NaturalHealth Preservation

N egative oxygen ions are known as“air vitamins”and “longevity elements”for anti-aging.As the forest coverage rate of Shennongjia is 91.1%,and that of its core protection area is as high as 96%,it is one of the places with high-concentration negative oxygen ions in China,and has won the reputation of“the Green Lung of Central China.”Fresh air, a beautiful natural environment,and a pleasant climate make Shennongjia a unique land for healing.Ecological recuperation in Shennongjia not only regulates the physiological functions of the human body,but also benefits the lungs,as well as treats chronic diseases.Many related cases in the Forestry District can be taken as examples.

“Shennongjia Air”produced by Shennongjia Shenlin Health Industry Co.,Ltd.is scheduled to be on the market soon.The air is collected and infused into large tanks,then it is packed into small bottles that can be delivered to the market as soon as possible after being certified by the relevant departments.

Ren Kanglin,who had a chest surgery 17 years ago due to a heart attack,has been in Shennongjia every year for recuperation since 2008.At first,he would visit for a month or two to escape the heat,but eventually he bought a house in this healing capital.Now he spends most of his time in Shennongjia.

工人们在林间采集空气(Workers collecting fresh air in deep forest)

Ren Kanglin is from Jingzhou City in Hubei Province.He said that the weather there during the summer was too hot and humid,which caused him to suffer from headaches,diarrhea,and other bad health condition—it was certainly not good for his post-operation recuperation.“Shennongjia has a suitable temperature that makes me feel refreshed,and the air and spring water are both of high quality.After coming here, various functions of my body maintain a healthy post-operative condition,”said Ren Kanglin.He is very satisfied with life here,laughing,saying that he is the“earliest migratory bird”to come here.

Guo Qingming,from Yichang of Hubei Province,suffered a bronchial rupture due to an illness in his early years.Failing in various treatments,he had a pulmonary resection operation and almost two-thirds of his lungs were removed.The doctor told him that he would not live much longer.When he nearly lost his hope,his friend suggested he recuperate in Shennongjia.

According to Guo Qingming,before he came to Shennongjia,he also thought about moving to other mountain areas.However,some of them were wet and foggy with mosquitoes,and some were at too high an altitude and lacked water,or were just inconvenient for emergency medical treatment.With all these factors in consideration,Guo Qingming regarded Shennongjia as the best place to preserve his health and extend his life.

In Shennongjia,Guo Qingming eats mostly sweet potatoes,corn,and other vegetables produced locally.His physicalcondition has been continually improving.In recent years,he has stopped going in for medical examinations.“I know my own body very well now,”he said.He told us that he has seldom been ill since coming here,and that his spleen and stomach were healthier without taking any medicine.

Ren Kanglin and Guo Qingming are both in their 60s,and both look very fine.They are still vigorous and well organized.In addition to paying attention to diet and exercise,they also maintain a positive life attitude.

When we first arrived at Shennongjia,a local man named Wang Guilin asked us whether we had a sleeping problem at night.Only after sharing an identical answer did we realize that everyone felt the same way.Wang Guilin pointed out that it was a symptom commonly known as “oxygen-drunk.”Then he told us about his downhill experiences.“When we mountain guys go down the mountain,especially to the big cities,it’s okay to stay for a short while;but if we stay for a few days,we will feel dizzy,and in severe cases,our limbs will be weak.This is actually the symptom of anoxia.”After going to Shennongjia,I was in high spirits,and became more energetic.

云出阴峪谷（徐 欣摄）Cloud sea in Yinyu Valley(Photo by Xu Xin)

自然养生

负氧离子被誉为“空气维生素”和生命抗衰“长寿素”，神农架林区森林覆盖率达91.1%，而在核心保护区内更高达96%，是国内负氧离子高浓度地之一，因此获得了“华中绿肺”的雅誉。清新的空气，优美的自然环境，再加上宜人的气候条件，使得神农架成为独特的疗养风水宝地。在神农架进行生态疗养，既能全面调节修复人体的生理机能，又能清洁肺部，可以预防、帮助治疗慢性疾病，相关事例在林区随便打听就有不少。

神农架空气要面市了。笔者在神农架神林健康产业有限公司看到，大罐收集回来的空气，正在分装成小瓶，等管理部门认证之后就可以推向市场。

任康林17年前因患心脏病做了一次开胸手术，为疗养身体，他从2008年开始每年都要来神农架林区避暑。起初只是在天气热的时候过来住一两个月，后来干脆在林区买了房，现在每年的大部分时间都待在神农架。

任康林的家乡在湖北荆州，他说，夏天家里闷热潮湿，经常头痛、拉肚子，整个人状态不好，对手术后疗养不利。“神农架这里气温合适，干净清爽，林区空气和山泉水的质量都很高，来这里以后身体的各项机能都能维持术后的状况”，任先生对这里的生活非常满意，笑称自己是来这里“最早的候鸟”。

空山新雨后(叶 祯摄)Allbecomes fresh after a rain(Photo by Ye Zhen)

湖北宜昌人郭庆明早年因病致支气管破裂，在尝试各种治疗方法无果之后接受手术，肺部被切除了差不多三分之二。医生告诉他能活一天是一天，绝望之际，朋友建议他到神农架调养。

据郭庆明介绍，他来神农架之前也考察了一些山区，有的湿气重、蚊虫多，有的海拔太高、缺水，或者是急诊就医不方便。综合考虑后，他选择了神农架作为一辈子的疗养之地。

在神农架，郭庆明吃的多是林区自产的红薯、玉米和蔬菜等，不知不觉中身体状况越来越好，近几年也不再去体检，“我自己的身体我心里有数”。他表示，他来这儿以后不常生病了，也不吃药，脾胃各方面都比较好。

任、郭二人都是60多岁，气色都很好，神采奕奕，谈话有条不紊。他们平时除了注意饮食和运动外，还保持着良好的心态。

初到神农架，当地人王贵林问我们，是不是晚上睡不着，这时我们才知道大家都有共同的感受，纷纷点头。他说，这是醉氧的表现。接着，他谈起自己下山的感受：“我们下山，尤其是去大城市，短暂去一趟还好，如果待几天，就会有头昏的感觉，严重的时候还会四肢乏力。这实际上是缺氧。”听着他的醉氧理论，笔者更直接的感受是，到神农架后，感觉精神更好，干活不知道累。