Health Preservation: Eat More of Three Things + Prevent Four Diseases + Protect Five Parts
Eat more white-colored foods to reduce internal heat. After the Start of Winter, most areas in northern China begin heating, and the dry indoor air can cause "internal heat." During this time, you can eat more white-colored foods. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the method of "moistening" is often used to relieve dryness and heat. Based on the Five Elements and Five Colors theory, white-colored foods are best at preventing dryness and heat.
When cooking, you can choose white radish, cabbage, winter melon, lily bulb, tremella, and lotus root. Among these, cabbage and radish have the best effects and can be considered the most economical and affordable supplements. However, people with a cold or weak stomach should eat less of them in winter.
Eat more beef and mutton to keep warm. Eating beef and mutton can help ward off the cold. People who are sensitive to cold can also eat more root and stem vegetables rich in inorganic salts, such as carrots and taro, as well as iodine-rich foods like kelp, seaweed, and spinach. Research has found that sensitivity to cold is related to a deficiency of inorganic salts and iodine in the body. Women can eat more iron-rich foods, such as animal liver, lean meat, and spinach.
Eat more protein to boost immunity. For the elderly and children who already have weaker immune systems, the cold is the biggest threat to their health. Therefore, during this period, it is important to supplement more high-quality protein. Soybeans have the highest protein content, and fish, shrimp, meat, eggs, peanuts, and walnuts are also rich in protein.
Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases: Once winter arrives, the number of patients with heart attacks, angina, stroke, and myocardial infarction increases. Cold stimulation can cause the sympathetic nervous system to become abnormally excited, leading to enhanced cardiac contractility, unstable blood pressure, and acute complications. Therefore, patients with high blood pressure should be more diligent about taking their medication and monitoring their blood pressure on time. The elderly should preferably carry nitroglycerin and other emergency heart medicines with them. If you feel fatigue, dizziness, or chest discomfort for several consecutive days, it is best to seek medical attention promptly.
Respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis: The elderly, smokers, people with chronic diseases, and those with low immunity are prone to chronic bronchitis in winter, which can lead to pulmonary emphysema or pulmonary heart disease in severe cases. Cold stimulation can also easily trigger asthma. In addition to taking medication as prescribed, these people should also keep warm, eat less spicy food, and eat more fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C. Additionally, getting a flu vaccine can help reduce the frequency of chronic bronchitis attacks.
Influenza: The biggest danger of influenza is causing complications and exacerbating underlying diseases, such as heart and lung conditions. The elderly and people with various chronic diseases are more likely to develop severe complications from influenza, which can even be fatal. Influenza is mainly transmitted through droplets. It is best to wear a mask in crowded places, pay attention to hygiene, wash hands frequently, and get a flu vaccine in a timely manner.
If you slip, use your hands to break the fall. After falling, do not get up in a hurry. First, check which part of your body is injured. If you have back pain, do not move around and call 120 for emergency medical assistance immediately.
Cold weather can affect these five vulnerable areas, causing pain in the cervical spine, lower back, and knee joints. The feet are the farthest from the heart, so blood supply is the poorest, making them more susceptible to cold, which can lead to colds and other illnesses.
Try to wear high-collared clothes and a scarf when going out; don't expose your shoulders when sleeping at night, you can drape a towel over them; people with poor waist and knee joints can wear a waist or knee brace, and a cotton vest; soak your feet in hot water before going to bed.
Early to bed, late to rise. The "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon" says, "Go to bed early and rise late, awaiting the sun," which means in winter, you should sleep early and rise late, preferably after the sun comes out, especially for the elderly. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, sleeping early helps preserve yang energy and maintain a warm body, while rising late helps supplement yang energy. Yang energy is like the body's guards, distributed on the surface of the skin, responsible for resisting all external pathogens and protecting the body's safety.
The colder it gets, the more water you should drink. People stay in warm indoor spaces and rarely go out, but this does not mean the body's water consumption decreases. The winter climate is dry and the air humidity is low, so it is even more important to replenish fluids. If you drink too little water, your blood will become thicker, which can easily lead to symptoms like thrombosis, triggering cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Drinking more water in winter can also speed up metabolism and help resist the cold.
Exercise in the afternoon, around 3 or 4 PM. Winter is not only cold but also has more serious pollution, especially before the sun rises in the morning. The best time for exercise in winter is after the sun comes out, with the most suitable time being in the afternoon around 3 or 4 o'clock.
Wear a mask during warm-up. Exercise speeds up breathing, and combined with the stimulation of cold air, it can easily trigger asthma. When you start exercising, you can wear more clothes and a mask, and take them off after your body gradually warms up. The best forms of exercise in winter are aerobic exercises like jogging and fast walking. Do less strength training to prevent strains and sprains.
Drink some hot sugared water after exercise. After exercising in winter, you should stretch and drink some hot sugared water. Take a hot shower half an hour after exercise. If people with chronic diseases feel unwell during exercise, they should stop immediately and seek medical attention.