Wheel of Health for 2019

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The Wheel of Health is based on the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Let’s break it down to each month.

January- Preservation

This is the time to nourish the Ying energy in your body. It is a good idea to dress warm outside to prevent a cold/flu. It is important to keep your head, neck, hands, and feet warm in the cold weather.

Diet: Eat more foods witha warm nature such as stews and soups. Dark color foods such as black beans, sesame seeds,andchestnuts are very tonic to the kidneys.

February – Raise the Yang Energy

When everything comes back to life in spring, you should get up early and be physically active. After the beginning of spring, the weather can still be dry, therefore, hydration daily is very important.In early spring, the weather changes drastically, from warm to cold, so you should not take off your winter clothes too quickly, especially the elderly and those with weak immunity should be more conservative and keep warm outside.

Diet: The diet should incorporate some spicy, sweet, and warm foods. Eat more foods with a sweet nature, such as dates, yams, leeks, spinach, etc. Less sour taste foods such as tomatoes. The sour taste enters the liver and has astringent properties, which is not conducive to boosting the rising of the Yang energy and the release of liver energy. Sun Simiao, the king of Chinese medicine in the Tang Dynasty, said: “In spring, it is better to reduce sourness and increase sweetness to nourish the spleen.” Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the spleen and stomach meridians work together. The energy in the liver meridian rises in spring, and excessive energy in the liver meridian can affect the energy flowinthe spleen meridian. Therefore, in spring, you should eat more foods with a sweet nature and less sour taste foods, which nourish the spleen meridian.Eat more foods that help release the Yang energy, such as onions, parsley, cilantro, leeks, etc.

March – Nourish the Liver

March is a windy season. Traditional Chinese medicine believesthe wind can contribute to diseases. The temperature can increase significantlyin spring, the air humidity increases and viruses and bacteria begin to multiply. It is important to open windows regularly for ventilation, keep the indoor air fresh, and get some sunshine. This is the time toget up early and enjoy hiking and other outdoor activities to boost the energy flow in your liver meridian.

Diet: Enjoy some naturally sweet foods, such as yam andsquash, and foods with a green color that help boost the energy in the liver, such as leeks, spinach, and other seasonal vegetables. Eat foods with a sour taste in moderation, such as tomatoes and oranges.

April – Balance the Yin and Yang Energy

The energy in the liver meridian increases gradually in spring since the beginning of spring and reaches its peak around the middle of April. Positive emotions support the energy flow in the liver meridian, which regulates our digestion. This is a time to balance your mood and enjoy outdoor activities.

Diet: Eat more seasonal foods such as dark leafy vegetables and fresh fruits, less spicy and greasy foods,and avoid overeating.

May – Strengthen Your Heart

The weather becomes warmer after the beginning of summer, and hot weather can easily make people impatient. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the energy in summer is connected with the heart meridian. At the beginning of summer, it is important to develop a peaceful mindset and reduce worries and agitation. Sweating helps release the Yang energy and detoxify the body, limit air conditioners, or use them in moderation.

This is the time to focus on your heart health. It is important to maintain a positive attitude and avoid emotional stress such as anger and anxiety that can affect your heart function.

Diet: The dietary principle is to increase sour taste and reduce bitterness, nourish the kidneys and liver, and regulate energy flow in the stomach meridian. The Diet should focus on foods that are easy to digest and rich in nutrients.Foods with a red color help strengthen your heart function such as red cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, etc.

June – Improve Your Physical Stamina

We tend tosweat a lot in the hot summer. Along with the sweat, potassium is also lost in the sweat. If potassium is not replenished regularly, we can feel fatigue and lack of energy. Toquickly replenish potassium, you can add more potassium-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables to prevent summer heat. Taking a nap in the middle of the day also helps rejuvenate your heart. This is the time to focus on outdoor activities, get up early, and exercise regularly. This will help boost the flow of the Yang energy and improve blood circulation.

Diet: Enjoy the foods that help cleanse your body, such as fresh herbs, bitter melon, vegetables, and seasonal fruits. Limit spicy and greasy foods.

July – Strengthen the Yang Energy

For people with cardiovascular diseases, it is important to ensure adequate sleep and improve indoor ventilation, especially during the hot weather with air conditioners running all day long.Summer is also a period of high incidence of acute digestive tract diseases, so food hygiene is particularly important.Focus on heatstroke prevention, and drink more water throughout the day to prevent dehydration.

Diet: Enjoy foods that are easy to digest because our digestive function is affected by the hot weather. Eat more green leafy vegetables and seasonal fruits. Limit spicy and greasy foods.

August – Increase Inner Calmness

At the turn of summer and autumn, as the temperature drops gradually, the body’s metabolism also begins to slow down.August can be hot and dry, therefore hydration is very important. The elderly are prone to heart issues and strokes during this time.You should go to bed early and get up early and prepare for the “autumn tigers.” Heat can easily disturb the mind and cause discomfort such as chest tightness.

This is the time to focus on your spiritual health, bringing inner peace and joy to your life.Active exercise is a good way to relieve depression, such as jogging, walking, hiking, etc. After the beginning of Autumn, you should try to eat less spicy foods such as ginger, garlic, and leeks. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that excessive intake of spicy foods can easily cause excessive energy in the lung meridian, whichleads to dry cough, constipation, and other symptoms, you can add more sour taste foods such as apples, pomegranates, grapes, grapefruits, lemons, and oranges to balancethe energy in the lung meridian and prevent autumn dryness.

September – Soothe the Lungs

Autumn can be dry, leading to symptoms such as dry mouth and throat, and dry skin. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that hydration is very important to balance the energy flow in the lung meridian. This is the time to balance the Yin and Yang energy in your body, maintain your emotional well-being, and enjoy outdoor activities.

Diet: Enjoy more foods with a white color that can nurture your lungs, such as melon, cucumber, radish, pear, mushroom, garlic, etc.

October – Nurture Your Yin Energy

Late autumn has arrived, and the temperature is transitioning from cool to cold. During the cold season, Yang energy begins to converge and settle. The key to health is to nourish Yin and balance Yang. Autumn is the time to nourish your Yin energy in the body. When the weather starts to cool down, the Yin and Yang energy also starts to shift in the body, the Yang energy starts to fall and the Yin energy starts to rise, the energy flow in our body follows the cosmic cycle.

The organ corresponding to autumn is the lungs, Autumn is the time to take care of your lung health and focus on your emotional well-being. Pay attention to your emotions, avoid negative emotions such as sadness, and maintain a positive attitude. As the weather gets colder, our gastrointestinal tract will become sensitive, especially for those with a weak digestive function.

Diet: Enjoy more foods that can nourish your lungs and improve your Yin energy, such as sesame seeds, honey, seasonal fruits and vegetables,etc. For example, yam helps nourish the lungs, spleen, and kidneys. Limit hot spicy foods.

November – Recharge Your Energy

In early winter, the energy of the cosmos and earth converge. If you have symptoms of insufficient Yin energy in the lung meridian,such as dry cough, orthick phlegm, you can add more lung healing food such as pears, water chestnuts, honey, etc.This is the time to recharge your batteries, strengthen your stamina, and protect your yang energy.You should go to bed early and get up a bit late to ensure adequate sleep. Dress warm.

Diet: Follow the principle of “nourishing yin in autumn and winter” in your diet. Eat more foods that have a warm nature, such as herbs and spices like ginger, cayenne, squash, and walnuts, and eat less food that has a cold nature, such as seafood.

December – Tonify Your Body

Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that “if the Yang essence is not well preserved in winter, the old health challenges may resurface in spring.” Therefore, it is important to preserve the Yang energy and nourish the energy in your kidney meridian during this time. You should go to bed early and avoid staying up late, which helps preserve and balance your Yin and Yang energy. The keyto maintaining health in winter is to nourish the energy. The keyto maintaining health in winter is to nourish the energy flow in the kidney meridian and prevent a cold, have plenty of rest, and avoid stress and over work.

Yoga and meditation are a great way to balance the dynamicforces in your body. As the Chinese saying goes, “cold starts from the feet”, it is important to keep your feet warm, such as wearing long socks and warm boots. Keeping your feet warm can promote energy flow and blood circulation in the body.

Diet: Enjoy more tonic foods, such as black beans, sesame seeds, goji berries, etc. Limit cold food and drinks that can affect your digestive function.

Quote

“The first wealth is health.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you are interested in more self-care tips from the ancient wisdom of TCM, please check the book from Lucy Liu “88 Most Important First-Aid Acupoints for Self-care from TCM“. This book includes 88 most important acupoints (acupressure points) from the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for self-care. It is designed in a beautiful and colorful card fashion, which is very visual and user-friendly to the readers, it is also easy to memorize the information with precise visual aids. This book covers the most common health challenges, such as cold, fever, cough, sore throat, headache, indigestion, diarrhea/constipation, bloating, insomnia, night sweat, computer syndromes, shoulder pain, and back pain, etc. It can also be used to effectively manage chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure, chronic pains, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and weight management; and it can also be used for anti-aging purposes and enhancing longevity.

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About the author: Lucy Liu

As a Holistic Health Practitioner, Registered Dietitian, TCM Practitioner, Energy Healer, Master Hypnotist, Reiki Master, Advanced Theta Healing Practitioner, Author and Speaker, Lucy Liu, the founder of optimalhealthsolutions.ca, has gained a good reputation in holistic health after many years of serving patients and clients as a holistic health practitioner. Lucy has developed a unique and comprehensive approach, which combines Western Medicine, Chinese Medicine, Energy Medicine, and Alternative Medicine together, to help others achieve optimal health by creating harmony between the body, mind, and spirit, and maintain long-term success for healthy lifestyle changes.
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