January 6th, 2011, "Moderate Cold", the 5th small Winter season arrives

    The next 2 seasons are "moderate cold" and "severe cold". From their names we can tell that "severe cold" will be colder than "moderate cold". But from meteorological recode, "moderate cold" had lower temperature than "severe cold", it is usually the coldest season of the year. In the article of "winter solstice" we talked about the "9-day" counting, as the 3rd 9-day is usually the coldest days and it falls into the "moderate cold" as well. Although during recent years there had been some "warm winters", we still need to be cautious about the coldness.
  
    Similar to any winter season, we need to keep storing our body Yang energy for the "growth" in next Spring. As the folk saying that "cold grows from the feet". Keeping the feet warm is particularly important in the season. TCM doctors believe that our feet reflex our organ conditions, on the other hands, by protecting our feet we are helping our organs to function better. Therefore to protect the feet is not a partial protection but a whole body protection in the winter. Again, the best way to do so is the "feet bath" we talked about before. To make it better, after the "feet bath", dry the feet well and rub the bottom of the feet. Another saying is "to live long, keep the head cool, keep the feet warm and keep the stomach 80% full". So after a lite dinner, before going to bed, do the feet bath and feet rub. Then the body will recharge itself very well from a great night of sleep.
  
    This is also the great time to exercise. People believe the hottest and coldest time of the year are the best time to do outdoor exercises. But this is strictly depends on the individual's body condition. Even the strongest people need to prepare well before the outdoor activities. If you like morning exercise, do it after the sun rise. And if the weather is severe such as snowy, foggy or windy, do not force yourself. As the temperature is very low, our blood vessels on the skin level are easily to get contracted. This will slow down our blood flow, increase the muscle viscosity and lower the flexibility of tender and ligament. Therefore without proper warm-up, it is very easy to have the body injured. So make sure you do the right warm-up before large amount exercises.  Make sure you adjust your clothes well. Dress more during warm-up and after exercise, and dress less during the main exercise.Again this method is NOT for everybody, it's only recommended for those who are in good body condition and without any health issues. Even for those who can do so, whenever there is discomfort please stop the exercise right way and do medical examination if necessary.


    One common problem in this season can be itchy skin, especially for seniors. Itchy skin can be caused by many other things. But, 100% cotton clothes is better than polyester on the skin. Also do not shower too often during coldest season. Usually once in 2-3 days is enough. Also the temperature of the water should not be too high. After shower, apply mild lotion to the entire body. Eat more fresh fruit, vegetable and  bean products.Avoid too much alcohol, thick tea , fried food, heavy food and spicy food. Make sure to do regular defecation. Also try to stay in a good mood, do not overspend energy, avoid being angry and irritable. Do proper exercise to increase skin metabolism and sweat secretion. When the skin is itchy, try not to scratch too hard as this can only worsen the skin condition in a long run. Here are couple folk remedies to treat itchy skin.

1. Apple. Use fresh apple and cut into big pieces, use the apple to rub the itchy area. 3-5 times a day.
2. Banana skin. Boil banana skin for 5 minutes, when the temperature drops to a comfortable degree, use towel to apply the liquid to the itchy area.

These are just some simple remedies for temporary control, if symptom remains or even worsens, you must seek necessary medical attention.


    After all, natural body energy is better than any others. We need to make sure to recharge the body properly by eat right, exercise right and most importantly in the winter, sleep right. Especially for younger people, even if you still have what it takes to stay up later and party hard, your body is over working and still need rest. So next time when you do have the choice of going out late and sleep early, choose sleep early, and you will find your body truly appreciated it.