The 24 Solar Terms were developed by farmers in ancient China through observation of the sun’s annual motion. Solar Terms are divided according to the sun’s annual motion in the ecliptic plane(the Earth’s orbit around the Sun). It is part of the traditional Chinese calendar zodiac. The 24 Solar Terms were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2016.
The Xiaohan solar term(Lesser Cold), the 23rd term of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms, which spans 15 days, marks the onset of the coldest period of the year. During this time, the yang energy is lurking, which is a good time for people to take food supplements, strengthen physical exercise, and improve physical fitness. In diet, it is suggested eating such foods as mutton, beef, sesame, walnuts, almonds, melon seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, raisins, which can have good result when combining with medicinal diet.
In the ancient Chinese medical works, “Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine”, there was a health-preserving method of “nourishing yang in spring and summer, and nourishing yin in autumn and winter”. For thousands of years, it served as a guidance for preserving health by following the natural changes. Thus, the principle of preserving health at Xiaohan is to concentrate essence and store Qi, strengthen vital energy, prevent cold and nourish the kidney.
Mental health care should nourish the heart
According to the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM), “The key of health preservation is to nourish the heart.” Health preservation at Xiaohan need to calm down and worry less, keep the spirit smooth and optimistic, and not bother about trivial matters; and avoid long-term “overload operation” to prevent illness from overwork.
For office workers, they can take a short nap after lunch which is good for stress-buffering of work. In addition, Yang Qi is strong in the warm spring and summer, while Yin Qi prevail in the cold autumn and winter. Winter is the period for storing yang Qi. The body does not store enough yang Qi due to excessive consumption in winter, you will easily suffer from weakness of limbs and dizziness in the next spring which is not good for health.
Soaking feet in hot water to boost your immune system
In winter, many people frequently have cold feet. Chinese medicine believes that ” the cold is born on the feet”. The weather is cold in winter, qi and blood stasis, muscle pain, and poor circulation of nerve endings might occurs in the body, resulting in cold hands and feet and various discomforts.
It is suggested that soaking feet in hot water every day can help dredge the meridians, relieve the surface and dispel cold to relieve cold hands and feet, and expand capillaries to promote blood supply to the brain.
Avoid high-intensity exercise in restoration
During the Xiaohan, it is preferable to go to bed early and wake up late, and to go out after the sun appears. Because of cold weather in winter, and early morning exercise can easily induce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases due to stimulation of cold air.
It is suggested doing practising morning exercises after 9 am and avoiding high-intensity physical exercises, doing yoga, slow walking, Tai Chi and body stretching exercises, which can invigorate the Yang Qi and strengthen the surface to prevent the senses. Let the body heat up or sweat a little.
Protect the head
The head is the nerve center of the body, the meeting place of Yang Qi and Yang meridians. Cold weather can lead to joint pain, cervical spondylosis, and even cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, it is important to keep warm at Xiaohan, during which eating food that warm the stomach and dispels the cold can achieve twice the result with half the effort.
When the body is stimulated by the cold, it needs a lot of energy to maintain normal operation. Thus, proper tonic is necessary during the Xiaohan. Generally speaking, porridge made of black rice, glutinous rice, red beans, mung beans, peanuts, raisins, barley, longan, lotus seeds, red dates can not only achieve the effect of repelling cold, but also help warm stomach and promote defecation.
San Jiu Tian Moxibustion Therapy
At Xiaohan, herbs in the acupoint application therapy is a method of treating winter diseases in summer. Winter is the time when the meridians and collaterals of the body are full of qi and blood, and the skin is loose, which is conducive to the absorption of medicines. At this time, if medicines that strengthen the body are used for acupoint application, the dual effects of medicines and acupoints can be exerted, achieving twice the result with half the effort Effect.
Moxibustion at Shenque Point
During the Xiaohan, it can preserve health by applying moxibustion at Shenque acupoint which is located in the navel. It is considered by the ancients to be the root of the internal organs, the place where the Ren and Chong channels flow, and the key point connecting the innate and acquired nature of the human body. Moxibustion at Shenque acupoint has the functions of nourishing qi, tonifying yang, and harmonizing qi and blood.
Instruction: burn the moxa sticks around the navel with the navel as the center. Be careful not to burn your skin, just feel warm. Once a day, 15 to 30 minutes each time.
Yang Qi is latent during Xiaohan. You can use your free time to massage your body to promote blood circulation, achieving the dual effects of dispelling the cold and conditioning the body.
- Rubbing the Yongquan point in the foot heart can warm the feet and invigorate the kidneys.
- Rubbing the Guanyuan point on the abdomen can preserve health of the spleen and stomach.
- Rubbing the Mingmen point on the waist can nourish the kidney and strengthen the waist.
- Rubbing the Dazhui point on the neck can warm up and ward off the cold.
Pay attention to physical fitness and avoid blind tonic
In addition, it should not be supplemented tonic blindly at Xiaohan, although it is the best time for tonic. According to TCM’s theory, nourishing is divided into four categories, namely invigorating qi, nourishing blood, and tonifying Yin and Yang.
- Invigorating Qi is mainly aimed at Qi-deficiency constitution
For people who suffer from sweating after exercise, mental fatigue, and women with uterine prolapse, they should eat more herbal medicines such as red ginseng, red dates, Atractylodes macrocephala, astragalus, yam, and schisandra.
- Nourishing blood is mainly aimed at blood-deficiency constitution
For people who suffer from dizziness, palpitations, insomnia, sallow complexion, pale lips, women with less menstrual flow and light complexion, they should eat more herbal medicines such as angelica, rehmannia glutinosa, white peony root, donkey-hide gelatin, and Shouwu.
- Tonifying Yin is mainly aimed at yin deficiency constitution
For people with such symptoms as night sweats, low-grade fever in the afternoon, flushed cheeks, hot hands and feet, and women with increased leukorrhagia, they should take more herbal medicines such as Radix Ginseng, Ophiopogon japonicus, Asparagus, Turtle Shell, Tortoise Shell, and Polygonatum.
- Tonifying Yang is mainly aimed at yang-deficiency constitution
For people with such symptoms as cold hands and feet, fear of cold, back pain, and low sexual function, they should eat more herbal medicines such as antler, Eucommia, Cistanche, Morinda officinalis, mulberry, and black wolfberry.
