Acupuncturist's suggestion - Keep Your Body Warm!

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Keep your body warm! 

It is one of the most crucial things for good health and beauty. It is common knowlege that a drop in body temperature causes a decline in circulatory and immune system performance.

Average Body Temperature

The average body temperature of 37C/98.6F was first established by the German physician Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich. Based on the multiple armpit measurements of 25,000 patients, he stated in 1852 that an adult's normal body temperature is between 36.2C an 37.5C. This figure has been the industry norm every since. If the temperature is lower or higher than this standard, the body's mechanisms diverge from normal operation. 

Later, a study led by Standford professor Julie Parsonnet asserted that a person's body temperature drops by 0.05F every 10 years. She explains that this decline is due to a decrease in metabolic rate and adds that environmental changes result in physiological changes in the body. 

Data from the a Standford research team show that body temperature slightly decreases with aging and is slightly higher in women than in men. No matter which occurs first - a rise in body temperature or a fall in basal metabolic rate - there is no denying that the two are closely related. Consider it similar to the pairing of the chicken and the egg. 

Warm Body Temperature and Health

Yumi Ishihara, a hematologist and internal medicine expert at Nakasaki Medical school in Japan, published a book about warming the body based on his research into the low body temperature associated with its effects on health while raising concerns about the ineffectiveness of modern medicine in treating chronic illnesses. His health regimen is called "thermoneuroimmunotherapy," which means that raising your body temperature by one degree can increase your immunity fivefold and make you healthier. By making a contribution to natural medicine, he is credited with bridging the gap between Eastern and Western medicine. 

Acupuncure can be used to warm up or cool down the body. 

The first sign that something is wrong with the body is a change in temperature. The rise in body temperture serves as a protective mechanism to fortify the immune system against invasive pathogens. It may also be accompanied by abnormlities in the skin and excretory processed in addition to fever. All of these are a result of the autoimmune reaction of the body to the invasion of foreign pathogens. According to Dr. Ishihara, increasing body temperature strengthens the immune system's defense mechanism that is autoimmunity. 

Coldness in Traditional Eastern Medicine

It is well-known in traditioanl Eastern medicine that internal coldness in the body tends to condense the flow of Qi, blood and moisture, resulting in Yin-Yang imbalance and illness. Ancient literature states that "vacuity evil...wrestles with the defensive Qi. If yang triumphs, this leads to heat. If yin triumphs, this leads to coldness. (External) coldness makes the true Qi depart, and in consequence, the true Qi leaves behind it emptiness. In the end, emptiness leads to (internal) coldness"(Huang-fu, 1994, P.23).

The ancient text, written before the advent of modern western medicine, explains the inimate relationship between coldness and immunity as well as mechanical function in the body by using terms like Yin-Yang disharmony, defensive Qi, true Qi, triumphant Yin and emptiness. Simply put,  pathogenic factors that invade the body can lead to a problem with immunity that sets off responses from the body's auto-immune system while disrupting the normal functioning of body mehanism. 

Negaive effects of Low Body Temperature

Additionally, it is thought that keeping warmth in the body improves focus and endurance. This is why students who spend a lot of time studing and office workers who experiences stress and fatigue can both benefit from staying warm. 

A Japanese physician named Akin Kawashima explains the negative effects of low body temperature go beyond the physical body and affect the person's mind and psychology as well. Parents with lower body temperature have an impact on their kids while people with lower body temperatures also have an impact on their interpersonal relationships with others adn their surroundings. 

Warming up the body requires a holistic approach by taking into account not only diet but also exercise, emotional stability, relationships, clothing habit, massage, etc. 

Especially for women of childbearing age, coldness in the body can make it difficult for a fertilized egg to implant. It is wise to take some time to prepare and manage the body's environment before trying to conceive. One of the most essentila things that women with low body temperature can do is to take a steaming sitz bath to warm up by using decocted herb pot and/or taking proper herbs including acupuncture treatments. 

Foods and Teas for Warming  up the body 

In Korean treadition, patients are encouraged to take warm porridge or foods with warm broth to keep thier body temperature warm. Warming foods include dates, ginger, cinnamon, pumpkin, buttercup, garlic, scallions, onions, leeks, chestnuts, apples, ginseng, honey, lotus root, bananas, potatoes, meats, etc. 

Drinking warming teas can also be beneficial. 

1. Licorice tea

Licorice tea helps people with coldness, cough, and phlegm. The glycyrrhizin in licorice has detoxifying properties which helps to boose your metabolism, stabilize your nerves, and help with digestive problems particularly during the winter cold. It is also great for sensitive skin as it cleanses the blood internally as soothing the skin externally. 

Overindulgence may result in elevated blood pressure, nausea or lightheadedness. Those who have diabetes shoud take extra care to limit their intake because doing so can raise or lower their blood sugar levels. It is not advised for those who are pregnant, have liver diseases, have poor kidney function, or have weak hearts. It is good to start drinking with a small amount and see how your body responds. 

Simply add 10g of licorice and 2-3 pitted dried dates into 500ml of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes before pouring the infusion into a cup (recommend a ceramic cup). You may add a couple of pine nuts, honey or sugar to the tea. It can be reheated 2-3 times for drinking.

2. Angelica tea/Dang Quai tea

This tea is good for those who are feeling chronically cold in the body. According to ancient text, Dang Quai clease teh blood and has warming properties. So it is recommended to take it regularly for chronic coldness. 

Stop if you feel bloated or have diarrhea after drinking. Take extra care to limit intakes if you have heavy uteirne bleeding, sore throat, burning nostrils, high blood pressure, or pregnant. Always remember: Too much of a good thing can do more harm than good. 

Add about Angelica 10g into water 300-500mL, boil over medium heat, then simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat, and drink as a tea by adding honey or sugar.

3. Cinnamon tea

 It is especially good for people who feel cold with digestive problems. Cinnamon warms the body, improves the abdomen, and enhances stomach function. 

 According to Donguibogam, cinnamon is warming, sweet, pungent, and midly toxic. It is said to be good for diabetes, blood circulation, diet, coldness, cold lower bdomen, irregular menstrution, leukemia, and skin cancer. 

  No matter how beneficial a tea is for you, you should not overindulge in it or drink too much of   it. Also avoid sticking to one kind of tea for an extended period of time. 

 Cinnamon contains coumarin, which can harm the liver. Cinnamon can raise the change of miscarriage in women who are pregnant. Caution is advised before and after surgery or if you have kidney disease because it can interfere with blood clotting.   

To make this tea, add cinnamon 10g and ginger 10g into water 1L. Boil over medium heat, then simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat. Drink with honey or sugar.

 

The body's coldness is regarded as a serious factor in traditional Eastern medicine, and Western medicine does not appear to disagree. I sincerely hope that everyone will pay close atention to any signs of coldness in order to prevent diseases, slow down the aging process, and improve their life styles for the better!

Huang-fu et al. (1994). The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture & Moxibustion. Blue Poppy Press.

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