Traditional Chinese Medicine's perspective on male health: Regular diet and lifestyle, moderate sexual activity, and exercise.

Ancient physicians and health practitioners emphasized that "nourishing life is better than nourishing one's nature." In modern terms, this means establishing lofty ideals, eliminating selfish thoughts and distractions, avoiding greed and loss, and not pursuing vanity, thus cultivating an open mind. This enhances the body's resistance to disease and promotes health and longevity. The *Neijing* (Inner Canon of Medicine) contains two famous sayings: "If one eats and drinks in moderation, maintains regular daily routines, and avoids excessive labor, one can maintain both physical and mental well-being, and live out one's natural lifespan, reaching a hundred years before passing away." However, if one "treats wine as water, indulges in recklessness, enters the bedroom drunk... seeking only personal pleasure, going against the natural joys of life, and lacking moderation in daily life, one will decline by fifty." This illustrates that a regular diet and lifestyle are essential for good health; an irregular lifestyle, indulging in alcohol and sex, will lead to illness and premature aging.

Because men often socialize, they are more prone to overeating, smoking, drinking alcohol, and tea. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes eating regularly and in moderation, avoiding both hunger and overeating, and avoiding excessively hot or cold foods. It also stresses the importance of quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and drinking tea in moderation. The *Neijing* (Inner Canon of Medicine) states, "If one doubles their food intake, the stomach and intestines will be damaged," "Food and drink should not be too hot or too cold," and "If grains are not consumed for half a day, qi will weaken; if not consumed for a day, qi will be depleted," reflecting the importance placed on regular eating habits. The *Neijing* also proposes, "A change in sorghum and millet can lead to great healing," opposing excessive consumption of fatty, oily, and sweet foods to prevent the generation of dampness and heat, which can lead to pathogenic factors and disease. This aligns with modern medicine's opposition to excessive fat intake in the diet.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that moderate alcohol consumption can invigorate blood circulation, enhance the effects of medicine, and relieve fatigue, but it opposes excessive drinking. The Yuan Dynasty text *Yinshan Zhengyao* states, "Wine is sweet and pungent, extremely hot and toxic... it is best to drink in moderation; excessive drinking harms the spirit and shortens lifespan. Human nature is inherently toxic; excessive drinking damages the source of life." Drinking tea is more beneficial than harmful, but it should not be excessive either. *Laolao Hengyan* states that "excessive tea drinking leads to a sallow complexion and less sleep." Regarding lifestyle, men are advised to avoid excessive sexual activity. Traditional Chinese medicine refers to sexual activity as "fanglao," and the *Neijing* points out that "excessive fanglao damages the kidneys."

The kidneys store the essence of the five internal organs and play a crucial role in maintaining life and preventing aging. Excessive sexual activity damages the kidneys and depletes essence, leading to weakness, kidney deficiency, and premature aging in mild cases, and chronic illnesses and shortened lifespan in severe cases. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine places great emphasis on abstinence from sexual activity. Zhu Danxi, a physician during the Jin and Yuan dynasties, even wrote "Admonitions on Sexual Desire" to warn people. Physicians and health practitioners throughout history have also emphasized moderation in sexual activity. Early marriage was also discouraged in ancient times. "Preserving Life and Maintaining Health" states: "Weak men should abstain from sexual activity and wait until they are strong to marry." Sun Simiao of the Tang dynasty proposed the following guidelines for sexual activity: once every seven days in one's twenties; once every ten days in one's thirties; once every twenty-eight days in one's forties; once every forty-five days in one's fifties; and abstaining from sexual activity altogether in one's sixties. Although these strict guidelines may not be entirely accurate, they demonstrate that traditional Chinese medicine has long advocated for a healthy, normal, and moderate sex life.

Adapting to the Environment and Regular Exercise: The theory of "harmony between man and nature" proposed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) means that nature provides the conditions necessary for human survival, and humans must adapt to nature to maintain normal life activities. Failure to adapt to the natural environment can lead to illness and endanger life. The *Neijing* (Inner Canon of Medicine) states: "Yin and Yang, and the four seasons, are the beginning and end of all things, the root of life and death. Going against them brings disaster, while following them brings illness." This means that people should take different disease prevention and health care measures according to different seasons, climates, and geographical environments. For example, in summer, avoid frequent work under the scorching sun to prevent heatstroke; avoid excessive consumption of raw and cold fruits to prevent dampness in the spleen and stomach; avoid living in overly damp conditions; in winter, keep warm and add layers of clothing; in spring, prevent various infectious diseases; and also take precautions against endemic diseases depending on the region.

Adapting to the natural environment alone is not enough; physical exercise is also essential for strengthening the body. The renowned Han Dynasty physician Hua Tuo stated, "The human body needs physical activity, but not to the point of exhaustion. Movement helps digestion, promotes blood circulation, and prevents disease, much like a door hinge that never rusts." Traditional Chinese medicine values ​​labor and exercise, believing it promotes blood circulation, strengthens muscles and bones, and prolongs life, but it also opposes overexertion. It emphasizes moderation and consistency. How can men protect their physical strength? Numerous theoretical and experimental studies have shown that regular and reasonable physical activity has a profound impact on reducing overall energy consumption, improving activity efficiency, maintaining vigorous energy, promoting the normal functioning of various physiological functions, cultivating physical strength and good habits, and more.

Therefore, protecting physical strength is of great significance for men. (1) Attention should be paid to long-term training and practice, and maintaining sufficient nutrition, rest and sleep. Training means repeatedly performing similar activities to produce adaptive changes throughout the body, so that the activities of various tissues, organs and systems of the human body are coordinated. Practice means, on the basis of training, repeating similar activities many times to produce adaptive changes throughout the body, so that its efficiency is continuously improved. When the human body is active, muscle activity is correspondingly strengthened, which has a great impact on energy metabolism. No matter what kind of activity is engaged in, energy consumption is higher than its baseline state, that is, higher than when it is awake and quiet. After long-term training and practice, the skill proficiency and the changes in breathing, circulation, metabolism and other aspects caused by the activity can be coordinated with the intensity and duration of the activity. That is to say, the physiological state during the activity is fully adapted to the needs of the activity process, that is, a stable activity pattern is established.

(2) Sufficient nutrition is essential. Any activity requires the body to expend energy and physical strength. Energy comes from nutrients in various foods, such as protein, sugar, and fat. These nutrients are the body's primary energy suppliers. (3) Adequate rest is crucial. Any physical activity can lead to fatigue, especially fast-paced, high-intensity, and prolonged activities, where fatigue appears earlier. Once fatigue sets in, it means you should stop and rest. There are many ways to rest: dynamic rest (changing to another activity, sitting down, or engaging in recreational activities) or static rest (taking a nap or sleeping). Sleep effectively eliminates fatigue and protects physical strength.