The young lady Xiao Liu has always had cold hands and feet and dysmenorrhea. Two months ago, she bought a foot bath bucket and some dried mugwort leaves, planning to persist in foot soaking. Since it was a wooden bucket, it was a bit troublesome to use. Xiao Liu’s husband mocked her, “Let’s see how long you can keep it up!” Xiao Liu’s competitive spirit was ignited, swearing to soak her feet well and not give her husband the chance to mock her. Two months have passed, and everyone says Xiao Liu looks thinner. She weighed herself and surprisingly lost ten kilograms!
In addition, Xiao Liu herself feels that her skin has become firmer, less oily, and acne on her face has reduced. Can foot soaking have such a powerful effect?
Actually, the effectiveness of foot soaking for weight loss varies from person to person, and foot soaking has the following two effects:
1. Relieve fatigue. After a day’s work, even just soaking your feet in warm water at night will be very comfortable. If you soak even the sore and swollen legs in a tall wooden bucket, it will be even more comforting!
2. Expel dampness and cold. Stagnation of cold and dampness often sinks down to the lower limbs. Foot soaking can warm the six meridians on the legs, expel the waste that the body cannot metabolize due to cold and dampness, thus aiding in weight loss.
See, coincidentally, Xiao Liu is exactly the type of person with a cold and damp constitution, so foot soaking can help her lose weight.
So what are the characteristics of people with a cold and damp constitution?
1. Cold body, limbs feeling cold;
2. Body fat, excess flab around the waist and abdomen, obesity mainly in the lower body;
3. Low spirit, depressed, drowsy;
4. Often have skin problems such as eczema, dermatitis, and allergies;
5. Pale tongue coating, swollen tongue, tooth marks on the edges, and moist tongue surface;
6. Dysmenorrhea, delayed menstruation, scanty menstrual flow, or even premature menopause;
7. Prefer warmth and dislike cold, always wanting to drink warm water, not interested in cold foods.
Therefore, if you are a person with a cold and damp constitution and virtual obesity, you may want to soak your feet regularly.
A pleasant foot soaking experience requires remembering the following 3 points:
1. Water temperature at 45°C. The water for foot soaking is not the hotter the better; around 45°C is sufficient, where the feet should feel slightly hot but tolerable.
2. Duration of 15 minutes. Many people think the water is still very hot and a waste to pour it out, so they keep soaking. In fact, it is unnecessary. Around 15 minutes, most people’s bodies start to slightly sweat, which is just right. Continuing to soak might lead to excessive sweating, harming Qi and blood.
3. Water depth of 30 cm. Even without a foot bath bucket, find a slightly elevated container so that the water can cover your ankles.
There are 3 types of people who should avoid foot soaking:
1. Patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Warm water causes a large amount of blood to flow to the legs, increasing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular problems. Therefore, such individuals should soak their feet briefly and not overdo it.
2. Diabetic patients. These individuals are often less sensitive to water temperature, so they should avoid scalding. If there are lesions on the feet, they should not soak them.
3. Patients with varicose veins. Foot soaking increases blood flow to the lower limbs, exacerbating varicose vein issues.
What is good to add to foot soaking?
1. Mugwort leaves: Best for clearing meridians.
2. Ginger slices: To ward off cold, use fresh ginger slices or dried ginger slices.
3. Chinese angelica: Nourishes qi and blood, suitable for women.
4. Codonopsis root: Supplements the center, benefits qi, and improves microcirculation.
I used dried mugwort leaves and ginger slices before, but found it troublesome to fish out the materials when pouring out the water. Later, I switched to using foot soaking packets, which are convenient, individually packaged, just throw away after use.
If you are too lazy to even use foot soaking packets, just soak your feet in warm water, it’s also good.
