Many people believe that winter is the best time for nourishment, but they are unaware that nourishment is a very scientific matter, and blind practices can often have the opposite effect!
1. Blindly eating dog meat
Some people with weak constitutions or suffering from diseases like arthritis can benefit from eating more dog meat in the cold winter. However, one should not eat dog meat blindly to avoid consuming rabid meat and contracting rabies. Do not drink tea after eating dog meat, because tannic acid in tea combines with the protein in dog meat to form a substance. This substance has a certain astringent effect, which can weaken intestinal peristalsis and reduce water in the stool. Therefore, toxic and carcinogenic substances in the stool will be easily absorbed by the body due to their prolonged stay in the intestines.
2. Confusing deficiency and excess
The therapeutic principle of Traditional Chinese Medicine is "nourish the deficient." If deficient, nourish; if not, a normal diet is sufficient. At the same time, one should distinguish the properties and scope of application of tonics to see if they are suitable for oneself. Experts believe that the main function of nourishment is "to supplement deficiency and benefit impairment," and deficiency is divided into four types: Qi deficiency, blood deficiency, Yin deficiency, and Yang deficiency, each with different methods of nourishment.
1. Qi deficiency, common symptoms include mental fatigue, low voice, spontaneous sweating, pale tongue with a white coating, and a weak pulse. For Qi deficiency, one should replenish Qi. For this condition, one can choose royal jelly ginseng, Buzhong Yiqi Wan, American ginseng, Astragalus root, Codonopsis root, Chinese yam, etc.
2. Blood deficiency, common symptoms include sallow complexion, pale lips and nails, dizziness and palpitations, forgetfulness and insomnia, numbness in hands and feet, pale tongue, and a thin weak pulse. For blood deficiency, one should enrich the blood. For this condition, one can choose blood-enriching liquid, Shi Quan Da Bu Wan, Guipi Wan, Angelica sinensis, donkey-hide gelatin, longan pulp, etc.
3. Yin deficiency, common symptoms include tidal fever and night sweats, burning sensation in the five centers (palms, soles, chest, abdomen, and head), dry mouth and throat, dry cough with little phlegm, dry eyes, a red tongue with little coating, etc. For Yin deficiency, one should nourish Yin. For this condition, one can choose Dabuyin Wan, Shenqi Royal Jelly, Liuwei Dihuang Wan, tremella, turtle plastron, Ophiopogon root, Glehnia root, black sesame, etc.
4. Yang deficiency, common symptoms include a deathly pale complexion, cold limbs, impotence and premature ejaculation, poor appetite and loose stools, a pale tender tongue, and a faint and thin pulse. For Yang deficiency, one should strengthen Yang. For this condition, one can often choose Jingui Shenqi Wan, velvet antler oral liquid, Guilinggao, velvet antler, placenta, gecko, Cordyceps, Eucommia, etc. When taking tonics, one must also pay attention to the digestive function of the spleen and stomach. If the spleen and stomach are weak, with poor appetite, fullness and oppression in the chest and epigastrium, it is necessary to add herbs that awaken the spleen and strengthen the spleen, such as dried tangerine peel, Amomum fruit, Saussurea root, medicated leaven, and sprouted rice, to strengthen the spleen and aid transportation.
In addition, if a patient has external pathogens (such as a cold), it is generally advisable to clear them first before nourishing, to avoid aiding or retaining the pathogens to cause harm.
3. Taking tonics blindly for their fame
Chicken soup is not suitable for everyone. Chicken soup (including stewed chicken soup and chicken soup boiled with medicinal herbs) is nutritious. The nutrients in chicken soup are a small amount of water-soluble molecules dissolved from chicken oil, skin, meat, and bones. Its protein is only about 7% of that in chicken meat, and most of the chicken oil in the soup belongs to saturated fatty acids. Because of this unique nutrient composition and stimulating effect of chicken soup, the following groups of patients should not drink it:
Patients with biliary tract diseases, such as those with frequent attacks of cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, should not drink too much chicken soup. The digestion of fat in chicken soup requires the participation of bile. Drinking chicken soup will stimulate the gallbladder to contract, which can easily trigger an attack of cholecystitis.
Patients with excessive stomach acid should not drink chicken soup, because chicken soup stimulates the secretion of gastric acid. Patients with gastric ulcers, excessive stomach acid, or gastric bleeding generally should not drink chicken soup.
Patients with renal insufficiency should not drink chicken soup, because chicken soup contains some small-molecule proteins. Patients with acute nephritis, acute or chronic renal insufficiency, or uremia cannot process protein decomposition products from their liver and kidneys in a timely manner. Drinking too much chicken soup can cause high nitrogen bloodemia and worsen the condition.
4. Taking tonics without illness
Taking tonics without illness not only increases expenses but also harms the body. For example, an overdose of cod liver oil can cause poisoning, and long-term use of glucose can lead to obesity. In addition, tonics are not "the more, the better." Any tonic taken in excess is harmful.