As described in the "Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic)", winter is the season of "three months of winter, which is called closed storage". Yang qi in nature hides, yin qi gradually prevails, and the human body should also adapt to this change, keep essence, qi and spirit inward, and accumulate energy for the vitality of the coming year.

As your health partner, the nursing team of Shangyu District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine specially presents this "Winter TCM Health Preservation Guide" to help you get through the winter safely and boost your health!

Core Principle of Winter Health Preservation: "Storage" is the Key

Traditional Chinese medicine holds that winter corresponds to the "kidney" among the five zang-organs of the human body. The kidney governs the storage of essence and is the motive force of human life activities. Therefore, the core of winter health preservation lies in one word — "Storage".

Store Yang Qi

Avoid excessive dissipation of yang qi.

Store Essence

Nourish kidney essence and consolidate the foundation.

Store Spirit

Keep the spirit inward and maintain stable emotions.

TCM Nursing Teaches You the "Five-Step Routine" to Nurture a Warm and Radiant Complexion

Step 1: Daily Life Health Preservation: Go to Bed Early and Get Up Late, Wait for the Sun

Sleep in Accordance with the Time

Follow the principle of "going to bed early and getting up late, rising with the sun". Going to bed early at night helps yang qi to hide; getting up after the sun rises in the morning avoids severe cold and protects yang qi.

Keeping Warm is the Top Priority

Pay special attention to the three parts most vulnerable to pathogenic cold: the head, back and feet. "The head is the convergence of all yang meridians" — wear a hat when going out; the back is the "sea of yang meridians" — wear a vest for extra warmth; the feet are the farthest from the heart, and "cold originates from the feet" — soaking feet in warm water before bedtime is an excellent winter health care method.

【Nursing Tips】Recommended Foot Bath Formula

15g mugwort leaves + 5 slices of ginger, boil them and mix with warm water to soak feet for 15-20 minutes until the body sweats slightly. It has the effects of warming meridians to unblock collaterals, dispelling cold and aiding sleep.

Step 2: Dietary Conditioning: Increase Bitterness and Reduce Saltiness, Warm and Tonify to Nourish the Kidney

Winter diet should follow the principle of "reducing saltiness and increasing bitterness" — eat less salty food to nourish the kidney and more bitter food to nourish the heart.

More Warm Foods, Less Raw and Cold Foods

Eat more warm and hot foods such as mutton, beef, chicken, chives, longan, walnuts, ginger, jujubes, etc., to nourish the body's yang qi.

Moderate Tonification to Nourish Kidney Essence

Properly eat black foods such as black rice, black beans, black sesame, black fungus, shiitake mushrooms, etc., which enter the kidney meridian and have the effect of tonifying the kidney and replenishing qi.

Recommended Medicinal Diets

• Angelica, Ginger and Mutton Soup: A classic warm-tonic medicinal diet that nourishes blood and dispels cold, suitable for people with cold hands and feet and fear of cold.

• Walnut and Chestnut Porridge: Cook walnuts, chestnuts with rice, which can tonify the kidney, invigorate the brain and strengthen muscles and bones.

Step 3: Exercise Health Preservation: Combine Movement and Stillness, Avoid Profuse Sweating

"In winter, heaven and earth are closed, qi and blood are stored, and people should not overwork and sweat." Winter exercise should choose gentle activities that cause slight sweating.

Optimal Time

Exercise after the sun comes out and the temperature rises.

Recommended Exercises

Tai Chi, Baduanjin, walking, jogging, etc. These exercises can promote the circulation of qi and blood in the body without excessive consumption of yang qi.

【Nursing Reminder】

Never exercise to the point of profuse sweating, because "sweat is the fluid of the heart". Excessive sweating will cause yang qi to leak out, which instead consumes the body.

Step 4: Emotional Health Preservation: Calm the Mind and Keep Emotions Peaceful

All things wither in winter, and people are prone to low mood. Mentally, one should "keep the will as if hidden or concealed", being inward like protecting privacy.

More Sun Exposure

Sunlight is the best "antidepressant". Taking more walks in the sun helps absorb yang qi and lift the spirits.

Listen to Soothing Sounds for Calmness

Listen to more soothing music, practice calligraphy, or meditate in silence to keep the heart peaceful and tranquil.

Step 5: Protection for Key Groups: Syndrome Differentiation and Nursing, Precise Health Preservation

Patients with Chronic Diseases (e.g., Hypertension, Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases)

Winter is a high-incidence period for diseases. Be sure to take medicine as prescribed by doctors and monitor blood pressure regularly. Pay attention to keeping warm, avoid getting up too abruptly in the morning, and be alert to prodromal symptoms such as transient dizziness and numbness of limbs.

Patients with Respiratory Diseases (e.g., Chronic Bronchitis, Asthma)

Wear a mask when going out to protect the mouth and nose. Often press and knead the Yingxiang acupoint (on both sides of the alae nasi) to prevent colds.

The Elderly and the Frail

Kidney qi gradually declines, so more attention should be paid to keeping warm. The diet should be soft, rotten and warm, and tonification should be carried out step by step.

"Three Taboos" of Winter Health Preservation

Taboo 1: Excessive Heating

Excessively large temperature difference between indoor and outdoor, alternating cold and heat, is likely to cause colds. The indoor temperature is recommended to be kept at 18-22℃, and ventilation should be noted.

Taboo 2: Keeping Doors and Windows Tightly Closed

Keeping windows closed for a long time leads to stale indoor air and easy breeding of bacteria. Open windows for ventilation 2-3 times a day, 15-30 minutes each time.

Taboo 3: Staying Up Late and Overdrafting the Body

Staying up late in winter is most harmful to yin blood and consumes kidney essence, which should be strictly avoided.

The way of health preservation lies in adapting to the four seasons. Mastering the secret of "closed storage" in winter is like building a solid foundation for the body, a treasure house. We hope this warm guide from our nursing team can accompany you through a warm and healthy winter.