The Health Preservation Chapter of the Major Cold in the 24 Solar Terms

Liu Tingting: "Major Cold" is the last solar term of the year. Although it is not as extremely cold as the period from Major Snow to Winter Solstice and Minor Cold in meteorological records, it is still in a cold period. According to Chinese customs, especially in rural areas, every time the "Major Cold" comes, people start to be busy getting rid of the old and bringing in the new, pickling New Year's dishes and preparing New Year's goods. The "Zhenzhou Zhuzhi Ci Yin" of the Qing Dynasty records: "Meat chickens, fish and ducks are pickled and said to be New Year's dishes, cooked to welcome the New Year..." After the busy days of spring, summer and autumn, people have entered the "winter three months" slack farming season. With the arrival of the Major Cold, the winter slack farming season is coming to an end. While preparing to cure fish and cured meat, one can already faintly sense the scene of the earth returning to spring. At this time, people's physical and mental states should also be adjusted according to the changes of the solar terms. The Ling Shu: Ben Shen states: "The wise nourish their spirit by following the four seasons, adapting to cold and heat, harmonizing joy and anger, and settling down in peace, regulating Yin and Yang, and adjusting hardness and softness. In this way, evil will not come, and longevity and long-term vision will be achieved." The Lushi Chunqiu: Jin Shu mentions: "The innate Yin and Yang, cold and heat, dryness and dampness, the transformation of the four seasons and the change of all things, are both beneficial and harmful." The sage examines the appropriateness of Yin and Yang and distinguishes the benefits of all things to facilitate life. Therefore, his spirit is at peace with his form, and he lives a long life. That is to say, conforming to the laws of nature is not passive adaptation, but rather taking an active and proactive attitude. First of all, one must master the laws of changes in nature to defend against the invasion of external pathogens. In ancient times, there was a saying: "During the coldest days of the year, to prevent wind and cold, drink ginseng and astragalus wine in the morning and take goji, chrysanthemum and rehmannia pills in the evening." This is a summary of the lives of the working people, and it also shows the importance people attach to physical health care. Taking this solar term as an opportunity, I will write down the methods of health care for women. The "Suwen: Ancient Celestial Treatise" states: "When a girl is seven years old, her kidney energy is abundant, and her teeth grow longer." At the age of 27, when the Heavenly GUI arrives, the Ren meridian becomes unobstructed, and the Taichong meridian becomes vigorous. Menstruation begins at this time, and thus there is a child. The kidney qi of Sanqi is even, so the true teeth grow to the extreme. The muscles and bones are firm, the hair is extremely long, and the body is strong and vigorous. On the fifth and seventh days, when the Yangming meridian declines, the face begins to become scorched and hair starts to fall out. When the six, seven and three Yang meridians decline in the upper part, the face becomes flushed and the hair begins to turn white. The Qi Qi Ren Meridian is weak, the Tai Chong meridian is weakened and scarce, the Tian GUI meridian is exhausted, and the Dao meridian is blocked. Therefore, the form is poor and there are no children. The scripture expounds the laws of a woman's growth, development and aging, and recognizes the significant role of kidney qi and heavenly essence in the maturation and decline of sexual function. At the same time, predecessors believed that the special physiological characteristics of women, such as menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and lactation, are all closely related to blood. The "Annotated Prescriptions for Women" states: "Blood is the essence and energy of water and food. It harmonizes the five internal organs and spreads to the six viscera. In men, it transforms into essence; in women, it becomes milk; and in women, it becomes a sea of blood." It is evident that it is not without reason for women to "take blood as their foundation and use". The abundance of blood mainly depends on the vigorous functions of the liver, spleen and kidneys. The liver is the organ that stores blood, the spleen is the source of blood production, and the kidneys are the foundation of the innate constitution and the root of the primordial qi, mainly responsible for storing essence. Essence can generate blood, and blood can transform into essence. Essence and blood have the same origin and are known as the "foundation of menstruation". Only when essence and blood are abundant can menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth and lactation be normal. Another characteristic of women is that their emotions are prone to fluctuation. Whenever they encounter feelings of longing, love, hatred, affection, jealousy or worry, they often cannot control themselves. The "Annotated and Annotated Prescriptions for Women" points out: "Accumulating thoughts in the mind and overthinking often leads to exhaustion." ... When one is worried and overthinking, the heart aches, the blood flows out, the complexion scatters, and menstruation stops first. ... If all five internal organs are injured, one will die. Only by changing one's mindset and using medicine to support oneself can one survive. From this, it can be seen that emotional factors have a great influence on women. Here, I would like to remind everyone to keep a pleasant mood both before and during menstruation and avoid excessive emotions. Otherwise, it will cause dysfunction of the internal organs, disrupt the circulation of qi and blood, aggravate the discomfort during menstruation, and lead to menstrual disorders, amenorrhea and other conditions. In addition, appropriate activities during menstruation are beneficial for the smooth flow of qi and blood. Women in menopause (entering menopause at the age of 45 to 50) experience a decline or even loss of physiological functions from vigorous. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, due to the gradual decline of kidney qi and the weakness of the Chong and Ren meridians, there is an imbalance of Yin and Yang, resulting in symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, palpitations, insomnia, irritability, anger, depression, anxiety, menstrual disorders, hot flushes and sweating. The severity varies from person to person. If properly regulated, symptoms can be avoided or alleviated, and the reaction time can be shortened. Therefore, how to correctly understand one's own physical changes, relieve unnecessary psychological burdens, eliminate psychological barriers such as tension, fear, negativity and anxiety, avoid adverse mental stimulation, choose appropriate ways to cultivate one's temperament based on one's personality and hobbies, and maintain an optimistic attitude are the keys to safely getting through menopause. This is also the reason why medical experts throughout history have proposed for women's health preservation to "soothe the liver, relieve depression, and regulate the smooth flow of qi". The focus of dietary adjustment in women's health preservation should be placed on strengthening and protecting the spleen and kidneys and nourishing liver blood. Commonly used medicinal diets include: Angelica Sinensis, Ginger and Mutton Soup: (Selected from "Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet") [Recipe] 30 grams of Angelica sinensis, 30 grams of ginger, 500 grams of mutton. [Preparation] Wash Angelica sinensis and ginger thoroughly with clean water, then cut them into large slices and set aside. Remove the tendons and membranes from the mutton, wash it and cut it into pieces. Blanch them in boiling water to remove the blood water, then take them out and let them cool down for later use. Put an appropriate amount of water in a clay pot, add the mutton, then add Angelica sinensis and ginger slices. Bring to a boil over high heat, remove the scum, and then simmer over low heat for 1.5 hours until the mutton is tender. Take out the Angelica sinensis and ginger slices, drink the soup and eat the meat. [Functions] Warming the middle, tonifying blood, and dispelling cold. Red Goji and Notoginseng Chicken: (Selected from Hui 'an Hall's Tonic Medicinal Diet Formula) [Ingredients] 15g goji berries, 10g Notoginseng, 1 hen, 20g ginger, 30g scallion, 30g Shaoxing wine, and an appropriate amount of pepper and monosodium glutamate. [Preparation] After slaughtering the live chicken, clean it thoroughly. Wash the wolfberries. Grind 4 grams of Notoginseng into powder, and slice 6 grams until soft. Cut the ginger into large pieces and the scallions into sections for later use. Put the chicken in a pot of boiling water and blanch it to remove the blood water. Then take it out and drain the water. Next, stuff the goji berries, Sanqi slices, ginger slices and scallion sections into the chicken's abdomen. Put the chicken in a steam pot, add a small amount of clear soup, pepper powder and Shaoxing wine. Then sprinkle the Sanqi powder over the chicken breast, cover the pot, and steam it over high heat with boiling water for about 2 hours. Add monosodium glutamate to taste before serving. [Functions] Tonifies deficiency and enriches blood. It is mild in nature and can be consumed by the elderly, those who have been ill for a long time and are physically weak, as well as those with blood deficiency during menstruation or after childbirth. Sweet and Sour Shredded Carrots: [Ingredients] Half a pound of carrots, an appropriate amount of ginger, sugar, vinegar, salt, monosodium glutamate and vegetable oil. [Method] Wash the carrots and cut them into thin shreds. Cut the ginger into thin shreds and set aside. Heat a wok over high heat and add oil (hot wok, cold oil). Immediately add the shredded ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add the shredded carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar and continue to stir-fry until 80% cooked. Season with salt and add monosodium glutamate to taste. Serve on a plate. [Functions] It can relieve qi stagnation, tonify the middle, benefit the chest and diaphragm, regulate the stomach and intestines, and stabilize the five internal organs. Modern medical research has found that carrots contain "potassium succinate", an effective component for lowering blood pressure. Hypertensive patients can also drink the juice." Milk Porridge: [Ingredients] Half a pound of milk, 100 grams of glutinous rice. [Method] Wash the glutinous rice thoroughly, put it in a pot and add water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and cook until it is 60% done. Add milk and continue cooking until it becomes porridge. [Functions] Moistens the lungs and promotes intestinal peristalsis, tonifies deficiency and nourishes blood. From China.org.cn