Stepping into Tianmu BioPharm Precinct • Traditional Chinese Medicine Forum for Health Maintenance during Winter

As the winter months approach, the manifestation of symptoms brought about by chronic diseases tends to increase in incidence. This is due in part to the significant temperature differences between in and outdoor settings, which makes it much harder for the body to adapt. However, if we do look after our general wellbeing during the milder seasons, we can reduce the severity of conditions and reasonably improve our quality of life.

To enhance the public’s awareness and provide a range of tips for disease prevention and general maintenance of one’s health, a winter season’s traditional Chinese medicine forum was held at the Tianmu BioPharm Accelerator’s precinct on the 30th of November. This session was co-organised by the Jinnan New Town Management Committee of Lin'an District, BioClub, BioHarbour and the Tianmu BioPharm Precinct.

We were pleased to welcome the guest speaker, Mr Hong Fa, founder of the Xiao Chai Hu traditional Chinese medicine training school. Mr Fa made an initial observation about characteristics of the winter season, the common diseases associated with it, and tips on how to prevent and manage such ailments, such as the highly contagious flu virus, gastrointestinal and cardiac-related diseases.

Regarding tips for general wellbeing, Mr Fa highlighted the following:

1 To prevent winter typhoid cold, protection against wind and low temperatures, the core anatomy has to be well insulated;

2 To follow a “retire early and wake up late” type of sleep cycle during winter;

3 To ensure sufficient natural absorption of Vitamin D via sunbathing one’s back at noon;

4 To beware of excessive sweating when playing sports during winter, and to maintain adequate hydration.

During the next segment, Mr Fa provided details and pertinent examples on the methods to diagnose and prevent common colds, ways to maintain gastrointestinal health in winter, and the relationships between getting a cold, overeating and cardiac issues. We wrapped the session up with a Q&A segment, in addition to the interaction between audience members and Mr Fa, who also provided simple diagnoses to some of the audiences’ physical conditions based on their anecdotes.

Overall, the forum was extremely beneficial in providing the attendees with an reased understanding of how traditional Chinese medicine provides a holistic balance to one’s general wellbeing and how its adequate practice helps in maintaining good health.