Always feel exceptionally fatigued? Can’t stand the cold every winter? Even after sleeping till dawn, your hands and feet are still icy cold? Despite skincare efforts, your skin remains poor?
In fact, these are all manifestations of cold body. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, most bodily coldness is actually deficiency coldness, meaning the constitution is both deficient and cold. Regardless of gender, the impact of bodily coldness is significant. Individuals with chronic bodily coldness may experience reproductive and menstrual issues in women, and sexual dysfunction in men.
Why are there more people with bodily coldness nowadays?
1: Bodily coldness induced by diet
Upon seeing this, one may think of ice cream and sorbet which are favorites for many. However, nowadays, many individuals tend to have excessive internal heat, with most of this heat being deficient heat. Constant consumption of these cold foods can lead to the emergence of excess internal heat due to bodily coldness, further fueling the desire for consuming cold items. Eventually, this cycle leads to an increase in coldness.
2: Bodily coldness caused by attire
This aspect is quite understandable, especially for women. Even in the cold winter, the desire for beauty often overrides the need for warmth. Women tend to expose areas like the ankles, neck, wear short skirts, or clothes that reveal the midriff. Interestingly, these particular areas are highly sensitive to cold, especially the neck and the lower abdomen. These areas are crucial for vital energy and energy circulation, and exposing them frequently to cold is a not a surprise for experiencing bodily coldness.
3: Bodily coldness due to staying up late
How can staying up late lead to bodily coldness? From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, the midnight hours are crucial as they represent the ‘hour of the rat’. Sleeping before eleven at night is essential as during this time, the yang energy rises while the yin energy is strong. This is the moment when the handover between yin and yang occurs, a process that happens only during sleep. By remaining awake, the yang energy cannot ascend leading to an imbalance where the yin dominates, resulting in bodily coldness.
An experienced traditional Chinese doctor reveals that individuals with bodily coldness should eat these four foods regularly, to foster more yang energy and overcome three Dog Days
1: Nuts
It is common knowledge that consuming nuts is beneficial for health as they are rich in nutrients like protein, minerals, vitamins, and fats. Eating nuts daily can help in strengthening the body, promoting growth, and aiding in preventing cardiovascular diseases. The abundant fats in nuts not only provide essential nutrients but also have a warming effect, dispelling coldness.
2: Lamb
Lamb is considered an excellent option for dispelling coldness as it has higher calorific value than beef, iron content six times that of pork, but the fat content is similar to lean pork. In traditional Chinese medicine, lamb is known to nourish the kidneys, replenish qi and blood, and warm the stomach and spleen. While most people consume lamb during winter, it is also recommended during the Dog Days as lamb is heaty, effectively countering internal coldness. However, moderation is key when consuming lamb.
3: Ginger
Traditionally, ginger is known as a yang-enhancing food, and there is an old saying that “men should not go a hundred days without ginger”. Ginger contains gingerol, which, when ingested, aids in better vasodilation, enhances blood circulation, keeps the body’s pores open, promoting heat release and expulsion of internal coldness.
4: Jujubes
There is a saying that goes “eat three jujubes daily to stay youthful” and “add jujubes to your porridge for good skin”. Jujubes are known for benefiting qi, blood, calming the mind, and nourishing the stomach and spleen. They are rich in adenosine monophosphate, an essential substance for the body. Jujubes help in building muscle strength, dilating blood vessels, enhancing cardiac muscle contraction, and improving cardiac nutrition, promoting overall health.
In addition to these four foods, foods like donkey-hide gelatin, Chinese yam, longan, and yam are also recommended for nourishing the body. It is advisable to consume foods rich in vitamins and trace elements along with fresh fruits and vegetables, while avoiding cold, gas-producing, gas-consuming, spicy and stimulating foods.
Dispelling coldness, boosting yang energy, and nurturing the body are valuable methods worth trying
As the saying goes, “Cold body breeds ailments”. For men, bodily coldness can lead to weak yang energy, kidney coldness, weak digestion, chronic diarrhea, listlessness, and insufficient vitality. For women, bodily coldness can result in stagnation of qi and blood, uterine coldness, dysmenorrhea, unattractive complexion, and premature aging.
To counter bodily coldness and boost yang energy, apart from consuming the above mentioned four foods, traditional Chinese medicine recommends a tea called Ginger Jujube Chenpi Tea, which effectively dispels cold, boosts yang energy, and warms the spleen and stomach.
Ingredients: Jujubes, ginger, Xinhui dried tangerine peel, brown sugar
Analysis:
1. Ginger
The ‘Comprehensive Classifications of Drugs’ states that ginger dispels cold and wind-cold, its pungent warmth enhances yang, long-term use contributes to yang, harmonizes the organs, promotes the circulation of qi and blood, and benefits the spleen and stomach.
2. Jujubes
Jujubes tonify the middle burner and complement ginger. Ginger and jujubes are a naturally perfect pair. With jujubes, ginger is warm but not drying; with ginger, jujubes are nourishing but not greasy.
3. Chenpi
Chenpi aged for ten years from Xinhui enhances the harmony between ginger and jujubes. Ginger benefits from the assistance of chenpi by warming the middle and boosting yang, and transforming phlegm. Jujubes also benefit from chenpi by tonifying qi without causing stagnation.
This tea has both the pungency of ginger, the sweetness of jujubes, and the fragrance of chenpi. It is not greasy, helps warm the uterus, expels uterine toxins, and promotes harmony in the body. While ginger jujube tea is available in many places, be cautious as many may only contain ginger and jujubes without the effectiveness of the complete tea.
