It's the time of San Fu Tian again. As the saying goes, "treat winter diseases in summer". Many people take advantage of San Fu Tian to regulate their bodies. How to regulate the body during San Fu Tian? What are the benefits of regulating the body during San Fu Tian?
Health Benefits of Applying San Fu Plasters
Treating Winter Diseases in Summer
In China, there is a traditional saying called "treat winter diseases in summer". San Fu Tian is the hottest period of the year. During this time, the body's yang energy is strong. If traditional Chinese medicine plasters are applied to acupoints for local heat stimulation, it can help to invigorate yang energy, dispel cold, and eliminate winter diseases.
Preventing Diseases
San Fu plasters are made from refined traditional Chinese medicine. Applying one San Fu plaster during San Fu Tian can help the body accumulate yang energy, prevent the body from being weakened by cold during the winter, and thus have a preventive effect on diseases.
Nurturing the Body
On the other hand, San Fu plasters have the function of dredging the body's meridians. Applying a San Fu plaster during San Fu Tian can promote the body's metabolism, enhance the body's immune function, and regulate the functions of the spleen and lung organs. It has a good effect on health maintenance.
Cupping Therapy for Health
Kidney Yu Acupoint
Location: 1.5 inches beside the second lumbar spinous process. When determining the acupoint, it is usually in the prone position. The kidney Yu acupoint is located in the waist area, 2 fingers wide below the second lumbar spinous process.
Effects: This acupoint is mainly used to treat diseases such as back pain, kidney disease, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, tinnitus, and decreased energy.
Da Zhui Acupoint
Location: Located in the depression below the seventh cervical spinous process. When determining the acupoint, sit upright and lower your head. The acupoint is located at the lower end of the neck, in the depression below the seventh cervical spinous process. If the protruding bone is not very obvious, let the patient move their neck, and the immobile joint is the first thoracic vertebra, approximately level with the shoulder.
Effects: Invigorating qi and strengthening yang. Mainly used to treat fever, malaria, cough, asthma, bone steaming heat, stiff neck, shoulder and back pain, strong lumbar spine, angle arching, childhood convulsions, epilepsy, weakness from overexertion, fatigue from seven injuries, heat stroke, cholera, vomiting, jaundice, rubella, etc.
He Gu Acupoint
Location: Between the first and second metacarpal bones on the back of the hand, at the midpoint of the radial side of the second metacarpal bone. Or place the joint of the thumb bone of one hand on the interdigital margin between the thumb and index finger of the other hand, and the acupoint is under the tip of the thumb.
Effects: Mainly used to treat fever, headache, red and swollen eyes, nosebleeds, blood stagnation, sore throat, toothache, deafness, facial swelling, strabismus, stroke with mouth closed, fever without sweating, excessive sweating, thirst, jaundice, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, difficult childbirth, etc.
Yong Quan Acupoint
Location: On the sole of the foot, in the depression at the front of the foot when curling the toes, at the intersection of the front 1/3 and the rear 2/3 of the line connecting the heads of the second and third metatarsal joints.
Effects: Dispelling heat and generating qi. Mainly used to treat lung diseases, difficult defecation, urinary difficulties, and convulsions.
Moxibustion Therapy for Health
Zu San Li Acupoint
Specific location: Zu San Li is located on the outer side of the lower leg, when 3 inches below the lower margin of the kneecap, there is an obvious sore and swollen feeling when pressed.
Zu San Li acupoint is responsible for the spleen and stomach. Moxibustion at Zu San Li acupoint can improve the body's immune function and maintain health.
Guan Yuan Acupoint
Specific location: Guan Yuan is located in the lower abdomen, on the anterior midline, 3 inches below the navel. To locate the acupoint easily, place four fingers together and place them horizontally below the navel, and the acupoint is at the lower edge of the little finger.
Guan Yuan acupoint is one of the most important acupoints in the body. It contains the organs of the kidney, small intestine, bladder, gynecology, and male reproductive system. Moxibustion here has the effect of warming the meridians and activating qi and blood.
Shen Que Acupoint
Specific location: At the position of the navel.
Shen Que acupoint is closely connected with the body. Moxibustion at this point can warm and invigorate the original yang and regulate the spleen and stomach.
Zhong Wan Acupoint
Specific location: Zhong Wan is located in the upper abdomen, on the anterior midline, 4 inches above the navel. To locate the acupoint easily, place four fingers horizontally above the navel.
Zhong Wan acupoint is mainly related to the stomach. Moxibustion at this point can help with many stomach problems.
Foot Soak Therapy for Health
Mugwort Leaf Foot Soak
Mugwort leaves have the effect of warming the meridians and dispelling cold. Soaking the feet with mugwort leaves is a common method of health preservation in daily life, and using mugwort leaves to soak the feet during San Fu Tian is in line with the principle of treating winter diseases in summer.
Materials: Mugwort leaves.
Method: Put the mugwort leaves in a non-woven fabric bag, then soak them in hot water. When the hot water changes color, remove the bag and pour the mugwort water into a basin. Put your feet in the basin and soak for 20 minutes, then remove.
Saffron Foot Soak
Saffron is a medicinal herb that promotes blood circulation. For people with cold hands and feet in winter, soaking the feet with saffron during San Fu Tian can warm the body, promote blood circulation, and cool the blood and detoxify.
Materials: Saffron.
Method: Prepare a clay pot, put 0.2 grams of saffron in the pot, then add water, bring it to a boil, and simmer on low heat after boiling. After simmering, pour it into a wooden basin for foot soaking. Wait for the water to cool down and soak the feet for half an hour.
Sichuan Pepper Foot Soak
Sichuan pepper has the effect of dispelling cold and warming the body. In summer, soaking the feet with Sichuan pepper can warm the feet, help accelerate blood circulation in the feet, and have a good health preservation effect.
Materials: Sichuan pepper.
Method: Wash the Sichuan pepper with warm water, then put the Sichuan pepper in a non-woven fabric bag and soak it in hot water prepared for foot soaking. When the hot water changes color, remove the bag and pour the water into a foot basin. Soak the feet for 20 minutes.
Ginger Foot Soak
Ginger is a hot food. Using ginger foot soak in San Fu Tian can dispel the dampness and cold in the body, effectively improve blood circulation problems, and relieve cold hands and feet symptoms.
Materials: Ginger.
Method: Clean the ginger, then crush it and put it in a non-woven fabric bag. Put the bag in a foot basin filled with hot water. When the water is warm, put your feet in and soak for about 20 minutes, then remove.
Ginger Consumption for Health
In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger is considered a yang-enhancing food. There is an old saying in Chinese medicine that goes, "men should not go a hundred days without ginger". Ginger contains volatile gingerol and ginger phenol, which have the functions of promoting blood circulation, dispelling cold, eliminating dampness, and inducing sweating. Ginger also has the functions of promoting bile, strengthening the stomach, preventing nausea, and eliminating fishy and foul odors. Ginger combined with honey is beneficial for liver recovery.
If you often feel cold in the stomach and have poor appetite, you can regularly chew fresh ginger slices to stimulate gastric juice secretion and promote digestion. Ginger is moistening without injuring yin. Cut four or five thin slices of fresh ginger every day, drink a glass of warm water in the morning, then chew the ginger slices slowly, allowing the aroma of ginger to spread in the oral cavity, spreading to the stomach and nostrils.
Eating Lamb for Health
In Chinese medicine, although the weather is hot in the Dog Days, the body is prone to be invaded by summer, dampness, and evil. Nutritionists have also conducted in-depth research on this and found that lamb has the highest nutritional value when eaten during San Fu Tian. During San Fu Tian, drinking lamb soup and adding chili oil, vinegar, and garlic to it will make the whole body sweat, which can take away the accumulated heat in the five organs and eliminate toxins from the body, which is very beneficial to health.
However, "eating fu lamb" is not suitable for everyone. People with a hot constitution, who are prone to get heat, and those who are prone to "boils and carbuncles" are not suitable for "winter diseases treated in summer", including "winter diseases treated in summer" such as San Fu Bu. Don't try it casually.
Exercise for Health
It is often said to "exercise during the three Fu periods of summer", but it does not mean that everyone should exercise regardless of time, location, and situation. In summer, the body consumes a lot of energy, so exercise such as running, playing ball, and climbing should be done in moderation. It is best to engage in some "low-key" exercise, which can achieve the effect of exercise without causing discomfort. It is best to schedule exercise in the cool morning or evening, and drink small amounts of water frequently during exercise.
When the maximum temperature is between 30 and 33 degrees Celsius, the elderly should reduce their exercise intensity, and the duration should be within half an hour. When San Fu comes, the elderly should stop all vigorous activities, keep calm, and maintain adequate water intake. At the same time, they should keep some common anti-heatstroke drugs such as Shidixue, Qingliang Oil, and Huoxiang Zhengqi Water.
Hot Water Foot Soak for Health
Soaking your feet in hot water every night can make you sweat a lot and drive away the cold. Soaking your feet in hot water is indeed a good way to maintain health, but it does not have seasonal specificity and can be used throughout the year. It is important to note that the foot soak time should not be too long, about 10-15 minutes, until there is a warm feeling on the back.
Do not soak until you sweat heavily. In Chinese medicine, sweat is transformed from part of the body fluid, and body fluid and blood are closely related. Sweating too much can damage qi and blood, as the saying goes, "excessive sweating exhausts yang". Therefore, the water temperature for foot soaking in summer is best around 40 degrees Celsius, and the principle is to avoid sweating.
Gua Sha for Health
Gua Sha therapy originated from the Paleolithic period and is one of the traditional Chinese natural therapies. In terms of disease treatment, Gua Sha has the effects of promoting blood circulation, adjusting the balance of yin and yang in the body, dredging the body's meridians, eliminating toxins from the body, and promoting qi and blood circulation. After Gua Sha, it is best to drink a large glass of warm water to help detoxify. The treated area should be properly protected and kept away from cold.
Gua Sha is generally only suitable for early and middle stages of the cold, with the effect of dispelling wind-heat and relieving wind-cold. The effect of Gua Sha on later stages of the cold is much worse. If you have a high fever, you can try Gua Sha treatment, but Gua Sha cannot reduce fever. Once you have a fever, you should go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible. It is not appropriate to rely solely on Gua Sha.
Three Principles for Health during San Fu Tian
Principle One: Tonifying Qi and Generating Fluids
Many people believe that in summer, the body is hot and prone to inflammation, so they should eat more foods that reduce inflammation. However, this view is actually incorrect. In summer, people should eat more foods that tonify qi and generate fluids. These foods should have a moderate and slightly cool nature. This is a method of health preservation for people with poor constitution. For people with good health, eating moderate and slightly cool foods such as mung beans, watermelons, and peaches not only has a good cooling effect but also prevents the body from developing underlying diseases.
Recommended Diet Therapy: Lily and Red Date Congee
Recipe:
1. Remove impurities from the lily and remove the leaves. Rinse them thoroughly. Rinse the glutinous rice.
2. Put the red dates in a pot with 500g of water, boil for half an hour, then add 1250g of water. At the same time, add the glutinous rice and lily. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer on low heat until the red dates and lily are soft and the rice soup is thick. Stir in white sugar and serve.
Principle Two: Strengthening the Spleen and Stomach
During summer, attention should be paid to the maintenance of the spleen and stomach in diet. Summer is the season when the dampness and heat are strong, and the dampness is easy to accumulate in the spleen, which can damage the body's yang qi. Moreover, people tend to eat more cold drinks and other foods in summer, which can easily stimulate the intestines and stomach. In addition, drinking more water in summer can dilute gastric juice and reduce the ability of the stomach to kill bacteria, resulting in the growth of bacteria and the occurrence of gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, strengthening the spleen and stomach is also important in diet.
Recommended Diet Therapy: Tangerine Peel Congee
Recipe:
50g tangerine peel, 100g glutinous rice. Grind the tangerine peel into fine powder and set aside. Wash the glutinous rice and put it in a pot. Add water and cook until the porridge is ready. Add the tangerine peel and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Take once a day.
Principle Three: Treating Winter Diseases in Summer
Treating winter diseases in summer means that diseases that occur in winter can be treated and relieved by combining the hottest three Fu periods of summer with diet therapy, acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, and other methods. Traditional Chinese medicine health experts have found that many chronic diseases in winter are caused by yang deficiency and yin excess. The hottest three Fu periods of summer are the time when the body's yang energy is strongest and the best time to regulate the body and eliminate diseases. To treat winter diseases in summer, people with diseases such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, frozen shoulder, chronic diarrhea, recurring colds, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. need to eat foods that warm the body and dispel cold. Cold drinks and cold foods should be avoided.
Common symptoms: cold hands and feet, aversion to wind and cold; swelling and pain are the main characteristics of the disease; abdominal pain, diarrhea, watery and pale secretions; dry and thirsty, pale complexion, white tongue coating; backache, discomfort; vomiting, cough, sputum, nasal congestion, sneezing, etc.
Common diseases: including respiratory system, digestive system, cardiovascular system, nervous system, endocrine system, rheumatism and immune system, musculoskeletal system, such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, allergic rhinitis, chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, chronic colitis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, fatty liver, frozen shoulder, tumors, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
