Eat tonic food

    Winter is not the best time to lose weight. As the weather gets colder, you need to restore your energy, so don’t turn your nose up at lamb, chicken, or other tonic foods. The Chinese have a saying: “Eat tonic foods in winter and you will be able to catch a tiger in spring.” This is because winter is a cold season while tonics are mostly “hot,” according to Chinese medicine theories.

    However, people whose constitution is already “hot” enough should

    not fortify themselves any further with “hot” foods such as chicken, which can cause nosebleeds.

    There are some tonic foods which are milder in nature and are suitable for the majority of people. Common winter tonics, such as “Eight Treasures” (a Chinese porridge composed of various kinds of beans and nuts) and Chinese angelica root (or danggui) are of this kind.

    Iron-rich foods can help warm you up: Try spinach, broccoli, dried plums, oats, quinoa, sunflower and sesame seeds, walnuts, yams, squash, kale, garlic, scallions, and parsley. Hearty soups are good for you during the winter months. Drink only warm or hot water.

    To keep your health and energy up in the cold months of winter, Huangdi (or the Yellow Emperor), a legendary Chinese emperor to whom a Chinese medicine canon is attributed, recommends avoiding cold and raw foods, reducing salt to protect your kidneys, and increasing bitter flavors such as kale. Steer clear of raw vegetables, cold salads, and cold foods and beverages. Your diet should follow nature’s menu for the seasons.     

    Keep warm

    Excessive exposure to coldness can lead to various diseases. Even if the symptoms don’t appear in winter, the disease could break out in spring, because the coldness would remain in your body, according to Chinese medicinal beliefs.

    Wearing boots, stockings and skirts that complement your physique may increase your charm, but failing to wrap up warm could have serious long-term consequences. Exposing your joints to freezing coldness could cause long-term ailments such as arthritis.

    Dress warmly, paying special attention to your abdomen. In Chinese medicine, the abdomen is considered the storehouse of the body’s energy. Keeping your abdomen warm and protected from extreme weather benefits your immunity.

    If you want to nestle into your snug home on weekends, do it. It turns out that the law of nature requires you to slow down in winter. Huangdi teaches us to “Go to sleep early and wait until the sun bathes the house before rising.” At least eight hours of sleep every night is essential for health.     

    Moderate exercise

    The three months of winter are when all living things should return home and be conserved. Engage in activities that are in harmony with the energies of winter.

    Physical movement is essential for circulating energy — but avoid perspiring excessively. According to Huangdi, the sweat is seen as an escape of yang energy. Nurture your energy reserves by being active in a moderate way. Walking is one moderate activity to keep your energy up. Or consider practicing tai chi or qigong exercises, which are very effective in balancing energy.

    Avoid energy-depleting exercises. Muscles and joints are more frigid in winter, and so it’s essential to warm up before exercising to avoid hurting these organs.

    Morning exer-cise is not a good choice in winter, because people could easily develop perniones due to the low temperatures. Better wait until after 9 a.m., when the sun rises, and wear a hat and gloves if it is very cold.

    Traditional Chinese medicine believes that winter swimming is harmful to yang, or the positive force in your body.     

    Be contented

    In winter, people are vulnerable to depression because of the cold weather, grey sky and lack of activities. Huangdi advises us to avoid experiencing excessive emotions in winter because they drain our energy reserves.

    Try beating the winter blues with light therapy. Studies show that exposure to sunlight stimulates the pineal gland, which affects the production of other brain chemicals such as serotonin, the neurotransmitter sometimes called the “mood chemical.” It can also boost your immune system, waking up the activities of the natural killer cells that patrol our bodies looking for intruders and cancer cells. If weather permits, get outdoors daily and let the sun bathe you with its life-giving and spirit-lifting properties.

    You can also use the cold dark days of winter to stay in and curl up with a book, or pick up a new indoor hobby such as knitting, woodcarving, baking, or whatever appeals to you.

    (Helen Deng)