On January 5th, 2026, the Xiaohan solar term will be celebrated. "This is the fifth solar term in winter and the penultimate solar term of the twenty-four solar terms." Hou Xuesi, deputy chief physician of the acupuncture and moxibustion Diagnosis and Treatment Center of the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to the Capital Medical University, said that this year, Xiaohan is on the seventh day of the "29" in the "9", and there is a folk saying that "Xiaohan is in the middle of the" 29 "period, and the weather is cold to shiver". Although there is a "small" character, according to meteorological records, Xiaohan is often the period with the lowest temperature throughout the year. In traditional Chinese medicine theory, at this time, cold pathogenic factors are most abundant, which can easily harm the body's yang qi. Health preservation should follow the trend of collecting all things in nature, pay attention to gathering essence and qi, and strengthen the foundation. In terms of daily life, Hou Xuesi suggests still following the principle of "lying down early and getting up late, waiting for sunlight" in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, falling asleep before 10 pm, ensuring sufficient sleep, which is conducive to the accumulation of yang energy and yin essence. In addition, clothing should pay special attention to keeping warm, especially protecting the head, neck, chest, abdomen, and ankles to prevent the invasion of cold pathogens and lay the foundation for the emergence of yang energy in the coming spring. Dietary regulation should warm and nourish the spleen and stomach, dispel cold and warm the body. ”Hou Xuesi said that you can eat more warm and nourishing ingredients such as lamb, beef, ginger, yam, and red dates to enhance your ability to keep warm. At the same time, attention should be paid to the regularity of three meals, avoiding overeating or eating raw or cold food, in order to avoid damaging the spleen and stomach yang qi. During the Xiaohan season, the light is short and the climate is dry. People are prone to low mood or internal heat, which can disturb the Yang energy. Hou Xuesi said that attention should be paid to mental regulation, maintaining a calm and peaceful state, avoiding impatience and excitement, in order to conserve energy and protect the Yang energy. The folk saying goes, 'In winter, be active and avoid getting sick; in winter, be lazy and drink a bowl of medicine.'. Hou Xuesi introduced that traditional Chinese medicine believes that "prolonged sitting leads to internal coldness", and it is not advisable to sit still due to fear of coldness. According to one's own constitution, one can choose Tai Chi, Yi Jin Jing, walking, yoga and other isothermal exercises to make the body slightly sweat and avoid vigorous exercise to prevent the dissipation of yang energy. The Xiaohan solar term is a high-risk period for respiratory diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and joint pain. Hou Xuesi reminds us that cold pathogens can easily invade the lungs, so we should pay attention to keeping warm and avoiding the cold. We should wear masks and hats when going out, and our diet can be combined with moisturizing substances such as lilies and white radishes. In daily life, massage the missing and fragrant acupoints to prevent colds; After catching a cold, you can apply hot compress to the Dazhui acupoint to dispel the cold. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protection should first pay attention to keeping warm. Exercise should be carried out after sunrise and before sunset, and moxibustion can be applied to acupoints such as Zusanli and Guanyuan to warm and promote yang qi. Joint pain belongs to the category of "Bi syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine, which is often caused by the obstruction of qi and blood by wind, cold, and dampness. Therefore, preventing cold and keeping warm is of utmost importance. Hou Xuesi said that it is recommended to use medicinal herbs such as mugwort leaves, ginger, cinnamon, etc. to boil water and soak feet, in order to warm the meridians and dispel coldness; After soaking your feet, you can massage and press acupoints such as Yongquan and Taixi to tonify the kidneys, promote yang, and enhance your ability to keep warm. (New Society)