As the cold deepens, the white dew becomes heavier, giving rise to Cold Dew. Cold Dew is the 17th of the 24 solar terms, occurring annually between October 8th and 9th. From the start of Autumn, the body gradually adapts to the rhythm of autumn, and "nourishing Yang Qi" is a principle applicable throughout the season. When the climate turns cold, it is a time for the body's Yang Qi to converge and its Yin essence to be stored internally. Therefore, the focus should be on preserving Yin essence, which means that autumn health preservation cannot be separated from the principle of "nourishing and conserving."
Living Habits and Health Preservation TCM often says, "During White Dew, do not expose the body; during Cold Dew, do not expose the feet."
In the south, the Cold Dew season coincides with crisp, clear autumn days, and the temperature difference between day and night gradually increases. There is a folk saying in Guangdong, "After the Mid-Autumn Festival, every night is cool," and after Cold Dew, the evening temperatures become even lower.
The Cold Dew season also brings a dry and crisp feeling to the weather in the south, but sometimes, due to cold fronts moving south, there can be some overcast and rainy days, which have a certain impact on the autumn harvest and planting.
Cold Dew: Don't Expose Your Legs
The cold of Cold Dew is more severe than that of White Dew, especially at night. If you sleep with a window open or without a blanket or sheet covering your abdomen, it's easy for the body to be chilled by the cold.
At this time, the areas of the body that need the most protection at night are, first, the shoulder joint. Many people suffer from periarthritis of the shoulder (also called "fifty shoulder"), which is difficult to treat.
Second is the lower abdomen. A cold lower abdomen can easily lead to diarrhea. So when you go to sleep at night, you can try pressing it with your hand. If your lower abdomen feels cool, it indicates a cold Yin condition.
The third area that is susceptible to cold is the calf. If it gets cold, it can easily lead to cramping.
We need to take care of our limbs frequently by adding more cover. If older people catch a cold during this season, the cold is very difficult to dispel.
Cold Prevention and Warmth
After Cold Dew, the weather in the mornings and evenings becomes noticeably colder, with a particularly heavy chill in the early morning. Exercise often causes more sweating, and if you're not careful, you might catch a cold or get chilled.
Therefore, after Cold Dew, it's essential to protect your body well during exercise and do two things: first, prevent wearing too few clothes. Try to wear loose, comfortable outerwear, and take them off only after you have warmed up. Never start exercising in a tank top and shorts without a proper warm-up.
Second, prevent strains. In lower temperatures, the body reflexively constricts blood vessels, increasing blood viscosity. The range of motion in joints decreases, and the extensibility of ligaments is reduced, making it very easy to pull a muscle.
Hiking to Unleash Your Emotions
Hiking in autumn has been a tradition since ancient times. Autumn hiking can increase the body's oxygen storage and accelerate metabolism. Hiking is an aerobic exercise that can deliver 10 times more oxygen to the muscles than usual, which increases the protein in the blood, the number of immune cells, and helps expel harmful substances from the body. While promoting metabolism, it can also speed up fat consumption. Additionally, hiking helps improve joint function, maintain coordination between muscles and motor organs, increase mineral content in bones, and reduce the occurrence of osteoporosis.
Dietary Hydration
The main cause of autumn dryness is the depletion of body fluids. Therefore, in autumn, it's important to replenish the body's fluids by consuming more liquid foods like soups, congee, and thick soups. Drink an appropriate amount of boiled water rock sugar water, or light tea daily to moisten the internal organs. Don't worry about consuming too much water. Because during dry periods, the gastrointestinal tract is also dry and hot. When a larger amount of water enters the stomach and intestines, it is quickly absorbed by the body. After circulating through the body's fluids, it is excreted through urine and sweat.
Supplementing Wisely in Autumn
Many people experience mouth sores, insomnia, stomach pain, and bloating or diarrhea as soon as they start taking supplements in the autumn season. According to TCM, this condition is known as "deficiency not accepting tonics," which often occurs because the body is too weak to handle the supplements. Taking supplements can easily lead to indigestion, which in turn affects absorption functions, causing malnutrition, weakness of Qi and blood, which further impacts digestion and absorption.
In fact, "deficiency not accepting tonics" can be improved. Based on the characteristics of autumn and the nature of the supplements, you can consume some relatively mild ingredients like Gordon Euryale seeds, Chinese yam, lily bulbs, and longan. These ingredients can not only nourish Qi and blood, strengthen the spleen and kidneys, but also regulate the digestive system, laying a good foundation for winter supplementation.
White Foods are Good for the Stomach in Late Autumn
White foods are also very "stomach-friendly" to eat in late autumn. White foods are sweet, neutral, and warming in nature, and people with weaker constitutions can gain vital energy from them.