The Grain Rain Health Preservation Chapter of the 24 Solar Terms

Liu Tingting: Gu Yu, Dou Zhi GUI. The ecliptic longitude of the sun is 15 degrees. The Grain Rain solar term usually falls around April 20th of the Gregorian calendar each year. Grain Rain, meaning "rain nourishes all grains", is the sixth of the twenty-four solar terms and the last one of spring. As the saying goes, "Snow stops during the Qingming Festival and frost stops during the Grain Rain Festival." The average temperature in most parts of our country is above 12 degrees Celsius. After the Grain Rain, the temperature rises at an accelerated rate. From this day on, the rainfall begins to increase. The abundant rain irrigates and moistens the newly transplanted seedlings and newly planted crops, allowing the five grains to grow well. The duckweed in the pond began to breed, and the mulberry trees also sprouted fresh green leaves. It was the time when the silkworm farmers got busy. At this time, spring tea also begins to be harvested around this season. In the areas south of the Yangtze River, from the hills to the high mountains, one can see tea farmers, sweating profusely, busily picking tea leaves everywhere. In the farmers' homes, tea is being processed, and the fragrant aroma of tea fills the mountain villages. Agricultural production has entered a busy period after the Grain Rain. Therefore, seizing the opportunity, meticulous cultivation, paying attention to weather changes, and planting in a rush to ensure that the farming season is not missed are of vital importance for the autumn harvest. After the Grain Rain solar term, the amount of rainfall increases and the humidity in the air gradually rises. At this time, when we adjust and maintain our health, we must not deviate from the trajectory of changes in the natural environment. Through internal regulation of the human body, we should make the internal environment (physiological changes within the body) adapt to the changes in the external environment (the natural environment outside), and maintain normal physiological functions. The "Suwen: The Complete Treatise on Preserving Life" states: "Man is born from the energy of heaven and earth and is formed by the laws of the four seasons." This means that the changes in nature between heaven and earth will inevitably have a direct or indirect impact on the internal environment of the human body. Maintaining the balance and coordination between the internal and external environments is the foundation for avoiding and reducing the occurrence of diseases. Therefore, when adjusting and maintaining health, one should take into account the factor of the Grain Rain solar term and selectively carry out health care based on its climatic characteristics. After the Grain Rain solar term, it is the period when neuralgia occurs, such as intercostal neuralgia, sciatica, trigeminal neuralgia, and so on. Here I would like to remind friends that once you fall ill, don't be nervous. You can receive targeted treatment based on different causes. As for intercostal neuralgia, it is mostly a common subjective symptom in clinical practice, characterized by pain in one or both sides of the costal region. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is called "hypochondriac pain". The Ling Shu: Five Pathogenic Factors states: "If the pathogenic factor is in the liver, there will be pain in the middle of both hypochondriacs." The "Suwen: Treatise on the Method of Storing Qi" also states: "For those with liver diseases, pain in the lower flanks leads to the lower abdomen." " From the perspective of etiology and pathogenesis, the liver is located in the hypochondrium, and its pulse is distributed in both hypochondrium. Therefore, when the liver is diseased, symptoms of hypochondrium pain often occur. Moreover, the liver is an organ associated with wind and wood. It prefers smoothness and dislikes depression. When emotions are suppressed, the liver qi fails to flow freely, the meridians are blocked, and the circulation of qi in the meridians is not smooth, all of which can cause pain in the hypochondrium. If liver qi stagnation persists for a long time, it may cause blood stasis due to qi stagnation or lead to the cessation of blood stasis in the collaterals due to falls, flasions, and sprains, which can also result in pain in the hypochondrium caused by blood stasis. No matter what the cause is, it is fundamentally related to liver qi stagnation. Therefore, in treatment, the principles of soothing the liver, promoting qi circulation, activating blood and unblocking meridians cannot be ignored. Sciatica refers to the pain within the sciatic nerve pathway and its distribution area. It is mostly manifested as burning or pricking pain in the buttocks, the back of the thigh, and the posterior and lateral side of the ankle joint of the lower leg. In severe cases, the pain is like being cut by a knife, and it worsens during movement. This disease falls within the category of "bi syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine, where "bi" means obstruction or blockage. The cause of the disease is no more than the invasion of wind, cold and dampness into the meridians, which leads to the obstruction and poor circulation of qi and blood in that meridian. According to different clinical symptoms, they can be classified into four types: those mainly affected by wind pathogen and with migratory pain are called "moving arthralgia"; When the main pathogen is cold and the pain is severe, it is called pain arthralgia. Those who are mainly affected by dampness and show symptoms such as soreness, numbness and heaviness are called "zhu". Those with a sudden onset and accompanied by fever symptoms are called heat arthralgia. All those suffering from sciatica should be treated based on the above four types, with the aim of unblocking the stagnation of qi and blood in the meridians, dispelling wind, cold and dampness, and harmonizing the ying and Wei forces to relieve the pain. Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition characterized by paroxysmal, transient and severe pain in a certain area of the face. This disease often occurs on one side of the face, such as the forehead, upper jaw or lower jaw. The pain often strikes suddenly, as if struck by lightning or cut by a knife, making it unbearable. The onset age of this disease is mostly after middle age, and there are more female patients. The cause and mechanism of the disease are mostly due to exposure to wind-cold pathogenic factors, which invade the facial meridians, causing the meridians to become constricted and contracted, and the circulation of qi and blood to be blocked, resulting in sudden pain. The "Suwen: Jutong Lun" states: "When cold qi enters the meridians, it is delayed in examination, and the crying does not stop. If it guests outside the meridians, there will be insufficient blood; if it guests inside the meridians, the qi will be blocked, thus causing sudden pain." In addition, liver qi stagnation, which turns into fire due to depression, improper diet, food stagnation generating heat, liver and stomach fire rising to the face, and inherent Yin deficiency, sexual activity damaging essence, all lead to Yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire, resulting in the occurrence of this disease. In addition, diseases of the teeth, oral cavity, ears and nose can all trigger this disease. During the treatment process, it is necessary to investigate the cause of the disease and identify the symptoms. For those exposed to wind-cold, the focus should be on unblocking the flow of qi and blood. For those with liver and stomach fire, it is necessary to clear the fire in the liver and stomach. For those with Yin deficiency and excessive internal heat, the method of nourishing Yin and reducing internal heat should be adopted. Acupuncture has a good therapeutic effect on this disease. Although the temperature during the Grain Rain solar term is mainly sunny and warm, there are still times when it is cold and times when it is hot in the morning and evening. People who go out early and come back late should be extra careful to take care of themselves to avoid unnecessary pain. The dietary adjustment during the Grain Rain solar term should reflect the concept of harmony between man and nature and the integration of food and medicine. Especially for those suffering from the above-mentioned diseases, they should not use the wrong recipes when choosing food therapy. Here are several commonly used medicinal dishes: Steamed Eel Segments with Ginseng: [Ingredients] 1000g eel, 10g Codonopsis pilosula, 5g Angelica sinensis, 150g cooked ham, salt, Shaoxing wine, pepper powder, ginger, scallion, monosodium glutamate in appropriate amounts, 500g clear chicken soup. [Preparation] Wash and soak the Codonopsis pilosula and Angelica sinensis, then slice them and set aside. After cutting the eel open, remove the internal organs, rinse it thoroughly with clean water, then briefly blanch it in boiling water and take it out. Scrape off the mucus, chop off the head and tail, and then cut the meat into 6-centimeter-long sections. Cut the cooked ham into large slices. Wash the ginger and scallions, slice them and set them aside. Pour clear water into a pot, add half of the ginger, scallions and Shaoxing wine, and bring to a boil. Then, blanch the eel segments in the pot and remove them. Put them in a soup bowl, place the ham, codonopsis pilosula and Angelica sinensis on top, add scallions, ginger, Shaoxing wine, pepper powder and salt, pour in chicken broth, seal the bowl with a soft paper, and steam in a steamer for about 1 hour until cooked. Take it out, open the bowl, remove the ginger and scallions, add monosodium glutamate, and season to taste. [Functions] Warming and tonifying qi and blood, strengthening muscles and bones, promoting blood circulation and unblocking meridians. It is mostly used for soreness and pain in the waist and knees caused by wind-cold-dampness arthralgia. Chrysanthemum Eel: [Ingredients] 1 pound (two pieces) of live eel, 2 ounces of white sugar, 1 ounce of tomato sauce, 1 ounce of dry starch, an appropriate amount of yellow wine, white vinegar, salt, scallions, ginger, wet starch, sesame oil, minced garlic, 2 pounds of peanut oil. [Method] Slaughter the eel, cut it open to remove the internal organs, bones and skin, and then slice it into 2-inch and 5-inch long pieces. Use the top of the knife to diagonally slice it into two pieces (do not slice the end short), then cut it straight into strips (do not cut one end). Soak it in yellow wine, salt, scallions and ginger, and then line each piece with dry starch. Put tomato sauce, sugar, white vinegar and wet starch together in a bowl, and add an appropriate amount of water to make a thickening sauce. Heat a wok over high heat, add 1 jin of oil to the wok and heat it to 80% hot. Shake the eel apart and fry it until golden brown. Remove it and place it on a plate. Leave a little oil in the wok, add minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in the prepared thickening sauce and bring to a boil. Then drizzle in sesame oil and pour it over the chrysanthemum fish. The dish is ready. [Functions] Tonifies deficiency and damage, eliminates rheumatism, and strengthens muscles and bones. It is especially suitable for patients with physical weakness and fatigue, wind-cold-dampness arthralgia, hemorrhoids and other conditions. Three-color Soup: [Ingredients] 2 ounces of soybean sprouts, 20 grams of shredded ginger, 1 red pepper, an appropriate amount of vegetable oil, white vinegar, wet starch, chicken broth, salt, sesame oil, and monosodium glutamate. [Method] Heat the oil in a wok, stir-fry the bean sprouts for a few seconds, add white vinegar and stir-fry until they are 80% cooked. Remove from heat and set aside. Put chicken broth and shredded ginger in the pot, bring to a boil, then add the red peppers and bring to a boil again. Add the bean sprouts and salt, thicken with wet starch, drizzle with sesame oil and serve. [Functions] Dispels wind and dampness, promotes blood circulation and unblocks meridians. It is more suitable for those with muscle and bone stiffness and pain in the waist and knees. People with wind-cold-dampness arthralgia should avoid eating raw and cold foods with a cool nature such as persimmons, persimmon cakes, watermelons, celery, raw cucumbers, crabs, field snails, clams, and kelp. Patients with heat-induced arthralgia should avoid eating warm and heat-inducing foods such as pepper, cinnamon, chili peppers, Sichuan pepper, ginger, scallion whites, and white wine. From China.org.cn