The "wet evil" in the concept of six evils in traditional Chinese medicine is actually a description of pathogenic characteristics. Literally, it is not accurate to understand the toxin that is wet in the body. It is even more wrong to "detoxify" with sweating!
As shown in the above figure, at the initial stage of the invasion of dampness, the symptoms that may be caused are almost minor problems, but they greatly affect the quality of life. The principle of "eliminating dampness" in traditional Chinese medicine is actually to strengthen the metabolic capacity of the body and discharge the waste in the body more fully. Sticking to soaking feet for health in summer may have a good effect of eliminating dampness.
But should I soak my feet or take a shower first? We made a small survey among relatives and friends, and the results are as follows:
Soak your feet first, then take a bath.
4 votes
Take a bath first, then soak your feet.
Five votes
Take a bath first, then soak your feet, then take a bath.
1 ticket
Just take a bath, or just soak your feet.
2 votes
Speaking of it, this is an extremely personal matter. Take a bath or soak your feet first; Or just taking a bath or soaking feet is a personal preference, and it is also affected by different sanitary conditions, household conditions, climate and other factors.
But if soaking feet is a hygienic habit, Dr. Ye suggested: take a bath first, then soak feet.
Take a bath to clean the skin first; Soak your feet until you sweat slightly, so you don't have to wash them. If you must wash, wait until the sweat is finished and the pores shrink before taking a bath.
Passive sweating (such as soaking feet and steaming feet) or active sweating (exercise and fitness) is beneficial to people's health in most cases. However, it is not advisable to soak your feet until you sweat or even feel dizzy.
The main components of sweat are water, sodium chloride and a small amount of urea and lactic acid. It is a bit ridiculous to say that these "wastes" metabolized by the body are "toxins" and "detoxify" by sweating.
In the popular "triathlon" in the west, the organizer will prepare an ice-water hot spring pool for the athletes who finish the competition. In the view of western medicine, the body temperature rises after exercise, and ice water directly helps to lower the body temperature, shrink pores and relieve muscle fatigue.
Traditional Chinese medicine does not have such a fierce operation, but emphasizes that whether it is active or passive sweating, when the pores are wide open, it is the time when foreign evils are easy to invade.
Therefore, the daily foot bath is to stimulate the meridians of the feet, promote blood circulation, and make the body sweat slightly, without forcing sweating.