Many have remarked that this year's first snowfall arrived earlier than usual. "Cold before frost, chill after snow." Following precipitation, another wave of cooling often follows. Sudden temperature drops have caused discomfort for many, even triggering or exacerbating certain conditions. Thus, winter wellness practices to ward off illness are crucial. So, what are the key principles for maintaining health during the cold season?Reporter interviewed Yu Bo, Director of the Preventive Medicine Center at Nanjing Municipal Hospital.
Correspondent Zhang Ming Yangtze Evening News/Ziniu News Reporter Zhou Biying Photography Chen Jingang Editing Dai Zhehan
Staying Warm Isn't Just About Layering Up
When it comes to winter wellness, everyone knows to stay warm. But keeping warm is far more than just putting on extra clothes.
Staying warm starts from the feet. As the saying goes, "Cold enters through the feet." Director Yu Bo explained that heaven represents yang and earth represents yin, and the human body also has yin and yang aspects. The upper body tends toward yang, while the lower body tends toward yin. The feet connect with the yin of the earth and are distant from the heart, receiving relatively insufficient blood supply, making them more susceptible to cold."If the upper body feels hot and dry while the lower body feels cold, it's usually caused by stagnation in the middle jiao." Keeping the lower limbs warm ensures adequate blood return to the heart, achieving the principle that "warm feet warm the whole body." Those who often feel cold in their hands and feet should pay extra attention to foot warmth during winter.
Secondly, in winter, everyone should adjust their daily routines, ideally aiming for "early to bed and late to rise."Director Yu Bo explains: "Winter brings significant day-night temperature fluctuations. The period from evening until 2-3 a.m. the next day is a high-risk time for coronary heart disease and other conditions. Individuals with cardiovascular issues should be especially mindful of getting adequate rest and avoiding late nights. Additionally, dinner should not be overly filling."
Not only does "stillness" require consideration, but "movement" in winter also demands knowledge. Timing is crucial for winter exercise—neither too early nor too late.Exercising too late may affect cardiovascular health; exercising too early exposes one to low temperatures and poor air quality, as pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere before dispersing. "The ancient saying 'wait for the sunlight' means exercising only after the sun rises and clouds or fog dissipate. This aligns with the principle of harmony between heaven and humanity, ensuring the body's generation of yang energy corresponds with the external environment's yang energy, making exercise natural and achieving twice the result with half the effort."Director Yu Bo advises that winter exercise should induce only light perspiration. Profuse sweating contradicts the principle of "winter storage," causing the body's yang energy to dissipate and potentially triggering various ailments. Essential safety precautions are also crucial: warm up before running, wear protective gear while cycling. This ensures more comfortable and worry-free exercise while preventing accidents.
While protecting against the cold, don't neglect ventilation and humidity. In winter, people often keep doors and windows tightly shut, huddling in warm rooms while overlooking air exchange and moisture levels. In sealed environments, air becomes stale and oxygen levels drop. Prolonged confinement in such spaces can cause oxygen deprivation, increasing strain on the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, opening windows daily for ventilation benefits both cardiovascular health and lung function.Simultaneously, prolonged use of heating systems like radiators, underfloor heating, and air conditioners dries indoor air, potentially causing discomfort or even illness. Director Yu Bo advises: "When using indoor heating in winter, consider using a humidifier or placing a couple of bowls of water to maintain appropriate humidity levels. This helps prevent skin itchiness, dry coughs, asthma, and other issues."
While Nourishing Yang, Also Focus on Nourishing Yin
"Sealing and storing" is a key principle of winter health preservation, meaning winter should focus on nurturing yang energy and conserving vital essence. "Yang governs movement, yin governs stillness. Yang energy is functional, underpinning all bodily activities," Director Yu Bo explained. If yang energy is depleted, cold yin substances accumulate within the body. Over time, these can transform into pathological substances or even visible organic lesions.Therefore, it is crucial to intervene before quantitative changes culminate in qualitative transformation—this underscores the importance of "preventing illness before it occurs."
Does nourishing yang energy mean consuming copious amounts of warming foods? Director Yu Bo clarified that this is a common misconception. While eating warming foods offers natural protection against winter's chill, overindulgence can backfire."This is because during winter, the body's yang energy naturally contracts inward. Persistently consuming large amounts of warming foods can, over time, lead to a relative deficiency of yin fluids within the body. Hence, traditional Chinese medicine holds the principle: 'Nourish yang in spring and summer; nourish yin in autumn and winter.'"
The concept of "nourishing yin in autumn and winter" does not mean consuming cold foods daily. Rather, it emphasizes that while warming tonics are used, appropriate yin nourishment must also be incorporated. For example, moderation is key when eating lamb during winter.If warming foods dominate the diet, incorporate radishes, lily bulbs, and green tea to nourish yin and restore balance. This prevents excessive yang energy from generating internal heat, which disrupts the body's yin-yang equilibrium and contradicts health preservation principles. Foods with neutral properties that minimally induce dryness—like Laba porridge—naturally harmonize yin and yang, making them ideal for those with cold-deficient constitutions."As the saying goes, 'Eat radishes in winter and ginger in summer, and you won't need a doctor's prescription.' Nowadays, it should be 'Eat radishes and ginger in winter,'" explains Director Yu Bo. Winter radishes offer numerous benefits, including nourishing yin, clearing the lungs, and aiding digestion. During winter, people often consume large amounts of warming and pungent foods to store heat, leading to excessive yang energy and insufficient yin fluids within the body.Radishes, however, provide a moisturizing effect, thereby "seeking yang within yin" to better supplement yang energy.
Moderate ginger consumption also aids in supporting yang energy. Ginger has dispersing and warming properties. "In the past, people avoided ginger in winter for fear of dispersing stored yang energy. But with improved living conditions today—better nutrition and warmer homes—eating ginger won't disperse excessive yang energy."Director Yu Bo recommends adding extra ginger slices to winter soups to dispel cold, warm the stomach, and elevate yang energy. For those with cold deficiency, try the "Three Nines Plasters" December 21st marks the Winter Solstice, signaling the onset of the "Three Nines" period—the coldest stretch of the year.While many are familiar with "treating winter ailments in summer" through "Three-Fervent Plasters," Director Yu Bo explains that winter wellness also features "Three-Nine Plasters." These not only reinforce the effects of the summer plasters but also help nourish yang and yin, prevent illness, and achieve year-round therapeutic benefits.
In traditional Chinese medicine, winter is closely associated with water, and the kidneys correspond to water among the five organs.Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine places great emphasis on nourishing the kidneys during winter. The principle behind the "Three Nines Plasters" is to apply medicated patches to specific acupoints, allowing the warm medicinal ingredients to penetrate beneath the skin and act on the body's meridians, thereby achieving the goal of warming and supplementing kidney yang. Director Yu Bo used this analogy: Nourishing yang energy in winter is like boiling water in a pot, while the "Three Nines Plasters" are like adding a fire beneath the iron pot and then covering it with a lid.Adding the fire intensifies yang energy, enhancing bodily functions; the lid serves to "nourish yin" and prevent the "water from boiling dry." "Doctors tailor the formula by adding yin-nourishing herbs to the base ingredients based on each patient's condition. This ensures kidney-warming and yang-supporting effects without causing internal heat or side effects."Director Yu Bo explains that the Three-Nine Plasters are suitable for: individuals experiencing cold limbs and aversion to cold in winter due to deficiency-cold; those with weak spleen-stomach function prone to winter diarrhea; patients with respiratory conditions like COPD or asthma; women suffering from gynecological issues such as dysmenorrhea, uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, or polycystic ovary syndrome; and certain cancer patients."For those who dislike taking herbal medicine, the 'Sanjiu Plasters' offer an 'external treatment for internal ailments' approach. They effectively regulate yin and yang, enhance immunity, and thus provide preventive care or symptomatic treatment."