🌿 Folk Prescriptions

This is a very important solar term and also the optimal time for tonification. “Start of Winter” literally means: “‘Li’ signifies inception, ‘Dong’ signifies end, all things are stored.” Start of Winter marks the arrival of winter. The "Lü Shi Chun Qiu · Er Shi Yue Ji" already established eight solar terms: Start of Spring, Spring Equinox, Start of Summer, Summer Solstice, Start of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Start of Winter, Winter Solstice. These eight are the most significant among the 24 solar terms, clearly and accurately marking the transitions of the four seasons.
As the first solar term of winter, Start of Winter occurs around November 8 each year, when the sun reaches 225 degrees of ecliptic longitude. Due to differences in latitude across China, true winter does not necessarily start exactly on “Start of Winter,” but rather when temperatures remain below 10°C for several consecutive days. However, traditionally, “Dong” means “end,” signifying closure. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that this solar term marks the retreat of yang energy and the peak of yin energy, with withering vegetation and hibernating insects—life activities tend toward stillness, entering a dormant state to conserve energy and prepare for the vibrant life of spring.
Though humans do not hibernate, folk traditions include “tonifying during Start of Winter.” On this day, people in both northern and southern China engage in various ways to consume mountain delicacies and wild game, believing this helps resist the harsh winter cold. But in real life, what should we pay attention to on Start of Winter, and how should we adjust our health care?
The earliest medical classic, "Huang Di Nei Jing · Su Wen · Si Ji Tiao Shen Da Lun," states: “In winter three months, this is called closure and storage. Ice forms on water, the ground cracks. Do not disturb yang energy. Go to bed early and rise late, waiting for sunlight. Let your will be hidden and concealed, as if you have private intentions or have gained something. Stay warm, avoid cold, do not let the skin sweat excessively, or yang energy will be depleted. This is the response to winter’s energy, the way to preserve and store. Violating this principle harms the kidneys, leading to weakness and paralysis in spring, depriving the body of vitality.” This passage profoundly discusses methods for spiritual, daily routine, and dietary adjustments, introducing the principles of human health preservation in winter according to natural changes. It tells us that winter is a season of cold, frozen ground, and withered trees, where life energy is hidden and stored. Human yang energy also sinks inward with the natural shift. Therefore, winter health preservation should follow the natural law of closure and storage, with the fundamental goal of conserving yin and protecting yang. In spiritual care, one must “let your will be hidden and concealed, as if you have private intentions or have gained something,” striving for tranquility, controlling emotional activity, maintaining mental peace, keeping emotions contained, avoiding disturbances, thus allowing yang energy to remain hidden.
For daily routines, emphasis is placed on “do not disturb yang energy, go to bed early and rise late, wait for sunlight.” That is, in cold winters, avoid disturbing yang energy and disrupting the body’s natural yin-yang transformation. As stated: “In winter, the sky and earth close, blood and qi hide; people must not exert themselves or sweat, or yang energy will be released.” Therefore, going to bed early and rising late, working only after sunrise, ensures sufficient sleep, aiding yang energy’s concealment and yin essence’s accumulation. Clothing that is too thin or insufficiently warm increases susceptibility to colds and depletes yang energy. Conversely, clothing too thick or rooms too warm cause pores to open, preventing yang energy from hiding and allowing cold pathogens to invade. Traditional Chinese medicine holds: “Cold is a yin pathogen, commonly injuring yang energy.” Yang energy in the human body is like the sun in the sky—bestowing light and warmth upon nature. Without it, nothing can survive. Similarly, without yang energy, the body loses its metabolic vitality. Thus, after Start of Winter, daily routines must strictly follow “preserving and storing.”
Dietary care should follow the ancient teachings: “Nourish yin in autumn and winter,” “Do not disturb yang energy,” and “Tonify deficiencies, warm cold conditions.” Adjust diet according to seasonal climate changes. Yuan Dynasty’s Hu Si Hui wrote in "Yin Shan Zheng Yao": “Winter is cold; use millet with warm properties to counteract the cold.” That is, avoid raw and cold foods, but also avoid excessive heat. Selectively consume nourishing yin and consolidating yang, high-calorie diets. Also, eat plenty of fresh vegetables to avoid vitamin deficiency, such as beef, lamb, black chicken, crucian carp, drink soy milk and milk, eat radishes, greens, tofu, black fungus, etc. Note: China spans vast territories with diverse geographical environments and lifestyles. Even within winter, climate varies drastically—northern regions are much colder than southeastern coastal areas. In northwestern regions, winter is bitterly cold, so tonification should be strong and warming, such as beef, lamb, dog meat. In southern regions along the Yangtze River, though winter has arrived, temperatures are milder, so tonification should be mild and warm, such as chicken, duck, fish. In plateau and mountainous areas with less rainfall and drier climates, sweet and moist, fluid-generating fruits and vegetables, and rock sugar are recommended. Additionally, individual differences must be considered: food types vary (grains, meat, fruits, vegetables), people differ by gender, age, and constitution (deficiency vs. excess, cold vs. heat). Following the laws of human growth, traditional Chinese health preservation principles advocate: youth should be nurtured, middle age should be regulated, old age should be protected, and advanced age should be extended. Thus, “winter tonification” must be tailored to individual circumstances—selecting mild, moderate, large, or small tonics appropriately, never blindly “tonifying.” Specifically, here are several gentle, easy-to-make herbal remedies suitable for all ages.
Black Sesame Porridge (Ben Cao Gang Mu):
[Ingredients] 25 grams black sesame, 50 grams japonica rice.
[Preparation] Roast black sesame until fragrant, grind into powder. Wash japonica rice, combine with black sesame in a pot, boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until porridge forms.
[Efficacy] Tonify liver and kidney, nourish the five zang organs.
Note: This formula is especially suitable for middle-aged and elderly individuals with weak constitutions and helps prevent premature aging.
Stewed Old Duck with Cordyceps (Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi):
[Ingredients] 5 cordyceps, 1 old male duck, appropriate amounts of rice wine, ginger, scallion, salt.
[Preparation] Remove feathers and internal organs from the duck, wash clean. Boil in water until foam rises, then remove. Split the duck’s head along the neck, insert cordyceps, tie securely. Place in a large bowl with rice wine, ginger, scallion, salt, and enough water. Put the bowl in a steamer and steam for about 2 hours until the duck is cooked (or use a steam pot).
[Efficacy] Tonify deficiency, enrich essence, nourish yin, assist yang.
This formula uses cordyceps as the main ingredient to support kidney yang and enrich essence and blood; the old duck serves as auxiliary, nourishing yin and replenishing deficiency. One leans toward tonifying yang, the other toward tonifying yin. Together, they form a powerful tonic for deficiency, enriching essence, and nourishing yin while assisting yang.
Note: Not suitable for those with unresolved external pathogenic factors.
Tomato Sugar Lotus Root:
[Ingredients] 2 tomatoes, 1 lotus root, appropriate amount of granulated sugar.
[Preparation] Peel tomatoes, blanch lotus root in boiling water (3 to 5 minutes). Place both in a dish and sprinkle with sugar.
[Efficacy] Strengthen the spleen, stimulate appetite, generate essence, quench thirst.
On Start of Winter, I hope these two dishes and one porridge bring joy to your family life and inspire more people to enhance their health awareness. I also remind everyone to prevent influenza early. Here’s a popular folk “Immortal Porridge” song—easy to learn, remember, and apply: “One handful of glutinous rice boiled into porridge, seven scallions and seven slices of ginger, simmered and mixed with half a cup of vinegar, safe from colds and flu.”