It's getting cold, and health enthusiasts usually prefer to nourish their bodies with medicinal diets. However, when it comes to nourishing the body in cold weather, it is important to note that not everyone needs to do so. It is necessary to differentiate between body constitution and the properties of medicinal diets in order to achieve the desired health benefits!
【How to distinguish body constitution?】
Generally, people only know about single body constitution types, such as "cold constitution" or "hot constitution," using a simple binary classification. However, in clinical practice, body constitution is further classified into yin deficiency, yang deficiency, qi deficiency, blood deficiency, heat excess, damp-heat, and damp-cold. Additionally, the same person may have a constitution that is "hot above and cold below" or "cold above and hot below." For example, person A, who has been exercising less and staying up late in recent years, may have a constitution that is deficient in both lung-qi and liver-blood. Person B, who has a sedentary lifestyle, a pear-shaped body, and has recently developed a liking for biscuits and barbecue, with many pimples on the face, may have a constitution that is damp-phlegm with accompanying heat. However, it is best to consult a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner to determine one's own body constitution.
【Classification of medicinal diets for nourishing the body】
Medicinal diets can be classified into three types: warming nourishment, balanced nourishment, and cooling nourishment. For those with a deficient and cold constitution, warming nourishment is recommended; for those without deficiency, balanced nourishment is suitable; for those with heat and dryness, cooling nourishment is recommended. Traditional Chinese medicine generally believes that even in winter, there is no need for excessive warming nourishment; balanced nourishment is sufficient. For those who often stay up late, have acne, suffer from mouth sores, or have constipation, it is advisable to avoid strong warming nourishment such as "Shiquan Dabu Tang" or mutton hot pot, and instead consume "Sishen Tang" to nourish yin, support the spleen and stomach, and stabilize the digestive system.
1. Warming nourishment
Ingredients for warming nourishment can promote blood circulation, warm the body, and enhance resistance to cold. Examples include warm meats such as beef, mutton, black-bone chicken, and eel; warm foods such as chestnuts, almonds, pumpkin, glutinous rice, oats, sweet potatoes, etc.; warm fruits such as peaches, cherries, papaya, longan, etc.; pungent foods such as chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, onions, chives, ginger, etc.; and stimulant foods like curry and alcohol.
2. Balanced nourishment
Ingredients for balanced nourishment have a mild nature, are easily absorbed, and can be consumed long-term. In principle, everyone can eat these foods. Examples include fruits and vegetables such as papaya, apples, grapes, strawberries, corn, sweet potatoes, water spinach, spinach, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese yam, etc.; whole grains such as brown rice, barley, etc.; legumes, eggs, milk, etc.; and meats such as chicken, perch, pork, etc.
3. Cooling nourishment
Ingredients for cooling nourishment use relatively cool ingredients to achieve the effects of clearing heat, eliminating toxins, cooling blood, promoting bowel movements, diuresis, etc. This includes bananas, persimmons, coconuts, water pears, grapefruits, oranges, watermelons, bitter melons, winter melons, lotus root, mung beans, Chinese cabbage, celery, lilies, seaweed, oysters, crabs, etc. It is important to note that if there are qi-tonifying herbs such as astragalus, ginseng, red dates, and angelica sinensis, drinking them may have an invigorating effect, so it is recommended to consume them in the morning or at noon. If consumed in the evening, too close to bedtime, it may affect sleep.
Conversely, if using calming herbs such as sour jujube kernel, lily, lotus seeds, it is recommended to drink them in the evening. If consumed during the day, it is advisable not to drive or engage in precise or dangerous work immediately afterward to avoid feeling mentally fatigued. Even the best things can cause problems when consumed excessively. For soups of the same type, drinking 1-2 bowls per week is sufficient to maintain a balanced constitution. It is important to have a balanced intake of different foods to maintain a balanced constitution. If there are any discomforts or illnesses, it is not advisable to self-medicate with medicinal diets; it is best to consult a professional physician.
