What to use for foot soaking in spring according to traditional Chinese medicine

In fact, for the vast majority of healthy people with no special discomfort, 38-40°C water is enough for foot bathing in spring. If there are minor symptoms, a small amount of mild medicinal and food homologous materials can be added according to the body's constitution. There is no need to follow the trend of using expensive medicinal materials.

A while ago, I worked on a project for a week straight, and then the spring cold hit me again. My hands and feet were frozen for almost half a month, and I always felt like my chest was congested. When I got home from get off work, I didn't even have the strength to speak. The old Chinese medicine practitioner near my home told me to soak my feet every time. Add 3 slices of old ginger and about 10 peppercorns, soak them in boiling water in advance and then mix them into lukewarm water. Just soak them 3 times a week. I tried it for less than two weeks and my feet were so warm that I could sleep until dawn. Even my usual habit of sighing was gone.

However, there are quite mixed opinions about what to add to foot baths in spring. I have read many health bloggers saying that in order for the sun to rise in spring, you have to add safflower and mugwort to activate blood circulation. A friend of mine who is usually in love with fire followed suit. After soaking for two times, his gums became swollen and his nose bleeds. Only when he went to see a doctor did he find out that he has a constitution of yin deficiency and fire exuberance. This is also a point of disagreement in the industry today: one group believes that the Yang Qi rises in spring, and it is necessary to rely on warm and dry blood-activating ingredients to help support the Yang Qi. The other group believes that the key to health preservation in spring is to release the Yang Qi. Materials that are too strong will dissipate the newly rising Yang Qi, which will cause a loss of health. In fact, to be honest, it still depends on the physical constitution, and there is no one-size-fits-all formula.

In the past two weeks, my best friend suffered from spring pollen allergies, and she also developed leg heaviness and eczema. The doctor added 5 grams of chrysanthemum and 5 grams of plantain to her foot bath, which are light and dispersing substances that can relieve dampness. After three or four times of soaking, she said that the feeling on her legs was gone and most of the eczema was gone.

By the way, here’s a little reminder. If you really want to add medicinal materials, don’t throw a lot of them into the water. 3-5 grams of each ingredient is enough. Boil it in boiling water for 10 minutes in advance to extract the medicinal properties, and then add it to the foot soaking water. The soaking time should not exceed 15 minutes, and your back should be slightly It's just fine if you have a fever and a little sweat on the tip of your nose. Don't soak until you are sweating profusely. Last year, I soaked for more than 20 minutes at a time. I felt exhausted for several days after soaking. Later I realized that sweating too much in spring means that all the yang energy is dissipated, which is not worth the gain.