From the Chinese calendar after we enter the second half of January in the small seasonal or lunar said Han Da Big Chill this year began precisely on January 20.

We can not agree, the thermometer is clear, it is in many times of day and night near and below zero degrees centigrade. And the human body as that of plants and the planet itself begins to have less and less resources of internal heat and then to feel and suffer more from cold.

Darkness and cold are not diseases or phenomena, or to refuse to fear, are natural phenomena that have them and why they do their cyclic course. It should not be so close at home and away in our little house. But this time it becomes very risky to brave the cold, for example by opening the windows of the house to change the air like spring!

I had a patient who was cleaning the house with the windows wide open and the beds complaining of recurrent back pain completely regressed after his great regret I may not make the beds in the stream in her nightgown!

We are listening! Do not you listen to the body during movements to understand when you stop and listen to the body to modulate body temperature depending on the needs and circumstances can change very quickly as our ability to withstand cold moisture, physical and mental fatigue , general, during digestion, relaxation and letting go, or action and expansion.

All were completely different, which can change significantly our ability to withstand cold. It 'then must also have a great awareness of their ability to feel the cold without allowing it to enter but only to remain on the surface and also to remove clothing and metttere depending on the prevailing weather conditions or just eating or drinking something hot at the right time.

As always and once again you must listen to the body to repair itself and not to the ears by merchants. Certainly the risks are not severe: a muscular contraction or a flu or a cold state but can be very annoying and weaken our energy.

It 's so important to understand when you take cold and bring immediate remedy without succumbing passively waiting for the cold enters the body.

Particular attention is recommended by the throat and nose, these two areas are open to viruses. When you feel an itch to clear nostrils, the veil hanging or throat is a symptom not to be underestimated. For the Chinese the itching is a sign of wind and the wind is the vector with which the cold and talk in a more Western viruses or microorganisms can make inroads.

In these very particular situations if you're careful and vigilant, you can put an immediate remedy. One inhalation of thyme essential oil and maybe a spuzzata of propolis in the throat can be simple and effective remedies, but only if done promptly. Commonplace tools available in any herbal medicine, pharmacy and drugstore now present on every street corner that would bring in a purse or pocket if you prefer.

There are also more specific remedies that can help protect the surface as the recipe Yu Ping Feng sang, which translates to Jade windscreen windshield powder or powder made of jade. Name as always very romantic but very significant. For all those who went in motion you can see how the windshield effectively defend us from wind and weather: do not imagine it!

An ancient Chinese recipe phytotherapeutic and very handy that can help us to ride out even the coldest this season even better if mixed with other recipes to fit our specific constitution but also can be taken alone.

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The winter is coming is' the motto of the Stark family of Winterfell, star of "The throne of swords," a new television series became very popular in the States and already on the web since a few months in the original language of much larger impact . In this fantasy saga based on the works of Robert Martin (author who has a remarkable series of books), the winter plays a key role and catastrophic worrying. According to the author the idea the winter is not only extremely hard, but it could have lasted so long to get up to over 10 years as well as being propitious moment for the uncontrolled spread of evil beings called "brutes" or "shadows white. "

Beyond the fantasy tale that does not deny being a kind of novel that I really like and, if well written, as in this case, a good, relaxing break in the winter is really coming pottremmo or better to say "the winter is mounting "just to be closer to the concept of Chinese medicine calls this period the rise of winter or Li Dong. Already a few weeks the cold began to bite, and with it have come out a lot of capellini, scarves and wool sweater with high collar. The fashion this year favors hats and scarves very high and that's good.

And 'right to know what the points of the body that is better protected from the cold with care. Among the body parts of more that we must take care first of all include the 'abdomen and lumbar spine. Both are completely heated. Very harmful are indeed the mode with low waist pants, jackets, golf and very short as they leave uncovered and exposed to the cold this important area of ​​the body causing low back pain, both acute and chronic gastroenteritis as well as what the Chinese call from the uterus dysmenorrhea cold.

The chest and thoracic spine are actually less exposed but when the cold is biting and we are poorly dressed for an evening like New Year's Eve can be a pain traffitivo both front and rear chill that can mimic a heart attack and to take you straight to the emergency room. So be careful not to spoil a good night for the pleasure of wearing a beautiful dress and of course eye to the real heart patients who are more sensitive to cold on the chest can really increase the constriction of coronary vessels.

We arrive at the most exposed to the cold of the spine: the cervical spine and neck, these parts are in effect after the feet and hands, areas where the cold is able to enter more easily, especially if accompanied by wind. To the Chinese, the wind is the vector with which the external pathogenic heat, cold and damp can enter the body more to overcome the natural barriers of defense. Think of a windy day and look like windows built years ago might succeed in getting the dirt directly into the house. The input window of the wind to the Chinese is on the neck in an imaginary line that goes from ear to ear exactly the hairline. hats and scarves I often leave this area and it is therefore important to discover when it's cold or when you have to stay out long, carefully cover this area, ear warmers, heated very high hills, caps with the ears to the Mongolian fold, so to speak, these are very useful tools. Possibly thermal neck warmers new generation for those who have the most sensitive and delicate. The important recommendation for children and for all those attending gyms and swimming pools is to go out with my hair very dry even if you have little time and take a few minutes to warm the attacccatura of their hats.

We get to share more in the suburbs that have feet and hands are the ones that go faster in hypothermia and in extreme case can go to necrosis due to excessive peripheral vasoconstriction from cold. Gloves and warm shoes are essential for long trips out of town and should be kept in the car during the winter for any eventuality and not at home doing nothing. I would say that heating and thermal insoles and padding can also be a beautiful and compact tool for emergency cooling. The warm shoes with fur and wool socks are very harmful when taken in superheated environments because of inducing veins Varicose especially in susceptible individuals.

Small but useful tips that can save us these clothing annoying problems and physical disorders as well as sick days undesirable.

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This period from November 21 to January 6, in the Chinese calendar consists of three parts of about 15 days each, the first is called little snow or Xiao Xue, the second major snow or Da Xue and the third winter or Dong Zhi, which begins Dec. 21 with the winter solstice

In these three stages that precede the ultimate expression of the winter, the emotional human being can falter.

Just as during the night, we feel more vulnerable and less certain.

"What will become of us and our future?" You ask.

The truth is that there really is tomorrow's never sure in the spring and in full sun, this is a mystery of life that there will always be, the difference is that in some moments, this lack of certainty is more tangible and easier being attacked by fear of the unknown and the sense of loneliness.

There are people who fall in these moments and can not endure the hardships of life, the cold climate in the cold of some feelings, and for many for the cold of their finances, suffering can reach its maximum.

But "When the night is darkest dawn is nearest," when you hit bottom you can only go up when you reach the maximum expression of the dark the light is close it is a law that applies throughout the universe. We can be certain the sun will continue to rise and the same goes for spring. Few of our certainties, but we must trust them and gain strength.

We learn to appreciate the beauty and mystery of the unknown as they do to ease the children, without asking many questions, which we do not know why there is no answer not an answer but simply because they know it.

Are we not the center of the world, we know that an infinitesimal part of this universe. Only by accepting our lack of knowledge and security we may be able to capture the magic and poetry of the night just as in recent months. We can use the scents of winter such as pine, l 'orange, cinnamon, typical of the Nordic tradition, the essential oils to burn the wood burns or put on a radiator in a little water, or buy fresh pine boughs and still use the skins orange or tangerine as they once did.

We can then make a careful and refined candles, lights and Christmas decorations, seeking suggestions and hot flavors of the past, not only because you have to do. Avoid trees and decorations squalide plucked simply because there are young children. We use our taste not only for cooking and buy all sorts of goodies. We rejoice in all that time both the interior and the exterior of our homes without necessarily linking this act to the concept of Christmas shopping but for the desire to increase the sense of mystery and magic of this poetry at this particular time of year.

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From November 7th to the Chinese calendar, which we entered Dong Li, translated, means the beginning of or entry of winter, fogs and mists are now daily and the light of day grew dimmer.

In the streets it's easy to find people dressed as the big chill, heavy jackets with a hood down comforters, wool scarves to his nose, gloves, furs. An exaggeration, whereas at least in the plains for the most part of the day we are above the 10 degrees centigrade.

It 'also true that the moisture in the air typical of our latitude and altitude, increases the perception of cold increases just as the perception of heat in summer. In summer, use the fan and the air circulates, warms in winter but now we must not exaggerate, it is too soon.

The element water is the best conductor that is, if we want to thaw the meat in the microwave without immersing in water, if we heat it, ditto. The 'Water for Chinese medicine is the element of winter.

The water for the man seen as internal liquid is considered a yin organ and is associated with kidney. The energy of the kidney is often linked to the nourishment deepest of man, in relation with the its origins and with that which is also called energy prenatal. For every Chinese to be born with a certain amount of this energy can not be renewed through food or breathing but only consumed during the lifecycle. Many martial arts techniques and energy were being born and taught to consolidate and maintain their own for as long as possible this energy. In a sense we could say that the energy of water is linked with less overt aspects of life. Water there, yet has no form, as it is elusive and constantly changing.

According to the Chinese calendar is interesting to know that the body of the winter season, is the gall bladder for the month of November, the triple heater for December and January for the liver, and these organs may combine more noise due to 'restlessness, sleeping problems and the fear of the unknown.

For the macrocosm, things are reversed, the water becomes a Yang, we regard him as the Earth's mantle. And remembering the enormous force of impact when it occurs in a storm and how to become incredibly hard impact of a body on its surface that we can not approve its highly yang nature.

In addition, the program element water is tri-ying ying-yang, just as the Stomach organ c ostituito hexagram from the two trigrams beneath ying-ying-yang and yin-yang-ying above. I think it's safe to assume that this analogy is not as random as some would have us believe. The stomach is full of gastric fluids: water! It is also the organ-bowel that collects and transfers more heat and force the body through food, is the most yang yang organs.

But back to practical things ...

At this particular time of year, the really important thing is not to bathe or keep away the damp chill. So the most important thing is to obtain technical shoes with soles that do not pass the water and the same for clothing. No need to dress too heavy to wear but rather something that we isolate the damp well. Go and see what stores sell clothing for the mountains, the fabric technology has changed in recent years, there are garments that protect from damp to very lightweight.

A few days ago while walking in the rain, I thought, but also nice to walk under water, enough to be protected. Certainly if we keep the umbrella in one hand and on the other we have the heavy bag and the phone rings and maybe even touch us pull out your wallet, I defy anyone not to swear! Trolley with a course of Cordura, a Bluetooth headset, a small shoulder bag for your wallet and keys, life becomes lighter swing even under water, do not you?

The ideal would be not having to hold the umbrella committing a hand! What the hell ... or not we are in 2010? Other than space odyssey! Go to the remote transport not yet operational, but the umbrella remote mica should not have been invented?

Aside from the fantasy and joking, it's right to know that the cold of these days you can fight even with a 'healthy diet, which should not be too cold damp it: milk, butter, fruit juices, the citrus and sugar typically increase the humidity. To eat only cold food, for example, eating only salads and fruit is a choice apparently healthy but definitely not suited to the season.

If you feel you have caught cold standing outside, when you come home at once warmed and towel dry the hair and neck with the hair dryer, change wet clothes, especially socks, drink something warm like a black tea or herbal tea might also spiced with cinnamon, or eat something warm, preferably a soup and add a little 'pepper, will help to dry, and throw out the damp cold stored.

It 'also important to start thinking about natural aids to enhance the immune system in the near future illnesses from cold flu-like forms. There are many natural products including bench with specific preventive action, consult with specialists in the field and be prepared with intelligence in the cold months ahead.

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The fruit of the orange is very decorative and fragrant, I was amazed to know that its origins are far from the Mediterranean climate as I thought. The orange in fact born in East Asia is believed to be present even already 4000 years BC. By some historical theories that you think may be some legionnaires arrived to China for first discovering this delicious fruit. Grown in Italy and arrived only late in 1400.

The orange, known today as a classic winter fruit commonly recommended for its content of Vitamin C, however, is often used incorrectly and excessively.

It 's common fact that you see written anywhere that a little orange juice daily, or even worse than orange juice are kept absolutely the best thing to take in the winter to limit viral infection.

Not exactly so, while the content in Vitamin C is not quite as impressive compared to other fruits. Keep in mind that currants and kiwi will contain much more, as well as papaya and strawberries and some vegetables like peppers, spinach, cabbage and cauliflower, if cooked properly, can make a decent content in Vitamin C. Not to mention the parsley which has a high content.

With the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables is expected to exceed the greater the need for Vit C intake (approximately 50-60 mg), as well as many trace elements and micronutrients important ingredients with antioxidant and anti-aging.

Certainly the smoker and heavy users of alcohol, not enough to limit the damage, not only oxidative, but not of his bad habits is certainly increasing the dose of juice a day that will improve their health. (more ...)

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