Follow The Seasons And Keep In Good Health. Know All The Traditional Chinese Tips And Taboos For Keeping Healthy In All Four Seasons.
Follow the order of the four seasons and nourish the origin of body and mind
The ancients said: "Smart people must adapt to the four seasons to adapt to the changes in cold and heat." The essence of health care in the four seasons is to adapt to the decrease, increase and change of yin and yang between heaven and earth, and actively adjust one's daily life, diet and emotions, so that the tiny universe of man and the grand universe of heaven and earth can resonate harmoniously, and then achieve a healthy state of "unity of heaven and man". This wisdom is not a rigid rule, but an art of living integrated into daily life.
Chunsheng: protects yang and soothes the liver, awakens vitality
In the spring of March, heaven and earth grow together, and all things prosper and flourish. The yang energy in the human body is just like the state of vegetation that has just sprouted, which requires careful care, care and guidance. At this time, the key to health care lies in the word "生".
In terms of daily maintenance, to "sleep at night and get up early" means to fall asleep immediately at night, get up early in the morning, loosen your hair, loosen your clothes, and walk in the courtyard or park, so that the body's qi can be smoothly stretched and organized, and help the yang qi to grow. Do not stay up late or snooze to prevent damage or stagnation of yang qi.
The first is the combination of natural ingredients. It is suitable to eat items with spicy and sweet properties. For example, the classic "five spicy vegetables", that is, onions, garlic, leeks, etc., or using toon scrambled eggs and spring cakes can stimulate the yang energy inside the body. However, this type of food has a strong hair-boosting power and is not suitable for long-term or frequent consumption. There is a bowl of light stir-fried river shrimps with leeks, or a simple green onion and black bean soup. They are both excellent dishes to help boost yang energy in spring.
Taking into account the relaxation of emotions, it is easy for liver qi to be uncomfortable in spring, and people are prone to feeling depressed or irritable. The most suitable time at this moment is to go out for an outing and take a leisurely stroll on the grassland and lakeside to ensure that the body and mind are soothed by the natural fragrance. This is an effective recipe for "soothing the liver and relieving depression" that cannot be replaced by any medicine.
Xia Chang: Nourish the heart and clear away heat, never get tired of the sun
During these three months of summer, the breaths of heaven and earth mingle with each other, and everything in the world appears in a prosperous and fulfilling state. At this time, Yang Qi is on the surface of the body, and the Qi and blood of the human body will also tend to the surface of the body. The focus of maintaining life is nourishing it to grow and nourishing the heart.
When doing rest and maintenance, go to bed a little later (but don’t go past midnight), get up early, do more outdoor activities, and get more sunshine, so that the stagnant turbid energy in the body can be released, and the yang energy can flow out, and use the weather to replenish the areas where the body’s yang energy is insufficient.
In terms of therapeutic tea drinks, during the summer heat, when the weather is hot, it is easy to consume the qi in the human body, causing it to be damaged, and body fluids will also be consumed. At this time, you can often eat watermelon, cucumber and other fruits that can relieve heat. It is also recommended to make homemade health-preserving porridge, such as using mung beans and lotus leaves to clear away heat, lotus seeds and lilies to calm the mind, and coix kernels to strengthen the spleen and stomach. Cook them together with the porridge, which is gentler and has comprehensive effects. In terms of tea, black plum rock sugar drink or lemon honey water can increase body fluids and quench thirst. They are good choices for quenching thirst in summer.
Physical conditioning tips: Although you can choose a variety of ways to exercise in summer, you must be careful not to sweat profusely, otherwise you will lose body fluids and cause adverse consequences. Swimming is a very good exercise choice. It not only relieves the heat, but also allows the limbs to be coordinated and exercised. In terms of emotions, you must keep yourself refreshed and calm, and always maintain a strong interest in various things that exist in the outside world. In this way, you must make your qi flow smoothly.
Autumn Harvest: Moistens the lungs and collects Qi, maintains peace and inner peace
In the three months of autumn, the weather has become more rapid and the earth's atmosphere has become clearer. Nature shows a convergence, and health preservation has also changed from "growth" to "convergence".
"Work and rest maintenance" should be changed to "early bed and early rise". Going to bed early is to follow the convergence of Yang Qi, and getting up early can stretch the lung Qi and correspond to the autumn Qi.
What focuses on nourishing yin and moisturizing dryness is the combination of natural ingredients. At this time, dryness is in season and it is easy to damage the lungs and body fluids. You can eat more white fungus, pears, sugar cane, honey and other items with softening properties. There is a classic dish like stewed pear with rock sugar, or you can make porridge with Chinese medicines such as Polygonatum japonicus, Polygonatum odoratum, and Adenophora adenophora, which can nourish yin and moisturize dryness, and eat it when you get up in the morning. It can extremely nourish the yin in the lungs and stomach.
In terms of "relaxation and soothing", when choosing exercises, you should choose methods that are gentler and more static, such as Tai Chi, walking, and stances. The purpose is to promote the smooth flow of Qi and blood, so that the spirit will be more refreshing, and it is not to pursue sweating. In terms of emotions, it is necessary to actively withdraw the spirit inward and maintain a tranquil and peaceful state, so as to alleviate the impact of the chilling Qi in autumn on people.
Winter storage: tonify the kidneys and strengthen the root, waiting for spring growth
At that time, the water turns to ice, the ground cracks, and everything lurks. The yang energy in the human body is hidden inside, and the yin essence is sealed and stored. The key to health preservation is the word "hide".
The time to get up should be after sunrise. This way you can avoid the severe cold weather and use the skylight to warm and illuminate Yang Qi. Adequate sleep is the most direct way to hide Yang Qi and maintain Yin essence. The routine and rest should be such that "go to bed early and get up late, and wait for the sun."
In terms of dietary supplements and physical conditioning, winter is the best time to take supplements. And it is suitable to use sweet and warm foods, such as mutton and beef, which can warm and nourish kidney yang. One of the dishes, Angelica Ginger and Mutton Soup, is a famous classic warming and tonic prescription. At the same time, people mostly eat hot food in winter and their activities are reduced, which is prone to internal heat and phlegm fire. At that time, the cheap and high-quality thing called white radish was a treasure. Its nature was relatively cool, and it had the effect of smoothing qi, helping digestion, resolving phlegm, and removing heat. If cooked together with mutton, it would not only prevent the mutton from being too greasy, but also achieve a balance between warmth and coolness. This is an extremely clever combination of natural ingredients.
When it comes to relaxation and soothing, you can turn to indoor sports, such as Baduanjin, Tai Chi, and table tennis, to escape the cold. In terms of emotions, we must "keep our ambitions hidden" to maintain stability and contentment. At the same time, pay attention to preventing seasonal depression, bask in the sun more, stay away from the cold and approach the warmth, so that Yang energy can be channeled, and your heart will naturally feel warm and bright.
To follow the changes of the four seasons is not to imitate them rigidly, but to understand the law of "growth and collection" behind each season, and to transform this wisdom into daily diet, daily life and state of mind. By doing this, you can make your body strong, keep your spirit full, and spend every year calmly and leisurely.
