What to address first when you start worrying about gray hair | Habits that aren't flashy, but help as your body begins to change

Hello, I'm Iroha, an acupuncturist.

I talked about this on my other note account,
“Heart and Body Honesty Meeting,” but
I actually cut my hair.

At that time, I had some thoughts about gray hair,
and I talked about Oriental medicine and gray hair.

So,
for this “Body Notebook,”
I thought it would be good to talk about
what exactly should you do? (If you have time, please read the Honesty Meeting post as well.)

The cause of gray hair according to Oriental medicine is
strongly related to blood and the kidneys. That was the gist.
To explain briefly here,
blood protects the moisture of your hair and skin and keeps them healthy.
the kidneys are where life energy resides, so when vitality weakens, it affects your hair—that was the content.

Today is the continuation of that story.

◆I'm going to say something a bit annoying today

Now,
that we know the reason, here is the problem.
When you start searching for “self-care,”

black beans, jujubes, scalp massage, sleep, stress...

you only see the same self-care tips you've seen somewhere before.
But,

“I get it. But I can't do all of that.”

Don't you think so?

Even if there are too many options,
you don't know what to incorporate or how.
Even if you actually try them,
it somehow starts to feel like a hassle.

That is how we gradually start looking for the “next” method.

Something more efficient
something more special
something that changes things faster

It's a painful truth, but
doesn't that ring a bell?

◆There is nothing special

But Oriental medicine is, rather than being unexpected,
very “plain.”

Because,

it doesn't consider hair in isolation.

"Hair is the surplus of blood"
"Hair is the flower of the kidneys"

As these sayings suggest,

no matter how far you go,
the foundation is the enrichment of "blood".

• Kidney energy also circulates only when there is blood.

• Liver circulation also tends to stagnate if there is not enough blood.

That is why in Eastern medicine,
before asking "what should I add?""is the body capable of properly receiving it?"
is what is valued.

◆ What is a body that can properly receive?

So,
what is necessary to build a foundation rich in blood?
"What is blood made from?"
Thinking about it that way, the answer is simple.

What we eat every day.

But in reality,
just "eating healthy things" is not enough.

For example,
no matter how healthy the food you eat is,
if your daily diet consists of:

Only cold things.
Eating too fast.
Overeating.

In such a state,the spleen and stomach (digestive power)will become exhausted.

Then,
the power to turn the food you worked so hard to eat into "blood" will also weaken.

That is why first,
it is necessary to strengthen your digestive power.

The basics of enhancing the function of the spleen and stomach are,

eating warm food slowly.

It is fine to start with something as simple as that.

◆ The "digestive power improvement habit" I started

The habit I started to make my "blood" abundant
is quite simple.

That is, "having a warm soup in the morning."

In Eastern medicine, it is said that
"the spleen and stomach prefer warmth."

Digestive organs weakened by cold foods or eating too quickly cannot properly convert what you eat into "qi and blood."

That is why the first step is not to let your stomach and intestines get cold. This is the most important thing for improving your digestive power.

Personally, since I started drinking miso soup in the morning, I have started to feel changes in my bowel movements and the circulation in my body.

What was particularly significant was that I felt my "hair loss decreased." Perhaps my hair roots have gained a little strength.

I mentioned that in Eastern medicine, "hair is the surplus of blood (ketsuyo)". In other words, if there isn't enough blood, nutrients won't reach your hair.

Of course, gray hair is also related to aging and constitution, but the return of "the capacity to reach the hair" may be a sign of changes inside the body.

If miso soup is too much trouble, how about "hot water"? Actually, I drink "hot water" before my miso soup too. If you look into hot water, you will find many good effects for the body. It might be a good idea to start there first.

◆ People don't stick with things if they can't see the results

I have been writing at length up to this point, but in the end,

people don't stick with things if they can't see the results. I agree with that.

Actually, a long time ago, I took a program in online English conversation that was supposed to help me improve my English quickly.

However, I continued it for two or three months, but I didn't improve.

One day, I asked the teacher, "Teacher, will I really be able to speak English with this?"

The teacher's answer was this: "You know, I do this lesson many times a day. I've already memorized all the answers. Are you saying that after you've done that much?"

I thought, "That's true."

Things that you do today and see results from tomorrow might not be things that "remain deep in the body for a long time."

◆ Conclusion

Eastern medicine health practices are, if anything, things that you "nurture little by little."

That is why even now, rather than flashy things, I

Drink something warm in the morning.
Get proper sleep.
Don't let yourself get too cold.

I repeat these small things.

My blood, my hair, and my body.

Perhaps it is through these unexpected "daily accumulations" that things
quietly begin to change.

Regarding the "hot water" I mentioned briefly when talking about today's digestive power of the spleen and stomach,
my favorite holistic health coach, Sakura, has written a detailed article about it, so please be sure to read it.