Staying Warm and Healthy During the Winter

Staying warm, healthy and motivated in the winter time can be quite the challenge. All your aches and pains come out and arthritis flares up, you feel cold and don’t want to do anything productive however, with a few helpful Chinese Medicine life hacks you will be able to fight off those winter blues. In TCM, yin and yang theory is very predominant and can be found at every aspect of life. The seasons are no exception, Winter is known as utmost Yin and Summer is known as Utmost Yang, these cycles play a big part in how we should nourish our bodies with periods of rest and rejuvenation, diet, and protecting ourselves.

The quickest and easiest tip is to cover the nape of your neck during the windy and wintery days is to cover the back or nape of your neck. This area of your neck is easily susceptible to pathogenic invasion which means, if you do not cover this area of your body you will become sick easier. When wind or cold attacks your nape, it invades your body causing it to have body aches, chills and fever, shivering, sweating and headaches, all common cold symptoms. Wearing a scarf or hood is a quick and easy way to cover this area, making sure you’re keeping it dry and protected from the elements of winter.

As I mentioned earlier, Winter is Utmost Yin. Yin and Yang play very influential roles in Chinese Medicine. Yin being linked to the moon,night time, rest and rejuvenation and Yang being associated with the sun, movement, energy and daytime. Winter being more cold and dark fits in with the Yin side of life. Yin is replenished when we sleep and can be affected if we are sleep deprived, this is why the winter time is a perfect time to rest and catch up on some sleep. Focus on yourself and your own personal needs and build up some of that Qi that you may have over-exerted during the warmer months when you were focusing on movement and joy. Use this time to read a book, have some quiet time to yourself or knock off some of those personal goals that you have struggled to find the time for.

Alongside rest and rejuvenation is eating hearty home cooked meals. We all love a good stew or broth during the colder nights. Chicken soup is good for the soul. Chinese Medicine is all about eating with the seasons, eating natural and keeping away from processed foods. In the Winter, you want to be eating warmer meals such as ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, red meat such as lamb and beef, guava, peaches, cherries, leek, squash. Incorporating some of these types of foods into your diet will help your Spleen produce good Qi and blood and help you stay warm and healthy during the colder months.

Being able to be conscious about these little tips and tricks can make all the difference during the winter time. Doing these 3 simple things plus seeing your TCM practitioner can turn your dreadful winter into a peaceful R&R retreat. Eating warm food, taking time to rest and focus on yourself and covering up the nape of your neck when you go out. If you want to find out more about how Traditional Chinese Medicine can help you every day, please don’t hesitate to ask your practitioner for some more useful tips and tricks.