Cao Yuran, a Beijing-based civil servant, went on a run in her usual gear when a cold wind began to blow and she suddenly realized she was beginning to shiver and sneeze. "Later, I realized it was the first day of Frost's Descent, marking that from now on, the weather will become much colder," she said.
Sunday, October 23, marks the Frost's Descent (Shuangjiang), the last seasonal node before winter in the 24 solar terms created by ancient Chinese for agricultural practices. Traditionally, the recommendation for this time of year is to begin to protect your body from the cold and to find ways to preserve internal warmth since winter is only a few short weeks away.
According to Cao, keeping warm is essential for Chinese in the frigid winter months. She uses various traditional Chinese methods for comfort and maintaining a proper body temperature to stay healthy.
Georges Hymans, a 36-year-old French, has been living in China for over 10 years. He said that keeping warm is a concern for foreigners as well. Hymans explained that in France they have their own culture-specific ways of beating the cold with traditional French foods, clothing and common heat-saving activities, which he continues to use here in China.
Anastasia, a Russian expat living in Beijing for five years, said she has gotten used to the weather differences between Beijing and her hometown, and has accepted new ways of keeping warm in combination with her traditional methods.
There are many similarities and differences in methods for staying warm and healthy in the East and West. With winter approaching, it is the perfect time to look at the various ways people tackle winter weather.
Home remedies for staying warm
Cao said that it is important to keep feet warm in winter.
"Wear warm shoes that cover your entire feet and thick insulating socks to keep your body temperature up," said Cao.
"When my feet feel cold, it makes my whole body cold, so I give myself a warm foot bath every night before going to bed to improve blood circulation and help me sleep at night."
Zhao Qi, associate chief physician of department of acupuncture and moxibustion at Dongzhimen Hospital, told Metropolitan that feet are an important body part to keep warm in winter.
"Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) states that when people's feet are warm, their heart is in good condition," said Zhao. "Many Chinese take foot baths at night, which helps their blood circulate better."
Cao believes that following tips from traditional Chinese medicine is helpful as well.
"I often massage acupuncture points on my body to keep them warm and increase blood flow, such as zusanli (located at the outside of calf) and sanyinjiao (located at the inside of ankles)," said Cao.
Grace Chen, founder of herbalshop.com, a website for questions and answers on using traditional Chinese herbs and medicinal practices, said that there are certain points on the body that can reduce coldness in the hands and feet when being massaged. It can also help you feel better more quickly when sick.
"It is important to drink plenty of warm water after the massage to help clear away the toxic substances in the body," she said.
Ten years of living in China has not changed Hymans' tactics for keeping warm in winter months.
"Changsha's winter temperatures are similar to my hometown, except Changsha doesn't offer heating, which makes it colder inside," said Hymans.
The head and neck are the main parts of the body that French focus on keeping warm. "You can see lots of French wearing hats and scarves on the streets in the winter, for warmth as well as fashion," he said. "Older generations of French people wear a sleeping cap to keep their heads warm during the night."
"TCM says that keeping the lower part of the body warm is more important than keeping the upper part warm," said Zhao, adding that Westerners have their own ways to resist the cold, and even though the head is the least important part of the body to worry about [based on TCM], it is still good for people to keep their heads warm in the winter."
There are many differences in habits to keep warm between Chinese and French. According to Hymans, French people like taking a hot bath in the tub rather than only soaking their feet in a footbath. In addition, French apply essential oils to their necks and chest rather than massaging certain acupuncture points.
"There is a connection between taking a foot bath and bath in a tub. Westerners usually take hot baths in winter. However, TCM suggests people should not shower very often during the winter. We believe that people should keep their yangqi (energy) and not do any extra activity to lose it. Therefore, having a foot bath at night is a good option for Chinese," said Zhao.
Comfort food
In addition to at-home remedies, every culture has their own version of "comfort food" they like to eat in colder months. Not only are these foods satisfying to the taste, but eating warm food can help preserve body heat through out the night.
Hu Jiahao, 26, who works in the stock market in Beijing, said that he likes to use food to keep warm during the winter.
"Colder weather means that I can take out my hot pot and use it several times a month. Winter is a great opportunity for people to eat warming foods, such as mutton, beef, kelp and liver to help battle the cold and keep warm," Hu said.
According to TCM, your diet should be adapted to focus on enriching yin and yang. Eating warm hearty soups, whole grains, and roasted nuts, along with chemical-free food, will help maintain warmth in the body's core and keep you nourished, said Emma Suttie, doctor of alternative medicine, in a report on chinesemedicineliving.com.
Hymans said that French often eat onion soup or soup with carrots and potatoes during the cold months. In addition, they drink tea with honey, cinnamon, mint and other herbs such as chamomile and eucalyptus.
Anastasia said it is common for Russians to eat borscht, a sour soup made with beetroots, white cabbage, carrots, parsley root, potatoes, onions and tomatoes. In addition, most people drink alcohol and hot black tea to help keep warm.
Combining knowledge
When living in a new place and climate, one may need to adopt local ways to make it through the winter months.
Anastasia said that the inside temperature in Beijing's winter months is lower in comparison to Russia's.
"I was impressed by how warm and hot my home was when I arrived in Russia last winter. I almost forgot this feeling. We opened windows and wore shorts because it was so hot inside. However, my dorm in Beijing was very cold even with heating system, and I had to wear warmer clothes indoors."
Anastasia found that a good way to stay warm in Beijing is jogging at the gym. Besides hot soup and stew beef, she found some new dishes to warm her up. "I love eating hot pot with friends in winter," she said, adding that it is a great and efficient way for people to make contacts and warm up quickly.
"I started drinking more tea, such as Chinese black tea. Now I drink it almost every day in winter," Anastasia said.
Hymans continues using his old habits of keeping warm by drinking hot soup every day and hot tea with honey every evening. However, he has started adding a new ingredient and has fallen in love with it. The new edition is Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region's red date, which can help him keep warm.
According to Cao, different ways of making it through the chilly winter are based on different experiences and situations. These effective ways of resisting cold weather, whether from the East or West, can be used to help combat the cold.
"I think the more methods we know about, the warmer we can be. I would like to try some Western ways of keeping warm," said Cao.
