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Healthcare tips on staying warm in chilly weather
Mr. Ching, aged 45,gets worried whenever the "Cold Weather Warning" is in force. He works as an accountant in a company,and has developed a habit of sitting still in his chilled office with his woolen sweater all the time. Winter has been a difficult time as he is particularly weak in the chilly weather. When it is persistently cold, even if he is tucked into a blanket to warm up himself, it takes ages for him to feel warm especially his feet. He has no alternative but to sleep with his frozen feet. Lack of quality sleep makes him doze off at work. He would like to have some tonic to pep himself up, but cannot for the fear of adverse effect as his weak body has not been trained up by daily exercises.
- Cold feet common to both sexes
- Keep the feet warm to ensure a quality sleep
- Be careful in using tonic for people with poor physique
- Vegetables - Prime Choice of Tonic Food
- Healthcare Tips in Spring - Nourish the gastrointestinal system and harmonize the liver
- Alternative methods to keep warm
Source: Quality HealthCare - Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Cold feet common to both sexes
Mr. Ching has no special medical problems, however, he is particularly fearful of chilly weather, which may indicate some underlying problems. From the perspective of Chinese medicine, it is called "sub-health condition", which means a situation between healthy and illness. Without proper nourishment and treatment, the "sub-health condition" will facilitate infection of organs, that finally turns into sickness.
Poor blood circulation always accounts for most cases of high sensitivity to cold. Mr. Ching gets "cold syndrome" as indicated by his weak body. In Chinese medicine, it is the situation of "Excess of Yin but deficiency in Yang leading to low energy". The situation initiates a series of negative actions, leading to the weakened functions of organs. People consider only females get cold feet, which is inaccurate. Due to female's special physical characteristics, they suffer excessive blood loss that makes them sensitive to cold weather, thus having cold feet. However, the physique of both sexes can be categorized as Yin and Yang. If male cannot warm himself up in bed and fear of cold, that should be regarded as "shen yang xu" in Chinese.
"Shen yang xu" means areas below waist have a sense of cold, which is common to both man and woman. Male patient will have nocturia and wet dream. If hands and arms are cold as well, it should be regarded as "pi yang xu", pi represents gastrointestinal and endocrine systems in Chinese, providing energy to the extremities.
Keep the feet warm to ensure a quality sleep
No evidence shows that wearing socks at sleep will lead to poor blood circulation. It would be unbearable to sleep with the frozen feet; therefore, it is reasonable to keep them warm by every ways to ensure a good sleep, that should include using hot water bag or hot pad to keep the feet warm, or wearing socks to keep the temperature to a reasonable level. However comfortable socks instead of tight ones should be used, as the latter will affect the blood circulation of feet. You can try to use a woolen sweater to wrap the feet loosely. It is another way to keep yourself warm.
Be careful in using tonic for people with poor physique
"Xu bu shou bu" in Chinese means people have poor physique that they cannot use strong tonic to pep themselves up as it will cause dryness. When yang hurts yin, symptoms like dry mouth, bitter taste in mouth, insomnia, constipation, dark urine and bad breath will follow.
For people with poor physique, it is not suggested to use pure yang nourishing Chinese medicine as they will not be able to tolerate them. Yin nourishing tonic shall be added to strike a balance. Such complementary method represents the characteristics of complex formula of Chinese medicine that different herbs complement and inhibit each other for a balanced formula. Let's take bei qi as an example, to avoid dryness, people normally put in American ginseng (hua qi shen); for aconite, rehmanniae and rehmanniae vaporata will be used for modulation.
People with poor physique should not use tonic which is strong in nature, but to take it in a progressive way according to their own situation. As their body functions are too weak, strong tonic intake will surely bring negatively effect. Therefore, stronger formula can only be used when the body gets used to the current formula. Chinese medicine treatment emphasizes "balance", and avoids overbalance and persistent intake. One should consult a Chinese medical practitioner for appropriate treatment based on their symptoms and situations.
Vegetables - Prime Choice of Tonic Food
"Balance", the core value of Chinese medicine, represents tonic treatment taken when necessary. High sensitivity to cold is the symptom of "yang xu" (insufficient "yang") in Chinese, which needs to complement the yang element through treatment and food. The basic principle is to "get energy, complement yang and get rid of yin and han". Food rich in yang includes:
Meat: beef, mutton, chicken meat and shrimp;
Chinese herbs: gingseng, bei qi, Chinese angelica, aconite ; For male patients, morinda root and desertliving cistanche can be used.
Some of the common vegetables are effective in complementing yang, such as black soy bean, wild ginger, pepper, walnut, black sesame, chestnut, fructus jujubae (hong zao, hei zao), wolfberry fruit, longan aril, Chinese chives, etc.
Black soy bean is good for yang complement, while soup with black soy bean and Clariidae, is an ideal nourishment for shen yang (enhancement of "yang") and suitable for people with cold feet and hands.
Another yang nourishment is soup with mutton, Chinese wild yam, longan aril and wolfberry fruit. It is effective without a sense of dryness. Mutton itself is not over tonic in nature, while Chinese wild yam and wolfberry fruit are complements for yin. You can put in water chestnut for modulation to prevent dryness.
Shrimp is also good for shen yang nourishment. Simple dishes like scrambled eggs with Chinese chives and baby shrimps are particularly suitable for man's health.
Healthcare Tips in Spring - Nourish the gastrointestinal system and harmonize the liver
Most of us would have a wrong perception that tonic food is only needed in winter, resulting in massive intake of strong tonic food. However, Chinese medicine emphasizes different ways for wellness throughout the four seasons, with different food contributing their own tonic effects.
Spring comes after the Chinese New Year. From the Chinese medicine perspective, creatures have come to live after the chilly winter. Same for human beings, our body comes to live after the hibernation-like status. According to the Five Elements, Spring ascribes to wood, liver either. When Spring comes, liver will undoubtedly activate and yang elevates. Be careful that gastrointestinal system will be affected if liver is too active.
Therefore, the basic principle of healthcare in Spring should be "nourishing the gastrointestinal systems but harmonizing the liver". During that period of time, strong tonic food should be avoided, but moderate spicy food should be taken, such as ginger, spring onions, garlic, chili, etc, which are special nourishment for yang. It is most suitable during February and March, when the weather is still chilly and moist. Fish, eggs and soy bean products with sweet tastes can be taken appropriately at the same time. For Chinese herbs, ginseng, poria cocos, Chinese wild yam are moderate in nature, which is good for getting rid of an over-reaction of liver. One should have more fruits and vegetables to harmonize the liver.
Alternative methods to keep warm
In addition to food therapy, there are still other alternatives to pep up oneself:
Exercises: Exercises is important to empower and keep oneself warm. Some simple aerobic exercises are as effective as vigorous ones. The best and simplest way should be brisk walking and Tai Chi.
Moxibustion: Perform moxibustion on acupoints of special health effects, such as zu san li, yong quan.
Foot bath: Using Chinese herbs in foot bath is good for health as there are plenty of acupoints on sole.
Massage: Acupoints massage at zu san li and san yin jiao is good for health.
Source: Quality HealthCare - Chinese Medicine Practitioner
