Your Health Resolutions for a Healthy Chinese New YearWritten by Maricon Williams
Chinese New Year The Chinese New Year does not fall on same date each year, though it is always in January or February. This year, Chinese New Year will start on February 9th this is because it is a new moon day, first day of first Chinese lunar month in Chinese Lunar Calendar system. How is it spent? Brace yourself and I’m going to take you to a wonderful 15 day adventure…The first day in Chinese New Year season is said to be “the welcoming of gods of heavens and earth”. Chinese fast from meat to ensure long and happy lives for them. On second day, they pray to their ancestors as well as to all gods. They are extra kind to dogs, because it is believed that second day is birthday of all dogs. Third and fourth days are spent to pay respect to their parents-in-law. On Po Woo, fifth day, people stay home to welcome God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends because it is believed to cause bad luck. During sixth to tenth day of season, they go visit their friends, relatives and temples to pray for good health and fortune. Farmers display their harvest on seventh day. They also make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate. This day is considered birthday of human beings. Noodles and fish, as symbols of longevity and success, are eaten. Eighth day is spent for a family reunion dinner and at midnight, they pray to Tian Gong, God of Heaven. Ninth day is for offerings to Jade Emperor. On tenth through twelfth days, friends and relatives are invited for dinner. On thirteenth day, simple rice congee and choi sum (mustard greens) are served to cleanse system. The fourteenth day is for preparations to celebrate Lantern Festival. On eve of fifteenth day, most exciting part of event, anticipation creeps in. Midnight festivity makes me feisty, it makes me chant: Chinese lanterns hanging everywhere, swaying gracefully with air, jaunty rhythm fills my brain, my heart’s pounding wildly like rain. Happy people glow with glee, my family’s with me and where will you be? Dancing dragon invites you to dance, he keeps murmuring “Don’t miss this chance”. Fortune cookie don’t lie to me, give me a note of what my future will be.. From afar raging firecrackers emits a deafening holler, it made me sigh, it made me utter –brand new year, brand new adventures for me! Literal and symbolical The festivity is both literal and symbolical. The annual reunion dinner is held on New Year's Eve. This is a vital part of celebration. Families come together and eat together. They start year complete and united. Ties are nurtured and bad experiences are left behind to start anew. Symbols are used to convey something. Use of fireworks is to drive away bad spirits. Cleaning of entire house is said to take away bad luck. Nian gao, New Year's Cake is always served. It is believed that higher cake rises better year will be. Typically red meat is not served and one is careful not to serve or eat from a chipped or cracked plate. Fish is eaten to guarantee long life and good fortune. Red dates bring hope for prosperity, melon seeds for abundance and lotus seeds for prosperity through time. Oranges and tangerines symbolize wealth and good fortune. Resolutions to Keep
| | Sweat Out Your Body ToxinsWritten by Rhea
In this toxic world where harmful chemicals enter your body on a daily basis, there is inevitable need to detoxify. You intake arsenic and heavy metals along with food you eat and water you drink. Even air that you breathe and which comes into contact with your skin contaminates your body with airborne particles and gases. Toxins will never cease to invade your diet and environment. The good news is detoxifying your body will not cost you a lot of time, money, and effort. Saunas, apart from their relaxing and soothing benefits, are proven to be one of easiest and most effective ways to get rid of body’s pollutants. Saunas stimulate sweating by subjecting body to a high temperature, from about 100 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit depending on whether one uses conventional sauna or much lower temperature of far infrared sauna (FIRS). When you sweat, toxic chemicals that have accumulated in your body are purged out of your skin’s pores. It is estimated that around 30 percent of bodily wastes are expelled from skin by way of perspiration. Further, waste products secreted through skin are more than common than those which are discharged with urine and stool. Health practitioners have noted that smokers who use sauna will often leave a yellow residue on their towels. Sauna owners also reported that a thick, black layer of accumulated tar build up on their sauna benches.
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