Asian-Inspired Ways to Beat the Winter Blues | Asia Society Skip to main content

Unsupported Browser Detected.
It seems the web browser you're using doesn't support some of the features of this site. For the best experience, we recommend using a modern browser that supports the features of this website. We recommend Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge

  • Visit
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Health and Safety
    • Garden Court Café
    • Leo Bar
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Family Events
    • Past Events
    • Event Recaps
    • Space Rental
  • Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Touring Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Learn
  • Support
    • Membership
    • Become a Patron
    • Corporate Support
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
  • About
    • About Asia Society
    • Our People
    • Careers
    • Interns and Volunteers
    • Contact Us
  • Blog
    • All Posts
    • Event Recaps
  • Video
    • All New York Videos
    • Arts
    • Current Affairs
    • Education
    • Policy
  • Space Rental
  • Shop
New York
Search
New York
  • Visit
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Health and Safety
    • Garden Court Café
    • Leo Bar
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Family Events
    • Past Events
    • Event Recaps
    • Space Rental
  • Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Touring Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
  • Learn
  • Support
    • Membership
    • Become a Patron
    • Corporate Support
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
  • About
    • About Asia Society
    • Our People
    • Careers
    • Interns and Volunteers
    • Contact Us
  • Blog
    • All Posts
    • Event Recaps
  • Video
    • All New York Videos
    • Arts
    • Current Affairs
    • Education
    • Policy
  • Space Rental
  • Shop

  • All Posts
  • Event Recaps

Asian-Inspired Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

BJI/Blue Jean Images/Getty Images

BJI/Blue Jean Images/Getty Images


February 27th, 2019 by Ami Li

Related Event

See Danielle Chang host a screening and discussion on the influence of traditional Eastern health and wellness practices in Western society on Tuesday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m. Learn more

As harsh winter conditions wreak havoc on the mind, body, and spirit, some turn to thicker coats and richer foods while others obsessively layer occlusives on every exposed patch of skin. But beyond stew and petroleum jelly, what are some other ingredients and practices that help us conquer the seasonal blues? Prior to their event at Asia Society, health and wellness experts Danielle Chang, Stanley George, and Sophia Tsao shared their personal tips on how they make it through the winter.

Danielle Chang is the founder of LUCKYRICE, a platform and events company that celebrates the food and cultures of Asia. 

"[I drink] Lots of ginger and lemon tea that I brew fresh with grated ginger. I'll add a small teaspoon of honey to it to sweeten things up. I love drinking a shot of this in the morning — really helps to increase my energy levels and is a great wake-up call. 

Buddha's hand citrus fruit
Buddha's Hand lemon (wonderferret/Flickr/Creative Commons)

For the skin, I lather myself head to toe with sweet almond oil straight out of the shower. I also cleanse my face with the oil, which acts as a natural moisturizer. Unless it’s really dry, I often don’t need any additional moisturizers. 

It’s really important to keep your internal body moisturized and hydrated, so I drink tea (in particular, I love chamomile or lotus flower) all day long. When I’m at home, I’ll often toss home-grown lemongrass, verbena, or mint into hot water with a squeeze of citrus. I love Buddha's hand lemons in particular for the zest."

In addition to these practices, she swears by yoga, quality time reading, and leaving a pot of aromatic herbs simmering on the stove when she's at home.

Stanley George is the founder and proprietor of Stanley's Pharmacy, a wellness bar and pharmaceutical practice on the Lower East Side of New York.

Rhodiola plant
Rhodiola rosacea with new leaf growth (Amazonia Exotics U.K./Wikimedia Commons)

"What I think is unique about my practice is that I take all these elements from Chinese medicine, [Indian] Ayurveda, European homeopathy... All of the cultures that happen to have alpine regions with such good herbs. In a traditional sense, when it comes to combatting the harshness of winter weather and rebuilding immunity, I turn to rishi. It is an immunomodulator and thought to have the ability to increase the body's ability to fight off infection and reduce allergies. 

Another herb I frequently use to combat stress is rhodiola. When our cortisol levels shoot up, it compromises the body's immunity and leaves us more susceptible to illness and infection. Rhodiola is an adaptogen that's been used in both traditional Chinese and Siberian medicine to cope with long winters, fatigue, and weakness. Rishi and rhodiola both go into my energy and stress formulation. The combination is both extremely popular and very suitable for getting through New York winters!"

Sophia Tsao is the executive vice president at Po Wing, a family-owned specialty Chinese food and traditional health product market and wholesaler.

Wild American ginseng
Wild American ginseng (John Carl Jacobs/Wikimedia Commons)

"If you're feeling fatigued or recovering from a cold, I would recommend making a simple ginseng soup. All you have to do is double boil ginseng — I like using dried American ginseng for its potency — and goji berries for a few hours. It's a very simple soup that will really revitalize you and make you feel more energetic through the winter months.

Another basic winter soup with a similar purpose would be pork rib with a bunch of different herbs. You add dried Chinese yams, yuzhu or Solomon’s Seal herb, dried lotus seeds, dried lily bulbs, dried longan meats, and qian shi or euryale seed to pork ribs and simmer for about an hour."

She has an unconventional recommendation for banishing dry skin: bird's nest. "There are studies in Asia that show eating bird’s nest can increase epidermal growth [factors] — it's basically regenerating your skin — [and] especially during the winter months it's really good for when your skin is dry and you want to restore some of its natural glow and strength."

So there you have it: A panoply of ways to face the dregs of winter ranging from the medicinal to culinary to practical. For more ways that traditional Eastern medicine has influenced mainstream and Western lifestyle and medical practices, come see Chang, George, and Tsao at Asia Society for Beauty, Wellness, and the Best of the East and West on March 5.

  • All Posts
  • Event Recaps
About
  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement
visit us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
global network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, D.C.
resources
  • Arts
  • Asia Society Magazine
  • ChinaFile
  • Current Affairs
  • Education
  • For Kids
  • Policy
  • Video
shop
  • AsiaStore
initiatives
  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Young Leaders
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Asian Women Empowered
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit
Connect
Email Signup For the media
Asia Society logo
©2023 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC