There are countless ways to maintain health, among which a healthy diet and quality sleep are the two most fundamental "magic weapons." However, due to differences in physiological structure, these two magic weapons have different emphases. As the saying goes, "Men maintain health through diet, while women maintain health through sleep!"
Experts explain that men belong to Yang and women belong to Yin. Movement generates Yang, while stillness generates Yin. Therefore, men need to eat to maintain the energy for movement and accumulate Yang energy, while women need to sleep to maintain a state of stillness in order to nourish Yin.
However, experts also point out that the saying "men rely on food and women rely on sleep" emphasizes one aspect. In reality, health preservation should be considered in both aspects of eating and sleeping.
For men, the main purpose of eating is to nourish kidney essence, because the kidneys govern the storage of yang energy, and the body's yang energy originates from the kidneys. The kidneys are the driving force of life activities, so they can eat more foods that nourish the kidneys and generate essence, such as goji berries, Chinese yam, chestnuts, black sesame seeds, and lotus seeds. For women, although sleep is more important than eating, it's still important to eat the right things. Women need to nourish liver blood, so they should eat more foods that nourish blood and yin, such as angelica, red dates, donkey-hide gelatin, and mutton soup.
Regarding sleep, it's best to maintain around 8 hours of sleep per night. Aim for at least 6 consecutive hours of sleep at night, followed by a 30-minute to one-hour nap at midday. However, it's crucial to target the optimal rest time. The best time for rest is from 10 PM to 6 AM the next morning. Some people sleep from 1 AM to 9 AM, which is sufficient time, but because they haven't taken advantage of the optimal sleep time, their sleep quality will be poor. Additionally, women may need to increase their sleep time during menstruation due to significant blood loss.
It is important to emphasize that, in terms of men nourishing their sperm and women nourishing their blood, one should not rely excessively on the foods mentioned above; it is also essential to maintain a balanced diet and engage in regular physical exercise. Regarding sleep, moderation is key; excessive sleep can actually be detrimental to health.
