The prevalence of sub-health in our country accounts for 70% to 75% of the total population, with middle-aged intellectuals and mental workers being particularly affected. Experts point out that from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sub-health is primarily characterized by a deficiency of "Zheng Qi." "Zheng Qi" refers to the body's immune regulatory function in modern medicine. As the saying goes, "Where evil gathers, the Qi must be deficient." When immune regulation is impaired, various diseases can take advantage of the weakness. Therefore, to overcome sub-health, one must first support the body's "Zheng Qi." A deficiency of Zheng Qi can lead to various diseases.
Experts state that traditional Chinese medicine views sub-health as a state of overall functional decline in the body caused by multiple factors, including disorders of Qi and blood functions, imbalance of Yin and Yang, abnormal ascent and descent of visceral Qi, and emotional disturbances. Its occurrence is related to modern lifestyles such as a fast pace of life, intense competition, high psychological stress, staying up late, and other unhealthy habits, as well as severe environmental pollution.
TCM believes that sub-health is primarily characterized by a deficiency of "Zheng Qi." "Zheng Qi" is what modern medicine calls the body's immune regulatory function, and the "neuro-endocrine-immune" system constitutes the body's immune regulation network. When Zheng Qi is weak, the body's defense is compromised, immune function is low, and the ability to resist pathogens is weakened, which can lead to various diseases. For example, when the body is invaded by wind and cold pathogens, a weak resistance and low immune regulation can easily lead to infectious diseases such as colds, pneumonia, viral hepatitis, and Japanese encephalitis. Furthermore, immune deficiency in the body can cause immunodeficiency diseases such as various cancers and AIDS.
Experts point out that to overcome sub-health, one must first support the body's "Zheng Qi." To support Zheng Qi, one must first prevent internal injuries from the "Seven Emotions." TCM holds that the Seven Emotions refer to the changes in seven emotions: joy, anger, worry, pensiveness, sadness, fear, and fright. Experts say that a person's emotional activities are closely related to visceral functions, and different emotions have different effects on the organs. Great anger injures the liver, great joy injures the heart, worry and pensiveness injure the spleen, sadness injures the lungs, and fright and fear injure the kidneys. A survey of over 200 sudden death patients in Beijing showed that 50% of them developed their condition due to emotional distress such as anger, anxiety, or depression within 24 hours. In fact, abnormal emotional changes can damage the internal organs, mainly affecting their Qi mechanisms, causing disorder in the ascent and descent of Qi and the functions of Qi and blood, thereby triggering sub-health and even disease. Harmonizing the Seven Emotions can promote vigorous visceral activity, support Zheng Qi, and thus enhance the body's immune function and disease resistance. Eating too much fruit can easily damage the spleen and stomach, leading to sub-health.
TCM emphasizes dietetics, and a reasonable diet is the foundation for supporting Zheng Qi. Experts say that some women, in order to maintain a slim figure, control their intake of staple foods, and some even use fruit as a staple food, which is incorrect. Although fruit is good, eating too much can easily damage the spleen and stomach. Some elderly people blindly believe that "it's hard to buy thinness in old age" and avoid eating meat, fish, poultry, and eggs to maintain a thin figure, which is also incorrect. Balanced nutrition is the cornerstone of health. Protein and fat should be consumed in appropriate amounts, but not eliminated entirely. One must not avoid them altogether for fear of gaining weight. Among protein-rich foods, fish protein and soy protein are the best for health, as they can lower cholesterol and prevent cancer, so it is recommended to consume more of them.
Regular and moderate physical exercise can also support the body's "Zheng Qi." In addition to walking, daily activities such as practicing Tai Chi, dancing, and doing gymnastics can achieve the goal of strengthening the body, supporting Zheng Qi, and overcoming sub-health.
1. Balanced Nutrition. No single food can comprehensively contain all the nutrients the human body needs. Therefore, one must eat delicacies and drink milk, but it is even more important to eat coarse grains, miscellaneous grains, vegetables, and fruits to meet the scientific and balanced nutritional concept. With a reasonable diet, diseases will occur less frequently.
2. Ensure Adequate Sleep. Sleep is closely related to everyone's health. Experts' research shows that sleep should account for about one-third of human life. However, today's sleep deprivation due to work or entertainment has become the most common and serious problem affecting health. This deserves high alertness, and one must be determined to ensure sufficient sleep.
3. Manage Stress. The reason people feel tired is primarily because emotions make the body tense. Therefore, one must learn to relax and free oneself from tension and fatigue. It is important to set practical and achievable goals; avoid psychological pressure caused by unattainably high self-expectations. In society, it is inevitable to encounter many worries and setbacks; one must learn to cope with various challenges and maintain psychological balance through psychological adjustment.
4. Cultivate Interests. Hobbies and interests can increase your vitality and enjoyment, making life more fulfilling, vibrant, and rich. Healthy and beneficial cultural, entertainment, and sports activities can not only cultivate one's moral character and sentiment but also help treat some psychological diseases and prevent the progression of sub-health.
5. Outdoor Activities. The highly developed material and cultural life of modern times has led some people to stay indoors with air conditioning, televisions, and computers, and travel by car when they go out, thus staying away from sunlight and fresh air, and often feeling listless, depressed, and irritable. Therefore, one should set aside 30 minutes to an hour every day to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, go to the suburbs for sunlight exposure, and breathe fresh air with a high concentration of negative oxygen ions.