Post Date December, 03 2023
According to traditional Chinese medicine, winter is a good time for tonifying, and there is a folk saying "tonifying in winter, fighting tigers in spring.". Because after entering winter, the metabolism of the human body slows down and consumption is relatively reduced, winter tonic can store energy converted from nutrients in the body, thereby strengthening the foundation and strengthening resistance. Moreover, due to the cold weather in winter, it is not easy to catch fire by eating more warm tonic substances.
Before tonifying in winter, it is best to first do tonifying, that is, lay a good foundation for the body, and slowly adapt the intestines and stomach to prevent the occurrence of "deficiency without being replenished". Especially for those with spleen and stomach deficiency and severe dampness, it is necessary to strengthen the spleen and stomach first. You can eat Huaishan Gorgon Fruit Lean Meat Soup, Peanut Soybean Pot Pig Feet Soup, etc. before tonifying. Generally speaking, tonifying should be performed from the beginning of winter to the beginning of the winter solstice, using stewed beef with thicket, mutton, ginger, and jujube soup, or stewed with thicket, red dates, peanut kernels, and brown sugar to adjust spleen and stomach functions. Do a good job of nourishing, and then you can nourish.
According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, nourishing can generally be divided into four categories: tonifying qi, blood, yin, and yang.
Tonifying Qi is aimed at the constitution of Qi deficiency. If you are sweating, weak in speaking and tired after walking, you can eat more qi tonifying foods, such as rice, glutinous rice, peanuts, yams, dates, carrots, soybean milk, chicken, etc. Chinese medicinal materials such as red ginseng, atractylodes macrocephala, astragalus, and schisandra can also be added to the diet.
Nourishing blood is aimed at blood deficiency constitution. For signs such as dizziness, dizziness, palpitations, insomnia, yellow face, white lips, low menstrual volume, and pale color, foods with tonifying effects can be selected, such as animal liver, blood, longan meat, mulberry, black fungus, carrots, pork, sea cucumber, and fish. The traditional Chinese medicines with blood tonifying effect include Angelica, Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Paeoniae Alba, ass hide glue, Polygonum Multiflori, etc.
Tonifying yang is aimed at yang deficiency constitution. "For example, if your hands and feet are cold, afraid of the cold, with low waist acid, and low sexual function, you can eat foods that can tonify the yang and help the fire, warm the kidney and help the yang, such as dog meat, mutton, shrimp, venison, and so on. Walnut kernels, leeks, wolfberry seeds, pigeon eggs, and eels also have a yang tonifying effect.". Traditional Chinese medicine can be supplemented with deer antler, eucommia ulmoides, gecko, and Shiquan Dabu liquor.
Tonifying yin is aimed at yin deficiency constitution. For example, red cheeks, hot hands and feet, night sweats, low fever in the afternoon, and increased leucorrhea in women, you can eat foods that have the effects of nourishing yin fluid, generating fluid and moistening dryness, such as tremella, agaric, pears, milk, eggs, grapes, and cabbage. Chinese traditional medicine can choose white ginseng, sand ginseng, asparagus, turtle shell, turtle shell, cordyceps sinensis, etc.
In traditional Chinese medicine, tonifying is a treatment for deficiency syndrome, that is, to supplement the body's deficiencies. Most modern people are not lacking in nutrition, and there are not many truly "empty" people, and the imbalance is even more serious. The adjustment of maladjustment can be made throughout the year. Therefore, winter tonics must follow the principles of "nourishing yin in autumn and winter, without disturbing yang", "tonifying yin in deficiency, and warming yang in cold". They should be targeted based on the rise and fall of yin and yang in the body, and should not be blindly tonified. It is best to seek the guidance of an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner.
