Live Longer by Obeying Mature

ZHANG HUDE

EVERYBODY wants to live a long time. Scientists now be­lieve that human beings should be able to live to at least 120 years.
Traditional Chinese medicine over the centuries has devel­oped special ways to follow the laws of nature in the four sea­sons to maintain good health and build up the body for a longer life. The early classic of traditional Chinese medicine, Yellow Emperor's Manual of Internal Medicine, said that " a wise way to preserve one's health is to conform to the changes in the four seasons and accordingly adjust one's living habits."
Many meteorological factors affect, in different degrees, body metabolism and internal secretion abilities through the function of the hypothalamus. These are temperature, humidi­ty, atmospheric pressure, wind direction and speed, volume of rainfall, sunspots, cosmic rays and the movements of celestial bodies. Good weather checks the spread of disease and aids good health. Harsh weather often causes ailments. Based on this, traditional Chinese medicine has developed unique ways to adjust the body's internal organs in the four seasons, important doctrines in preserving good health.

Spring Therapy
In the spring people should go to sleep a bit later and get up a bit earlier. Outdoor exercises in the morning are necessary. Fresh air, the spring breeze and warm sun give people an ease of mind and high spirits.

People in China say, "Don't hasten to shake off your heavy clothes in the spring, but in the autumn put on more." Spring weather is changeable. As it gets warmer, the skin tends to become loose to suit the situation and its ability to resist cold drops. Thus, at this time weak and elderly people easily catch cold, which in turn often induces hidden illnesses. A Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine investigation of 4,806 patients shows that March and April are the peak time for a-cute myocardial infarctions. So weak and elderly people should promptly put on more clothing when they feel cold and pay special attention to protecting the back.

All things come to life in the spring. Germs and viruses al­so begin to flourish, giving rise to pestilences. There are three ways to prevent acute diseases of spring. One, regularly drink broth prepared with the rhizome of crytomium, an herb that lessens inflammation and relieves internal heat or fever. Two, place peppermint oil in the bedroom. As this volatilizes it puri­fies the air. Three, persist in massage therapy exercises. Weak and elderly people should avoid going to public places where the air is contaminated.
Traditional Chinese medicine holds that the liver should not be so active in the spring. If it is too vigorous, it weakens and replaces the role of the spleen. Thus, in the spring sweet things that build up the spleen are encouraged, while sour food that strengthens the liver should be limited. Dates, rich in pro­tein, sugar and vitamins B and C, are good for the spleen. The Chinese say, "Eat three dates a day and you won't grow old."

Summer Therapy

Nature becomes exuberant in the summer. People should adapt themselves to the weather, accumulating vital energy and raising resistance to disease for the coming winter. According to traditional Chinese medicine, in the summer people should go to bed late and get up early. They should maintain a happy mood and not lose their temper. It is ideal to live for a while ata seaside resort or a forest home.

In the summer one should avoid heat and exposure to the intense sun, staying in the lower temperature indoors. He must not sit or lie too long on damp cold ground just for momentary relief from the heat. Sweet-sour plum juice is a recommended drink. Families should prepare the "ten drops," rendan and other popular medicines for summer ailments. Rooms should be well ventilated. But do not sleep in a draught or with an elec­tric fan on, let alone in the open. Keep air conditioners at medium level. Weak and elderly people must not stay too long in the shade of trees, pavilion above water or draughts, for these sometimes cause feet and hand numbness and Bell's palsy.

Traditional Chinese medicine advises people to restore and build up their internal energy in the spring and summer. To protect internal energy, one should refrain from eating too much cold fruit and vegetables and consuming too much cold drink. A hot dish is necessary at each meal. Also to protect in­ternal energy, one should eat less greasy food but more light and easily digestible food. Porridges such as lotus leaf and mung bean porridge are good for elderly people.