The Health Preservation Chapter of the Qingming Festival in the 24 Solar Terms

Liu Tingting's "Qingming" means the sky is clear and the earth is bright. The lunar calendar records: "When the Dipper points to Ding, it is called Qingming. At this time, all things are clean and clear, because the air is clear and the scenery is bright, and all things are in order, hence the name." During the Qingming solar term, the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 15 degrees, and the average daily temperature in most parts of China has risen above 12 degrees. At this time, the scene of peach blossoms just beginning to bloom, willows turning green, and withered and fallen leaves passing by with the wind is reappearing, presenting a clear and elegant appearance. During the Qingming Festival, it has been a time for people to pay homage to their ancestors and sweep tombs since ancient times. As Chinese people, we attach great importance to the ritual of "paying homage with courtesy" and the activity of tracing the deceased. In the poem "Qingming" by Gao Jujian of the Song Dynasty, it is said: "There are many burial fields on the mountains in the north and south, and the Qingming tomb-sweeping activities are all in full swing." Ashes of paper fly into white butterflies, and blood and tears dye red azaleas. By the day, foxes sleep on the tomb; at night, children laugh by the lamp. Life has wine to drink; has a drop ever reached the netherworld? Although there is a custom of paying homage to ancestors during the Qingming Festival in various places, the ways of doing so vary from place to place. In northern regions, there are often sayings such as "If you don't wear willows on the Qingming Festival, your beauty will grow old" and "If you don't wear willows on the Qingming Festival, you will become a pig or a dog after death". Moreover, from the perspective that people call the Qingming Festival the "Ghost Festival", planting and wearing willows seem to have the effect of warding off evil spirits and eliminating disasters. Therefore, the folk also call the Qingming Festival the "Cold Food Festival". It is on the Qingming Festival that there is a saying that one should not touch the stove fire and should avoid eating hot food, otherwise one will be punished by the gods. The way of paying homage to ancestors in Taiwan region of our country is even more distinctive. The county annals of Taiwan record: "During the Qingming Festival, people pay homage to their ancestors and sweep their graves. They must invite relatives and friends to accompany them." The woman drove to the mountain, finished the ritual, sat on the ground and drank, and returned at dusk. These ancient customs have been preserved to this day, which shows how much people value the Qingming Festival. In agricultural production, Qingming is an important solar term. There are also sayings like "Qingming and Guyu are connected, do not delay soaking seeds and plowing fields" and "Plant melons and beans around Qingming." In our city, there is also a saying that "the best time for afforestation is during the Qingming Festival." From this, it can be seen that whether in rural areas or cities, the Qingming Festival is a day that people should pay attention to. In terms of traditional Chinese health preservation, the Qingming Festival is also a particularly important solar term. During this solar term, as it is a period when hypertension is prone to occur, let's talk about how to maintain good health around this disease. First of all, we need to know what hypertension is? Hypertension refers to a common clinical syndrome characterized by persistently elevated arterial pressure within the systemic circulation, which can damage organs such as blood vessels, the brain, the heart, and the kidneys. The incidence of this disease increases with age. The incidence of coronary heart disease and acute myocardial infarction in patients with hypertension is also 3 to 5 times higher than that in those with normal blood pressure. In traditional Chinese medicine, the key points for diagnosing this disease include not only observing changes in blood pressure but also analyzing the patient's systemic symptoms such as dizziness and headache. The causes are often old age and physical weakness, emotional imbalance, long-term illness due to overwork, and preference for certain foods. The main pathology is the imbalance of Yin and Yang, with deficiency at the root and excess at the symptoms. The commonly witnessed types include: Yin deficiency and Yang hyperactivity syndrome (headache, dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, insomnia, frequent dreams, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, facial flushing, and numbness of the limbs). Liver and kidney Yin deficiency syndrome (dizziness, blurred vision, dry and sore eyes, tinnitus, deafness, soreness and weakness in the waist and legs, and heel pain); Yin and Yang deficiency syndrome (dizziness and blurred vision, walking as if in a boat, pale complexion with occasional hot flushes, palpitations and shortness of breath, soreness and weakness in the waist and knees, frequent urination at night, or edema). When people with hypertension are engaged in health preservation, they should target the pathological condition of imbalance between Yin and Yang and fundamental deficiency with apparent excess. The key approach is to harmonize Yin and Yang and support the body's vital energy. They should adopt a comprehensive health preservation method, such as regulating emotions. Because this disease is closely related to emotional factors, when emotions are not fulfilled and emotions are excessive, it often affects the smooth flow of liver wood and the nourishment of kidney water. Modern medical research also indicates that adverse external stimuli, prolonged mental tension, anxiety, irritability and other emotional fluctuations can all lead to and aggravate the symptoms of hypertension. Therefore, in terms of regulating emotions during the process, it is necessary to reduce and eliminate abnormal emotional responses, shift emotions easily, maintain a pleasant mood, and choose Tai Chi, which features gentle movements and stillness within movement, as the preferred form of exercise. Avoid participating in competitive activities to prevent getting emotionally agitated. Avoid weight-bearing activities to prevent holding your breath and causing elevated blood pressure, etc. In terms of dietary regulation, it is necessary to eat at regular intervals and in appropriate amounts, and avoid overeating. For those who are overweight, it is necessary to reduce the intake of sweet foods, limit calorie consumption, and eat more fruits and vegetables. For elderly patients with hypertension, a low-salt diet should be particularly emphasized. While reducing salt intake, potassium intake should also be increased, such as by consuming more vegetables and fruits. For the syndrome of Yin deficiency and Yang hyperactivity, take 5 to 10 grams of wild chrysanthemum, add water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Drink it as tea. For liver and kidney Yin deficiency syndrome, one can choose to consume bee milk. For syndrome of deficiency of both Yin and Yang, 20 grams each of wolfberry, walnut meat and black sesame seeds can be decocted in water and taken once a day with the soup. Here are a few more dishes that can help prevent and treat hypertension (selected from "Hypertension Prevention and Treatment"). Home-style Rooster [Ingredients] 250g young rooster, 75g celery, 10g winter bamboo shoots, 20g chili peppers, 30g lean meat soup, an appropriate amount of ginger, broad bean paste, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, starch, monosodium glutamate, and vegetable oil. [Method] Cut the chicken into small pieces, blanch them in hot water, then remove and set aside. Cut the celery into pieces, slice the winter bamboo shoots into thin strips, mince the chili peppers, grind the ginger into powder, mix half of the starch with soy sauce, cooking wine, vinegar and salt in the same bowl and stir well. Mix the other half of the wet starch with sugar, monosodium glutamate and stock to make a starch slurry and set it aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok. First, stir-fry the chicken pieces until the chicken turns white and the moisture is almost dry. Then add the winter bamboo shoots, broad bean paste, ginger, etc. and stir-fry over high heat until they are 90% cooked. Add the chopped celery and stir-fry for a short while. Pour in the prepared starch slurry and stir constantly until cooked. Remove from the heat and it's done. [Functions] Warming the middle, tonifying deficiency, lowering blood pressure and calming the mind. It is suitable for consumption by patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease, nutritional supplements, and those in the postoperative recovery period. Milled Chinese Cabbage [Ingredients] 250 grams of Chinese cabbage, 3 grams of dry-milled Chinese cabbage, an appropriate amount of soy sauce, sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate and vegetable oil. [Method] Wash the Chinese cabbage and cut it into 3-centimeter sections. Soak the button mushrooms in warm water until they expand. Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the Chinese cabbage until it is 70% cooked. Then add the button mushrooms, soy sauce, sugar and salt, and stir-fry until cooked. Add the monosodium glutamate and stir well to complete the dish. [Functions] Clearing heat and relieving irritability, benefiting stomach qi and lowering blood lipid. It is suitable for people with hypertension, coronary heart disease and gum bleeding. Chicken Soup Fish Rolls [Ingredients] 250g fresh carp, 30g lean pork, 10g egg white, 10g peas, 8g ham, winter bamboo shoots, chicken soup, cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, starch, and monosodium glutamate in appropriate amounts. [Method] Steam the ham until cooked and then cut it into thin shreds. Cut the winter bamboo shoots into thin shreds. Mince the ginger and lean meat. Mix the starch water to make a wet powder. Process the live fish as usual, remove the bones, and slice it into small rectangular pieces. Mix minced meat with soy sauce, half an egg white, cooking wine, monosodium glutamate, minced ginger and half a wet starch to make the filling. Mix the remaining egg white with the wet starch to form a paste. Place the fish flat on the cutting board, first apply a layer of paste, then put the meat filling on it, roll up the fish slices, and then apply a little more paste to stick the fish rolls together. Bring the chicken soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Put the rolled fish rolls into the pot and blanch them briefly to remove the scum and cool the soup. Once the fish rolls are cooked, add the sliced ham, winter bamboo shoots and other seasonings to the soup and bring to a boil until done. [Functions] Nourishing Yin and moistening dryness, clearing heat and promoting diuresis. It is suitable for hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic nephritis, indigestion and other conditions. From China.org.cn