The impact of the cold snap has subsided, and we have moved past freezing conditions. Although there was still some cold air during the New Year holiday, its strength wasn't significant, allowing us to enter 2024 in relative warmth.
Currently, vital energy is gradually growing, and if one pays attention to health preservation, it not only benefits winter health but also stores energy for good health in the coming spring.
The “Nei Jing” states: “Those who preserve their essence do not suffer from fevers in spring,” and there is also the saying, “Winter tonics give you the strength to fight tigers in the new year.”
Professor Fan Yongsheng, President of the Zhejiang Provincial Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and renowned TCM expert, explains: “In winter, the human digestive function is at its best, which means that tonics are absorbed more effectively, leading to better physical enhancement.”
As a result, an increasing number of young people are joining the ranks of those practicing health preservation, whether through dietary supplements or adjustments to daily routines.
Now is the critical period between Winter Solstice and Minor Cold. How should we scientifically conserve our energy?
Sales of Tonics Are Thriving
Health Preservation Enthusiasts Are Getting Younger
In a specialty store selling expensive tonics, posters advertising year-end discounts are displayed.
The sales staff explains that the best time for business is always this period, not only because it's the optimal time for tonics but also due to the peak season for gifts to friends and family. The top three sellers are ginseng, ganoderma spore powder, and caterpillar fungus, with yellow spirit balm and mulberry balm also in high demand.
Currently, ginseng is the go-to supplement. The staff elaborates: “For replenishing vital energy, ginseng is the best choice. It has effects such as anti-fatigue, anti-aging, anti-tumor, and immune regulation. If you feel weak, tired, or lacking in energy, you can take some ginseng.”
The elderly still make up the majority of customers, “This year, some young people also came to buy, either for themselves or as gifts for their elderly family members.”
The price of ginseng ranges from several hundred to several thousand yuan, with most people choosing ginseng priced around one to two thousand yuan.
Business is good in physical stores, but online sales are even more robust.
A well-known pharmacy brand in Hangzhou has ginseng, dendrobium, yuzhu balm, and aged tangerine peel as its most searched items. Domestic American ginseng has sold 5,000 units, ganoderma spore powder 3,000 units, wolfberry 2,000 units, and walnut donkey-hide gelatin slices 3,000 units… Customer service explains that as people's awareness of health preservation improves, acceptance of these tonics is increasing, especially among young people, whose pressures are mounting and who are increasingly interested in health preservation.
Consequently, many young health preservation bloggers have emerged on social media platforms, gaining popularity. For example, girls use black ingredients to nourish their kidneys, red sugar ginger milk sago becomes a trending dessert, red ginseng and wheat winter drink warms the hands and feet, and consistent foot baths improve skin tone…
Furthermore, TCM departments in major hospitals are packed with patients. The night clinic of the Acupuncture Department at Zhejiang Hospital of TCM has been swarmed by young people, and the internet hospital has specially launched off-the-shelf balm formulas for sub-healthy young people, with sales exceeding 5,000 units in less than a month.
Everyone is becoming more attentive to their bodies, with a strong enthusiasm for health preservation.
Not Everyone Needs Tonics
Avoid Blindly Following Trends and Choosing Expensive Options
While fragmented health preservation is commendable, it's important to follow appropriate methods, especially when it comes to taking tonics.
Professor Fan Yongsheng notes that not everyone needs tonics; there are specific groups that benefit. For instance, young adults who are generally strong and healthy don't need tonics. Those who often stay up late and have poor living habits, showing symptoms like poor sleep, mood swings, weak constitution, frequent colds and illnesses, and being in a sub-healthy state, are more suitable for tonics.
Of course, middle-aged and older individuals who frequently feel fatigued, experience memory decline, and have various health issues are the ones who need tonics the most.
For people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, when it comes to winter tonics, the first thing that comes to mind is balm formulas. Eating balm formulas every winter has gradually become a common practice for many. Professor Fan is pleased to see people's emphasis on health, but as an authoritative expert in TCM, he wants to emphasize: “Balm formulas aren't necessarily better if they're more expensive, and tonics aren't limited to balm formulas.”
Indeed, there is no shortage of information online about exorbitantly priced balm formulas, leading some to blindly follow trends, thinking that adding expensive herbs like ginseng and caterpillar fungus makes a formula better. However, TCM emphasizes treatment based on individual constitution and requires targeted supplementation, with many options available. Even single herbs can be effective, as long as they are used appropriately to achieve desired effects.
Professor Fan says that many friends have the habit of eating ginseng for tonification every winter, but selecting the right type of ginseng is crucial. People with yang deficiency and cold symptoms should eat red ginseng; those with red tongues, dry mouths, and throat dryness indicative of yin deficiency should consume American ginseng; and those with dryness and weakness due to qi and yin deficiency should take wild mountain ginseng. Therefore, if unsure, it's best to seek professional guidance from a TCM practitioner to avoid adverse effects from taking the wrong tonic.
Dietary Health Preservation Integrated into Daily Meals
Stay Warm in Winter to Avoid Respiratory Diseases
Regarding the constitution of modern people, Professor Fan shares his clinical observations. “Due to excessive sitting, extensive use of mobile phones and computers, and a sedentary lifestyle with little exercise, many diseases such as high blood sugar, high uric acid, and high cholesterol arise. From a deeper TCM perspective, the constitution of modern people has changed, with an increasing proportion of qi deficiency and dampness. These individuals often appear overweight yet weak and have a lack of appetite.”
In his opinion, these individuals should first increase physical activity gradually to prevent injury. Secondly, they should reduce the intake of greasy foods and balance meat and vegetables. Lastly, they should consume more spleen-nourishing and stomach-strengthening foods like vegetables and whole grains. Eating barley porridge and Chinese yam porridge regularly is beneficial, and a useful tip is to add ginger to dishes to strengthen the spleen, disperse cold, and transform dampness, integrating dietary health preservation into daily meals.
Additionally, from last winter's COVID-19 to this year's influenza A and mycoplasma infections, many people have been affected repeatedly. Professor Fan believes that the ability of many people's respiratory systems to resist external risks has been compromised, necessitating targeted protection and conditioning. First, during severe winter, it's important to stay warm and avoid getting cold, as cold pathogenic factors can exacerbate respiratory diseases. Washing hands frequently, avoiding crowds, wearing masks, and maintaining good hygiene habits can help keep viruses at bay. Additionally, using TCM to prevent disease, individuals prone to colds due to qi deficiency can take Yu Ping Feng San/Wan prophylactically, while those experiencing shortness of breath and dry, sticky phlegm can benefit from Bu Fei Wan to tonify the lungs, nourish yin, and moisten the lungs, accelerating recovery.
Everyone is responsible for their own health, and achieving good health requires more than just winter tonics. Good habits must be integrated into daily life. “Eat and drink in moderation, maintain regular living habits, and avoid unnecessary labor to ensure the harmony of body and spirit, thus reaching the natural lifespan and living beyond a hundred years.” Professor Fan offers this passage from the “Huangdi Neijing” as a prescription for health in 2024.