Although Zeng Guofan was a powerful official in the late Qing Dynasty, he was physically weak throughout his life and "lost too much hard work." His immortality in morality, military merit, and writing was mainly due to his unique way of maintaining health.

Zeng Guofan paid attention to health preservation after entering Beijing. At that time, he often felt dizzy, weak, and blinded, so he discussed ways to maintain health with a group of people in the Hanlin Academy.

Tang Jinghai was one of his most admired seniors. He once dictated the secrets of health preservation and life, which Zeng Guofan kept in mind.

In October of the 22nd year of Daoguang, Zeng Guofan wrote in his diary: "Mr. Tang said that the most important thing is the word 'quiet'. If you are not quiet, you will not be careful, and you will not be clear about reason." , are all floating. Always be calm. He also said: Everyone has their own personal diseases, strong and evil, and they all have their own biases. You must understand the disease yourself and cure it throughout your life. "

Zeng Guofan was a person who could draw inferences from one instance to other cases. Tang Jinghai’s teachings gave him many health-preserving insights.

He wrote in his diary in the eleventh year of Xianfeng: "Sages and sages also have the words "anger and desire". They can endure for even a moment without harming life. This can be said to be a famous saying." He also It is recorded: "There is no better way to maintain health than to punish anger, suffocate desire, eat less, and move more."

Zeng Guofan explained: "Punishment" is the so-called less anger and "suffocation of desire" It means restraining sexual desire, "eating less" means not eating too much, and "moving more" means increasing exercise.

He always insists on doing these horoscopes, which can be said to be the main essence of his health care.

In a letter to his younger brother, Zeng Guofan mentioned the methods of maintaining health, which he summarized into five aspects: first, regular sleep and diet, second, controlling anger, third, abstinence, and fourth, washing before going to bed. Feet, five are three thousand steps each after two meals.

To control anger is to maintain good health with less anger as the basis. Duke Xinggang persisted in sleeping and eating regularly and washing feet for forty years, and Zeng Guofan also learned it for seven years. The three thousand steps after meals recently started to be tried out and have not been interrupted since then.

In a letter to his son, Zeng Guofan encouraged his children with six things to maintain good health: "1. Take a thousand steps after a meal; 2. Wash your feet before going to sleep; 3. No anger in the chest; 4. Sit quietly and have good health. 5. Practice shooting regularly; 6. Eat a bowl of white rice at dawn without ordering any vegetables. "

A thousand steps after a meal is what we often say: "A hundred steps after a meal will keep you alive for nine years." "Nineteen", regular practice can promote gastric digestion and blood circulation. This should be said to be a good way to maintain health. It is said that many great people have cited this as their own way to maintain health.

Wash your feet before going to bed. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the meridians and acupuncture points of the whole body have corresponding reflex zones on the feet. Regular stimulation can not only achieve the effect of health care, but also cure diseases and keep fit. This can be seen from the "foot massage" that is now popular in society. It is said that Zeng Guofan persisted every day even on the battlefield with rumbling war drums.

Regarding diet, Zeng Guofan's requirements for himself were to "sleep and eat regularly", "to be restrained in labor, temperate in food and drink, and always treat illness as a recuperation". He never covets the sweetness of food. From this point, it can be seen that Zeng Guofan's view on food actually reflects his philosophy of life.

The understanding of sleep reflects Zeng Guofan’s artistic view from another aspect. He advocated the ancient views of imitating nature and the unity of man and nature.

In terms of health care, he believes that sleep does not have to be "sleeping and snoring is the best, but it can be calm and desireless, free from fatigue, close your eyes and concentrate on the spirit." Even if you don't sleep, you can still achieve health-preserving effects just by lying there. He often "takes a nap in the bamboo forest after daybreak" before going to work.

03 Is sweating really good for your health?

Some people say that sweating is a "general cleaning" for the body, and some dirt in the body and surface will be discharged with sweat. Outside the body, the body and mind seem to be refreshed. But is this really the case?

The important ancient health-preserving work "The Theory of Four Qi Regulating the Spirit" mentioned that health-preserving should follow the laws of growth, growth, transformation, collection and storage, and coordinate with natural changes. In winter, if you still blindly pursue "detoxification" through sweating, it may have an adverse impact on your health.

In spring, plants begin to sprout and animals become active; in summer, grass grows and animals grow taller, which is growth; in summer and autumn, all plants become more and more plump, then To transform; to harvest the fruits in autumn is called harvesting; to hide the fruits in winter and use them slowly is called hiding.

In the same way, for people, it is necessary to hide the essence and spirit in the body in winter and prevent them from "releasing". This is what is said in "The Theory of Four Qi Adjusting the Spirit" "In the third month of winter, this is closed storage."

Many people also pursue soaking wet sportswear in winter for the sake of exercise effect, or some people sweat profusely after eating hot pot or taking a sauna, which is not conducive to winter health.

"In winter, the temperature is low, it is not easy to sweat, and the consumption of 'qi' is also small. But if it reaches the state of sweating profusely, it is probably excessive.

On the one hand, When sweating, the pores expand, and the essence and spirit will take the opportunity to 'slip away', and bacteria will also have an 'invasion channel'; on the other hand, people are prone to colds when exposed to cold, which may cause damage to muscles and joints, and even weaken the body. Children and the elderly should avoid excessive sweating in winter."

As the saying goes, "medicinal supplements are not as good as dietary supplements", there is some truth to this.

First of all, food supplements can maintain long-term supplementation.

Medicinal supplements generally have strong effects, small dosages, and expensive prices.

Secondly, food supplements have a wide range of benefits. Medicine is not an ordinary nutritious food. It is "three parts poison" and cannot be simply taken casually. Food supplements do not have these shortcomings and can be used for a long time.

If you just want to achieve the purpose of nursing, ordinary food can have good results.

Nowadays, the concepts of anti-fatigue, delaying aging, improving intelligence, beautifying, and losing weight through diet have gradually been adopted by more and more people. And use it as a health regimen.

It seems that it has become people's common sense to make up for what is missing and to eat whatever is needed.

People adopt different dietary therapies according to their own physical conditions, so that they can take supplements in their proper place and benefit from them.

The effect of medicinal supplements is relatively single and highly targeted. Food supplements have the comprehensive effect of multiple ingredients, nourishing yin and yang, replenishing qi and nourishing blood. Generally, they can be decided according to the physical condition.

Moreover, most of the foods used in dietary supplements are relatively mild in nature and taste, and have no obvious toxic or side effects after long-term use. They are good for extending life and delaying aging.

The more important point is that medicinal supplements are bitter, and dietary supplements can allow eaters to enjoy the wonderful taste of the ingredients. This is also the main reason why many people choose to use dietary supplements instead of medicinal supplements.