Defend against the cold, keep warm, no change on heat
“Defend against the cold” is one of the important tasks of preserving health in winter. Because cold is characterized by contraction it easily leads to unsmooth circulation of qi and blood, spasm and convulsion of sinews and tendons, inconvenient flexing and stretching of joints, which will induce the recurrence of original diseases. Especially, for those with insufficient yang qi, such as the patients with coronary heart disease, asthma, defending against the cold is of utmost importance.
After entering the Slight Snow, frostbite commonly occurs due to the cold weather, so please keep the parts of the body that have suffered or could suffer from frostbite extra warm. When going out in a cold day, the exposed areas like the face and hands should be coated with some anti-freeze cream; the affected area must be protected by clothes; wear the cap with earflaps or earmuffs if necessary; wear thick socks and cotton-padded shoes (not be too tight for feet). Before sleeping, decoct Fresh Ginger (Shēng Jiāng, Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens) and Mugwort Leaf (ài Yè, Folium Artemisiae Argyi) with water and soak the hands and feet, and then smear the oil-based anti-frostbite cream and massage the hands and feet.
Four key points of cold protection and warm keeping
Cold starts from feet
The farthest part from the heart is the feet where the blood vessels are not plentiful, so it is necessary to protect the feet against cold. In addition to shoes and socks that can keep them fully warm, another important method is soaking the feet with warm water. Soaking with warm water before going to bed is beneficial for vasodilatation of the lower limbs and relative insufficiency blood supply for the head, which contributes to good sleep. Please pay attention that the temperature of soaking water is at about 42℃, and the effect will be better if adding some Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens and pricklyash peel (Huā Jiāo, Pericarpium Zanthoxyli) into the foot basin.
Method: First, take three to five thick slices of Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens and seventy to eighty grains of Pericarpium Zanthoxyli; next, wrap them with gauze, and fasten the pocket mouth; then, boil the pocket with water, finally, put it into the footbath.
The basic requirement for sleep is “a cold head and warm feet”. People with poor circulation in their feet should wash their feet with warm water in the morning and often use them in daily life.
Heat dispersion starts from head
“The head is the confluence of all yang-channels”, that is to say, all the yang channels gather on the head, so the yang qi of head is the most abundant with most vigorous blood circulation leading to massive heat emission. Therefore, in winter, it is necessary to wear a hat to keep warm, especially for those who are weak or have cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In order to guard against the diseases of respiratory system caused by wind-cold, such as cold and bronchitis, people can frequently rub their hands together to stimulate the channels and acupoints in hands, and mobilize the functions of related organs and enhance the ability to resist cold.
Protect the chest and back for the elderly
Currently, diseases related to the cardiovascular system frequently occur in the elderly. The chest and back are vital areas for both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. If the chest is attacked by cold pathogen, the blood vessels will lead to spasm, easily inducing coronary heart disease. Therefore, it is better to wear a fur vest to protect the chest and back against cold. Sunbathing, especially on the back is advocated. Additionally, massage the back is another option for elderly adults: leaning and messaging the back against the tree or at the corner, or knocking or rubbing the back with each other. Dumai governing yang channels is mostly circulated in the back. If Dumai is powerful, the circulation of both qi and blood will be promoted.
Protect the middle of body for the weak
Individuals with a weak constitution should take care of the waist and abdomen. The weak point for them lies in the deficiency of the spleen and kidney.
For young girls or women, do not wear clothes that bare the midriff. For the elderly, place a hot-water bag under the waist at night to keep the abdomen and back warm.
At regular intervals, massage the abdomen where there are many health-preserving acupoints, including Guanyuan (RN 4), Qihai (RN 6), Tianshu (ST 25), Zhongwan (RN 12).
The abdomen can be often rubbed. A simple way is to start at the navel center and massage in small circles, making them larger as you go. The waist can be frequently rubbed or massaged with your hands.
