🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Date: November 7th (Gregorian calendar), tenth day of the tenth lunar month.
Winter includes six solar terms: Start of Winter, Minor Snow, Major Snow, Winter Solstice, Minor Cold, and Major Cold—the coldest season of the year. Winter wind is north wind, cold in nature. "Cold" is the primary feature of winter weather changes. In the five zang organs, winter corresponds to the kidneys. "If winter is not properly storing essence, spring will inevitably lead to febrile diseases"—meaning one must nourish the kidneys and store essence to prepare for vitality in spring.
Customs: Folk sayings include: "Clear Start of Winter means a harsh winter; rainy Start of Winter means a mild winter." Ancient people believed observing weather at Start of Winter could predict the entire winter’s temperature. Another saying: "No rain on Start of Winter means a sunny winter; rain on Start of Winter means a rainy winter." "If Start of Winter sees northwest wind, it foretells abundant harvest next year."
Living Habits: Traditional belief holds that "winter" means "end"—a conclusion. According to traditional Chinese medicine, this solar term signifies the concealment of yang energy, peak of yin, withering of plants, hibernating insects, and all living things entering a resting phase, preparing for vigorous revival in spring through dormancy.
Before sleeping, soak feet in warm water, then vigorously rub the soles. Besides keeping warm, this practice nourishes the kidneys, strengthens the body, relieves fatigue, promotes sleep, delays aging, and helps prevent colds, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and other ailments.
Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the health benefits of sunlight, believing regular exposure strengthens body yang energy. Especially in winter, when nature is in a state of "yin dominance, yang decline," humans naturally follow suit. Thus, regular sun exposure strengthens yang energy and warms the meridians. Cao Cishan’s *Lao Lao Heng Yan* states: "Sitting facing the sun, as mentioned by Liezi as 'leaning on the warmth of the sun,' allows the spine to feel slight warmth, resulting in whole-body comfort. The sun is the essence of the sun; its light strengthens yang energy." This clearly outlines the health benefits and scientific rationale behind "leaning on the warmth of the sun."
Diet: Increase nutrition and caloric intake. Among the three major heat-producing nutrients—proteins, carbohydrates, and fats—protein intake can remain at normal levels, while additional calories come from increased carbohydrate and fat consumption. This is an ideal time for tonification, but due to lack of understanding of proper tonification principles, blind supplementation often leads to worsened deficiency in weak individuals and intensified excess in strong ones, disrupting internal balance and causing adverse reactions. Therefore, winter tonification must follow the principle of "tonifying yang in spring and summer, nourishing yin in autumn and winter," adjusting based on the body’s actual yin-yang balance.
Traditional Chinese medicine considers winter the best season for dietary tonification. Folk wisdom says: "Tonify in winter, thrive like a tiger in spring." Winter dietary tonification should emphasize balanced, comprehensive nutrition. Those with deficient yin should eat duck meat or goose meat. Duck meat is sweet and cold, benefiting yin, nourishing the stomach, strengthening the kidneys, reducing swelling, and resolving phlegm and cough.