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Chinese Medicine

MOST of us are ''season aware'' enough to know that we are more likely to fancy a salad in the summer than now in the dark days of January, but the ancient Chinese have come up with a set of rules to balance aspects of the seasons to keep us healthy all the year round.

As many of us begin to realise the toll that an indulgent Christmas and New Year has taken on our livers and our waistbands, it might just be faintly reassuring to learn that back in 200BC when the Yellow Emperor wrote his Classic of Medicine, he stated that winter was the time for eating and storing up energy.

The rules are complex ones governing food, sex, exercise and lifestyle. They underlie the treatments handed out by the practitioners of Chinese Traditional Medicine around the city.

Dr Yu Hong Shang whose colleagues from Manchester's Acumedic clinic, in St John's Street, base their Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments on the The Yellow Emperor's Classic Of Medicine, said: ''It is all about balancing the Ying and Yang and abiding by the laws of nature which are different in each season. Otherwise you get ill.''

WINTER
This is when everything slows down and is the time for storage. Ying energy (the forces of darkness and conservation) dominates over Yang (the force of light and serenity) which means wrapping up and taking it easy to avoid problems with kidney energy. That is the route to weakness, muscle atrophy and arthritis.

SEX: The Yellow Emperor says you should limit sex ''as if keeping a happy secret'' and stay in bed later in the morning. In China businesses start an hour later to fit in with the body's needs.
DIET: Good news on the eating front - winter is the time to tuck in. Foods that are considered hot in TCM like lamb, pork, garlic, alcohol and peanuts get the green light. Perhaps all that indulgence at Christmas was not so bad!
WRAP UP: Chinese doctors reckon people in the UK do not wear enough in the winter. Take the eastern advice - everyone there wears long-johns to conserve Ying.
EXERCISE: Some will be glad to know that this is the time to slow down on the aerobics and the work-out. Live with the post-Christmas bulge for now. You will need the energy for a burst of activity in spring!

SPRING
This is the season of revitalisation and birth, which the Chinese believe is governed by the liver.

EMOTIONALLY: Equanimity is the key to being in tune with spring, since its governing organ (the liver) can be damaged by any excess of emotion leading to depression in the summer. Try meditation, gentle music or a spot of gardening.
DIET:Spring is about rebuilding, so you need protein. But because the liver dominates - linked in Chinese theory with volatile emotions - you need sour foods to feed into the liver meridian and calm you. As a habit use vinegar in dressings and eat loads of oranges, apples and grapefruits.
EXERCISE:This is the time to step up the activity, particularly with stretching exercises. Tai Chi, Yoga and swimming are ideal.

SUMMER
The heart rules in the summer according to Chinese wisdom. Energies from heaven and earth merge leading to growth. It is the season of fire, so keeping extremes of emotion under control is vital. Get up early and allow yourself later nights.

EMOTIONALLY: Tempers fray more easily as the temperatures rise. Step back and let anger ebb rather than getting involved. Do not hold grudges to allow energies to flow freely.
SEX: This is the time for it, according to the Yellow Emperor. Whilst he does not advise over-indulgence, he reckons the summer is the time to let the hair down a little.
DIET:Keep cool by eating plain, unspicy food. Raw food and salads will take away excess body energy. Why not tuck into a hunk of cold water melon? Look around the markets to find out what fruits and vegetables are in season in the UK.
EXERCISE: You can be active in summer, because there is plenty of energy about. Use this time for playing sport, dancing, climbing mountains and generally sweating poisons out of the system.

AUTUMN

How you handle autumn and the transition from summer is crucial to the way you will get through the long dark days of winter according to the sages of ancient China. This is the season of harvest and maturity with the emphasis on the spleen, making your digestive system vulnerable, and lays you open to melancholy. The spleen does not like damp and cool, so the key to health and happiness in autumn is to combat the mists with the right food and exercise.

EMOTIONALLY: It's time for focus, so that you do not let winter depression get a grip. Take time to plan activities with goals like evening classes. Learn meditation to keep positive.
DIET: Avoid fried food and beer, which are both said to interfere with the spleen, though a moderate quantity of wine is beneficial. Salads and raw food should be avoided in favour of soups and easily digestible foods to rest the digestive system. Go easy on meat - try to use it almost as seasonings for vegetable sauces rather than tucking into steaks. Strengthen the spleen with Royal Jelly and Ginseng.
EXERCISE: Late summer is dominated by the lungs, so practise Tai Chi and Chi Kung. The Chinese believe it can prevent the development of hay fever in the spring.