The Basic Patterns of Weather Changes

Finally, there's the cold.

That is, it gets cold in winter.

The Northeast China is definitely colder than the South, that's beyond doubt.

Cold is the closed-off air in nature, possessing the characteristics of being cold, stagnant, and contracting.

In the human body, the kidneys are responsible for storing essence and regulating fluids, which aligns with the characteristics of coldness. Therefore, coldness corresponds to the kidneys.

Changes in the temperature can easily affect the kidneys' ability to store energy, and can also easily cause problems with joints, lower back, knees, and bones.

Therefore, there are a lot of elderly people with joint pain in Northeast China.

As Northeast China, I remember my elders telling me when I was a child, "Don't be so cocky. If you don't wear cotton-padded trousers, you'll see how much your knees hurt when you get older."

Haha, that's the phrase I heard the most when I was a kid.

But she just won't wear it.

If you love beauty but refuse to wear cotton, don't complain even if you freeze to death.

Style over warmth.

The weather is cold, the low temperatures last for a long time, and cold waves are likely to occur.

People are prone to kidney deficiency and yang deficiency.

Symptoms include cold hands and feet, lower back and knee pain, frequent and clear urination, loose stools, and increased nighttime urination.

Joint pain, cervical spondylosis, and lumbar spondylosis are easily aggravated, and chilblains and colds are more frequent.

In this situation, one should warm the kidneys and dispel cold, and replenish yang and nourish yin.

Pay attention to keeping warm, especially the waist, abdomen, and lower limbs, and avoid getting chilled;

Exercise should be moderate, ideally enough to break a light sweat; try to exercise at midday or indoors.

In terms of diet, eat foods that warm the kidneys and dispel cold, such as ginger, mutton, walnuts, chestnuts, black beans, and black sesame seeds, and eat less raw, cold, and iced foods.

When it's supposed to be cold but it isn't, people say this kind of mild winter is bad.

I memorized this when I was a child. "If the wheat is covered with three layers of quilts in winter, you can sleep on a pillow of steamed buns the following year."

Because of the low temperature, some pests can be killed by freezing.

Next year's harvest will be good.

During periods when the cold air is relatively weak, the climate is warmer, winters are not cold, there are fewer days with low temperatures, and warm winters are more likely to occur.

People are more prone to kidney essence deficiency and upward floating of deficiency fire.

Symptoms include lower back and knee pain, dizziness and tinnitus, hot flashes and night sweats, insomnia and excessive dreaming, memory loss, and loose teeth.

When there is insufficient cold energy, the spleen will be relatively excessive, which can easily lead to abdominal distension, edema, indigestion, and a thick, greasy tongue coating.

The treatment should focus on tonifying the kidneys and replenishing essence, as well as nourishing yin and suppressing yang.

Avoid staying up late, avoid overwork, and moderate sexual activity.

Exercise in moderation to avoid excessive depletion of kidney essence;

In terms of diet, eat foods that nourish the kidneys and replenish essence, such as black beans, black sesame seeds, goji berries, mulberries, yams, and fox nuts, and eat less spicy and hot foods.

These are the changes throughout the year, and the problems that should be noted and that may arise.

In addition to this, we should also know that Traditional Chinese Medicine divides the year into five stages.

Each stage has its own dominant climate and key organs.

This is a fundamental rule that remains unchanged year after year, and it is also the basic framework for daily health maintenance.

This is also a key point discussed at the very beginning of the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon" (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic

1. Spring: Windy, corresponding to the liver.

Starting from the beginning of spring, the winds gradually strengthen, all things come to life, and the liver qi in the human body also gradually becomes more vigorous.

The key at this stage is to follow the natural flow of energy, nourish and soothe the liver, avoid suppressing emotions, avoid staying up late or sleeping in, and do more stretching exercises.

2. Summer: Hot weather corresponds to the heart.

Starting from the beginning of summer, the heat gradually intensifies, all things grow vigorously, and the human body's vital energy also gradually increases.

The key at this stage is to follow the natural growth energy, nourish the heart and calm the mind, avoid overexertion, and avoid excessive sweating that depletes the heart's energy.

3. Late Summer: The climate is humid, corresponding to the spleen.

Starting from the Lesser Heat (Xiaoshu), rainfall increases and humidity gradually rises, making it the most humid period of the year, when the body's temperament is most easily affected.

The focus at this stage is to strengthen the spleen and remove dampness. Avoid cold drinks and foods, and eat less sweet, greasy, and oily foods to prevent the accumulation of dampness.

4. Autumn: The climate is dry, corresponding to the lungs.

Starting from the beginning of autumn, dryness gradually increases, all things begin to contract, and the lung qi in the human body also begins to contract.

The key at this stage is to follow the principle of contraction, nourish the lungs and generate fluids, go to bed early and get up early, keep emotions stable, and avoid excessive depletion of body fluids.

5. Winter: The weather is cold, corresponding to the kidneys.

Starting from the beginning of winter, the cold gradually intensifies, all things close up and hibernate, and the human body's kidney energy also begins to be stored away.

The key at this stage is to follow the natural flow of Qi, nourish the kidneys and store essence, go to bed early and get up late, avoid cold, and avoid excessive physical exertion.

The progression of these five stages follows a consistent annual rhythm.

Just as spring will inevitably be windy, summer will inevitably be hot, autumn will inevitably be dry, and winter will inevitably be cold, these are the basic laws of nature and the basic principles of health preservation.