January 21th, 2012, "Severe Cold", the 6th small Winter season,last small season of the year, arrives

      In 2012, the season of "Severe Cold" arrives on January 21st. Celestial longitude: 300 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.

      Here are some additional information:     
      During this cold season, many people often have cold hand and feet, and very sensitive to cold. In most cases this is a normal reaction our body has. But if the symptoms remains or become more and more severe, then it requires our attention. According to TCM theory these are due to low Yang energy in the body. Yang energy is like the sun that warms every organ and system, when Yang energy is low it can cause many pathological conditions such as bad digestion, low metabolism, swollen, early aging of cells and organs, and lassitude. We have been talking about how to protect and preserve Yang energy in the past seasons, here are just several more tips for the last season, coldest time of the year, and for the coming new year:

1. Spiritual and mental cultivation is very important. Be temperate in all the emotions is a very effective way to preserve the Yang energy. Extreme emotions harm not only the Yang energy but also the spirit and vitality.
2. Many cold symptoms we feel during the winter are often rooted from the summer. Keep in mind to try to avoid cold air, such as air conditioner, in the summer. And in the winter time try to do more sun bath.
3. "Movement raises the Yang energy”. Moderate exercise all year round is the ultimate way to preserve the Yang energy. But again, during this cold winter season, do mild exercise only and do not sweat too much.
4. Eat the Yang food such as rice, flour, beans, lamb, beef, chive, ginger, fennel, dates, apple and orange to support.

      We have been talking about winter nourishing for the past seasons, and now it’s time to make change from high nutrient food to light food, to prepare our body for the spring. Spring nourishing is known as “light and mild nourishing”. Therefore we should start add more fresh and light food into our meal to make the transition from high protein to high fiber for our stomach smoothly. White radish and Chinese cabbage (napa) are still the best choice. Mix them with some meat or high protein food to balance their coolness.

    Chinese new year day is January 23rd this year, it's the year of the dragon. Dumplings are a must have food for the tradition. Not only because it symbolizes good fortune for the new year, but also provides good nutrient combinations. 

     Best wishes for everyone! May good luck, good health and cheer be with everyone all year round!

January 6th, 2012, "Moderate Cold", the 5th small Winter season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Moderate Cold" arrives on January 6th, same as last year. Celestial longitude: 285 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.
    

    Here are some additional information:

    As the temperature keeps dropping, it may affect our stomach sometime. Remember the stomach system being the foundation, here are some tips for keeping it strong and healthy:

1. Avoid raw, cold, thick and spicy food. The stomach is an interesting organ. It can fight so hard like a warrior, but can also be hurt like a fragile baby. So the way to make it work like a warrior is to protect it as it is a fragile baby. During these cold seasons cold and raw food can be more harmful together with the low temperature, and it can cause abnormal contraction of the stomach. Especially for breakfast, eat warm and eat enough. On the other hand, too much thick and spicy food may cause inflammation. 
2. Eat on a regular basis. These days, so many people have to work so hard. So often when we got carried away by the busy schedule we have compromised by rushing or even skip a decent meal. In a long run this will cause severe or even permanent damage to the stomach. Especially in the winter time as the stomach is already under risk of being harmed easily, if we don’t eat regularly it can cause abnormal secretion of the gastric acid therefore add more burden to the stomach. If you really won’t have a regular meal time, at least break down your meal into several smaller portions (maybe 5-6) and eat them on a regular time basis. 
3. More “soft”, less “hard”. Many of us may have experienced, when our stomach seems to be sensitive, if we eat “hard” food like raw vegetable, red meat or lots fish, it make our stomach sicker. This means if we want to take extra care of the stomach, eat more “soft” food like porridge, noodle soup, or other liquid food. Do more steam, boil, braise and stew, but less deep fry for cooking. 
4. Choose the right food for the stomach. To warm the stomach, choose millet, sticky rice, lam, old ginger, black bean and dates. If you feel over-acid or gastric reflux, avoid too much sodium, corn starch, chive, bean product, thick meat soup, dairy and other acid food. If you are low in gastric acid, do the opposite way.

    Although outside is cold, we often lock ourselves in the “sealed” house. Here are some suggestions for maintaining a dynamic balance between inside and outside:

1. Let the fresh air in. If your room or your house is very well sealed and very warm, at least open the window for a little bit every morning and evening to exchange the air. This will not only keep the indoor air fresh, but also helps you to maintain a energy balance with the nature in the winter.
2. Do not make the indoor temperature too high. If your heath condition is normal and do not require extra heat, keep the indoor temperature no higher than 20 Celsius or 68 Fahrenheit. Greater temperature difference can make us catch cold easier. 
3. Maintain the right indoor humidity. Indoor heating system often causes dryer condition at the same time. Some easy methods to add moisture include placing a big bowl or bucket of water in the room near the heater, or some small plant (not too much plant as they consume oxygen just like we do) and make sure to water them often. Another common method is to use electrical humidifier, but this can be tricky. For example, if it takes only one hour for the humidifier to add enough humidity to the air around us, after this hour the air will be too humid then even cause fluid related issues. But plants are alive, they can adjust the humidity instead of force it. If you really need to use the electrical humidifier, then pay attention to turn it and don’t let it run all the time. If you are already harmed by the indoor dryness and you are sure that your symptoms are caused by it, use some food remedies we talked about for the fall season to treat yourself.