A Comprehensive General Outline of TCM Health Preservation

From emotions, diet, daily life to exercise,

Rebuild your health order.

Adapt to the time, harmonize yin and yang, and awaken the body's self-healing ability.

In the view of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), health preservation is not simply "exercising" or "taking tonics", but a lifestyle that runs through clothing, food, housing and transportation, and the highest wisdom of "preventing diseases before they occur". It pursues harmony between humans and nature, and unity of body and mind. This guide will lead you to appreciate the core essence of TCM health preservation and integrate it into daily life.

Cornerstones of Health Preservation: Four Pillars Laying the Foundation for Health

1. Emotional Health Preservation: Peace of Mind Keeps All Diseases Away

(1) Core Theory

TCM holds that "anger harms the liver, joy harms the heart, overthinking harms the spleen, grief harms the lungs, and fear harms the kidneys". Excessive emotions can damage the corresponding zang-fu organs.

(2) Practical Methods

• Regulate Breath and Calm the Mind: Every morning or before bedtime, perform 10-15 minutes of deep breathing or silent meditation, imagining exhaling turbid qi and inhaling fresh qi, which can effectively calm the mood and regulate qi movement.

• Music Therapy:

  Based on the "five tones for curing diseases", those with stagnant liver qi can listen to jiao tone (wood) music such as Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute, those with restless mood can listen to zhi tone (fire) music such as Purple Bamboo Tune, and those with excessive thinking due to spleen deficiency can listen to gong tone (earth) music such as Ambush from Ten Sides.

• Cultivate Elegant Interests: Devote oneself to landscapes, calligraphy and painting, gardening, tea ceremony, which can divert worries, bring joy to the heart and smooth the flow of qi and blood.

2. Dietary Health Preservation: Eating the Right Food is the Best Medicine

(1) Core Theory

Medicinals and foods share the same origin, and diet needs to follow the principle of "syndrome differentiation and diet therapy", which means choosing foods according to one's own constitution and seasonal changes.

(2) Practical Methods

• Food Selection Based on Constitution:

  • Qi-deficiency constitution (prone to fatigue and shortness of breath): Eat more millet, Chinese yam, jujubes, beef.

  • Yang-deficiency constitution (fear of cold, cold hands and feet): Eat more ginger, mutton, chives, longan.

  • Yin-deficiency constitution (heat in hands and feet, dry mouth): Eat more tremella, lily bulb, pear, tofu.

  • Damp-heat constitution (oily face, bitter taste in mouth): Eat more mung beans, wax gourd, coix seeds, bitter gourd.

• Moderate Diet: Eat regularly and quantitatively, with seven tenths full being appropriate; balance the five flavors, and do not overindulge in spicy, sweet or raw/cold foods.

• Eat in Accordance with Seasons:

  • Spring: Eat buds and green leaves (such as Chinese toon, chives) to promote germination.

  • Summer: Eat melons and fruits (such as watermelon, cucumber) to clear summer heat.

  • Autumn: Eat nuts (such as peanuts, almonds) to moisten dryness.

  • Winter: Eat root and stem warm-tonic foods (such as radish, potato, mutton) to keep out the cold.

3. Daily Life Health Preservation: Adapt to the Time and Maintain Regular Work and Rest

(1) Core Theory

"Man is in harmony with nature", and people's work and rest should follow the rhythm of the sun.

• Sleep Well During "Zi and Wu Hours": Zi hour (23:00-1:00) is the time when yin qi is most abundant and yang qi begins to emerge. Falling asleep at this time best nourishes yin and helps yang, which is crucial for liver and gallbladder detoxification. Wu hour (11:00-13:00) is the time when yang qi is most abundant and yin qi begins to emerge. Taking a 15-30 minute nap can nourish the heart, calm the mind and replenish energy.

(2) Practical Methods

• "Keep Warm in Spring and Cool in Autumn": In spring, yang qi is just emerging, so do not reduce clothing abruptly to prevent wind-cold invasion; in autumn, yin qi is just emerging, so do not add thick clothes too early to enhance the body's cold resistance.

• Balance Work and Rest: Avoid prolonged viewing (which harms blood), prolonged lying (which harms qi), prolonged sitting (which harms muscles), prolonged standing (which harms bones), and prolonged walking (which harms tendons).

4. Exercise Health Preservation: Combine Movement and Stillness to Unblock Qi and Blood

(1) Core Theory

"Movement nourishes the body, stillness nourishes the spirit". Exercise aims to promote the circulation of qi and blood rather than excessive consumption.

(2) Practical Methods

• Gentle Exercise is Preferred: Tai Chi, Baduanjin, Wuqinxi (Five-Animal Exercises), walking, yoga, etc., with the degree of slight sweating and a comfortable feeling in the body.

• Focus on Massaging Health-Care Acupoints:

  • Zusanli (four horizontal fingers below the kneecap): Strengthens the spleen and stomach, tonifies middle qi, and is known as the "longevity acupoint".

  • Sanyinjiao (four horizontal fingers above the medial malleolus): Regulates and tonifies the liver, spleen and kidneys, and is especially beneficial for gynecological problems.

  • Yongquan (depression in the front part of the sole): Nourishes kidney water, reduces heart fire, and improves sleep.

• Foot Soaking Before Bedtime: Soak feet in hot water (about 40℃) for 20 minutes, and mugwort leaves or ginger can be added to guide fire downward, warm kidney yang and improve blood circulation.

Four-Season Health Preservation: Follow the Rhythm of Nature

• Spring (Germination): All things recover, focusing on nourishing the liver. It is advisable to go to bed late and get up early, wear loose clothes and walk slowly, keep a happy mood, and eat more green vegetables.

• Summer (Growth): Yang qi is the most vigorous, focusing on nourishing the heart. It is advisable to go to bed late and get up early, avoid violent anger, sweat appropriately, have a light diet, and clear away summer heat.

• Autumn (Harvest): The climate is dry, focusing on nourishing the lungs. It is advisable to go to bed early and get up early, keep the mind calm, prevent autumn dryness, and eat more yin-nourishing and lung-moistening foods (such as pears, honey).

• Winter (Storage): Yang qi is inwardly collected, focusing on nourishing the kidneys. It is advisable to go to bed early and get up late, wait for the sun to rise, keep warm, reduce strenuous exercise, and take appropriate tonics.

Constitution Identification: Find Your Health Preservation Code

TCM health preservation emphasizes individualization. The above methods are general principles, but the most accurate health preservation needs to be based on your constitution. Common constitutions include: balanced constitution, qi-deficiency constitution, yang-deficiency constitution, yin-deficiency constitution, phlegm-dampness constitution, damp-heat constitution, blood stasis constitution, qi-stagnation constitution, and special diathesis. It is recommended to consult a professional TCM physician for identification to obtain a tailor-made health preservation plan.

Conclusion

TCM health preservation is an art of life. It does not pursue immediate magical effects, but like spring rain "moistening things silently". By adjusting the little things in our daily life, it gradually brings the body back to the balanced state of "yin and yang being peaceful and harmonious".

Try to listen to the voice of your body, follow the rhythm of nature, and integrate this ancient wisdom into every word and deed. May this guide accompany you to find a piece of your own healthy pure land in the busy modern life and guard the physical and mental health of everyone calmly.

Department Introduction

The Preventive Treatment of Disease Department of our hospital is a demonstration unit of TCM "preventive treatment of disease" services in Guangzhou and a leading department in the district. Adhering to the core TCM concept of "preventing diseases before they occur, preventing the deterioration of existing diseases, and preventing recurrence after recovery", we are committed to providing professional and systematic TCM health management services for citizens.

[Characteristic Services]

1. Health Status Assessment: Carry out characteristic assessments such as TCM constitution identification, meridian measurement, and body composition analysis.

2. Personalized Conditioning: Provide internal conditioning such as traditional Chinese medicine, herbal paste, and tea drinks, and comprehensively use external treatment techniques such as acupuncture, moxibustion, fire dragon cupping, scraping, and acupoint application.

3. Health Guidance: Provide personalized TCM health preservation guidance on daily life, diet, exercise, etc.