As winter approaches and the weather starts to turn cold, many people with stomach problems begin to experience pain in their stomachs. Winter is a peak season for stomach problems, but it is also the best time to take care of your stomach. However, no matter what kind of health regimen you follow, it must be synchronized with the rhythms of the external environment. Let's take a look at what we should pay attention to in winter health care.
1. Keep warm in winter, focusing on "three warmths"
In the depths of winter, especially in northern China, the climate is cold and the cold air congeals, which can easily lead to poor circulation of qi and blood in the body, causing many old diseases to relapse or worsen. According to the advice from Dongye, in winter, it is important to keep the head, back, and feet warm. Women should also pay special attention to keeping their abdomen warm during their menstrual period. If the abdomen is exposed to cold, it can easily affect menstruation and lead to dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation. For people with a yang deficiency constitution, the head, back, and feet are the three areas most susceptible to cold invasion. If not taken care of for a long time, it can harm the body and lead to various diseases. Therefore, keeping warm in winter is very important.
2. Use herbal remedies to regulate and supplement
According to Dongye, winter is a season of storage and conservation. The body's metabolism slows down in winter. Proper supplementation during this time can regulate the physiological functions of various organs, enhance immune function, and achieve the effect of disease prevention and treatment. Therefore, there is a saying that "one winter's supplement is equivalent to the supplements of three nines, which results in fewer illnesses and pains in the coming year." Especially during the period from "three nines" to "six nines" in winter, which is nearly 50 days, the body's yang energy is the strongest and the spleen and stomach functions are the most robust. Therefore, under the guidance of a professional doctor, taking herbal remedies with nourishing effects can have a good health effect.
In addition to herbal remedies, people can also use food supplementation methods. However, Dongye emphasizes that food supplementation should be tailored to the individual, timing, and location in order to truly achieve the goal of health maintenance. For those with weak constitution and poor digestive function, slow supplementation should be chosen. It is appropriate to consume more angelica lamb soup, shiitake mushroom stewed dog meat, and vegetables, while avoiding excessive and hasty supplementation. For those with good constitution, supplementation should be moderate and they should avoid consuming too much greasy food, in order to prevent the production of excessive energy and the onset of diseases. They can consume dishes like stewed chicken with mushrooms and stewed black chicken with ginkgo nuts. It is also important to consume foods high in protein, vitamins, and fiber, while reducing the intake of fatty and sugary foods.
3. Store energy in winter, exercise moderately
Dongye points out that traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes "storing energy in winter". This means that sweating can help detoxify the body in summer, but in winter, the body should be like pine needles, avoiding excessive sweating. Otherwise, the skin will be open, causing the loss of yang energy and hindering storage. This is especially true for women, as there are more people with yang deficiency and blood stasis constitution. They need to be especially careful. Before exercising in winter, it is important to warm up fully. Moderate intensity exercise should be the focus, allowing the body to generate heat or slightly sweat. After exercise, it is important to keep warm. After exercising or sweating, immediately wear a hat, scarf, and gloves to keep warm. After intense exercise, wait until the heartbeat and breathing return to normal before taking a warm bath. After bathing, dry the hair, put on clothes and hats, and then go out.
4. Early to bed and early to rise, multiple methods to nourish the kidneys
The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon says: "Go to bed early and get up early, waiting for the sunlight." The ancients believed in sleeping and waking with the natural rhythm. They went to bed at 9 o'clock in the evening and got up when the sun came out. Of course, modern people don't have to be bound by this, but ensuring sufficient sleep in winter, going to bed early, getting up late, and avoiding staying up late for online entertainment is still very necessary.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, Dongye believes that in winter, it is beneficial to go to bed early and do some simple health exercises before sleep, such as rubbing the soles of the feet (Yongquan acupoint), rubbing the lower back with palms (Shenshu acupoint), moxibustion or hot compress on the lower abdomen (Guanyuan acupoint), etc., which can have the effect of nourishing the kidneys and promoting sleep. In the morning, it is also important not to rush to get up. It is advisable to lie down for a few more minutes before getting up, stretch and move the whole body, and then get up. You can also hug your knees with both hands and roll your back back and forth on the bed. Lift your legs and do a cycling motion, alternating between forwards and backwards. You can also lie prone and flutter your hands and feet like a swallow in flight. Through exercise, the major joints of the body can be fully activated, and after smooth circulation of qi and blood is achieved, you can get up. This can help prevent the formation of cerebral thrombosis.
Dongye emphasizes that for people with yang deficiency constitution, when doing massage in winter, they should reduce the time spent on back massage and use infrared lamps to warm the back instead. This is because the abdomen is yin and the back is yang. Exposing and massaging the back can easily disturb the yang energy and cause it to dissipate. At the same time, people with yang deficiency constitution should pay more attention to the maintenance of the yin meridians. Cupping or moxibustion can be applied to the Ren meridian, which is located in the middle line of the chest and abdomen. The Ren meridian is connected with the six yin meridians and is called the "sea of yin meridians". It has the function of regulating the qi of the whole body's yin meridians. Key points to focus on are the Zhongwan acupoint (between the breasts), the Shénquè acupoint (navel), and the Guānyuán acupoint (four fingers below the navel).
