Health Tips from China
《問題不在於你能不能，而在於你會不會去做!》
«The question isn’t can you, it’s will you!»
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Mindful breathing - To complement energy from food
In Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, the air we breathe provides our bodies with a essensial form of power, complementing the energy we receive from food. A wonderful way to practice curative breathing is through a daily meditation practice (passive qigong) that supports your mental and physical health by slowing down, breathing, and calming your mind. Passive qigong focuses on embracing yin energy through body stillness and the mental cultivation of qi energy. Mindful breathing has been shown to reduces anxiety, help with burnout, provide certain types of pain relief, and reduce negative thinking.
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Mindful movement - To improve mood and physical wellbeing
In Chinese medicine, it is believed that inactivity leads to imbalance and pain. Our bodies need to move to stay healthy and balanced. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes gentle, regular, daily movement (active qigong) to improve mood and physical wellbeing. The goal of active qigong is to continuously keep your body in flow. Practicing mindful movement can improve fitness, reduce anxiety and depression, lower blood pressure, relieve chronic pain, strengthen the immune and respiratory systems, and improve overall well-being. Increasing your physical activity at any age can help lower your risk factors for serious health conditions, as well as provide goodness for your overall health and wellbeing. Daily movement creates sharper memory and thinking, it strengthens your bones and prevent osteoporosis, and improves your mood & sleep, in addition to many more benefits.
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Mindful sleeping - For sharper minds and stronger hearts
Sleep is a critical time for the body to rest and restore. In Chinese medicine, being asleep between the hours of 11pm and 3am helps to support your liver and gallbladder organ systems. Staying off your cellphone’s blue light one hour ahead of bed, will secure even better sleep. While you sleep, your blood pressure goes down, providing your heart and blood vessels some rest. Getting quality sleep on a regular basis can help improve all sorts of issues, from your blood sugar to your workouts. It sharpens your brain to learn and stay focused, improves your mood and lowers the risk for depression and anxiety. It is also good for your heart as sleep gives your heart and blood vessels a bit of a rest with the result of improved blood pressure.
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Mindful massage - To balance energy
Tuina massage is an ancient form of massage that focuses on balancing a person’s energy. Tuina therapy techniques to accomplish healing effect. The massage intends to balance the flow of qi through a person, which promoters claim it leads to natural self-healing within the body. Tuina massage can also involve herbal poultices, compresses, and salves. A practitioner may place these on the outside of the body to enhance the therapeutic effects. According to The World Tui-Na Association, the technique can help with a range of health problems. These include:
musculoskeletal disorders, such as frozen shoulder syndrome, herniated disk syndrome, and whiplash
circulatory system disorders, such as hypertension and an irregular heartbeat
respiratory system disorders, such as asthma and chronic bronchitis
digestive system disorders, such as gallbladder inflammation and stomach ulcers
reproductive system disorders, such as menstrual irregularities and sexual dysfuncti
chronic fatigue syndrom
constipation
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Mindfull wearing - Warm feet for healthy internal system
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are many acupuncture points located on the feet. These meridians maintain a fine balance within the body and may be affected by colder temperatures. To secure good flow through these peaks, keep your feet covered and warm, particularly for those who menstruate. TCM theory emphasizes keeping your feet covered and warm to support a healthy internal system. Having warmer feet opens up the blood vessels to allow more efficient blood flow and to enable your body to redistribute heat all around it. This may assist you to sleep better, bring back your energy and generally take better care of yourself to stay comfortable, fit and well. Your feet (and hands) are at the end of our limbs and they have less heat-producing muscles, which also makes them prone to cooling down. If they get too cold, our pain receptors are triggered and we feel discomfort. Reflexologists believe that the feet are intimately connected to the rest of your body, with the 72,000 nerve endings in the feet each corresponding to different areas. Putting your feet in hot water provides an all-round feeling of vitality – not just a good feeling in your feet. It can even help to relieve pain in other parts of the body, and generally reduce stress and even improve your sleep. There is also an emotional aspect to having warm feet. It can make you feel less tense, less irritable and less stressed. It can also make it easier to concentrate and feel well.
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Mindful wearing- Cover your neck with a scarf
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the neck is particularly vulnerable to freezing wind and cold temperatures, which may make you more prone to germs, viruses and bacterias. To support a healthy immune system, TCM says you should protect your neck with a scarf before you go out in cold weather. The neck is the most vulnerable area in the wintertime, and a large winter scarf is your # 1 defense against catching a winter cold. A large winter scarf can provide warmth and protection for your neck and chest area. Scarves can also be beneficial during the summertime. The rapid change in temperature as you move into a cold air-conditioned building during a hot summer day can weaken your immune system and cause a summer cold.
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Mindful eating - Warming food for smooth digestion
Keeping the body warm on the inside is just as important as keeping it warm on the outside. In Chinese Medicine, paying attention to the nature of the food we eat is an important way to accomplish this. Warming food makes the digestion process run smoother, as nutrients from hot food are more easily absorbed. This makes more nutrients available to the body. Still, some cooked foods actually contain more nutritional content than they do when they are raw. Cold and raw foods may be harder for some to digest. Cold-natured food may not cause trouble for everyone, but especially if you regularly experience bloating and digestive discomfort, TCM recommends incorporating lightly cooked or steamed veggies and warm foods instead. warming foods improve both circulation and digestion. Warming food does not always refer to temperature; instead, it indicates the food has a “potency” that confers certain benefits. People in China also recommend choosing room temperature water instead of ice-cold drinks. These suggestions are especially important in the cold winter months when the body requires more energy to break these foods down.
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Mindful drinking - Warm tea & beverage
Herbology is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine which uses herbal formulas to help promote overall wellbeing. Often these herbs are consumed in the form of tea. While acupuncture works by communicating with the body, herbs are considered the building blocks which support the body’s ability to effect change. All herbs have different functions and are used singly or in combination to support the body and mind.
For many, herbology is part of general health and wellbeing. In terms of its general benefits, they can be curative, support the body and allow for a natural first aid for minor illnesses without immediately reaching for any type of modern medicine. In terms of specific benefits, it really depends on which plants and herbs you are using. Cinnamon may help reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar and alleviate nausea. Basil is an anti-inflammatory. Garlic can help with blood pressure. Cayenne can boost circulation, and mint alleviates nausea and calms the nerves. Herbology can be used in a variety of ways, from tablets to teas, powders, lotions, oils, ointments, syrups, poultices (often used in massage), infusions, aromatherapy, tinctures, juices and in their whole form as fresh or dried plants.
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Mindful motherhood - Rest for a month
In the Chinese tradition of Zuo Yue Zi (or “sitting the month”), for example; new mothers are expected to stay at home and rest for a full 30-40 days after their new arrival, while grandmothers and other female relatives take over all daily household tasks. Mom’s only job is to rest and feed the baby.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, blood carries chi, your “life force,” which fuels all the functions of the body. When you lose blood, you lose chi, and this causes your body to go into a state of yin (cold). When yin (cold) and yang (hot) are out of balance, your body will suffer physical disorders.
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Mindful seasons - Live in harmony with seasons
Living in harmony with the seasons is far from a new concept and remains important for our health and our planet. One of the most basic ways our human body receives vital energy and nutrients is from the Earth, particularly from the foods we eat.
In Chinese medicine, there is a specific form of energy or Qi that we can only obtain from food. This is why following a balanced diet is essential to good health. To enhance the potential of our food to fuel us, TCM practitioners recommend eating the foods of the seasons. It is believed that human harmony is realized when we adapt and flow with the changes in our environment. Each season has its own pulse, and embracing the changes in nature allows our internal pulse to flow unimpeded, bringing life and vitality to everything we do.
Winter may be the most difficult season to embrace. Regardless of cold and dark days, it can be seen as a time for renewal at the tail of a lively year. Warm and hydrating foods can be beneficial in this restoration process. Hearty soups and chili made with root vegetables, winter greens and beans are particularly healthful. Broths and stews made with lamb, chicken and beef revitalize organs during this time of rest. Brighten things up with the taste from seasonal citrus fruits.
Spring is the season for new growth, emerging greenery and a time for cleansing after a dark, cold winter. Foods such as tender greens, sprouts, parsley and dried fruits peak in the spring. Onions, leeks, vcelery and asparagus are also in season at this time and can be great additions or sides to your favorite meals.
Summer brings continous, fast growth, warming temperatures, and energy. Avoid burnout by cooling down with raw salads that include cucumber and hydrating fruits like watermelon, strawberries, tomatoes and plums. Include more fish and cooling spices like peppermint and cilantro.
Autumn is a settling down time: Days are shorter, harvests conclude, and energy levels may decline. Temperatures may drop drastically, and wet weather abounds. In preparation for winter, it is important to eat plenty of brightly colored vegetables and whole grains to promote digestion and stave off infections. Beneficial foods include cooked root vegetables: carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnips, as well as garlic, leeks and onion. Fruits such as bananas, apples and pears reach their peak in the fall, which means they will likely taste sweeter and contain more of those healthful antioxidants. Cook with warming spices like ginger, cardamom, peppercorns and cinnamon.
Nugget: Tea has been used and consumed for thousands of years in China. It was often utilized as medicine when it was first used in the 10th century BC. Since then, the customs and use of tea has flourished and evolved. There is an entire culture and art that surrounds Chinese tea. There are certain ways to grow, brew, serve and drink tea. In the Chinese culture, tea is considered of the seven necessities of life. There are five basic categories of teas in China; white, green, oolong, black and post-fermented (Puerh). Chinese tea is almost as recognizable as Kung Fu is in the Chinese culture. Tea is actually drunk more frequently for healthy living than it is for thirst.
