According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), respecting seasonal changes helps maintain a balance between man and nature. That balance, as well as the internal balance between different organs, is believed to keep people from getting sick.

This naturalistic and holistic view is helpful to figure out how to keep fit this winter and in future winters, according to Ji Liangchen, a health expert based in Beijing.

The 79-year-old Beijinger has practised Chinese martial arts including tai chi, bagua and xingyi since he was a boy. He started to practise Chinese medicine at 21. He is not only a TCM doctor, but also a Chinese cultural scholar with a penchant for ancient Chinese medical classics and history.

Knowledge about how to keep fit is not only a part of traditional Chinese medicine, but is also connected to Chinese culture. Some chapters in the ancient Chinese medical classic "Emperor Huang Di's Internal Classics" elaborate on tips to keep fit.

From his experience, Ji believes there are three methods of nurturing life energy: food, medicine and nurturing qi, or vital energy.

The strategy for keeping fit should shift emphases with changing seasons. In winter, people should focus on preserving energy and nurturing yin.

Chinese believe energy is made up of yin and yang forces. Yin corresponds with energy at rest, which is slower, internal or passive; yang has to do with energy that is moving, active and rapid.

Ji suggests doing a moderate amount of physical exercises to activate the yang factor of the body, while also strengthening the yin factor.

As for food, mutton is the best food for winter, the doctor said. That is because mutton is considered warm in nature and can supposedly replenish blood and body fluid.

Meanwhile Ji suggests people eat coarse grains, such as millet, corn and black rice congee.

The best tea to have in winter is pu'er, because the tea is said to help people preserve life energy in cold weather. Likewise, jasmine tea is best for spring, green tea is best for summer and oolong is best for autumn. Ji thinks yellow rice wine is warming and suitable to drink during the chilly season.

Ji notices several major differences between Western and Chinese people.

"Westerners usually have more yang factors in the body, but not enough yin factors," he observed.

These excessive yang factors include toughness and the ability to warm up, enabling them to endure the cold. On the other hand, they are not as patient or flexible as the Chinese. Even so, drinking a lot of cold water and eating cold food is bad for expats' health, the doctor insisted.

"You should eat everything, but nothing too much; you should eat what you want to, because if you feel you want to eat something, it's very likely your body needs it."

Because of differences in mentalities, doctors of Western medicine focus on battling viruses and bacteria causing illnesses, while Chinese medicine doctors emphasize the balance between nature and man and maintaining internal balances to prevent illness.

The function of Chinese medicines is actually to correct the level of internal balance. A condition either above or below that balance will bring people problems, so TCM doctors use natural herbal medicines to recapture balance.

To nurture life energy by maintaining plenty of qi includes eating proper foods, living a healthy lifestyle and engaging in physical exercise. The concept of qi may sound a bit abstract, but it actually refers to momentum, energy or function. It is the driving energy behind the circulation of blood and body fluid.

There are so many people who have poor appetites, interrupted sleep and constant fatigue, but a Western medicine health check-up shows there is nothing wrong with them. These people, according to traditional Chinese medicine, are suffering from qi deficiency.

"To replenish qi, on one hand, people need to constantly activate it and let it grow. In addition, they need to adjust the seven emotions: excitement, anger, worry, mental labour, sadness, fear and shock," the doctor said. "A third aspect is living a proper lifestyle, which includes proper food and drink, regular rising and sleeping schedules and a moderate work load."

(China Daily 11/28/2006 page1)