Why is "cold wrapping heat" easy to form at the turning point of climate?
Although the beginning of autumn marks the start of the autumn season, the temperature does not cool down rapidly, especially in southern regions, where the "autumn tiger" still exerts its power, with high daytime temperatures and humidity, followed by a sudden drop in coolness at night, increasing the temperature difference between day and night. At this time, the yang energy in nature begins to converge, and the yin energy gradually increases, putting the body's internal regulation to a test of adaptation.
In this changing environment, if people continue to indulge in cold drinks or repeatedly enter and exit air-conditioned rooms, combined with the accumulation of internal heat, it is easy to form a state of "external cold and internal heat," which is what traditional Chinese medicine refers to as "cold wrapping heat."
Specifically, "cold wrapping heat" refers to the surface being wrapped by cold evil, while the inside continues to rise due to unresolved heat evil or stagnation of yang energy. The classic work of traditional Chinese medicine, "Jingyue Quanshu," records: "Yang is stagnant and bound by external cold, cold wraps externally while heat is stagnant internally." The cold evil obstructs the defensive yang, preventing the heat evil from reaching the outside for resolution, trapping the heat internally and gradually becoming a hidden danger.
This pathological mechanism is particularly common during seasonal transitions, when the body is not adjusted, and dietary imbalances occur. It can be seen that "cold wrapping heat" is not a rare disease but a result of the combined effects of environment, constitution, and behavior, which should be given special attention after the beginning of autumn.
Why has "the first cup of milk tea in autumn" become a risk trigger amidst the prevalence of cold drinks?
Modern people are accustomed to marking seasonal rituals with beverages, and "the first cup of milk tea in autumn" has become a representative of this trend. The overwhelming images of milk tea and check-in posts on social media prompt people to immediately embrace "sweetness and warmth" as the seasons change.
However, the problem is that this type of milk tea is often a representative beverage of "external coolness and internal sweetness." On one hand, most milk teas are consumed at low temperatures, often containing ice or being chilled; on the other hand, the ingredients contain a large amount of sugar, cream, pearls, and pudding, which are considered "rich and damp" and "heat-generating" in traditional Chinese medicine.
When such beverages are consumed in large quantities during the period of "lingering summer heat" and "initial autumn dryness," it is easy to form a state of cold on the surface and heat inside. This mixed state of hot and cold poses a greater challenge, especially for those with weak spleen and stomach, a hot constitution, or a tendency to develop internal heat.
A 28-year-old white-collar worker named Xiao Lin from Hangzhou went to check in for "the first cup of milk tea in autumn" with friends on the day of the beginning of autumn, and that night experienced symptoms such as dry throat, night sweats, facial flushing, and abdominal discomfort. After seeking medical attention, she was diagnosed by a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner with "cold wrapping heat" combined with dampness, requiring regulation of the spleen and stomach and relief of stagnant heat.
This case is not an isolated incident. Clinically, issues such as "drinking cold beverages in early autumn triggering pharyngitis," "alternating diarrhea and constipation," and "damp heat obstructing the spleen" are all related to improper temperature combinations in dietary structure. "Milk tea may be fragrant, but the constitution is not adjusted" has become a health trap for many young people during seasonal transitions.
What are the manifestations of "cold wrapping heat"? Be alert to these bodily signals
The manifestations of "cold wrapping heat" are often not a single symptom but a result of multiple systems intertwining. Due to external cold binding the surface and internal heat stagnating, the body will exhibit a series of complex signals during the confrontation process:
1. Sore throat, dry mouth, and cracked lips
Although there is an external invasion of wind and cold, the burning sensation in the throat is obvious, making it difficult to speak, and may even be accompanied by hoarseness. This is "heat stagnation in the upper jiao."
2. Nasal congestion, clear nasal discharge, and a heavy head
Cold evil invades the upper respiratory tract, causing edema of the nasal mucosa, forming a "cold-heat mixed" type of rhinitis with internal heat.
3. Abdominal bloating, alternating diarrhea and constipation
External cold affects intestinal peristalsis, while internal heat disturbs the spleen and stomach, leading to stools that are sometimes loose and sometimes hard, resulting in imbalanced digestion and absorption.
4. Night sweats and facial flushing
Yang energy is stagnant and cannot be expressed outward, causing internal heat to steam, resulting in "deficiency heat leaking outward," especially noticeable at night.
5. Thick and greasy tongue coating, floating and slippery pulse
Tongue diagnosis and pulse characteristics often show "damp heat mixed with cold," which is important evidence of the coexistence of cold and heat.
These symptoms, if they occur individually, may be difficult to detect, but if they appear in combination and repeatedly during seasonal transitions, one should be alert to the formation or activation of "cold wrapping heat" constitution.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, how should "cold wrapping heat" be regulated and intervened?
The core of "cold wrapping heat" is "cold on the surface, heat inside," and the regulation approach should focus on "dispersing cold and relieving heat, clearing heat and benefiting dampness." During treatment, the nature of cold and heat must be weighed; one should not solely use cold medicines to clear heat, nor blindly use warming tonics to disperse cold, but should differentiate and treat according to symptoms.
Common regulation strategies are as follows:
Disperse wind and cold, warm and relieve the surface
If symptoms mainly include nasal congestion and heavy head, one can use warm and relieving surface herbs such as Schizonepeta, Siler, and Perilla to help expel cold.
Clear heat and detoxify, nourish yin and moisten dryness
If there is obvious dry throat and bitter mouth, one should combine herbs like Forsythia, Scutellaria, Lily, and Ophiopogon to clear heat and moisten the lungs.
Strengthen the spleen and transform dampness, regulate qi and harmonize the middle
For those with abdominal bloating and alternating diarrhea and constipation, one can add herbs like Agastache, Tangerine Peel, and Atractylodes to strengthen the spleen and restore its function.
Support the righteous and eliminate evil, harmonize yin and yang
For those with persistent and recurrent overall symptoms, one can use traditional Chinese patent medicines or decoctions like Yupingfeng San and Shenling Baizhu San for comprehensive regulation under professional guidance.
In addition, dietary therapy can also be used to harmonize the constitution. For example, drinking warm ginger and red date water to warm the middle and dispel cold, consuming yam and coix porridge to strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness, avoiding cold fruits and iced beverages, and enhancing the gastrointestinal "cold resistance."
Autumn diet should not focus on "the first cup of milk tea," but on "regulating the middle qi throughout the four seasons"
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, after the beginning of autumn, the focus of health preservation should be on "strengthening the spleen and transforming dampness," "nourishing yin and moistening dryness," and "conserving yang energy." This is not only a regulation that conforms to the natural climate changes but also a practice in daily life details.
Regarding dietary structure adjustments for this stage, experts suggest the following:
Beverages should be primarily warm and moist, with less ice and sweetness
In autumn, one should not indulge in icy drinks; for milk tea, it is best to choose options without ice and sugar, or to mix with hot drinks.
Ingredients should be moistening
Ingredients such as duck pear, tremella, lily, and lotus seeds are both moistening and do not harm the righteous qi, helping to alleviate skin dryness and throat discomfort caused by autumn dryness.
Avoid spicy and greasy foods to reduce damp heat accumulation
Foods like barbecue, hot pot, and spicy sauces can easily promote heat and dampness, increasing the burden on the spleen and stomach.
Reasonably match staple foods with fruits and vegetables to harmonize the spleen and stomach
Staple foods like yam, coix, and sweet potatoes, which are "neutral," help enhance digestive function and reduce internal damp accumulation.
Through these detailed adjustments, even when drinking a cup of milk tea for the occasion, one can balance the overall dietary structure to alleviate potential burdens and avoid excessive harm to the spleen and stomach's yang energy.
Correctly view the sense of ritual and welcome the first warm sip of autumn in a healthy way
There is nothing wrong with small rituals in life; milk tea, as a carrier of urban emotions and social interactions, is not a sin. The key is whether we can carry this "ritual" in a healthy way, rather than letting it become the beginning of health risks.
One can try replacing "the first cup of milk tea in autumn" with "the first cup of health tea in autumn," such as goji berry chrysanthemum tea, apricot pear lily tea, or coix and yam porridge, which not only has a seasonal feel but also considers body regulation. Alternatively, one can meet friends for a cup of hot soy milk or warm black tea, which not only warms the stomach but also warms the heart.
The "unity of heaven and man" emphasized by traditional Chinese medicine hopes that people can nurture themselves according to the seasons in daily life, examining causes and applying nourishment, finding a harmonious way to coexist with the natural rhythms. In this cooling season, rather than being swept away by trends, it is better to enjoy a truly warm drink to lay a healthy and calm foundation for one's autumn.