🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Longevity and good health are universally desired goals. Traditional Chinese medicine has studied health preservation for over two thousand years, beginning with the Yellow Emperor’s Classic. Over generations, physicians, Daoists, and Buddhists have deeply explored and elaborated on health preservation, gradually forming a systematic TCM health theory. Summarized, there are eight key principles:
One, Emotional Well-being: To live healthily and long, emotional balance is essential. Tao Hongjing wrote in *Records of Health Preservation and Longevity*: "The greatest harm to health is excessive sorrow and deep grief—those who master inner harmony and balance will surely live long."
Two, Moderation in Desires: Health preservation requires tranquility, allowing the body and mind to be free from distractions, cultivating noble character and broad-mindedness. Sun Simiao said: "Those who die prematurely often do so because they neglect self-care, exhaust themselves pursuing fame and profit." Thus, good health preservers "should not be overly eager for desires," "have no idle thoughts," "seek nothing excessive wherever they go," and "begin each day by speaking only of good deeds, not first calculating money."
Three, Moderation in Sexual Activity: Refers to practicing restraint in sexual life. Human growth depends on kidney essence; abundant kidney essence ensures continuous vitality and strong disease resistance. To preserve kidney essence, one must restrain sexual desire. Excessive indulgence harms essence, damages the body, and shortens life.
Four, Adapting to the Four Seasons: Humans live within nature, and adapting to seasonal climate is vital for health preservation. The *Lüshi Chunqiu* states: "Longevity comes not from extending life artificially, but from completing one’s natural span—achieving this lies in eliminating harm." Harm refers to abnormal climatic conditions such as inappropriate weather, extreme cold, heat, dryness, or humidity—known in TCM as the "Six Pathogenic Factors."
Five, Dietary Moderation: The spleen and stomach are the foundation of postnatal health. Irregular eating injures the spleen and stomach, leading to illness and premature aging. The *Inner Canon* warns: "The origin of yin lies in the five flavors"; "Eating too much injures the intestines and stomach"; "Excess salt causes blood vessels to congeal and change color; excess bitterness causes skin to dry and hair to fall out..." Sun Simiao provided more comprehensive and scientific dietary advice beyond common sense like "do not overeat, keep meals simple," "prefer warm food," "favor light, fresh, sweet, and bland foods." He also emphasized dietary methods and hygiene: "Chew food thoroughly, do not swallow hastily," "Do not talk loudly while eating," "After every meal, rub your face and abdomen with hands," "Avoid raw vegetables, raw rice, small beans, stale or foul-smelling food, and turbid alcohol," "Never eat raw, sticky, or slippery substances." These practices help protect the spleen and stomach, prevent food poisoning, avoid infectious diseases, and contribute to longevity.
Six, Regular Exercise: Humans are a unified whole; regular physical activity boosts energy and strengthens the body. Already in Han Dynasty, Hua Tuo advocated exercise for disease prevention, stating: "The body must be active; movement aids digestion, promotes blood circulation, and prevents illness." Sun Simiao in *Qianjin Fang* also said: "The art of health preservation lies in gentle activity," "Keep the body active, but avoid overexertion"—reminding people to regularly move their limbs to prevent illness and extend life.
Seven, Following Natural Temperament: To live long and healthy, one must adapt to age-related physiological changes. Sun Simiao described the elderly: "After age fifty, yang declines daily, losing strength bit by bit. Mental power fades, forgetfulness increases, laziness sets in, tasks become unsatisfying. Vision and hearing decline, progress slows, everything falls apart, the heart feels empty, memory fails, irritability grows, and temperament changes." This shows that aging brings physiological and psychological changes. We must care for and understand the elderly, accommodate their nature to help them enjoy a fulfilling life.
Eight, Medicinal Substances: Life varies greatly in constitution, and illness is inevitable. Thus, using medicinal substances is part of health preservation. Ancient people valued medicines for preventing and treating disease, prolonging life, and devised many longevity-preserving prescriptions. However, health preservation cannot rely solely on medicine. As Sun Simiao warned: "Even if one constantly takes medicinal substances without mastering the art of self-cultivation, one cannot attain longevity. Even consuming jade elixirs or golden pills cannot extend life."