As the saying goes, "Supplementing in the 'three nine' days of winter ensures no illness the next year." Since 'cold' is the main characteristic of winter climate changes, choosing to supplement in winter can resist the severe cold and replenish primordial energy.
It is understood that health products are divided into two categories: one is nutritional supplements, such as vitamins A, B, C, etc., and minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, etc.; the other is functional foods, such as anti-fatigue, immune enhancement, anti-aging functions, including Cordyceps sinensis, ginseng, Ganoderma lucidum spore oil, etc. Different types of functional foods are more favored by consumers in autumn and winter.
Experts related to Jicao 5X Cordyceps told reporters that although functional health products come in various types, different types of health products have different effects, and consumers should be cautious in choosing them. For example, as a traditional valuable tonic medicine, TCM believes that Cordyceps sinensis has the effect of tonifying the lungs and kidneys, resolving phlegm, stopping coughs, balancing yin and yang, warming without generating heat, making it an excellent time for supplementation in autumn and winter; similarly, as a traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng can greatly replenish primordial energy, solidify essence, generate fluids, and calm the spirit, used to treat labor-induced damage, fatigue, palpitations, and long-term weakness not recovering, among other symptoms of insufficient qi, blood, and fluids. Additionally, the precious herb Ganoderma lucidum can enter the five zang organs, replenishing the body's overall qi. Ganoderma lucidum has significant effects in supporting and consolidating the body's foundation, enhancing immune function, and increasing the body's resistance, so it can be taken by those with weak hearts, lungs, livers, spleens, and kidneys.
Health preservation involves "early sleep and late rise" to conserve energy.
In terms of diet, the cold climate of winter affects the human endocrine system, increasing the secretion of thyroid hormones, adrenaline, etc., thereby promoting and accelerating the decomposition of proteins, fats, carbohydrates—the three major sources of heat nutrients—to enhance the body's cold resistance, making it easy to lose too much body heat. Therefore, winter nutrition should primarily increase thermal energy, allowing for increased intake of foods rich in carbohydrates and fats. However, elderly people should not consume excessive fat to avoid triggering other diseases.
Moreover, regarding daily living adjustments, the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine states, "Go to bed early and get up late, waiting for sunlight." In ancient times, going to bed early meant going to sleep at 9 p.m., and getting up after the sun rises in the morning. This is known as sleeping when heaven sleeps and waking when heaven wakes. Although modern people need not strictly adhere to this, appropriately going to bed early and waking up late, avoiding staying up late, is very necessary in winter. Because it gets dark early, and yang energy collects early, going to bed early can nourish yang; since the sun rises late and yang energy ascends later, waking up late can solidify yin essence.
Simultaneously, in daily life, TCM advocates "exposing the back to the sun" for health preservation. The back is the convergence point of the seven most important meridians responsible for transporting and managing yang energy. Regularly sitting with your back facing the sunlight, letting the sun warm your spine slightly, allows yang energy to be absorbed through the back acupoints into the body, then transported to all parts of the body. When you feel comfortable all over after being exposed to the sun, it signifies sufficient internal yang energy and unobstructed meridians.
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