Time: November 7, Gregorian calendar; October 6, Lunar calendar.
Winter includes six solar terms: Start of Winter, Minor Snow, Major Snow, Winter Solstice, Minor Cold, and Major Cold. It is the coldest season of the year. The wind in winter is north wind, which is cold in nature. "Cold" is the main feature of winter weather. In the five zang organs, winter corresponds to the kidney. "If you don’t store essence in winter, you will get warm disease in spring"—meaning you must tonify the kidney and store essence, prepare for vitality in spring.
Customs: Proverb says, "If Start of Winter is sunny, the whole winter will be freezing; if Start of Winter is cloudy, the whole winter will be mild." Ancient people believed that observing the weather on Start of Winter could predict the coldness of the entire winter. Saying goes, "If no rain on Start of Winter, the winter will be clear; if rainy on Start of Winter, the winter will be wet." "If there is northwest wind on Start of Winter, it foretells abundant harvest next year."
Lifestyle: Traditional belief holds that "winter" means "end." With the arrival of this solar term, yang energy retreats, yin reaches its peak, plants wither, insects hide, all life activities slow down, entering a hibernation state to conserve energy and prepare for the vibrant spring.
Before sleeping, soak your feet in warm water, then vigorously rub the soles. Besides keeping warm, it also nourishes the kidney, strengthens the body, relieves fatigue, promotes sleep, delays aging, and helps prevent colds, heart disease, hypertension, and other conditions.
Traditional Chinese medicine highly values the role of sunlight in human health, believing that regular sun exposure boosts yang energy. Especially in winter, when nature is in a state of "excessive yin, deficient yang," humans follow nature and likewise need to maintain balance. Thus, regular sun exposure in winter helps strengthen yang energy and warm the meridians. Cao Cishan's "Lao Lao Heng Yan" states: "Sit facing the sun, as described by Liezi as 'leaning on the sun’s warmth.' When the spine feels slightly warm, the whole body becomes comfortable. The sun is the essence of light, and its rays strengthen yang energy." This clearly emphasizes the health benefits and scientific basis of "sunbathing."
Diet: Increase nutrition and caloric intake. Among the three major heat-producing nutrients—protein, carbohydrates, and fats—protein intake can remain at normal levels, while increased calories come from higher carbohydrate and fat intake. This is an ideal time for tonification, but due to lack of knowledge about proper tonification, many people blindly supplement, leading to worsening of deficiencies or excesses, causing imbalance and adverse reactions. Therefore, winter tonification must follow the principle of "tonify yang in spring and summer, nourish yin in autumn and winter," adjusting based on the body’s yin-yang balance.
TCM believes winter is the best season for dietary tonification. Folk wisdom says, "Tonify in winter, fight like a tiger in spring." Winter diet supplementation should focus on balanced and comprehensive nutrition. Those with insufficient yin should eat duck meat or goose meat. Duck meat is sweet and cold, beneficial for nourishing yin, strengthening the stomach, tonifying the kidney, reducing swelling, and relieving phlegm and cough.
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