Forget sterile high-tech laboratories and fleeting wellness fads. It seems the ultimate lesson in vitality comes straight from the kitchens of Chinese grandmothers. The trend that has taken over social media celebrates not only a glowing complexion, but also radical patience, introducing us to a day in which a cup of warm apple and goji berry tea, ritual skin tapping, and deep respect for the body’s cycles form the most important foundation of a good life.
The irony of the fact that I often take beauty and longevity advice from people who are not much older than me has not escaped me. Clinical studies are an excellent way to test hypotheses, but lived advice still carries a particular kind of power. Especially when it comes from a hundred-year-old grandmother who is completely vital, performs lymphatic drainage exercises with far greater agility than you do, and whose strength of focus and concentration feels entirely unfamiliar to you. This was also noticed by Sherry Zhu, an American TikTok creator of Chinese origin, who began posting video content featuring her grandmother’s wellness advice.
Chinese Grandmothers are the new icons of wellness routines
The trend that began as a niche internet joke became condensed under the name “Chinese Grandmother” and spread with incredible ease into the rituals of many “newly minted Chinese people”, as followers of the movement, which has over 500 million views, like to call themselves. Unless you are passionate about that way of life, wellness advice generally makes people feel sick. On the other hand, Chinese grandmothers and their rituals have conquered the internet with astonishing ease. What is the secret of their appeal?
Simplicity as the basis of good rituals
From the very first encounter with this trend, the answer suggests itself. The practices of Chinese grandmothers create that promised self-care feeling in its fullest form. In the morning, you get up slowly, gently stretch with movements that stimulate the lymphatic system while waiting for apples to cook in water to which you have added lemon and goji berries, because you know that the first drink of the day must be warm.
Then you drink your from-scratch tea and eat the apples and berries, but only after a warm, protein-rich breakfast. In the afternoon, while resting or watching your favourite series, you remember that it is good to move your chi, so you start tapping your body.
Photo: Ella Laughmiller
The wellness and longevity advice of Chinese grandmothers is very down-to-earth, and that is where its irresistible appeal lies. These routines, which you do not need to think of as strict rules, feel like the most natural part of everyday life. You can forget strict rules about the order in which you eat food, or lying still while you wait for your LED mask to do its work. Instead of complex futuristic routines, these practices bring us back to a normal way of functioning that is neither intrusive nor disruptive to the day. Quite the opposite, it fits very easily around your responsibilities.
In addition, they generally do not require spending a large amount of money on the latest innovation that you need a PhD to understand what the device even does. Listening to your own body and its needs is the only science you should be paying attention to. The rhythm of all these viral practices is also very slow, light, and truly gentle.
The basic rules of the “Chinese Grandma” era:
If you do not have time to research more deeply, Sherry Zhu’s grandmother sums up the key practices:
The first drink of the day must be warm: Tea, warm water, or water from boiled apples with lemon.
Warm breakfast: Be sure to include protein, and avoid cold dishes for breakfast.
No cold drinks: Avoid them even in summer, the body cools down best with tea.
Vegetables are the priority: Although meat and fish are necessary, vegetables should dominate the plate.
No raw vegetables: Not even salads, especially in winter. Vegetables should be heat-treated (boiled, baked, or blanched).
Daily tapping: Do a short body-tapping session to activate chi and circulation.
The appeal of the Chinese Grandmother trend lies in its simplicity. You do not need a gym membership or expensive devices to eat a warm breakfast tomorrow, swap iced coffee for tea, or spend five minutes tapping your skin. The vitality and longevity of Chinese grandmothers are not the result of a one-off treatment, but the sum of small, consistent, and gentle self-care choices. So, alongside acupuncture and a gua sha routine, add some of these lifestyle routines as well, so you can enter your nineties with full vitality, just like Chinese grandmothers.