Prevention In Traditional Chinese Medicine

Main steps in preventative medicine

Seasons and time - know the strengths and weakness of Yin and Yang, use different methods to prevent disorders and strengthen the body.

Diet – complete diet will enrich Qi and Blood to nourish  the organs within, eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty, eat many small meals

Lifestyle – we must unite the body and spirit to keep healthy

Environment – keep a clean and balanced home

Exercise – if something is not used it will cease up, the more one moves and uses their joints they will be in better health

Treating Diseases For Each Season

Spring and summer – nourish Yang

Fall and winter – nourish Yin

            Spring – liver - predominance of Wind

            Summer – heart – predominance of heat and Fire

            Fall – lung – extreme dryness

            Winter – kidney (warm cold)

Spring – Yang energy is abundant, everything is growing upward, body essence is being

 transformed with body fluids, blood and Qi

            -nourish the body’s Yang Qi to stimulate the metabolism

-maintain happy thoughts and stay calm – build up will, ambition and ideals (Zhi Sheng) build up the spirit and the mind.

            -less sleep is needed – spend more time outdoors

            -eat pungent, sweet, warm foods

            -exercise should be gentle and smooth

            -liver Qi is strongest in spring – easily show liver yang rising symptoms

            -appetite should increase

Summer – Yang energy is strong – full of life, hot weather

            -bodies yang Qi is easily lost due to the open pores

            - strengthen yang Qi

            - clear and harmonize the mind and spirit, stay mellow

            -less sleep is needed but an afternoon nap is recommended

            -bland tasteless foods, not rich foods, easily digested food, fruits and veggies

            -do not eat cold which is too cold

            -exercise in the morning or evening when the temperature is not too hot

Indian summer – hot and dampness is most prominent, this easily damages heart and

spleen   function

-recessive fee r, sticky/clammy sweating, poor appetite, heavy limbs, fatigue, soft stool

-drink plenty of fluids to prevent body fluid deficiency, aromatic and cool foods

Fall     - everything is ripe, Yang Qi stats to close and Ying Qi starts to grow

-start to protect body fluids from dry season

-stay positive, calm and happy

-sleep early and get up early

-do not get cold yet stay cool

-eat lite, cool foods, promote body fluid production foods (pears)

-exercise less than in spring and summer – try to store yang Qi for the winter

Winter -everything is stored – ying Qi is strongest, yang Qi is hiding

            -protect yin Qi, wear warm clothing

            -do not overeat

            -lots of sleep needed, go to bed early and get up late

            -exercise till sweating lightly before stopping.

            -kidney Qi is easily injured – tonify and enrich kidney essence

Foods According To The Season

            Spring    -cooling foods – avoid warm clothes, warm drinks, warm food – (barley)

            Summer – cold foods – avoid hot food, hot drinks, avoid dampness, don’t over eat

                        (green beans)

Fall       - dryness -flaxseeds, sesame seeds, eat many lubricating foods  Winter – Cold - keep warm, eat warm foods

Treating Diseases Due To Diet

The diet is the bodies source to maintain it’s development physiologically and functionally.  If there is irregular diet there will be disease

            Poor Diet        – over eating, starving or hungry

- unclean food, rotten food

- cravings – eating too hot, too spicy, too cold, too greasy

            Regular Diet -amount of food and time of meals stays similar

                                       -eat best in morning, have big lunch, eat small dinners

            Hygiene          -clean water and clean food sources

Harmonize flavors – do not eat to much of a sweet, salty, pungent, bitter, sour

flavor

            Adjust diet to season -spring – pungent/sweet/warm  - help yang Qi

                                                -summer – sour, sweet, light foods

-fall – avoid pungent foods eat sticky, lubricating, oily foods – protect yin (especially of Lung)

-winter – warm foods, grains, rich foods – store yang Qi

            Body Type      -growing children – high in nutrients

                                    -middle aged – do not drink alcohol to much

                                    -seniors – eat light food, soft food, warm food

                                    -women – period, pregnancy – nourish Qi and Blood Foods

                                                   - eggs, soups, dates, fish

                                    -over weight – cave man diet (raw veggies, meat, no starches)

                                    -skinny – sweet, lubricating, easily produce fluids foods

                                    -yang body- bland foods, cooling, dark green leafy veggies

The Art Of Chewing

                        -slow chewing and swallowing

                        -concentrate on eating (heart and mind help spleen digest)

                        -be happy – do not eat when angry

                        -post meal – warm hands and rub abdomen

                        -post meal – rinse mouth, brush teeth after meals

            -post meal – 20 minutes after – take 100 step walk (traditional)

        (100 steps = live till 99 yrs old)

Lifestyle To Unite The Body And Spirit

Regulate the lifestyle to maintain good health

            Principles

                        -keep regular hours (sleeping, eating …)

                        -balance working and resting, balance physical work and mental work

                        -good sleeping – follow sun (traditional) 8-10 adult, 11-12 infant

9-11 teenager,  7-8 senior 

                                                -sleep with head pointing east

                                                -sleep in fetal position, preferably on yang side (right)

                                                -don’t talk to much before bed

                                                -don’t sleep on full stomach

                                                -avoid wind when sleeping (open windows) and don’t

cover head

                                                -hard mattress with firm pillow

                        -clothing           – wear according to season

                                                -stay warm when pores open (after exercise)

                                                -dress according to body type (pregnancy, puberty, child,

 senior)

-don’t wear wet clothes

Environmental Factors

A good environment will have clean water, green plants, mountains, lots of sunlight, lots of circulating air and proper sanitization of the soil, water and air.

            Positive Environment

                        -visually pleasing – clean air/water/soil, nice weather (like BC)

                        -not polluted

                        -need sunshine and natural light

                        -need circulating air

                        -quiet atmosphere

            Negative Environment (anything in excess can be negative)

-too hot and too damp – tropical – easily develop muscular disorders (spasm, numbness,bi-syndrome)

-too cold – easily develop interior cold disorder, distended abdomen

-too flat – plains – lack of exercise – easily have ‘rich disease’

-too mountainous – lacking metals

-too toxic – too much radiation

-too polluted – respiratory disease

-too noisy – mental disease – anxiety, insomnia …

-too dirty – rodents – rats, insects

Exercise

Exercise is needed to maintain physical and mental health by concentrating on ones breathing  with body movements.  Doing too much or not enough exercise will be detrimental.  The amount and the intensity will be different depending on the individual and will change with the seasons.

            1-walking         -elderly – 2-3miles per day

                                    -stimulates organs & body’s metabolism, calms the mind

                                    -pulse should be kept around 130 beats per minute

                                    -walk and massage abdomen for digestive disorders

            2-Five Exercises – Wu Zing Xi

                        1- Tiger Exercise – works on 12 meridians

                        2- Bear Exercise – works on lumbar and waist

                        3- Deer Exercise – works on neck

                        4- Monkey Exercise – stretches whole body

                        5- Bird Exercise – ready to fly!

3-Tai Ji Stick – shoulder width stick, massage whole body with stick, aids in digestion

4-Ba Duan Jing – Slow exercises which correspond with TCM thinking

-whole body exercise  - good for the knees, back, body of seniors 

5-self massage- mouth massage

                                    - face massage

                                    - scalp/hair massage

                                    -nose massage

                                    -ear massage

                                    -eye massage and exercises

                                    -kidney massage (massage KD 1 to lower blood pressure)

                                    -foot massage – from ST 36 – top of foot with feet in hot water

                                    -massage knees with feet in hot water

                                    -respiratory disorders – tap REN 22 (superior end of sternum)

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