The Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Hospital of Integrative Medicine Dr. Fu Zhiquan, Chief Physician, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Hospital of Integrative Medicine (Specialist Clinic: every Monday morning; Special Needs Clinic: every Thursday afternoon) In late autumn, a high school classmate whom I had not seen for many years came to me in a hurry, asking me to prescribe a winter tonic recipe for him. It turned out that the student had suffered from asthma since he was a child, and he was the one who took the most time off work when he was studying. This summer, he was introduced to the Chinese hospital for winter and summer treatment, the effect is very good, at least this year into the autumn and winter season asthma has not attacked. At that time, the doctor told him that the main purpose of winter and summer treatment is to preserve Yang Qi, and that he should take a cream recipe after winter to nourish Yin Qi. So, once the winter solstice was over, he found me, a fellow TCM student, to regulate his yin and yang, and kept asking me why the yin and yang of the human body should be regulated separately according to summer and winter. I told him that Chinese medicine attaches great importance to the regulation of yin and yang, as early as in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, “Suwen – Four Qi Regulating the Gods”, there is a basic rule of Chinese medicine to maintain health: “Nourish yang in spring and summer, nourish yin in autumn and winter”. It is said that spring and summer nourish Yang to nourish the growth of Yang; autumn and winter nourish Yin to nourish the collection of Yin. Some patients suffering from chronic bronchitis or asthma, often with Yang deficiency, are prone to relapse in the autumn and winter. Why is that? Because at this time of the year, the yin energy of nature is very strong and the yang energy is not enough, so the power of tonic is too weak. If you eat some Yang tonic medicine or food in summer, such as deer antler, sardines, mutton, etc., or carry out some warm acupuncture and other treatment to warm Yang Qi, you will not be so afraid of cold and less prone to attack in winter. The reason for nourishing Yang in spring and summer is that the weather changes from cold to warm and from warm to summer, which is a critical period for Yang to grow and Yin to disappear. As the temperature rises in spring and summer, the yang energy between heaven and earth is strong, and the natural organisms show vigorous growth, the yang energy of the human body will also flourish as the temperature rises. Therefore, in spring and summer, we should protect the yang energy in our body and make it abundant and vigorous; on the other hand, we should avoid doing things that harm the yang energy, such as sleeping late and waking up early, and eating lightly, so as to comply with the lack of yin energy and the abundance of yang energy in nature. On the other hand, we should avoid doing things that harm yang energy, such as sleeping late and waking up early and eating lightly, so as to comply with the lack of yin energy in nature and the abundance of yang energy. Individuals with Yang deficiency can also consume some warm fruits such as jujube, cinnamon, grapes, as well as cinnamon and dried ginger soup, or ginger and mutton soup, to help restore and invigorate Yang energy. For those who have Yang deficiency, they can also take Jin Kui Kidney Qi Pills or Yu Gui Pills under the guidance of a doctor to replenish the Yang Qi needed in the body and improve the Yang deficiency physique, so the effect of nourishing Yang at this time will be better than other times. In autumn and winter, the climate gradually becomes cooler, the yin grows and the yang disappears, everything converges, as the temperature gradually drops, the yin in the world is strong, the natural creatures also reduce their activities and even enter hibernation, the yang in the human body also converges inside and does not consume too much, in order to maintain the normal physiological functions of the internal organs. Therefore, Chinese medicine emphasizes that in autumn and winter, we should sleep early and get up late to adapt to the natural world’s seclusion; do not eat too much spicy and stimulating food, such as spicy hot pot, white wine, and warm tonic soups; do not be overjoyed and sad, so as not to harm the five organs; and do not overdo physical exercise, so as not to sweat too much and dissipate yang energy. At the same time, drink more plain water, eat more fruits and vegetables, such as apples, white pears, bananas, grapefruit, green vegetables, radishes, or pork, duck meat, green beans, etc.. In this way to replenish the body’s Yin and Jin, with Yin to improve the Yin deficiency physique, collect the body’s Yin essence, so that the essence of the internal gathering, moisten the five organs, the body’s functions can be kept in balance. For this reason, in order to be healthy and less sick, we must follow the Yin and Yang qi to maintain health. According to Chinese medicine, heaven, earth and man are an organic whole, and man is corresponding to heaven and earth. What is corresponding? Yin and Yang qihua corresponding. It is often called the way of health, the sage follows it, the fool goes against it. The change of yin and yang in the four seasons is the basis for the growth of all things. If you go against nature, you may not necessarily get sick immediately, but once you form a habit, then the chance of getting sick will be greatly increased. Therefore, everyone who wishes not to get sick should follow the holy words of Chinese medicine: “Nourish the yang in spring and summer, and the yin in autumn and winter”, so as to be healthy all year round and have a safe life. The theory of yin and yang is that the world is a whole of matter, and is the result of the unity of yin and yang. “Yin and Yang” is a generalization of certain things and phenomena in nature that are interrelated and opposing. It represents two opposing things, as well as two opposing aspects within the same thing. Generally speaking, anything that is active, external, rising, warm, bright, functional, hyper-functional, first, positive, belongs to Yang; anything that is quiet, internal, falling, cold, obscure, material, declining, last, negative, belongs to Yin. For example, from the properties of things to distinguish, the sky is yang, the earth is yin, the sky is above, so it is yang, the earth is below, so it is yin; fire is yang, water is yin, fire is hot and inflammable, so it is yang, water is cold and goes down, so it is yin. From the movement of things to distinguish, static for the yin, moving for the yang. When things are in a quiet state is Yin, and in a dry and dynamic state is Yang. Yang transforms into qi and yin into form, the tangible entity is yin and the invisible function is yang. From the inside of the same thing, the top is yang and the bottom is yin; the outside is yang and the inside is yin. In addition, the sun is yang and the moon is yin; day is yang and night is yin; sunny days are yang and rainy days are yin; spring and summer are yang and autumn and winter are yin; men are yang and women are yin, etc., all of which are classified according to the above yin and yang properties. It must be noted that yin and yang represent two aspects of things that are opposed and interrelated, but are not limited to a particular thing. The yin and yang properties of things are not absolute, but relative. This relativity, on the one hand, is expressed in the fact that under certain conditions, yin and yang can be transformed into each other, yin can be transformed into yang, and yang can be transformed into yin; and on the other hand, it is expressed in the infinite divisibility of things. For example, day is yang and night is yin, while morning is yang in yang and afternoon is yin in yang; the first half of the night is yin in yin and the second half of the night is yin in yang. From this, it can be seen that there is still a yin and yang within yin and yang, and anything in the universe can be summarized into two attributes, yin and yang, and within any one attribute thing can be divided into two aspects, yin and yang. This phenomenon of things being both opposed to each other and interconnected is endless in the natural world. According to Chinese medicine, yin and yang are universal, and all changes in things are the result of the interaction of the two opposing aspects of yin and yang. Yin and yang are both opposed and interdependent, and each side is conditioned by the other. At the same time, yin and yang undergo a mutual change in quality, i.e., transformation. The transformation refers to the change in quantity, while the transformation refers to the change in quality. The transformation of yin and yang means that the opposing and interdependent yin and yang are not in a static state, but in the process of movement of mutual change of yin and yang qualities. In the theoretical system of Chinese medicine, the idea of the doctrine of yin and yang is reflected everywhere. The doctrine of yin and yang is used to explain the tissue structure, physiological functions and pathological changes of the human body, and to guide the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. (To be continued)