Article 46: Winter Health Preservation and One-Day Health Preservation Method

(II) Dietary Therapy

1. Food should be warm, with more bitter flavors and less salt.

Winter's cold climate and the body's tendency to store yang energy, leading to a period of energy accumulation, necessitate a warm diet focused on "conserving heat." Therefore, winter diets should include plenty of high-quality protein and foods that provide warmth, such as mutton, dog meat, chicken, eggs, soy products, walnuts, and chestnuts – all excellent seasonal health foods for winter. Meanwhile, foods that are considered yin in nature, difficult to digest, or easily damage the spleen and stomach's yang energy, such as melons, fruits, cold drinks, rice cakes, and zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), should be consumed sparingly or avoided altogether in winter.

The Ming Dynasty scholar Gao Lian wrote in his "Notes on Seasonal Health Preservation": "In winter, the kidney water is salty, and there is a risk that water will overpower fire, so it is advisable to nourish the heart." Since the kidneys are in charge in winter, the kidney qi tends to be excessive. The kidneys belong to water and are salty, while the heart belongs to fire and is bitter. If the kidneys are strong, they are prone to injuring the heart. Therefore, in winter, one should eat more bitter foods and less salty foods.

2. Winter nourishment will make you strong as a tiger next year.

Winter, especially around the winter solstice, is the best time for tonifying the body. Winter tonification is beneficial because winter is a season of dormancy; due to the cold weather, the body's requirements for energy and nutrients are higher, and its digestive and absorption functions are relatively stronger. Therefore, appropriate tonification can not only improve the body's disease resistance but also store the effective components of the tonics in the body, laying a good foundation for health in the new year. As for tonification around the winter solstice, it is because from the winter solstice onwards, Yang energy begins to rise and vitality is vigorous. At this time, the effective components of the tonics are easily accumulated and can exert their best effect. Therefore, there are folk sayings such as "Winter tonification, strong as a tiger next year" and "Tonification during the coldest days of winter, no illness next year." There are two methods of tonification: dietary supplementation and medicinal supplementation. Dietary supplementation uses food-based medicinal dishes, while medicinal supplementation uses medicinal preparations. Regardless of whether it is dietary or medicinal supplementation, the principles of tonification based on syndrome differentiation and not tonifying if there is a deficiency should be followed.

(III) Mental and Emotional Regulation

1. Maintain mental health and strengthen willpower.

In terms of mental and emotional regulation in winter, one should follow the principle stated in the "Suwen·Treatise on Regulating the Spirit in Accordance with the Four Seasons": "Make the will seem hidden and concealed, as if having a private thought, as if having already gained something." That is, in winter, it is important to pay attention to nourishing the spirit, strengthening the mind, and avoiding excessive emotions, so as not to disturb the stored Yang energy.

2. Regulate emotions and calm the mind.

In addition to maintaining mental tranquility, it is also important to learn to regulate negative emotions in a timely manner. When in a state of tension, excitement, anxiety, or depression, one can go outdoors for exercise or activities on sunny days, visit relatives and friends, or play musical instruments to adjust the imbalanced emotions as soon as possible and calm the mind.

(iv) Exercise

1. Winter sun is dormant; moderate exercise is recommended.

As the saying goes, "A little exercise in winter keeps illness away; laziness in winter leads to more medicine." "Practice hard in the sweltering heat of summer and the freezing cold of winter." It has been proven that moderate outdoor activities in winter, allowing the body to experience appropriate cold stimulation, can increase heart rate, deepen breathing, enhance metabolism, and increase body heat, all of which are beneficial to health. While exercise is acceptable in winter, it should not be excessive, especially avoiding exercise in strong winds, extreme cold, heavy snow, or smog, to prevent the depletion of Yang energy and Yin essence, thus conforming to the health preservation principle of "storing" energy.

2. Winter is cold, so we must wait for sunlight.

Winter temperatures are low and sunrises are late. Before sunrise, forest plants haven't yet photosynthesized to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Simultaneously, the atmosphere is more stable before dawn, accumulating carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the air. Additionally, smog is more prevalent in winter. Exercising outdoors in the early morning exposes one to the harmful effects of cold, polluted air, and smog, increasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, morning exercise in winter, especially for the elderly, should not be too early; it should be done after sunrise.

One-day health regimen

Following the changes of day and night is one of the main methods of maintaining health and preventing disease according to the seasons. The *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), in its chapter "Dividing the Day into Four Seasons According to Qi," divides the day into four seasons: "Morning is spring, midday is summer, sunset is autumn, and midnight is winter." Therefore, the basic principles of daily health maintenance are largely the same as those of seasonal health maintenance. The following section introduces two aspects of daily health maintenance: daily routines and dietary adjustments.

I. Daily Life and Health Preservation

The *Suwen* (Plain Questions) chapter "On the Vital Energy Connecting Heaven" states: "Yang energy governs the exterior throughout the day. Human energy arises at dawn, reaches its peak at midday, and declines at sunset, at which point the energy gates close. Therefore, one should rest and avoid disturbing the muscles and bones, and avoid exposure to fog and dew. If this three-hour cycle (plus midnight, making four hours) is violated, the body will become weak and frail." Because Yin governs tranquility and Yang governs restlessness, people are active during the day, rising with the sun to work, study, and live. At night, they should be restrained, resting at sunset to reduce activity and avoid external pathogens. Violating this daily health regimen of rising with the sun and resting at sunset will damage Yang energy, leave the body vulnerable to pathogens, and ultimately lead to illness and compromised health.

(I) Early to bed and early to rise

According to the pattern of the changes in Yang energy during the four seasons of the day-dawn, noon, sunset, and midnight-one should go to bed early and get up early.

1. Get up early

People should rise early in their daily lives. This is the meaning behind proverbs such as "The day's plan starts in the morning," "Rise at the crowing of the rooster," and "Rise at dawn." Morning is the best time for the rise of Yang energy, making it ideal for outdoor exercise; the late morning is the period when Yang energy is at its peak, making it the best time for work and study.

2. Go to bed early

People should go to bed early in their daily lives. At night, because the body's yang energy is stored internally, one should reduce activity and rest earlier. As stated in the "Suwen·Shengqi Tongtian Lun": "Therefore, in the evening, one should rest and avoid disturbing the muscles and bones, and avoid exposure to fog and dew."

(II) Afternoon Nap and Midnight Nap

1. Afternoon nap

After a morning of activity, people's Yang energy is largely depleted. Furthermore, midday (11 AM to 1 PM) is the most Yang of the day, and Yin energy begins to emerge, causing a decline in Yang energy. Therefore, a short rest in the afternoon is necessary to replenish Yang energy. In addition, the higher ambient temperature at midday causes blood vessels to dilate, forcing blood to flow outwards. Therefore, people should rest appropriately after lunch to ensure adequate blood supply to the digestive organs and the absorption of nutrients. Surveys show that many centenarians have the health benefit of taking an afternoon nap.

2. Zijue

The hours from 11 PM to 1 AM (Zi Shi), 1 AM to 3 AM (Chou Shi), 3 AM to 5 AM (Yin Shi), and 5 AM to 7 AM (Mao Shi) are all considered the best times for people to sleep. This is because Zi Shi is the Yin within Yin of the day, when Yang energy begins to emerge, making it a crucial time for rest. Furthermore, during this period, the parasympathetic nervous system is primarily active, leading to a drop in body temperature, slower breathing, heart rate, and pulse, lower adrenaline levels, peripheral vasodilation, and decreased function of internal organs. However, the pineal gland in the brain begins to secrete more melatonin, inducing sleep and relaxation. Therefore, it is not advisable to eat, read, or exercise during Zi, Chou, Yin, and Mao Shi to avoid exciting the body and disrupting normal sleep.

II. Daily Dietary Health Preservation

The Book of Documents states, "Eat at the right time," meaning that food and drink should be consumed at regular times. The Plain Questions (Suwen) discusses one reason why ancient people "lived out their natural lifespan, reaching a hundred years before passing away": "They ate and drank in moderation." "Moderation" here means restraint and rhythm. Eating in moderation means two things: first, moderation in eating, avoiding overeating or hunger (i.e., eating in fixed quantities); and second, rhythm in eating, eating at regular times (i.e., eating at fixed times).

(a) Three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Traditional Chinese dietary health practices involve three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eating regularly at fixed times ensures that the spleen and stomach function rhythmically in digestion and absorption. When the spleen and stomach work in harmony, with periods of activity and rest, food can be digested, absorbed, and distributed throughout the body in an orderly manner, leading to abundant qi and blood, stable internal organs, and overall health. The *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), in the chapter "Ping Ren Jue Gu" (On the Normal Path of Grain), states: "When the stomach is full, the intestines are empty; when the intestines are full, the stomach is empty. This cycle of fullness and emptiness allows qi to flow freely, the five internal organs to be stable, blood vessels to be harmonious, and the spirit to reside."

(II) Requirements for breakfast, lunch and dinner

1. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner should be good, filling, and light.

Eating at regular times is not only an important principle of dietary health preservation, but also a crucial method for protecting the digestive function of the spleen and stomach. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the balance of Yin and Yang, and the body's Qi and blood, varies throughout the day and night. During the day, Yang Qi is abundant, energy is plentiful, and metabolism is vigorous, requiring a greater supply of nutrients, thus necessitating a larger food intake. At night, Yang Qi declines and Yin Qi prevails, the body feels tired, and the need for rest is generally reduced, requiring a smaller food intake. Therefore, the ancient proverb states, "A good breakfast, a substantial lunch, and a light dinner are essential for health preservation." As the ancient Chinese medical text *Lao Lao Heng Yan* states, "The *Neijing* says, 'At midday, Yang Qi is at its peak; at sunset, Yang Qi is declining.' Therefore, one can eat a hearty breakfast, a light lunch, and a completely empty stomach by evening." Humans and nature are a unified whole. In the morning, as the sun rises, and at midday, when the sun is at its zenith, the Yang Qi of heaven and earth is rising and flourishing. At these times, the functions of the body's organs are also in a state of rising and flourishing, with high nutritional needs and vigorous metabolism. Therefore, a good breakfast and a hearty lunch are appropriate. In the evening, as the sun sets, nature is filled with Yin energy, and the body's Yang Qi needs to be conserved. Activity levels are lower, nutritional needs are reduced, and metabolism slows down. Therefore, a light dinner is advisable. If one eats heavily in the evening, the food consumed will be difficult to digest due to the relatively weak Yang Qi, and the energy will not be consumed due to less activity at night, thus easily leading to obesity.

2. Radish before bed, ginger after waking up

There's a folk saying: "Radish before bed, ginger after waking, no need for a doctor's prescription." Drinking ginger soup or tea in the morning, and eating fresh ginger slices or pickled ginger slices, helps promote the rise and spread of Yang energy in the body and has a warming effect. Drinking radish soup and eating pickled radish in the evening helps digestion and harmonize stomach Qi, avoiding the "disharmony of the stomach leads to restless sleep" mentioned in the *Suwen* (Plain Questions) chapter on "Disorders of the Stomach," and ensuring the preservation of Yang energy, thus promoting restful sleep.

(Wan Xueqing)