"Spring Cover, Autumn Freeze" How Long Are You Still Going to "Cover"?
Core Tip: When "spring covering," special attention should be paid to keeping the head, feet, neck, and hands warm. Do not quickly remove hats, scarves, masks, thick socks, and gloves, as this can easily lower the body's immunity and lead to illness.
Everyone says "Spring Cover, Autumn Freeze," so how long are you still planning to "cover"?
"Generally, after the start of spring, you should 'cover' for at least 10-15 days," said Professor Wang Hongcai from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in an interview with a reporter. Although the start of spring marks the arrival of spring, the low temperatures of winter will not回升 (rise) immediately, requiring a transition period of at least 10-15 days. During this time, the temperature fluctuates greatly. If you take off your thick clothes too early, the head, lower limbs, hands, throat, etc., can easily be affected by the cold due to not adapting to the changing temperatures, leading to colds, bronchitis, arthritis, and other diseases.
Of course, the duration of "covering" varies from person to person. The elderly, children, or those with a constitution偏向 (leaning towards) coldness can cover for a few more days, while those with a "heat" constitution can cover for fewer days. The specific standard can be determined by considering both the temperature and personal feeling.
First, look at the temperature.
Typically, 15°C is a critical value. When the temperature is below this, it's best to continue "enduring" the inconvenience of heavy clothing; when it exceeds this temperature, you can consider taking off some clothes.
Second, rely on your own feeling.
Everyone's constitution is different, and their tolerance for cold and heat also varies. If you don't feel a dry throat or sweat while "covering," you don't need to rush to take off your clothes even if the temperature is slightly above 15°C. If you feel you will sweat while "covering," it might be a good idea to change your clothes earlier. Otherwise, if you sweat from "covering" and then get a blast of cold wind, you are more likely to catch a cold.
The temperature difference between day and night is also one of the criteria for whether to "cover" or not.
Wang Hongcai reminded that in early spring, one should pay close attention to the weather forecast, understand temperature changes a day or two in advance, and adjust clothing accordingly. This can largely protect the body from the stimulation of sudden cold air, thereby reducing the occurrence of diseases. Especially when the weather forecast predicts a day-night temperature difference of more than 7-10°C, one should be careful to guard against the cold.
When "spring covering," special attention should be paid to keeping the head, feet, neck, and hands warm. Do not quickly remove hats, scarves, masks, thick socks, and gloves, as this can easily lower the body's immunity and lead to illness.
Eight Methods of Health Preservation and Regulation
1. Nourishing Yang
Spring and summer are when nature's temperature rises and Yang gradually flourishes. At this time, health preservation should focus on nourishing Yang to adapt to the seasonal changes. Based on the characteristic of Yang's development in the human body during spring, you can choose a diet that is mildly tonifying or cooling. For example, use warming foods for tonification. A mildly tonifying diet is suitable for healthy people and those with a weak constitution, such as buckwheat, coix seed, soy milk, mung beans, apples, sesame, and walnuts. A cooling diet refers to meals made with foods that have a cool nature, such as pears, lotus root, shepherd's purse, and lily.
2. Nourishing Yin
Those with Yin deficiency and patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers are prone to flare-ups in spring. Dietarily, a honey therapy can be used. Steam honey over water and take it on an empty stomach before meals, 100 ml daily, divided into 3 doses; or use 250 ml of milk, bring to a boil, add 50 grams of honey and 6 grams of Baiji (white atractylodes rhizome), mix well, and drink. These all have the effect of nourishing Yin and benefiting the stomach. For those with a constitution of internal heat due to Yin deficiency, you can choose foods like rice porridge, red bean porridge, lotus seed porridge, and vegetable puree. Avoid overly sweet, greasy, fried, fatty, raw, cold, and coarse foods.
3. Nourishing Qi
Chronic bronchitis in the elderly is also prone to flare-ups in spring. As spring Yang rises, the body's Yang also rises accordingly. To support Yang, attention should be paid to the diet. You can often eat foods like scallions, coriander, fermented soybeans, dates, and Astragalus. Also, eat more foods that expel phlegm, strengthen the spleen, and nourish the kidneys and lungs, such as loquats, pears, lotus seeds, lilies, red dates, walnuts, and honey, which can help alleviate symptoms.
4. Nourishing the Brain
In spring, people with hyperactive Liver Yang are prone to headaches and dizziness, which is the reason why traditional Chinese medicine says, "In spring, all diseases are in the head." The dietary prevention method is to eat 250-500 grams of bananas or oranges daily; or use 100 grams of banana peel, decoct it in water to make tea and drink it frequently. Additionally, you can use 250 grams of celery and 10 red dates, decoct them in water to make tea and drink.
5. Nourishing the Spleen
Traditional Chinese medicine also believes: "In spring, one should reduce sour foods and increase sweet ones to nourish the spleen." This is because spring is the time when Liver Qi is prosperous, and a prosperous Liver Qi can affect the Spleen, so the spleen and stomach are easily weakened in spring. Eating more sour foods can cause Liver Yang to become hyperactive. Therefore, for spring dietary conditioning, it is advisable to choose pungent, sweet, and warming foods, avoid sour and astringent ones, and consume more vegetables and wild vegetables.
6. Nourishing the Stomach
In terms of diet, one should avoid consuming pork soup, chicken soup, fish soup, beef soup, and foods rich in substances like creatine and purine bases, as well as spinach, beans, animal offal, and stimulating condiments. The aforementioned foods strongly stimulate gastric juice secretion and can also form gas, leading to bloating and increasing the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. The diet should be light and easy to digest. The aforementioned honey therapy can be used.
7. Nourishing the Kidneys
The pleasant climate in spring is a good time for patients with poor kidney function to nourish and regulate their kidneys. Taking kidney-strengthening formulas and solidifying kidney medicinal diets at this time has a higher therapeutic effect for the early stage of kidney damage. Patients should pay attention to lifestyle regulation in spring, with a diet that is light and sweet in flavor. You can eat light fruits and vegetables, such as mangosteen, lotus root, coix seed, cucumber, and muskmelon.
8. Nourishing "Heat"
The climate in early spring is still very cold. Cold stimulation can cause the thyroid gland to become hyperactive, consuming energy and weakening the body's endurance and resistance. On the other hand, the body also needs to consume energy to maintain a stable core temperature to keep warm. Therefore, the diet in early spring should be high in calories. In addition to grain products, you can also choose glutinous rice products, soybeans, sesame paste, peanuts, walnuts, and other foods to replenish energy in a timely manner.