Longevity and aging are closely related to Qi and blood. Qi and blood are the fundamental substances of human life activities and play an important role in nourishing the organs. When Qi and blood flow smoothly and circulate throughout the body, the organs are harmonized, leading to health and longevity.
Life is about flow:
Smooth Qi and blood, no diseases
As people age and fight against nature and diseases, various factors can affect the normal circulation of Qi and blood. When the circulation of Qi and blood is blocked, the organs do not receive nourishment, which leads to the decline of organ function and aging of the body. Based on this understanding, I believe that we should pay attention to regulating emotions, regular exercise, mental stimulation, and balanced diet in our daily lives.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is often said that "anger harms the liver, joy harms the heart, overthinking harms the spleen, worry harms the lungs, and fear harms the kidneys." This means that excessive or insufficient emotions can cause abnormal circulation of Qi and blood and imbalance of organ function. Optimistic people live longer because when their spirits are relaxed, blood circulation is good and physiological functions are vigorous. An experiment has been conducted on animals living in the same environment. Animals that receive mild and appropriate stimulation, such as soft music, caresses, and affection, live longer than animals that are not cared for. Therefore, in recent years, I have adhered to the following principles: 1) Do not get angry; 2) When encountering unpleasant things, I go home and confide in my family, or write down my thoughts. Writing requires a calm mind and regulated Qi. Once the mind is focused, the circulation of Qi and blood will be smooth. This method has been tried and tested.
Regular exercise is aimed at promoting the circulation of Qi and blood. I often say, "Life is about flow." Based on my own physical condition, I have developed an effective exercise method. Every morning and evening, I lie flat on the bed, place my palms flat under my waist, and lift each leg alternately 100 times. This exercise not only strengthens the abdominal muscles but also promotes the smooth circulation of Qi and blood throughout the body. In addition, I often walk instead of taking a car when commuting.
Mental stimulation is a whole-body activity that involves the participation of vision, hearing, and other sensory organs, as well as reflexes and intentional activities. It can make people energetic and mentally agile. In addition to daily reading and learning, I have also created a method of mental stimulation. Before going to bed at night, I summarize the day's work in my mind. When I wake up in the morning, I make plans for the day. I believe that doing so can keep the brain stimulated and supplied with enough blood, cultivate judgment ability, and analyze in a systematic way. It is the best way to prevent senile dementia.
A balanced diet is essential for maintaining smooth circulation of Qi and blood, ensuring the health and integrity of tissues and organs, and enjoying the innate longevity. The stagnation of blood is the main cause of aging in the body. "Long-term illness will lead to stagnation" and "strange diseases will inevitably be accompanied by stagnation." In the field of anti-aging, using herbal ointments has better effects.
Yan's ointment formula, you can make it too
Ointment formulas are viscous nourishing agents made by boiling herbal medicines together. Doctors will prescribe single or multiple herbal medicines based on your constitution, and then boil them multiple times, filter the juice to remove impurities, heat and concentrate the liquid, and then add certain additives such as gelatin, brown sugar, rock sugar, and honey to make a thick semi-liquid or semi-solid preparation. Ointment formulas have high drug concentration, small volume, stable medicinal properties, long storage time, and are suitable for long-term use. They can be considered as the best formulation for nourishing the body, resisting aging, and prolonging life. Below, I will introduce the ointment formula I use for anti-aging to readers.
The specific method is as follows: take 9g each of safflower, peach kernel, red peony root, and bupleurum, and 12g of salvia miltiorrhiza. Pour them into a clay pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and boil and cook three times (the first time, add 350ml of water, boil over high heat for 30 minutes; the second and third times, add 250ml of water, boil over high heat for 20 minutes each). Combine the three batches of decoction, pour it back into the clay pot, and cook over high heat until it thickens. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of honey and continue to simmer until the medicinal liquid becomes a paste. Store it in a container in the refrigerator. Take 10-15ml in the morning and evening, diluted with warm water.
Adapting to the climate and balancing Qi and blood is the main content of traditional Chinese medicine health preservation, which has been followed by medical professionals.
Adapting to the climate
Ancient Chinese philosophers opposed the idea of humans and nature being hostile to each other and emphasized the unity of heaven and man. The natural and human can coordinate with each other, and life and nature can "coexist without contradiction."
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "man corresponds to heaven and earth" and that only by "adapting to the four seasons and conforming to Yin and Yang" can we maintain a healthy body.
Summer health preservation
Summer is a high energy consumption season in the four seasons of the year. It is both scorching hot and humid. Due to the cross-changing of temperature, it can be extremely hot when it is sunny and cool when it rains. Summer dampness is the most likely to attack the body. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to summer health preservation.
The "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon" states that in summer, one should "keep the mind calm," maintain a relaxed mood, broad-mindedness, no worries, live in high places, and enjoy the view. Older people should avoid crowded rooms, and children should not sleep with wet nurses to prevent hindering heat dissipation. People who sweat a lot can drink sugar-salt water, eat more fruits, take frequent baths, or wipe their bodies with warm water. The diet should be light, with more vegetables and soup combinations, such as loofah with sliced pork and tofu soup, tomato and egg soup, etc. Green bean porridge and red bean porridge are also good for relieving heat. Avoid eating stimulating foods that are too hot or too cold. Watermelon is fragrant and cooling, and is a good choice for relieving heat and thirst. Boiling watermelon rind alone can treat summer heatstroke. Eating watermelon with the seeds can help with sore throat, diuresis, bile flow, and jaundice regression. However, people with cold constitutions should be cautious or avoid eating it. After sealing the juice with melon rind in a bottle, it can be used externally to treat burns after three months.
Balance is the key to supplementation; the stomach prefers what is nourishing; do not make Qi and blood difficult; food supplements are better than herbal supplements.
The way of supplementation
Balance is the key to supplementation. Supplementation should be based on syndrome differentiation and treatment. Everyone's constitution is different, and there are differences between men and women and the young and the old. For example, ginseng supplements Qi, American ginseng nourishes Yin, deer antler strengthens Yang, and donkey-hide gelatin supplements blood. They all have different effects. The principle of supplementation should follow the principle of supplementing what is deficient and reducing what is in excess. For example, for those with symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, etc. due to Qi deficiency, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is recommended. For those with pale complexion, dizziness, palpitations, etc. due to blood deficiency, Gui Pi Tang is recommended. For those with hot flashes, night sweats, dry mouth, etc. due to Yin deficiency, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan is recommended. For those with cold limbs, impotence, premature ejaculation, etc. due to Yang deficiency, You Gui Wan is recommended.
The stomach prefers what is nourishing. The spleen governs transportation and transformation, and the stomach governs reception. The spleen and stomach are the source of postnatal Qi and blood, the foundation of life. The spleen and stomach have the functions of digestion, absorption, and distribution of nutrients. The famous Qing Dynasty physician Ye Tianshi once said, "The stomach prefers what is nourishing." So, I don't eat excessive or unappetizing food, and I don't randomly take tonics. Instead, I take some underrated blood-activating and spleen-invigorating medicines. As a result, I am always hungry before each meal, enjoy eating, and feel energetic without fatigue, ensuring my well-being.
Do not make Qi and blood difficult. In clinical practice, herbal tonics are often combined with blood-activating medicines in the same prescription. By combining both dynamic and static aspects, the tonics can nourish without stagnation, eliminating the disadvantages of sticky tonics while fully exerting their effectiveness. It is a win-win approach.
Food supplements are better than herbal supplements. Through appropriate dietary adjustments containing a variety of nutrients, one can achieve smooth and healthy skin, smooth Qi and blood circulation, and longevity. Traditional Chinese medical professionals have accumulated rich experience in this regard. For example, Zhang Zhongjing, a physician in the Han Dynasty, used angelica, ginger, and lamb to make a soup that dispels cold; Li Shizhen, in his "Compendium of Materia Medica," mentioned a chicken stew with cordyceps sinensis, which can treat pulmonary emphysema and hypertension; mung bean and red date soup can nourish the spleen and stomach; longan meat soup can nourish the heart and spleen; wolfberry soup can improve vision and beauty, etc. Of course, dietary adjustments should also be based on syndrome differentiation. People with a yang and hot constitution should not eat too much warm foods such as ginger, garlic, chili, lamb, and dog meat. People with a yin and cold constitution should avoid eating too many cold foods such as fruits, cold drinks, and duck, as they may easily lead to the onset of diseases.
Porridge is mainly made of rice, with water as an auxiliary. It is slowly simmered until it becomes thick and sticky. It has the effects of nourishing the spleen, moisturizing the stomach, and dispelling turbid Qi. It is suitable for the elderly to eat when hungry, without worrying about specific meal times. It is delicious and beneficial to health and is a good method of health preservation.
Food porridge for health preservation
I like to eat porridge for health preservation in my daily life. There are three types of porridge: white porridge, made with only rice, wheat, millet, corn, and other grains boiled until soft; food porridge, which is white porridge with other ingredients added and cooked together; and medicinal porridge, which is white porridge with Chinese herbs added and cooked together. For example, in summer, barley and japonica rice are often used to make porridge, which can nourish the stomach, support the body, and clear heat. For middle-aged and elderly people with indigestion, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, ginger slices (30-50g) and fried rice (50g) can be cooked together to warm the spleen, stop diarrhea, and harmonize the stomach. For the treatment of chronic nephritis with proteinuria, coix seed porridge can be selected to nourish Qi and astringe essence. For the treatment of hemoptysis and hematemesis, wax gourd and coix seed porridge can be selected to nourish the middle and stop bleeding. For the treatment of diabetes with thirst and easy hunger, yam and coix seed porridge can be selected to nourish the spleen and stomach, etc.
