Detailed explanation of the twenty-four solar terms - Xiaoman

Xiaoman is the eighth solar term among the twenty-four solar terms and the second solar term in summer. The meaning is that the grains of summer-ripened crops have begun to fill and become full, but they are not yet mature. They are only slightly full, not yet full. Starting from Xiaoman, winter wheat and other summer crops have already produced fruits, and the grains are full but not yet mature, so they are called Xiaoman. There is a proverb in Xiaoman that "the big falls and the big man falls, the small falls and the small man". "Luo" means rain. The more rain there is, the more abundant the harvest will be in the future. There is a proverb: "When Xiaoman is sown, grains are planted with awns, and corn is sown at the beginning of summer." "When Xiaoman is sunny, wheat ears are heavy."

The Xiaoman solar term in 2013 occurs on May 21, which is the twelfth day of April in the lunar calendar. Tuesday. Let’s take a look at the origin of the Xiaoman solar term and what health and fortune customs are included in this solar term. 1. The origin of the Xiaoman solar term

"Collection of the Seventy-two Hours of the Moon Order": "In the middle of April, when Xiaoman is full, things will be full." At this time, wheat, etc. in the northern region of the country The seeds of summer-ripened crops have begun to be full, but they are not mature yet, which is about the late stage of milk-ripening, so they are called Xiaoman. Farmers' proverbs in the southern region give Xiaoman a new meaning: "When Xiaoman is dissatisfied, he will cut off his roots and think about Kan"; "When Xiaoman is dissatisfied, he will ignore the awns." "Man" is used to describe the abundance and lack of rainwater, pointing out that if the field is not full of water when it is full, it may cause the field ridges to dry out, and even rice cannot be planted during the awning season.

From the perspective of climate characteristics, from the Xiaoman solar term to the next Mangzhong solar term, summer gradually enters all over the country, the temperature difference between the north and the south further narrows, and precipitation further increases. After Xiaoman, areas south of the Yellow River to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River begin to experience high temperatures above 35°C. This is a time when diseases are prone to occur. In addition to preventing heatstroke and cooling down, people also pay special attention to physical conditioning to enhance their disease resistance. 2. How to maintain health during the Xiaoman solar term

After the Xiaoman solar term, not only is the weather hot, but there is more sweating and more rain. The diet should be based on fresh and light vegetarian food. Regular eating has the effect of clearing away dampness and heat and nourishing yin. Foods such as adzuki beans, coix kernels, mung beans, winter melon, cucumber, day lily, cress, water chestnuts, black fungus, carrots, tomatoes, watermelon, yam, crucian carp, grass carp, duck meat, etc. Avoid eating thick, sweet and fatty rice. Of course, foods that nourish and promote dampness can also be combined with medicinal foods for conditioning. You can also drink some Shengmai Yin regularly to replenish qi and promote body fluids.

1. Massage Zusanli to nourish yang

After entering "Xiaoman", the temperature continues to rise, the weather becomes hotter, the summer heat evil is prevalent, and the excretion of sweat will also accelerate. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "Qi is lost with sweat", and "Qi is Yang", so the human body's Yang Qi will also be damaged. In addition, people are more greedy for cool things in hot weather, such as air conditioning, cold drinks, etc., and are easily affected by cold and dampness and damage Yang.

It is recorded in the traditional Chinese medicine book "Lingshu": "Insufficient yang qi and excess yin qi will cause intestinal borborygm and abdominal pain during cold... Adjust it in Zusanli." To maintain yang qi in summer, it is more suitable to supplement the middle and replenish qi. Massage Zusanli point. This point is 3 inches below the outer knee, 1 finger across from the anterior tibial crest, and on the tibialis anterior muscle. When selecting the acupoint, measure 4 fingers downward from the outer knee eye, between the fibula and tibia, and 1 finger horizontally from the side of the tibia.

The commonly used method is to massage Zusanli with your thumb: use the surface of your thumb to place pressure on the Zusanli acupoint, apply vertical force, press down, and rub it. The other four fingers make a fist or open them to support and coordinate the force. Let the penis fully reach the deep layers of the muscle tissue, causing soreness, numbness, swelling, pain and wandering. After a few seconds, gradually relax. Repeat this operation several times. 2. Often eat bitter melon to relieve summer heat and relieve fatigue

In ancient my country, Xiaoman was divided into three periods: "The first period is when the bitter vegetables show up; the second period is when the weeds die; the third period is when the wheat comes in autumn." There is "Zhou Shu" in "The Book of Zhou" It is said that bitter vegetables show up on the day of Xiaoman, which means that during the Xiaoman period, bitter vegetables are in season and can be eaten appropriately.

As the weather gets hotter, many people will also experience problems such as getting angry and feeling sleepy. "Compendium of Materia Medica" states that bitter melon can "remove heat, relieve tiredness, relieve mind and improve eyesight". Bitter melon can relieve heat and relieve fatigue, improve people's appetite, appetize and strengthen the stomach, aid digestion, and help improve immunity. You can eat more of it. . It is worth reminding that bitter melon is cold in nature, and those with loose stools and diarrhea should eat less. 3. Eat more ginger to drive away cold pathogens

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that ginger has the effects of sweating and relieving the skin, warming and stopping vomiting, warming the lungs and relieving coughs. There is a lot of moisture before and after Xiaoman. After eating ginger, people will feel hot.

From the perspective of Western medicine, ginger can dilate blood vessels, accelerate blood circulation, promote the opening of pores on the body, and at the same time force out germs and cold air from the body. Traditional Chinese medicine also believes that ginger can expel cold toxins from the body. Therefore, there is also a folk saying of "eat radish in winter and ginger in summer". You can add some ginger to your daily cooking, or you can also drink ginger syrup.

In addition, the secretion of saliva and gastric juice in the human body will decrease in summer, which affects appetite, and many people have a bad appetite. There is a folk saying that "if the rice is not fragrant, eat ginger." If you eat a few slices of ginger before a meal, it can inhibit the secretion of saliva, gastric juice and digestive juice, increase gastrointestinal motility, and increase appetite. 4. Eating barley can strengthen the spleen and remove dampness.

After the period of puberty, the weather is hot and humid, and people sometimes feel out of breath. This is caused by the heat and humidity in summer. Coix is ??cool in nature, sweet and light in taste, and has the functions of diuretic and swelling, invigorating the spleen and removing dampness, relaxing muscles and removing paralysis, clearing away heat and expelling pus. You can eat barley porridge regularly, or add some barley when making soup.