Winter tip #5: Cover up and down (protect your neck with a scarf, and keep your belly, low back, and feet warm) - it will literally keep colds away.

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• This will sound rather obvious: the best prevention against colds is… to stay warm.

• In TCM, we consider that the neck is a sensitive area. We are more likely to get sick if our neck is exposed to cold, drafts, and wind. It is therefore a good idea to zip up our coat and wear a scarf in the winter.

• The lower abdomen is, in Eastern traditions, where we have a very important “centre of energy”. In TCM, the Yin of the mother mixes with the Yang of the father at conception, and the essence of this new being is stored in the TCM Kidneys, physically below the belly button. Mechanically, the area is our centre of gravity, a point of balance. All Eastern traditions cultivate this area through abdominal breathing practices. It’s not a good idea to keep it exposed to cold. For teen girls, wearing low waist pants and tops that expose their belly button is a very bad idea, and can negatively impact their menstruations and future fertility.

• As for the low back, it is considered the “palace of the Kidneys” in TCM. Each TCM Organ has a preferred season, and the season of the Kidneys is the winter. So again, protecting your low back is good for your Kidneys. Think of how you may be more prone to low back pain in cold weather.

• And last but not least, keep your feet warm. When it is cold, you have less energy to naturally warm up your extremities, so covering them is also important.