Today’s Episode
Discover the intriguing world of “health preservation” in China! From its cultural roots in Chinese medicine to the quirky “punk health care” trend among young people, explore how modern lifestyles blend tradition and creativity in surprising ways.
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On Tuesday 14th January, we will release a MaoMi Chinese+ episode, in which we dive deeper into the world of “punk health care,” exploring why Chinese young people mix unhealthy lifestyles with quirky health habits, and how this contrasts with traditional ideas of health.
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大家好！欢迎回来 MaoMi Chinese。今天我们要聊一个很多中国人都感兴趣的话题：养生。你听过“养生”这个词吗？在中国，很多人都喜欢“养生”，特别是年轻人。不过，他们的养生方法，有时候看起来很奇怪！
什么是养生？ “养”是照顾的意思，比如“养花”就是照顾花。“养孩子”，就是照顾孩子长大。“生”是生命。所以，“养生”就是照顾我们的身体，让身体更健康。
在中国，养生是很重要的文化。比如中医（Chinese medicine）就常常教人怎么养生。中医说，人的身体有“阴”和“阳”，这两个要平衡，身体才会健康。比如，冬天喝热的汤、夏天喝凉茶（herbal tea），就是一种养生的方法。
不过，今天我们要说的不是这些传统的养生方法，而是年轻人的养生方法。有一个很有趣的词叫“朋克养生”（punk health care）。什么是朋克养生呢？它是说，一边做对身体不好的事，一边用一些方法“保护”身体。
比如，有些年轻人喜欢熬夜（stay up late），玩到很晚才睡觉，但是他们会用保温杯（thermos cup）泡枸杞（goji berries）。枸杞是一种红色的小果子，中国人觉得吃枸杞对眼睛好，对身体也好。年轻人熬夜后喝枸杞水，就是他们的“养生”方法。
还有人工作压力很大，身体很累，但是会吃保健品（supplements）或者中药（Chinese medicine），想让身体更健康。很多人开玩笑说：“中国年轻人，一边熬最晚的夜，一边养最贵的生。”意思是，他们花很多钱买“健康”，但生活方式却不健康。
为什么很多年轻人喜欢养生呢？其实，是因为现在的生活很忙、压力很大。他们知道熬夜、加班对身体不好，所以想用一些简单的方法让自己“舒服一点”。虽然这些方法可能没用，但会让他们觉得自己在努力照顾身体。
在中国，“养生”不只是老年人做的事，现在很多年轻人也喜欢养生。比如，有人会在咖啡里加枸杞，有人在社交媒体上分享自己“朋克养生”的方法。大家觉得，工作很累，压力很大，这个是不能改变的，但是至少养生能让自己看起来健康一点！
好啦，我们来复习一下今天的词语吧！今天我们学了“养生”这个词，它是照顾身体、让身体更健康的意思。我们还说了年轻人的“朋克养生”，比如熬夜后喝枸杞水、工作很累但是吃保健品。
在你的国家，年轻人也会一边做不健康的事，一边想办法“变健康”吗？欢迎给我们留言，和我们分享哦！
Hello everyone! Welcome back to MaoMi Chinese. Today, we’re going to talk about a topic that many Chinese are interested in: 养生wellness. Have you heard of the word “养生 yangsheng” before? In China, many people love “yangsheng,” especially young people. But sometimes, their wellness methods can seem a bit unusual!
So, what is “yangsheng”? The word “yang” means to take care of something. For example, “yang hua” means to take care of flowers, and “yang haizi” means to raise children. The word “sheng” means life. So, “yangsheng” means taking care of our body to make it healthier.
In China, wellness is an important part of the culture. For example, traditional Chinese medicine often teaches people how to stay healthy. According to Chinese medicine, the body has “yin” and “yang,” which need to be balanced for good health. For instance, drinking hot soup in winter and herbal tea in summer are examples of wellness practices.
But today, we’re not talking about these traditional methods. Instead, we’ll focus on young people’s wellness habits. There’s an interesting phrase called “punk health care.” What does it mean? It’s about doing something bad for your body while also trying to “protect” it at the same time.
For example, some young people love staying up late and go to bed very late after playing or working. But then, they use a thermos cup to make goji berry tea. Goji berries are small red fruits that Chinese people believe are good for the eyes and overall health. Drinking goji berry water after staying up late is their version of “wellness.”
Others may feel exhausted from stressful jobs but still take supplements or Chinese medicine to try and stay healthy. People often joke, “Young Chinese people stay up the latest and spend the most on wellness.” This means they spend a lot of money on health products but still have unhealthy lifestyles.
Why do so many young people like wellness? The truth is, life today is busy and stressful. They know that staying up late or working overtime is bad for their health, so they look for simple ways to make themselves feel “a bit better.” While these methods might not be very effective, they help them feel like they’re trying to take care of their bodies.
In China, “yangsheng” isn’t just for older people anymore. Now, many young people are also into wellness. For example, some add goji berries to their coffee, while others share their “punk health” tips on social media. They feel that while hard work and stress are unavoidable, at least wellness can help them appear a little healthier!
Alright, let’s review today’s vocabulary! We learned the word “yangsheng,” which means taking care of your body to make it healthier. We also talked about young people’s “punk health,” like drinking goji berry tea after staying up late or taking supplements when they’re stressed.
In your country, do young people also do unhealthy things while trying to “be healthy”? Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts with us!
我有个喝很多酒的朋友，澳大利亚人。可能他是个嗜酒者。他告诉我他每个周日不喝酒。而且他不了喝未过滤的水，还有的很多事物他要拒绝吃。可能这是是养生的例如。
有可能，很有趣的方法！
在美国，很多“很喝酒的人”想：喝酒的时候，应该和很多水， 这样对身体最好，第二天，没有头疼。