Winter Solstice Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Preservation: One yang is born, follow the trend and nourish it

The winter solstice is an extremely important node among the twenty-four solar terms. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the winter solstice is not just "the day with the shortest day and longest night of the year";Yang is born from the cathodeturning point. "Huangdi Neijing" says:"The winter solstice is full of sunshine."It means that from the winter solstice, the Yang Qi between heaven and earth quietly sprouts. The focus of health care at this time is not on "intense supplements", but onFollow the Yang Qi to grow hair, and there is nourishment in the hidden body。

1. The meaning of the winter solstice in Chinese medicine: not the coldest, but the "turning point"

Many people think that the winter solstice is the coldest time of the year. Looking at the changes in yin and yang of the solar terms, what is more noteworthy is:

• Before the winter solstice: Yin Qi gradually becomes stronger
• Winter Solstice: Yin and Yang
• After the Winter Solstice: Yang Qi slowly picks up

The human body also adjusts with the qi of heaven and earth. If Yang Qi is excessively dissipated during the Winter Solstice (such as staying up late for a long time, overworking, and eating an unbalanced diet), some people will be more likely to suffer from fatigue, mood swings, susceptibility to external evils, or poor liver Qi growth in the coming spring. Therefore, the Winter Solstice is often regarded as one of the times to "lay the foundation" for health in the coming year.

2. The core principles of winter solstice health preservation: hide but not close, nourish but not dry.

It can be summarized into three points:

• Nourishing Yang without acting rashly:When Yang Qi is born, excessive consumption is the most taboo.
• Hiding the essence for the coming spring:With sufficient kidney essence, you will have a better foundation for hair growth in the coming year.
• Warming but not drying tonic:If the supplement is correct, the body will be stable; if the texture is too high, it will easily lead to internal heat, bloating, or even fatigue.

3. How to nourish "Yang Qi" during the Winter Solstice?

1. Daily maintenance: adapt to the weather

"Nei Jing" emphasizes that in winter, "go to bed early and get up late, and you must wait for sunlight." Before and after the winter solstice, it is recommended to go to bed before about 23:00, do not force yourself to get up too early in the morning, and avoid staying up all night.sleepIt is one of the most low-cost maintenance methods in winter.

2. Key points for keeping warm: protect the vulnerable areas of Yang Qi

Pay special attention to the back of the neck (where wind and cold easily enter), waist and abdomen (where kidney yang is connected), and feet (where the Shaoyin meridian passes). Before and after the winter solstice, proper foot soaking, waist protection, and scarves to prevent wind are often as important as daily life.

4. Winter Solstice Diet and Nursing Care: Mainly warm and nourishing, it varies from person to person.

1. Why focus on “nurturing”?

In winter, the ability of the spleen and stomach to transport and transform is relatively weak, and eating too much raw or cold food can easily damage Yang Qi. Warm tonic does not mean strong tonic. For most people, the direction isWarm, cooked, easy to digestFor example, appropriate amount of mutton soup, yam stewed chicken, red dates, wolfberry, longan (appropriate amount), black sesame, walnuts and other kidney-tonifying products are also suitable.Appropriate amount, to avoid being greasy and hindering the stomach.

2. Not everyone is suitable for “hot supplements”

Winter Solstice is more suitable for those with yin deficiency and excessive fire, dry mouth, constipation, prone to acne, shallow sleep and upset.Warming and moisturizing, rather than a large amount of pungent and hot tonic; specifically, it is advisable to avoidLicensed Chinese PhysicianDifferentiation.

5. Emotional health preservation during the winter solstice: calming the mind and resting are equally important

Before and after the winter solstice, some people will experience depression, increased fatigue, and decreased interest in the outside world. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that it is related to the hidden Yang Qi and the regulation of liver and kidney. It is recommended that you do not force yourself to "always operate efficiently", allow the pace to be slightly slower, and reduce unnecessary social and emotional consumption - it is better to accumulate energy during the winter solstice than to spend it blindly.

6. Traditional Chinese medicine care methods suitable for the winter solstice

existProfessional assessmentBelow, before and after the winter solstice you can consider:

• Moxibustion:Such as Guanyuan, Mingmen, Zusanli, etc. Whether it is suitable, frequency and duration should be determined byLicensed Acupuncturistjudge.
• Acupuncture and massage:It is used to improve some cold constitutions, fatigue, poor sleep, etc., and individualized acupoint selection and techniques are required.
• Traditional Chinese medicine conditioning:For prescriptions based on syndrome differentiation of yang deficiency, qi and blood deficiency, kidney deficiency, etc., patients who are breastfeeding, pregnant and suffering from chronic diseases must inform their doctors.

The goal of nursing care is usually not to "immediately feel energetic", but to gradually stabilize the physical condition.

7. Who is especially suitable to consult Chinese medicine for recuperation before and after the winter solstice?

The following conditions are mostly related to insufficient yang qi and weak kidney qi. Whether and how to focus on conditioning during the winter solstice still requires face-to-face consultation:

• Cold hands and feet, afraid of cold
• Easily tired and lack of energy
• Soreness and weakness in waist and knees
• Poor sleep quality
• Menstruation is cold and scanty
• recurring colds in winter

Conclusion

The winter solstice is not the end, but a node for the transformation of Qi. In the season of "Yang is born", instead of just dissipating outwards, it is better to turn inward first:Protect Yang Qi and hide Essence, giving the body time to recover, the body will often have more energy in the coming spring. If you want to know whether your body constitution is suitable for warming tonic and whether it is suitable to arrange traditional Chinese medicine conditioning before and after the winter solstice, welcome toFlushing, New York GuoyitangConsultation, the doctor will discuss an individualized plan after syndrome differentiation.