Maintaining good health, Diets , body exercises and life longevity - 10 June 2010 - Blog

Wednesday, 22 May 2024, Clock

10:28:19 AM
Welcome Visitor | Admin |

RSS

Home |

Main » 2010 » June » 10 » Maintaining good health, Diets , body exercises and life longevity

11:28:00 AM

Maintaining good health, Diets , body exercises and life longevity

ACCORDING to the Yellow Emperor's Manual of Internal Medicine, the earliest medical classic extant in China, one of the important causes limiting the longevity of humans is "sexual intercourse in drunkenness." The legendary Peng Zu, who is said to have enjoyed a long life, claimed that "sleeping alone is better than taking a hundred doses of life-preservation tonics."

Liquor has been popular since ancient times. Drinking a small amount can accelerate the circulation of the blood, rein¬force the efficacy of medicine, improve the appetite and re¬lieve fatigue. Traditional Chinese medicine uses liquor and medicinal ingredients to make medicinal liquors for treating diseases. Generally speaking, proper drinking is not opposed. But drinking too much, combined with sexual intercourse, means great harm to health. This is because while drunk people cannot control their behavior and sexual intercourse makes them overexcited. Indulgence in this greatly consumes the most fundamental substances in the body — jing and qi, the essence of life and vital energy.
TRADITIONAL Chinese medicine pays great attention to the role of sperm in men's health, considering it a key factor in preserving life. Luo Mingshan, 110, a traditional physician in Sichuan Province, said, "Sperm is a treasure of a man which should not be lost easily. Preserving it means pre¬serving life, for in doing so a man can postpone the aging pro-
cess." When asked the secret of his long life, he joked and said, "It is hard for you to learn my secret of living a hundred years, because I love the mountains and rivers much more than a beautiful wife." Modern immunology also proves that fre¬quent sexual intercourse while drunk can retard the functions of the immunity system, cause excessive excitement, greatly con¬suming energy and reducing the adaptability of organs.

The ancients discussed the season and frequency of sexual intercourse. As to season, the Inner Medicine holds that "in winter sperm should be preserved." A medical expert named Zhu Danxi (1281-1358) of the Yuan Dynasty stressed that "in summer man should sleep alone." In terms of frequency, Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty said, "At the age of 20 men ejaculates once every four days; at 30 every eight days; at 40 every 16 days; at 50 every 21 days. " Sperm grows from primitive reproductive cells, normally taking 60 days to mature. They are stored in the epididymis for 10 days before they possess reproductive capability. The seminal and prostate fluids also need time to accumulate. Reproduction capability reduces in the aging process, so older people need longer intervals. The fre¬quency mentioned above basically conforms to physiological laws.

FROM the angle of lengthening life, people should pay great attention to avoiding intercourse while drunk. It is not only harmful to their own health, but can seriously harm the next generation. Studies show that babies born of "intercourse in drunkenness" often suffer from mental disorders, hypertension, ulcers and other diseases. Elderly people are especially forbidden to make love while drunk because of weaknesses in vital energy and bodily functions.

Some doctors of traditional Chinese medicine hold that after the age of 60 men should stop sexual intercourse. Facts show that a controlled sexual life, later marriage and fewer offspring are indeed beneficial to health. Many emperors in Chinese history were short-lived because of their indulgence in liquor and women. On the other hand, a survey shows that 20 percent of the 72 centenarians in Sichuan Province controlled their sexual life and practiced family planning; 14 were married after the age of 40; 23 had only one child and 32 had no child at all.

That sexual intercourse while drunk harms health is also proved abroad. For example, a millionaire in Venice was on the edge of death at the age of 35 because of his indulgence in liquor and women. He adopted the advice of a doctor that he control his sexual life and drinking. He prolonged his life another half century. In his old age he wrote a book on his experience entitled How to Live a Hundred Years.

Life is precious, but it is also brief. For the happiness of yourself and your offspring, never make love in drunkenness.
　
Sleeping Well - the Key to a Long Life
LIU ZHANWEN

ABOUT one third of our life is spent sleeping with our head on the pillow. Sleep and good health is a life-long com¬panion. Traditional Chinese medicine constantly stresses the scientific nature of sleep. "Sleep and eating are the keys to pre¬serving health." "Those who sleep well can eat well and live long." After five years of investigation and study of 7,000 peo¬ple, two American scientists reached the conclusion that there are seven factors that influence life expectancy, and one of these is good sleep. What can be called good sleep? There are 11 points:

1. Getting up and going to bed should be regular.

Based on the theory that "heaven is interrelated with humans," tradi¬tional Chinese medicine maintains that we should arrange our life in regular patterns according to the different seasons. For example, in the spring "go to sleep late, arise early and take a walk in the yard. " In the summer, "go to sleep late, arise early and you'll not feel weary during the day." In the autumn "go to sleep early, arise early together with the rooster." And in the winter "go to sleep early, arise late with the sun." That is to say, in spring and summer sleep can be shortened; while in au¬tumn and winter sleep can be more. In short, changing your time for sleep casually now and then is likely to disturb the life system and damage your spirit, causing either poor sleep or an addiction to too much sleep. Elderly people especially should work and rest according to the rhythm of their biological clock, which is difficult to change.

2. Sleeping time.

This varies from person to person and from time to time. Therefore, no uniformity should be imposed. Eight hours is the usual average. People of different ages need different times, however. For example, babies under one need 14 to 18 hours; a juvenile between 7 and 15 needs 10 hours; an adult needs 8 hours; people 60 to 70 need 7 to 8 hours, those 70 to 80 need 6 to 7 hours, and those 80 to 90 need 9 to 10 hours. The Research Center for Sleep Studies of Stanford University found that sleep is related to many factors such as the periodic fluctuations of body temperature, the state of one's health, the intensity of work, nutrition, and work conditions (factors such as high temperatures and noise). When your health is not good, you need more sleep than usual.

Sleep time is also related to one's character. A lively, sanguine disposition usually does not need 8 hours sleep, while a quiet, sentimental character needs 9 to 10 hours.
Of course, good sleep depends not only on the length of time, but on the quality of the sleep. The criterion for good sleep is that it should recover one's spirit and physical strength. As long as you get rid of fatigue, are comfortable, think clearly and are energetic and competent in the work of the day, it is sufficient sleep no matter how little you had.

3. The environment for sleep.

Air conditioners are an important factor in improving the sleep environment, but people have become aware of their deficiencies. Traditional ways of
keeping the air in the bedroom fresh are still not out-of-date. Open your window in the daytime to bring in plenty of oxygen. In temperate seasons such as spring, summer and autumn, you can sleep with the window open, though the breeze should not blow directly on your face, for it is cooler than the room temperature. In badly ventilated rooms in the cities, the carbon dioxide in the air is as high as 30 times more than in the countryside. Sleeping in such a condition is likely to give nightmares and when awakening headache and a feeling of dizziness and weakness.

If the room is not ventilated, there is likely to be a big difference between in-room and out-of-room temperatures and this might cause colds. In the winter, open a small transom to ensure air circulation. Room temperature should be kept between 18° C and 20° C. Too warm or too cold will influence sleep; so will a strong light, noise, unpleasant neighbors, etc., while a quiet, clean and comfortable environment makes it easier to fall asleep. If there is noise, do as Tao Yuanming, an ancient Chinese poet, said, "Living in a noisy town, you won't feel it if you don't care."

4. Sleeping position.

Many people do not care about this. But if your position is not correct, it may not only affect your sleep but harm your health. For instance, some people like to sleep on their stomach, but they never thought that such a position presses their chest and stomach, hinders breathing and decreases vital capacity. It also presses the heart and interferes with its functions. Some people like to sleep on their left side, but this also presses their heart and sometimes causes nightmares. Some people like to sleep on the back, unconsciously putting their hands on their chest, stretching the legs out.

This can stretch the muscles too tightly and disturb rest. The right posture for good sleep should be to lie on your right side. Bend the legs slightly, relax the body, put one hand with arm bend before your pillow, the other on your thigh. The backbone is bow-shaped, the legs and arms can move easily and the muscles of the whole body are relaxed. This helps muscle tissues get enough rest and removes fatigue. Meanwhile, sleeping on your right side puts your heart in a high position, helping it to drain blood and release its burden. The liver can obtain more blood, for it is in a low position. It also helps the stomach move food to the duodenum. A lot of old people sum this all up with "Sit like sitting, sleep like sleeping, go to sleep like the crescent moon." This makes sense.

5. What you sleep with.

First, the height of the pillow should be moderate. There is a saying, "Shake up the pillow and have a good sleep," but shake the pillow doesn't mean that the higher it is, the better. Usually 8 to 15 cm is preferred because your head can bend a little forward, your neck muscles can be fully relaxed, breathing can be free, and the blood supply to the brain normal. The pillow should be neither too hard nor too soft, and should have some elasticity.

The medical pillow should be mentioned. In ancient times, those who wanted to preserve good health liked to use a medical pillow. This not only made sleep comfortable but prevented and cured disease, for instance, people with hypertension used a pillow filled with mung bean or silkworm residue. This has an anti-pyretic effect, gives clear sight and can eliminate headache. Those with neurasthenia used a "pillow with mgnetite."

Second, the bed should not be too hard or too soft, for a hard bed cannot meet the needs of the curved body and can cause reflected pressure on the cervical vertebrae. If the bed is too soft, the middle part of the body will sink, curving the trunk and adding a burden to the ligaments and joints of the cervical vertebrae. A wooden bed with strung crisscrossed coir ropes is soft and springy, yet retains enough hardness.

If you are accustomed to sleep naked, you should wear soft, loose pajamas instead of close-fitting underwear, thus allowing the blood of the skin to circulate properly.

6. Good sleep first of all requires that you relax the heart.

"First relax the heart" means that before falling asleep your nerves should not be excited. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that people fall asleep easily when mentally quiet. If you are excited, nervous or too concentrated on something, it is difficult to fall asleep. Therefore, before going to bed you should not read books or magazines, especially literature and art, for they can make thoughts throng your mind and you become anxious. You should not talk volubly with your friends in order not to become excited, anxious or vexed. In short, "only when the masculine air enters the feminine side can you get to sleep," only after your heart is relaxed. Before you sleep, dispel distracting thoughts and put your mind on sleep.

7. Cultivate good sleep habits.

Before going to sleep, brushing your teeth and washing your feet is a good habit. Washing your feet in warm water not only cleans them but is a good stimulus to your mind. Drinking alcohol, tea or coffee, eating chocolate or smoking are not good habits. When in bed, do not tuck your head under the blanket.

8. Diet moderately.

Traditional Chinese medicine thinks that "if the stomach is not comfortable, sleep is not peaceful. " If you eat too much before going to sleep, your stomach and intestines will have too much to do. Yet if you go to sleep too late, you may not fall asleep because of hunger.

9. Don't sleep too much.

Traditional Chinese medicine holds that "sleeping too much hurts the vital energy" and influences its flow, possibly leading to dizziness, weakness of the limbs and a jaded appetite.

10. Work and rest moderately.

Violent sports, physical labor or intense mental work excites the nerves. So before going to sleep do not overwork. But "fatigue is the best sleeping
pill. " If you work or study hard during the day, tiredness in the evening will make it easy to fall asleep. After retirement, elderly people usually do less mental and physical work, and therefore are not able to work and rest moderately, which leads to restless sleep. To compensate, do some work during the day, or take a 30-minute walk before going to bed.

11. Treat insomnia actively.

Insomnia is a bitter thing. When night falls, heavyheartedness and worry comes. The more one worries, the more difficult it is to fall asleep. This becomes a vicious circle. To treat insomnia, first try to find the real cause. If it is because of habits bad for sleep, such as drinking strong tea or playing cards or chess before bedtime, change it. If it is caused by the sleep environment, such as temperature too high or too low, change these factors too. If it is caused by disease, for example neurasthenia, get proper treatment. Do not neglect insomnia.
　
Spring Exercises for Keeping the Liver Fit
YUAN LIREN

AS SPRING returns, all earthly things come back to life. The change of nature affects the activities of human life. People take part in more activities and metabolism becomes exuberant. This means that both blood circulation and the supply of nutrition need to be quickened and increased. The acceleration of blood circulation depends mainly on the readjustment of the blood volume, but the increase in nutrients needs good digestion and absorption.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, these functions have something to do with the liver, which stores blood and produces it. The liver can also control people's feelings, playing an important role in digestion and absorption. In the spring, people can adapt to the changes in the natural world so long as they keep the physiological function of the liver vigorous. This is why Chinese doctors believe it is good to do liver-preservation exercises in the spring.

There are many ways to take care of the liver. First, people should be optimistic and happy, and expand as things develop. Depression and anger harm the liver. Those who get up early and go to bed early will be full of vigor. For proper vital energy and blood condition, clothes must be warm, loose and comfortable. As for diet, wheat, dates, oranges, peanuts, onions and coriander are good for spring. Eat less raw and cold food made of glutinous rice, which damages the stomach and spleen. In physical exercise, take part in more outdoor activities so as to absorb the vitality of nature. Exercises should be slow and smooth, such as taijiquan, qigong and "eight-section exercises." In the spring when the grass has just turned green, go on outings, go for a walk in the country, listen to the birds singing in the forest, and enjoy the scenery by the waterside. These help you get rid of worry, mould your temperament, limber the joints and give you more fresh air.

Simple Liver-Preservation Exercises

1. Stretching. Early in the morning as you wake up and stretch, you will feel extremely pleasant, and this will also do you good physically. After a night's sleep people usually feel slack and weak. Blood circulation is slower. Stretching your arms and legs, waist and abdomen while inhaling and exhaling helps get rid of the stale and take in the fresh. It invigorates the circulation of the blood and vital energy, and frees the main and ollateral channels. Stretching relieves fatigue, shakes off drowsiness, builds up strength and limbers the body.

"The blood stays in the liver when a person lies in bed, but circulates when a person moves," traditional Chinese medicine says. Stretching speeds blood circulation, limbers the body and awakens you. It stimulates the function of the liver. This can also be repeated twice before or after a nap. Old people doing it can increase the elasticity of the muscles and ligaments and help postpone aging.

2. Pressing the palms while turning the waist. Sit straight with legs separated and one hand on the other between the legs. With the palms downward, the arms are kept straight and
pressed downward with force while turning the waist left and right slowly four times.

Attention: The turning range should be short. It is enough if you feel a resistance as you turn your waist while pressing your palms downward. These exercises have the same effect as stretching yourself; they stimulate the circulation of vital energy and blood, and limber the joints.

3. Take a sitting position. With one hand holding the other, place your hands in front of your chest and pull them outward four times. Then turn your palms upward and downward five times.Attention: Inhale as you exert yourself and exhale as you relax. This has the same effect as the above exercises.
　
'Swinging hi the Sea'
WEN JIAO

THIS exercise, the huanghai (swinging in the sea), is popular in China because it is very effective in treating many diseases, especially insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, and intestinal and gastric disorders such as constipation and loose bowels.

It requires sitting still and then gently swiveling the upper part of the body to benefit the internal organs, limbs and bones. It helps to strengthen the functions of the viscera, regulate the blood flow, and promote the normal operation of the channels and their collaterals through which the ql circulates.

The huanghai exercise is simple and easy to learn. Anyone, whether old, weak or ill, can do it provided he can take a sitting position.

Proceed as follows:

An ordinary sitting position or sit cross-legged. Place the hands above the knees. Sit still, straight but relaxed, head up¬right, facing directly forward. Remain in this position for a few minutes. Bend toward the right, then swivel to the left, straighten up and return to starting position. Repeat 36 times without interruption. Then bend toward the left and swivel to the right, straighten up and return to starting position. Contin¬ue 36 times.

Points to remember:

1. If taking an ordinary sitting position, it is better to use a stool. Sit on the edge with legs apart to shoulder width, feet parallel and pointing straight forward.

2. If sitting cross-legged, turn from right to left when the left leg is on top; turn from left to right when the right leg is on top; changing leg position for reverse directions.

3. Bend and swivel with the waist as the axis, nose pointing toward the navel. Don't raise your head.

4. The degree of the bend depends on the condition or degree you think fit. Those suffering dizziness, hypertension or a feeling of repression in the chest need not bend far, those with body aches may bend lower, and those with intestinal or gastric trouble may bend moderately.

5. Do the exercise slowly, evenly, and in a relaxed way, concentrating your mind as if you were a part of the vast sea of air and swinging in it — hence the name "Swinging in the Sea."

The huanghai exercise is used in treating ailments and also for maintaining good health. In the former case, many such sessions are required daily and the number of times for swiveling should be increased slowly. In the latter case, it is enough to do the exercise only once before going to bed at night, re¬peating the process 36 times for each side, lasting about 15 minutes.