Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that "the heart governs the spirit and consciousness," and the brain is the root of the spirit. A strong spirit ensures longevity. The health of the brain is of great importance to the body's overall health. Therefore, health cultivation should begin with nurturing the brain.
Scallions with Tofu
Nurturing the spirit and strengthening the brain. Ancient health experts believed that "when the spirit is tranquil, life is prolonged; when the spirit leaves, the body perishes, so it must be carefully nurtured." One should avoid excessive stimulation from the "seven emotions" (joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire), maintain an open mind, and be optimistic and calm. By preserving the spirit and regulating one's emotions, and engaging in various beneficial mental activities, one can regulate brain function.
Regulating desires to awaken the brain. The Ming dynasty physician Zhang Jingyue said: "Those who are good at cultivating health must treasure their essence. When essence is abundant, qi is vigorous; when qi is vigorous, the spirit is whole." The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon states: "Desires should not tire the eyes, and licentiousness should not confuse the mind." It advocates controlling human desires, including moderating sexual desire, which means "sexual desire should be moderated, and regulating desire nourishes essence." "The kidneys house the essence; it should be full, not depleted. When essence is full, a person is long-lived and healthy; when essence is depleted, a person is weak and frail." Kidney essence is a precious subtle substance in the human body and the material basis for the body's qi transformation. The kidneys are strengthened by the essence of the five zang-organs and six fu-organs, so excessive depletion of kidney essence is extremely detrimental to individual health. Indulging in sensual desires and exhausting kidney essence will inevitably damage the body.
Nourishing the brain through diet. Adequate nutrition is the foundation for the brain's normal function. Since the Tang dynasty physician Sun Simiao advocated for food therapy and nourishment, physicians of subsequent dynasties have accumulated extremely rich experience in this area. Daily attention should be paid to appropriately supplementing foods beneficial to the brain, such as sugars, milk, eggs, fish, meat, fruits, and vitamins B1, iron, and zinc. Fish can be the first choice for brain health, with marine fish having a particularly significant effect on brain nourishment. Fish contains rich unsaturated fatty acids (about 10 times higher than meat), which are important substances for brain health. Marine fish contain DHA and EPA, which are the most important substances for promoting the development of nerve cells and have a brain-strengthening effect.
People engaged in mentally intensive work should eat more scallions and garlic. Researchers have found that when garlic is combined with a small amount of vitamin B1, it produces a substance called "allicin." The effect of this allicin is stronger than that of vitamin B1 and is beneficial to the brain. Scallions contain a component called "prostaglandin A," which helps prevent dizziness caused by high blood pressure and has a good brain-strengthening function. One should also eat more brain-healthy foods such as walnuts, sesame seeds, Chinese yam, Job's tears, longan, daylilies, enoki mushrooms, millet porridge, and nuts. Eat more foods rich in lecithin, such as eggs, marine fish, roe, and soybeans. Fresh milk and fresh mushrooms are rich in glutamic acid, and eating more of them is also beneficial for brain nourishment. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, such as spinach, tomatoes, carrots, and strawberries, bananas, mandarin oranges, dried apricots, etc. These fruits and vegetables have the health benefits of protecting brain cells, preventing brain aging, and maintaining brain function. It is also necessary to limit smoking and alcohol, drink less strong tea and strong coffee, and be cautious when using sleeping pills, sedatives, and narcotics to avoid harming the brain.
A hand tore