Cold hands and feet, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as "limb cold reversal," are caused by insufficient or stagnant yang qi in the body, which prevents yang qi from reaching the limbs. How to manage cold hands and feet? A simple congee can help.
Some young women often neglect to keep warm, consume too many cold foods, and lack exercise, which can easily lead to symptoms like cold hands and feet. If not managed in time, this can trigger problems such as insomnia, palpitations, irregular menstruation, and uterine cold infertility. In the elderly, a decline in bodily function and weak kidney yang often lead to cold hands and feet, making them more prone to catching colds. Here, we introduce a Cinnamon and Hawthorn Congee, which is very beneficial for improving cold hands and feet.
The specific method is: Take 4 grams of cinnamon, 30 grams of hawthorn, and 50 grams of japonica rice, with an appropriate amount of brown sugar. First, decoct the cinnamon in water for 20 minutes. Then, add the hawthorn and japonica rice to the pot and cook into a congee. Add sugar before serving. Take one dose daily, while hot (do not eat the cinnamon).
In this formula, cinnamon warms the middle jiao to dispel cold and can dilate blood vessels, promoting robust blood circulation and unblocking the vessels. Hawthorn invigorates blood to resolve stasis and promotes the circulation of qi and blood. The two work in synergy and are particularly effective for symptoms like cold hands and feet and a weak spleen and stomach caused by weak kidney yang.