Every 7 Years, Your Body Changes—Here’s Why (TCM)

Añadido: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]This podcast is brought to you by my vagina care brand, Anti Water. We have wash, wipes, and sprays to fight vaginal odor, dryness, and irritation. All formulated with traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. Check us out on antiaterus. I repeat, a n tv voa us. And use my exclusive code hot water for 20% off for our listeners only. And remember to like, subscribe, and follow on whatever platform you're listening on.

[00:00:26]I'm Sarah Jane Hoe and this is Hot Water, where I unpack the traditions, beliefs, and practices that continue to shape Chinese life and what they mean for you.

[00:00:45]>> Hey, Kelsey.

[00:00:46]>> Hi. How are you? You know what's some interesting um that a customer of Oz recently told me about our intimate spray >> is that she said because she's really sensitive um even like as a deodorant for underarms, she only chooses to use natural deodorants, right? Because the drugstore ones have aluminium and full of harmful chemicals.

[00:01:06]>> And she said that she's unable to use even the natural ones because they have an ingredient called bicarbonate which is actually baking soda.

[00:01:13]>> Oh yeah. And that clogs your pores and causes redness, swelling, itching.

[00:01:20]>> And then she finally like our anti-water infamous spray was the first one she could use under arms without the irritation that also got rid of the odor.

[00:01:28]>> Oh my gosh, I need to try because I actually went back to the ones with full aluminum cuz I was the same way. The natural ones made me have a rash.

[00:01:35]>> Yeah. Oh, interesting.

[00:01:36]>> They gave me like total rashes and I'm super sensitive. Like my skin is crazy sensitive. So >> yeah, >> I want to try it. That's amazing.

[00:01:43]>> I know. So, I was like, "Great." And then I went on QVC.

[00:01:46]>> Did I talk about bicarbonate there? No.

[00:01:48]No. Next time I go on QVC, I'm going to talk about bicarbonate.

[00:01:50]>> Amazing.

[00:01:51]>> Because we sold out of the spray, we sold out 3,000 in in one one last >> session. So, yeah.

[00:01:56]>> Congrats.

[00:01:57]>> I'm happy right now.

[00:01:58]>> That's awesome.

[00:01:59]>> Okay, so um I just got back from a trip home to Hong Kong and China, mainland China.

[00:02:04]>> How was it?

[00:02:05]>> It was short and sweet. I did it in five days.

[00:02:08]>> Wow.

[00:02:08]>> I hit up uh seven cities in five days. I saw you on that train.

[00:02:14]>> Yeah, because my acting classes are every Wednesday >> and you're like, I GOTTA GET BACK. I KNOW.

[00:02:20]>> I do the same because mine are on Tuesday, so I always bookend. I I like leave Wednesday and make sure I'm back on Monday.

[00:02:26]>> Yeah, >> my husband was so offended.

[00:02:28]>> You said, listen, whatever. Sorry. Sorry about it. That's funny. I get it.

[00:02:34]>> And I didn't I didn't even spend the night in Hong Kong. I got there, I had my teeth cleaned, and then I had lunch with my father, and then I drove across the border to Shenzhen, uh, which is a part of mainland China that's closest to Hong Kong. Um, where I met my husband because he's investing in some light business. Uh, cool.

[00:02:52]>> Yeah. And they want to expand to the States. So, he, you know, >> he actually rarely asks anything of me, but when he asked, he was like, "Can you will you come take a look?" And I said, >> "Sure." And then I remembered it was his birthday that day.

[00:03:04]>> Oh my gosh.

[00:03:06]Thank God. Thank God you remembered.

[00:03:08]>> But the great thing is I got to spend some quality time with my dad who >> he is just so wise. Um and he's a really dedicated student of TCM and funue and dowoism.

[00:03:21]>> I want to hang out with your dad. I always say this. I want to hang out with your dad in whiskey.

[00:03:24]>> Well, I need to get him to come to the States. He refuses to. He said, "So long as America is bullying China, he refuses to come to the States." I was like, "Dad, >> yeah.

[00:03:36]Come on, we need you.

[00:03:38]>> But you know, my dad, he's only one of two people that I know who loves and quotes Shakespeare >> and loves and quotes the Tao Ching >> or the 300 Tang poems which called Tanga. Like he's truly bicultural in that >> such a student. Yeah.

[00:03:56]>> Right. Because I'm, you know, I'm like fully, you know, bilingual. Like I the way when I speak Mandarin, people in mainland China don't believe I didn't grow up in mainland China. Like that's how fluent I am.

[00:04:05]>> But I wouldn't say that. And I and I love all the you know, Shakespeare, whatever, all that stuff. But I cannot read and love and quote all the Chinese ancient literature the way my father can. And the only other person, the second person I know who can do this and who's like that is his older brother.

[00:04:20]>> Wow, that's so interesting. Have you ever asked him like I'm so curious where that comes from.

[00:04:26]>> Well, my dad uh when he was 16 left Hong Kong for the UK to study.

[00:04:31]>> So he basically became English because he was there. He didn't even go back to Hong Kong that much cuz this is in the 50s. It was very expensive to travel.

[00:04:38]>> Did you make him watch Hamnet? I mean, come on.

[00:04:40]>> Well, >> could he watch?

[00:04:42]>> Oh, no. I did. Yeah, I did tell him to.

[00:04:44]Who knows if he did? Oh, actually, yeah, I should follow up with him on that. Um, and then he and then when he came back to Hong Kong, then he really immersed himself in all the Chinese stuff. Well, actually, it really was more about when my mom passed away and our fun masters predicted it that he fully fledged like started learning fun.

[00:05:01]>> Wow.

[00:05:02]>> And TCM.

[00:05:02]>> Wow. and all that stuff. So he told me over lunch that in TCM in Chinese medicine, women's development, aging, and vitality follow a seven-year cycle, whereas men follow an eight-year cycle. And this is documented in the hanging, which is the yellow emperor's classic of medicine, which is considered a bible of TCM from 2,000 years ago.

[00:05:26]>> Wow.

[00:05:27]>> And by the way, >> that it's this blows my mind. I'm just like, what?

[00:05:30]>> I know. And in China when we say seven to eight year cycles in China you are one years old on the day you're born.

[00:05:36]>> Okay?

[00:05:36]>> Because we count the time in your womb >> with your age. And so the traditional Chinese age which we call the shu in Mandarin um counts the person is one years old at birth and adds another year at every Chinese New Year instead of on the birthday.

[00:05:51]>> Oh.

[00:05:52]>> And so as a result your Chinese age could be one to two years ahead of your actual western >> calendar age. And you're supposed to use this lunar age calculator to calculate it. And which is why to this day I actually have no idea exactly how old my husband is because he only like he knows his birthday on the on the nongi which is the lunar calendar. And I'm just like and it it changes every year, right?

[00:06:14]Because the Chinese New Year changes every year and I'm just like whatever.

[00:06:18]You know, >> that's funny. So you're like it's not my fault that I forgot your birthday.

[00:06:22]>> Not my fault.

[00:06:24]>> Yeah. Okay. So back to what my dad was telling me about our lives being on what we call tea cycles. Okay. Okay. And these tea cycles encompass different developmental stages and offer specific health and wellness advice.

[00:06:35]>> I need your dad to write a book.

[00:06:36]>> Yeah, I know.

[00:06:38]>> Maybe maybe my dad should ghost write my book.

[00:06:39]>> I was going to say you guys should co-author it. I'm like I kind of love that.

[00:06:44]>> Okay. Um so in Chinese medicine, women go through life cycles or tea cycles every seven years.

[00:06:52]>> And so 0 to seven is the first cycle, right? your teeth, changing of the teeth and thickening of hair. Seven to 14 is a second cycle. At 14, she gets her period. It's the beginning of fertility.

[00:07:04]And that's why we say starting from puberty, it's important to avoid warm cold drinks. 14 to 21 is a third cycle.

[00:07:11]And that's when your wisdom teeth are out.

[00:07:13]>> This all makes so much sense.

[00:07:15]>> By 28, right? Because 21 to 28, it's your peak of physical development and reproductive potential in women.

[00:07:21]>> Wow.

[00:07:22]>> And then it goes downhill from there.

[00:07:23]>> Oh god. So 28 to 35 is when your yang energy waines and for women from 35 onwards it's aging.

[00:07:31]>> 35 to 42 right so 42 yang energy in the face weakens. So you get wrinkles and gray hair and symptoms of menopause. And at 49 right 42 49 menstruation ceases and women lose their reproductive capabilities.

[00:07:44]>> Wow.

[00:07:45]>> And all of this was written in a book 2,000 years ago in China.

[00:07:50]>> Wild. Wild. Wild. Okay. Can he tell me what I should be doing then?

[00:07:53]>> Well, you What's your age?

[00:07:55]>> Oh, 31.

[00:07:56]>> Oh, yeah. Okay. Am I 31?

[00:07:58]>> Oh, yeah. Yeah. So, you're in your peak.

[00:07:59]You're in your peak right now.

[00:08:00]>> I'm 32. I just turned 32. Wow.

[00:08:03]>> Oh, you're 32. Oh, you're you're >> just turned 32. Yeah.

[00:08:07]>> Yeah. Yeah. You're three years away from aging.

[00:08:10]>> So scary. I'm feeling great. So, I'm still three ways. Three. I can't speak.

[00:08:16]I'm still three years away. Thank God. I mean, at the end of the day, it's all, you know, how you feel in your heart and mind.

[00:08:21]>> Billion%.

[00:08:22]>> But this there's a lot of truth to this >> and well and I think that we treat our bodies differently through these different things. Right. So, >> Exactly. So, so that's why what you're supposed to eat, you're supposed to, for example, um before you peak, your kidney yang, your kidney tea is strong and once you start aging, your kidney yang >> is weaker and that's what leads to aging, which is why, you know, kidneys, that's why a lot of old people, they first have have kidney failure when they die from old age or your pets, right?

[00:08:48]>> Like at my pet cat, Patty Pors, when she was Yeah. She lived till for 15 years.

[00:08:53]>> Wow.

[00:08:54]>> And and she died of kidney failure because, >> you know, it was aging.

[00:08:57]>> What strengthens kidneys again?

[00:09:00]So, um, yin nourishing foods. Okay. So, that's like black sesame. That's like leafy greens.

[00:09:05]>> I still do my black sesame paste. Good.

[00:09:07]And I did some black forbidden rice the other night, too. Good >> for you.

[00:09:10]>> Uh-huh. I thought of you. I said, you know what? I'm not going to do white rice. I'm going to do my black forbidden rice.

[00:09:15]>> Yeah.

[00:09:15]>> To switch it up a little.

[00:09:16]>> And you know what you can try? You can try buying black sesame oil.

[00:09:19]>> I just got some and now I'm cooking with that instead.

[00:09:21]>> Oh, you have to send me a link to that.

[00:09:22]Okay.

[00:09:22]>> Yeah, I'll send you the Amazon.

[00:09:24]>> Great.

[00:09:25]>> Okay. So in Chinese medicine, men go through life cycles every eight years.

[00:09:29]So remember for women it's seven. For men it's eight, but this eight is counted from like when you're in the womb. Okay.

[00:09:37]>> So for men at eight is when the head the hair has developed and the teeth have emerged, right? So they've got all their new teeth.

[00:09:45]>> Um 16, right? 8 to 16 he's a well 16 he's able to ejaculate spo.

[00:09:52]>> Okay. 24. Uh, extremities are strong and all of his teeth are developed and the wisdom teeth are out.

[00:09:58]>> 32, peak condition, muscles are in peak strength. 40. That's when kidney energy begins to decline. Hair loss and your teeth weaken. So, so for women, they peak at 30. Well, they start aging at 35. Men start aging at 40.

[00:10:14]>> So rude.

[00:10:15]>> 48, the kidney energy declines more and the entire body, you know, goes into aging and gray hair. 56 tendons become rigid and fail to be nimble.

[00:10:26]He's in a version of male menopause basically.

[00:10:28]>> Wow.

[00:10:29]>> For 56 for men. And 64 uh teeth fall out. No reproduction capability.

[00:10:37]>> Teeth fall out.

[00:10:38]>> Well, I mean, you know. Yeah. Yes. It happens. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:10:42]>> It's just I know, right? It's amazing.

[00:10:44]It really is so fascinating. And I'm like, we've talked about this many times, but like you guys were just I mean, come on. The pioneers like 2,000 years ago, you said.

[00:10:52]>> Yes. In the >> Wow.

[00:10:55]>> Yeah. A lot of Chinese emperors um were big proponents of TCM because they wanted to live forever, >> of course.

[00:11:01]>> Right. So, they had a lot of these things written down and and Chinese doctors were very um well respected.

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[00:12:07]When I think about my best summers as a kid, they weren't about screens or schedules. They were spent outside building things, getting dirty, figuring things out with my parents. There was this freedom but also curiosity like you were learning without even realizing it.

[00:12:21]Now with my own son, I try to recreate that. I always make time for something DIY together because it's so much more engaging. You can actually see their brains working, problem solving, asking questions. It's a completely different kind of play. That's why I'm excited about Kiwi Co. this summer. We're planning to do their engineering fun projects, and I love that it teaches how things are made in a hands-on way. It builds logic, creativity, and keeps them curious. Kiwiico's summer adventure series is great. Six project kits over six weeks, so there's always something new to explore without you having to plan it all yourself. Build the best summer ever with Kiwi Co. That's $10 off your summer adventure series at kiwi co.com/summer promo code water. That's kiwi.com/summer promo code hot water. And in TCM, aging is really about your energy reserves.

[00:13:16]In Chinese medicine, we say you're born with a certain amount of congenital essence.

[00:13:21]>> And that's a battery that you inherit from your parents, which is why how the pregnant mother feeds herself is also very important for the baby. Okay? This is called CNT and this is your baseline vitality, what you're born with. And then throughout your life, you build on that with what you eat, drink, and how you live, right? Exercise. And this is your acquired energy. So your acquired essence, which which we call So, it's these two together that's what what keeps your body functioning and they're closely tied to your kidneys in TCM. So, as you get older, that original battery gets used up and at the same time, your ability to replenish yourself through food and lifestyle isn't as strong as it used to be.

[00:14:00]>> Wow. You know, I have to say, and just going back to like the most basic of things that you have talked about forever, including the name of this show, I had to work hot water. I had to work an event last week. God, that I had to be up at like 4:30. I was on set at like six to six or seven. And I used to do that when I was younger. I was on set. Yeah.

[00:14:20]>> Every single day doing those hours. Now I can't really do that so much. The only thing that kept me feeling good, I promise you, was drinking hot water.

[00:14:28]>> Yeah.

[00:14:28]>> The only thing I was like, I cannot have a fifth coffee. I will actually die. I was just walking around. Everyone kept being like, "Are you making tea?" I'm like, "No, no, I'm just drinking hot water." So I feel like for people who are like, "Okay, what's the first step?

[00:14:39]What's the first thing I can do?" Hot water. It all comes back. I feel like it all comes back to hot water.

[00:14:43]>> It does. It does.

[00:14:45]>> And you know, you're three ways, three years away from starting to age according to Chinese medicine.

[00:14:51]>> No, not because No, because I'm drinking my hot water, so I won't be doing that.

[00:14:54]>> Yeah. I mean, so yeah, because by drinking the hot water, you're you're um reserving that battery, that that energy, >> right? That's how I felt. I felt so much more energized. And truly, everyone was depleting it drinking the coffee. And I was like, I'm just going to drink hot water.

[00:15:08]>> And because you can't stop aging, right?

[00:15:09]That's not possible. But you can preserve your energy for as long as you can.

[00:15:13]>> Yeah.

[00:15:13]>> And so that comes down to eating well, moving your body without exhausting it, which is why we don't like H. We don't like hit. Yep.

[00:15:21]>> Right. Um, not overdoing anything. So whether that's work, alcohol, exercise, or stress, right? This is all about moderation.

[00:15:26]>> Yeah.

[00:15:26]>> And managing your emotions so that they don't drain you.

[00:15:29]>> I've been working on that one.

[00:15:30]>> Right. And so it's about protecting your energy and not constantly spending it.

[00:15:34]So even like when you're trying to do things for others, >> right, it's about like wait, no, hang on. You got to protect your energy first before you can be strong for other people.

[00:15:42]>> Absolutely. Which I think takes a long time to learn. But but you know what?

[00:15:47]Once you get there, I feel like God freedom.

[00:15:50]>> No, I was going to say no is the most beautiful word ever.

[00:15:53]>> Exactly. So you feel so much better.

[00:15:55]I've been really working on this last year like not reacting emotionally to things. And it was kind of crazy when I saw the difference when I actually started being okay. I'm like, "Oh, I can see this, know that it needs to be done or whatever and not react." And I feel >> so much better. And now I'm not drained and no one needed to be drained for that. Like, yeah, but it's it really is about that. And then you can show up better for other people because you're showing up better for yourself.

[00:16:18]>> For yourself. Exactly. The kidney, right, that we always talk about, right, is a third type of ting. And we call it the kidney essence.

[00:16:26]And this is a stored form of essence in your body. It includes both congenital, what you're born with, and acquired. And it governs your growth, your development, your aging, and your fertility.

[00:16:35]>> So, no matter whether you're a man or woman, taking care of your kidneys is so important. I really learn a lot from my dad.

[00:16:42]>> I'm learning a lot from your dad. I'm so serious. I want to meet your dad so badly. I think I've said this like 30,000 times on the show, but he's got to come.

[00:16:50]>> He He has to. I need to do an episode with him. Uh, but you know, I I feel that he's actually asked me the other day. I was like, "Dad, are you still listening to my podcast?"

[00:16:59]>> What'd he say?

[00:17:00]>> Yes. Okay, good.

[00:17:02]>> And I'm like, okay. Because he in the beginning he used to write very lengthy critiques like paragraphs and paragraphs and also be like, hey, you didn't reply to this.

[00:17:10]>> He give you all the feedback >> person who left a comment. And >> hilarious.

[00:17:14]>> Virgo, right?

[00:17:15]>> Yeah. Very Virgo.

[00:17:16]>> And And now he just I for the last couple weeks I haven't heard anything.

[00:17:20]>> You're like, is he losing steam? I don't know.

[00:17:23]>> Right. Or are we becoming perfect?

[00:17:25]>> You're like, am I actually perfect now?

[00:17:28]And so then I was like, "Well, dad," I was like, "Where's my feedback?"

[00:17:31]>> And he's like, "Well, there's not much feedback now since you're just answering your followers questions." My dad sounds English, by the way.

[00:17:37]>> Oh my gosh, I can't wait to meet him.

[00:17:39]>> And and I was like, "Yeah, but dad, there are guest driven episodes, too.

[00:17:43]What did you think of Master Shihangi?"

[00:17:44]Yeah.

[00:17:44]>> And my dad just said two words. Very impressive.

[00:17:48]>> Hilarious. I love him. I think also we just need to go visit him because I really Oh my gosh.

[00:17:57]So lovely.

[00:17:58]>> How is whiskey doing?

[00:18:00]>> Oh, whiskey my my dad's cat or the cat that I surprised on on my dad.

[00:18:05]>> Correct.

[00:18:07]>> So, actually, my dad is taking whiskey to do acupuncture now.

[00:18:11]>> Okay, this is what we need to do. We're going to go visit your dad. He can be a guest on my show, The Dog and Pony Show.

[00:18:16]>> Yes. And talk about the TCM aspect.

[00:18:18]>> Exactly. I'm so serious.

[00:18:20]>> Because whiskey is a Scottish fold and it's actually quite sad. like >> they're they have a their ears folded, which is what makes them look so cute, but it's folded because of a gen genetic disability mutation.

[00:18:32]>> And it actually because they have weak ears, it also causes weak joints in the rest of their body.

[00:18:38]>> Wow.

[00:18:39]>> It's almost like >> it's almost like breeding like dis a disabled cat too.

[00:18:44]>> Very very sad. I didn't even know this until I got my dad the you know whiskey and of course he was a rescue, right?

[00:18:51]breeding.

[00:18:52]>> And so he, you know, and when I got him, whiskey was already sick. So now he's like eight.

[00:18:57]>> And so my dad noticed he was limping.

[00:19:00]>> And so my dad found this place called Pistic.

[00:19:02]>> How cute is that? It's like holistic but with a poor poistic.

[00:19:05]>> Amazing.

[00:19:06]>> And he takes whiskey to so much acupuncture now, like a couple times a week. My dad's like, I'm even cutting back on my own TCM herbal medicine in order because whisy's acupuncture cost is so expensive. That's incredible. I love it.

[00:19:21]>> Yeah, that I bet it's working though.

[00:19:23]>> Yeah, my dad does he's a Virgo. Does before and after videos of whiskey that walking before acupuncture and walking after acupuncture >> and obsessed because my apartment is in the same building as my dad's apartment.

[00:19:35]And my dad now likes to use it as the cat apartment. Like he'll he'll literally bring whiskey back and forth.

[00:19:41]>> Yeah, it's true. I'm probably only there like two weeks out of a year. And this last time when I went back, I was like, "Why is my house a cat playground?"

[00:19:49]>> That is so funny. He's the trees. Like, >> but but he my dad also added all these like little stepping stones cuz my dad's like, "It's too much effort for Whiskey to jump to the sofa." Now I've added I was like, "Why are there boxes everywhere?" They're like boxes of different height to be a little staircase.

[00:20:06]>> That is such a >> whiskey to go to my bed, to go to the sofa, to go to a dining room table.

[00:20:11]>> Oh my gosh. It was impossible for me to like even lay out my stuff.

[00:20:16]>> That is so funny. I'm obsessed though. I love it. I love it.

[00:20:20]>> And now my dad's like, "I can't come to visit you in the States because" Because I was like, "Dad, you're coming for the birth of my baby, right?" He's like, "I can't. What about whiskey?" So >> bring whiskey.

[00:20:29]>> Now, um, my stepmother lowkey hates me because she can't travel.

[00:20:33]>> Oh.

[00:20:34]>> Because I used to travel all the time.

[00:20:36]>> And now I can't. And now, no, because my dad refused because of the cat and I'm the one who gave my dad the cat. So, she lowkey hates me. I feel bad about you. I feel bad. No, I do feel bad. I was like, I actually had to I >> She was mad. I mean, no, but she's she like withdraw was mad. Yeah. So, she'll never, you know, but I had to tell my dad. I was like, "Listen, Dad, happy wife, happy life."

[00:20:57]>> Not happy, happy cat, happy life. Oh my god. We just need to get him emotional support and then whiskey can go everywhere.

[00:21:05]>> Yeah. Yeah. Get get whiskey that service thing that that um white people love to put on their dogs so they can fly with them.

[00:21:11]>> Yes.

[00:21:12]>> Yes, girl.

[00:21:13]>> And then they get in trouble because the dog barks and it's not really a service.

[00:21:17]It's a whole thing.

[00:21:19]>> Yeah. So, yeah. So, this trip I also visited a beautiful porcelain city called >> Ting Jin >> and it's the it's well, it's the porcelain capital of China >> and it's not too far from Shanghai. It's actually very close to my husband's hometown.

[00:21:34]>> Okay. And when I was there, because I love looking at porcelain and when I was there, I found an amazing massur >> who I that I found on Dian Ping, which is the Chinese version of like Apple Maps or Yelp or whatever.

[00:21:46]>> Yeah.

[00:21:46]>> And because and you know, a lot of listeners ask me like, "Oh, I'm in like this random ass city. How do I find a TCM doctor?" Go on Apple Maps. You I that's what I do. Every time I go to a foreign city, I just use what? And the ratings really do speak for themselves.

[00:22:00]So anyway, so I went to this place and um I had a great massage from little Han >> because we call people like little or big. It's like a Chinese honoric. So Xiao Han was my lovely massage lady >> and I learned a lot from her. I was actually taking down notes as as she was like talking to me about my body.

[00:22:18]>> Uh she gave me an oil massage and used only her hands >> and um she was so good. She she also taught me that it is bad to cross your legs in traditional high medicine. So, we should both uncross our legs right now.

[00:22:32]>> Why? What was her What was her reasoning on that?

[00:22:35]>> Um, okay. So, it's bad to cross your legs in traditional Chinese medicine because it restricts blood flow to your pelvic region and for men it'll affect you having erections.

[00:22:48]>> Oh, wow.

[00:22:49]>> Yep. And for women, >> that makes sense. It's cutting. Yeah.

[00:22:51]Cutting.

[00:22:51]>> Yeah. And for women, it'll affect your uh reproductive health actually.

[00:22:55]>> So, in Chinese medicine, we separate the body into three parts. We call it which is the upper torso. It's like from chest up. And then the uh which is like you know down to your waist kind of thing.

[00:23:06]It's like basically in the middle of your body. And then which is the lower torso. Right? So that's from your like hips down. And when you cross your legs the ti cannot move through the from the upper torso and middle torso down to the lower torso. You're basically compressing the channels that run through the hips and the thighs. So, you're blocking the natural flow of tea and blood to the lower body.

[00:23:29]>> Whoa. I mean, but it makes so much sense.

[00:23:32]>> And by the way, like >> 52% of men between the age of 40 and 70 are have erectile dysfunction. So, >> stop crossing your legs.

[00:23:42]>> Oh my gosh.

[00:23:44]>> Were you crossing your legs? How did that come up?

[00:23:46]>> Um, oh, so she she was like, "Oh, I had I had cold feet."

[00:23:50]>> Got it.

[00:23:51]>> And she said, "Oh, your lower body's cold. Make sure you don't cross your legs." And she explained to me why. And I actually I do get cold hands, cold feet.

[00:23:57]>> So does Danny. I'm going to tell him this. Right. He gets very cold because in 20 years he's gonna have ED.

[00:24:01]>> We don't want that.

[00:24:02]>> We don't want that.

[00:24:04]>> And so for women, right? So we place TCM places a lot of importance on keeping the lower body warm and well circulated especially for women. And when flow is restricted, that area becomes cold and stagnant.

[00:24:17]>> And what does that lead to? Menstrual cramps, irregular cycles, low energy in the pelvic area, >> i.e. you know, ED for men. Yeah.

[00:24:25]>> So, the solution to this is to have a warm or hot foot soak because that pulls the warmth down to your lower body.

[00:24:32]>> So, if you start cramping, say you're on your period and you're cramping, do a warm foot soak.

[00:24:36]>> Well, I would say hot water bottle is my favorite go-to.

[00:24:39]>> That's what I usually do.

[00:24:40]>> Um, and then, you know, a foot soak like Yeah, cuz sometimes it's like hard to do a foot soak like, you know, on on on the fly.

[00:24:46]>> Yeah, for sure.

[00:24:47]>> But foot soaks are actually more effective than the hot water bottle.

[00:24:50]>> Oh, my hot water bottle saves my life when I'm cramping. So great. I mean, and again, it's just the warmth.

[00:24:55]>> Yeah.

[00:24:56]>> And by the way, blood in TCM, so blood in Chinese medicine is different from blood in Western medicine.

[00:25:04]The concept of blood is different. All right? In Western medicine, it's like a bunch of plasma and white blood cells.

[00:25:09]But in Chinese medicine, blood does not flow unless you have tea. So blood and tea go together. Okay? And and blood, which we call sh in Chinese, right? It's not just the physical liquid. It's about it's more of a functional concept. It includes nourishment, moisture, and even your body's ability to sustain tissues and calm the mind.

[00:25:30]>> And so when you have tea, which is your body's movement and energy, that is the force that drives everything, >> right? It's life force. So the key idea is that your tea moves your blood and your blood carries tea.

[00:25:43]And that's why when Chinese doctors say, oh, you know, like which is which is t blood, you'll hear that a lot.

[00:25:53]>> It's like it means that your blood isn't flowing without the tea. And >> and what that means is that you know >> you're basically without the tea pushing it, your blood is becoming stagnant or sluggish.

[00:26:03]>> Oh, >> you can think of tea as the current and blood is the substance being moved.

[00:26:09]>> Okay.

[00:26:09]>> So if the current is weak, the flow slows down. Yeah, that makes sense. And what nourishes our blood? I know. Uh doing the ginger and the juju dates.

[00:26:21]>> Yeah. Jujubi dates more. Yes.

[00:26:22]>> And goji berries in the morning, which I still do every morning.

[00:26:25]>> Great. And spinach.

[00:26:27]>> That's right.

[00:26:28]>> Also really good. So while tea moves the blood, at the same time, blood also supports tea, right? So because if you don't have enough blood, your tea becomes unstable or weak.

[00:26:38]And that's why even sometimes like I when I go to the Chinese doctor and they they put three fingers on my the inner wrist and they're feeling my pulse, they often tell me, "Oh, you know, you you have a weaker pulse." And that's because like my tea is not strong enough. Um and so they can tell a lot from your pulse.

[00:26:54]>> Yeah.

[00:26:54]>> Or you know I again I mean basically they always just tell me and and without enough blood your tea becomes unstable or weak. So it's just this two-way relationship. So, how do you know if this is happening to you?

[00:27:08]Well, like me, I have cold hands, cold feet, right? So, that means poor circulation. That means your tea is not moving the blood well. Um, I think what you have, which is dizziness, right?

[00:27:18]Fatigue and dizziness.

[00:27:20]>> That means you don't have enough blood to support your tea.

[00:27:22]>> Oh.

[00:27:24]>> And, um, if let's say you feel pain in an area like whether it's like, oh, in your neck or a part of your back, if especially if it's sharp fixed pain, that means there's blood stagnation. And that's why for my lower back pain, I do bloodletting right >> in my lower back where they, you know, they prick with needles and then they do the cupping and they suck out the stagnant blood.

[00:27:42]>> My sister has crazy pain in her traps always. I'm going to have I'm going to tell her to do the bloodletting. It's Yeah, it's called wet cupping.

[00:27:49]>> Wet cupping. That's >> Yeah. And wet cupping/b bloodletting.

[00:27:52]And that's what she should do.

[00:27:53]>> Wow, that makes sense though. Okay. So, for for me, yeah, I have very low blood pressure so I often get like dizzy. So, what do I do?

[00:28:01]Um, well, you have to increase your blood and increase your tea and stay warm. And stay warm.

[00:28:06]>> And stay warm.

[00:28:07]>> Okay, great. I feel like I'm pretty good at that. I'm never I don't like And since being with you, I'm like, I don't really do anything cold. So, >> yeah. So, she told me that, you know, don't cross my legs. Um, and what's interesting is that she I'm going to show you a photo of this as well.

[00:28:24]>> After she massaged my back, all this sha came out.

[00:28:27]>> What's that? So, you know, it's like gouacha. And I'm going to have Eric put this into post, but I'm just going to show you a photo. This was my back after she worked on it. And by the way, she did not use a scraping tool. This was really just her hands. She had she was one of the best massers I've ever had in my life. Like top five easily. And I've been to a lot all over the world.

[00:28:46]>> So, you can see that's the sha, right?

[00:28:48]>> Yeah. It's like bruising.

[00:28:49]>> Bruising. Yeah. And so, so for for those of you I mean, everybody kind of knows about gouacha these days, right? where you have a have a hard instrument whether traditionally it was a bone or a piece of jade or something and you basically scrape the surface of your skin and and then um there's like blood stagnation and it kind of releases to to the top of your skin >> uh and you have these red or purple marks that come up on the skin and that is what is called sha they look like bruising so people get a little scared but it's actually a sign that you're bringing up stagnation so it's good it's good and it shows that blocked tea and blood were not moving properly >> so you can think of it as your body releasing what's been stuck under underneath the service. And if you look at my sha, it was bright red. And in TCM, that points to liver fire. It's gam wang in the upper body, right? Because it for me it was my upper back.

[00:29:37]>> Yeah.

[00:29:38]>> And now if that sha that bruising was dark or purple, it would indicate that there's more dabess or stagnation >> which we call mandarin.

[00:29:47]>> So actually for a lot of more chubby people sometimes a lot of it is dabess or stagnation.

[00:29:52]>> Darker.

[00:29:52]>> Yeah.

[00:29:53]>> Wow. Yeah, >> that's so fascinating.

[00:29:56]>> And so we actually I mean those those marks are information as to what's going on in your body.

[00:30:00]>> I can't believe she told or she just did did that with just her hands.

[00:30:03]>> I know. She was so strong.

[00:30:04]>> Wild added on we chat. I give her a nice tip.

[00:30:06]>> Oh my god. I love her.

[00:30:07]>> And now I'm like when can I next go back to just >> I'm like when can I go back with you?

[00:30:12]>> Oh my gosh. Literally. So what did she Yeah, we should fly out here. Exactly.

[00:30:16]Do a wellness day. Um what were some of the things she told you you needed to do? Um well it was really it was really yeah. Oh no. So so oh so because my liver fire >> which is actually >> so if you guys if if you gouacha at home and and your shaw's dark like bright red which means you have liver fire it means actually you have more heat in your body. So so that means late nights and it's true like I sometimes actually sleep pretty late because I'm working and I'm working with China hours.

[00:30:44]>> Yeah.

[00:30:45]>> Um >> cut back the alcohol, smoking, caffeine, right? All the spicy, all those things that bring heat, >> like cut back on those.

[00:30:53]>> Yeah, that makes sense.

[00:30:54]>> And stress. I mean, >> yeah. Yeah, sounds nice.

[00:30:58]>> Next question.

[00:31:00]Could you talk about sweaty hands and feet? My 8-year-old daughter suffers from really sweaty hands and feet in summer and in winter. She showers every night and uses gentle soaps. She eats a relatively healthy diet. Can TCM help?

[00:31:11]>> That's a great question. We've never gotten that. Well, in TCM, sweaty hands and feet are a sign that your body is either too cold, too damp, too depleted, or too stressed. So, there are a lot of factors in play here, right? It's an an issue of imbalance in tea, heat, or fluid regulation instead of just when in the west we just say overactive sweat glands, right?

[00:31:29]>> Um, the most common type of sweaty hands we see is is due to damp heat, which we call in Mandarin or in Cantonese, it's sapi. And how do you know if you have that? usually because you have sticky, clammy, sweaty hands. Uh, and that means, you know, your body has excess heat moisture. Um, and you're sticky and clammy sometimes with odor. And you also feel sluggish or heavy or bloated.

[00:31:54]And this actually tends to affect your spleen and liver systems because they're the ones responsible for fluid metabolism.

[00:32:01]>> Interesting.

[00:32:01]>> So, you got to take care of your spleen again, which is no salads, no cold foods, no cold drinks, right? All those things. Um you we want a clear heat and you want to drain the dampness.

[00:32:11]>> So and you avoid greasy fried sugary alcohol. You eat lighter. So bit oh bitter greens are great.

[00:32:18]>> Bitter melon.

[00:32:19]>> Oh >> yeah. But like make it cooked. I mean Yeah.

[00:32:22]>> Right. Right.

[00:32:22]>> Cucumber mung beans are great.

[00:32:24]>> Right. Drink warm teas to support digestion.

[00:32:28]>> And then um some of the other causes of it are yin deficiency heat which we call yinu.

[00:32:35]And that's where you're not having enough cooling or nourishing fluids. So, not enough soups. Actually, that's why in Hong Kong, soups are so important.

[00:32:42]Southern China, like the whole Canton province, like Guanghou, like all that area, >> we all every meal starts with a soup.

[00:32:50]>> Love.

[00:32:50]>> And sometimes the most expensive thing at a restaurant is the soup >> because they spend hours boiling it and they have to put in all the ingredients >> which are usually good ingredients.

[00:32:57]>> Yeah.

[00:32:58]>> So, it means actually that your heat is rising internally. you have a lot of heat and it's coming out in the form of sweaty palms and soles, especially at night. And if that's paired with dry mouth, restlessness or poor sleep, like yeah, that means it's yin deficiency. So that means you need more yin, right? And so that's nourishing and cooling the body, that's black sesame, pears, tofu, lilly bulb, prioritizing sleep, avoiding overwork, late nights, excessive stimulation.

[00:33:23]Like people who are on the road a lot, they definitely have yin deficiency, you know, >> just like massive I would say like massive fatigue, right? Just like adrenals are shot.

[00:33:36]>> That's interesting though with >> and then not sleeping well, all of that.

[00:33:40]>> Yeah. And and then you know, I would say just go get a herbal formula. Go find a TCM doctor, get a customized herbal soup. You can do acupuncture to regulate tea and fluids. That's great. And then again, foot soaks. And you can even throw in some herbs in there.

[00:33:54]>> Love >> to draw that energy downwards.

[00:33:57]>> Great. All right, that's it for today.

[00:34:00]Listeners, visit my YouTube channel to watch the full episode. And if you want to support the show, please leave a rating and a review. It'll help new listeners discover us. We'll be very grateful.

[00:34:09]>> And share it with a friend.

[00:34:11]>> And visit antivorta.us or find us on Amazon for some TCM based vagina care that you can use over your whole body.

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[00:34:51]Thank you for tuning in to Hot Water.

[00:34:53]This is your host and eastern wellness life guide Sarah Jane Hoe and my co-host Kelsey. And remember, no matter what life throws at you, with me in your ear, you got this.