Key Points For Health Care During The Cold Season: A Comprehensive Guide To Keeping Warm, Eating And Exercising
The great cold is coming, and spring can be expected: at the end of the year, we need to stock up and wait for life.
The biting wind brings the deepest cold of the year, and we welcome the last of the twenty-four solar terms, the Great Cold. "Big Cold" means the weather is extremely cold. However, things must be reversed when they are extremely cold, and when the cold reaches the extreme, yang will appear. After the last cold winter solar term of the Great Cold comes the Lunar New Year, which means that winter has passed and spring has come, and a new cycle of four seasons will begin. During the transitional stage between winter and spring, our body maintenance should comply with the weather conditions, not only to complete the final "winter storage" action, but also to reserve and gather energy for the future "spring hair".
In accordance with the weather, daily life focuses on "hiding" and "slowing down"
The health-preserving wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the "correspondence between heaven and man". March in winter is the season when all things are hidden and the vitality is latent. At this time, the yang energy in the human body is hidden inside like hibernating animals, and the growth and decline of yin and yang tends to be slow. Therefore, the core of health preservation in the Great Cold solar term is the word "hidden".
In terms of work and rest, this is first reflected. We should follow the principle of "go to bed early and get up late" and wait for the sun to appear before starting the day's activities. This is to prevent disturbing the weak yang energy that has just emerged in the body. As far as spiritual recuperation is concerned, we should also pay attention to "hiding the mind deeply". There will be many things going on in the year ahead, so be extra careful not to overwork everything, avoid drastic mood swings and impatience and anger, maintain a calm and soothing mood, keep your body and mind in a state of tranquility, and lay a solid foundation for the germination of vitality in the coming year.
Taking into account both inside and outside, keeping warm and cold is the first priority
In winter, cold is the most important cause of the disease. When it comes to severe cold, the most important thing in maintaining health is to keep warm to resist the cold. When the cold weather reaches its extreme, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases enter a period of high incidence. For a group of people with basic medical conditions such as high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, they need to be treated with special caution during this period. In addition to strictly following medical instructions and taking medications at the prescribed time, you must also strengthen home testing and pay close attention to changes in blood pressure and blood sugar to take precautions before accidents or disasters occur.
The elderly and children at home need to focus more on protection because their own adjustment ability is relatively weak. In addition to adding more clothes, you must also pay special attention to promoting blood circulation in the extremities of the limbs, such as soaking your feet in warm water before going to bed, and massaging your hands and feet appropriately to effectively prevent the occurrence of chilblains. In terms of sports, because the temperature in the morning and evening is low and the humidity is high, it is not suitable for outdoor activities. The best option is to carry out some gentle exercise during the day when the sunshine is relatively sufficient and the temperature is relatively high, such as walking, Tai Chi and other similar exercises, so that the body can move slightly in a warm environment. This way, it can exercise the body without depleting Yang Qi.
The way of nourishing food, transitioning from "thickness" to "prosperity"
When it comes to natural health care, diet is an extremely critical aspect. In the cold season, there are two very important points in terms of dietary maintenance. The first point is that autumn and winter actually correspond to the kidneys. This season is a great opportunity to replenish kidney qi and nourish the essence and blood. If you eat some warm and nourishing food in a reasonable way, it will be very helpful to consolidate the foundation and nourish the vitality. The second important point is that after the Great Cold period, it will be connected to the Beginning of Spring. At this time, the climate situation will change from cold to warm, and the human body's own yang energy will also begin to grow toward the outside at this time. Therefore, our diet also needs to make corresponding changes, gradually reducing foods with greasy properties that are used for supplements, and instead starting to add some natural ingredients with rising and dispersing properties according to a certain awareness, so as to adapt to the trend of development and growth of all things in spring.
Seasonal food therapy, moisturizing and nourishing natural ingredients
In the cold season, based on the unique characteristics of the climate and the physical needs of different people, we can use some ancient health-preserving dietary recipes to combine natural ingredients in an ingenious way to achieve the purpose of mild physical conditioning.
If you are the kind of person who has a weak and cold constitution, often has cold hands and feet, and has a poor appetite, or if the cold causes discomfort in the abdomen, then you can try a bowl of the classic pepper root Huaishan pork belly and chicken soup. Pepper root is a high-quality item that has the effect of warming the meridians and unblocking the meridians. It is slow-cooked for a long time with the yam, which has the effect of strengthening the spleen and kidneys, the pork belly, which has the effect of tonifying the qi, and the chicken. The resulting soup is mellow and mild, and can effectively dispel cold and numbness, and then warm the middle-scorched area. This is extremely suitable for drinking in the cold season to treat cold symptoms.
For those who have just recovered from a long-term illness, or who feel that they are short of energy, or who are physically weak, a tomato, carrot and oxtail soup will be a good choice. Ox tail bones are rich in colloid, which has the effects of nourishing the kidneys and warming yang and strengthening muscles and bones. Paired with vitamin-rich ingredients such as tomatoes, carrots and potatoes, the soup not only has warming and tonic properties, but also has a sour, sweet and refreshing taste. It is tonic without making people feel cloying. It is helpful for nourishing qi and blood and can enhance the body's strength.
When cold waves come frequently, if you accidentally catch a cold and show the symptoms of a cold, you can make clever use of common ingredients in the kitchen. For example, a simple bowl of egg, chive and scallion soup uses coriander, scallions and ginger. These seemingly ordinary condiments are "powerful players" in dispersing wind and cold, and can play a great role in dispelling wind and cold, causing sweating and relieving the skin. For those who have always been weak and prone to colds, there is a dish called Qi Qi Qi Stewed Chicken, which is made by stewing qi-tonifying medicinal materials such as astragalus and atractylodes with chicken. It can nourish qi, nourish yin and yang, and can enhance the body's disease resistance from the root.
It's cold and spring is approaching. In this last severe cold winter, let us rely on the wisdom and know-how of health care that conforms to the laws of nature to keep our body and mind warm, so that we can be in the best and best condition to welcome the coming New Year season and the warm sunshine.
