Minor Cold Solar Term Health Guide
2026 Minor Cold: January 5-19 – Features: Coldest period begins despite “minor” in name
The core features of Minor Cold
Deceptively Intense Cold
🌡️ Coldest Days Arrive: Despite name, often colder than Major Cold = “Nature’s Deepest Freeze”
🌱 Yang Energy Strengthening: Newborn yang from Winter Solstice slowly grows but remains vulnerable
Body Alert Points
🧊 Frostbite and chilblains: extremities at highest risk of cold damage
😷 Respiratory infections peak: flu, colds, and pneumonia most prevalent now
💪 Muscle and tendon stiffness: cold contracts tissues causing pain and reduced mobility
The Golden Rules of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Health Preservation
▶️ Diet Three Should-be and Three Taboos
Should Eat:
Laba porridge (eight-treasure congee) 🍚 (traditional warming food with nuts, grains, and dates)
Chicken soup with astragalus 🍗 (boosts defensive qi and immune system)
Roasted chestnuts and walnuts 🌰 (warms kidney yang and strengthens lower back)
Should Avoid:
Cold drinks and frozen foods 🧊 (catastrophic to vulnerable growing yang)
Excessive sweating activities 💦 (depletes protective qi needed for immunity)
Overeating heavy meals 🍽️ (burdens digestion when energy should go to warmth)
Key Points of Living
🌅 Wake up 7:30-8 AM: Practice qigong + massage Du meridian along spine (check “Unblock The Meridians” program for techniques)
🧣 All Day Protection: Layer clothing, especially protect neck, lower back, and ankles from cold invasion
🌙 Sleep before 9 PM: Drink warm ginger milk before bed (settles stomach and warms core through the night)
Protect the growing yang energy while fortifying your defenses against winter’s harshest cold 🧘♀️✨
