One Prevention: A light diet to prevent "internal heat". In spring, people are prone to "internal heat," manifesting as dark yellow urine, constipation, and a yellow tongue coating. Due to rising liver fire, lung yin becomes more deficient, making it easier for pathogens like tuberculosis to take advantage. Therefore, a light diet is recommended in spring.
Two Prevention: Moistening the lungs and resolving phlegm to prevent dry cough. The climate is dry in early spring, easily causing a "dry cough." Symptoms include a persistent dry cough, little or no phlegm that is difficult to expel, phlegm with streaks of blood, accompanied by a dry mouth, sore throat, itchy throat, hoarseness, and a red tongue with little moisture. At this time, you can eat some honey, sugarcane, and radishes. For example, Honey Radish Juice: 300 grams of white radish, washed, peeled, and chopped. Wrap it in gauze and squeeze out the juice. Take 60 ml of the juice, add one spoonful of honey, mix well, and take three times a day for 3 to 5 consecutive days. Sugarcane Porridge: 500 grams of fresh sugarcane, peeled and juiced. Cook 50 grams of rice into porridge, then add 60 ml of sugarcane juice and bring to a boil once more before serving.
Three Prevention: More sweet, less sour to prevent "liver hyperactivity." Spring is the season when the liver, one of the five vital organs, is dominant. It is advisable to eat pungent and sweet foods and avoid raw and cold things to avoid harming the spleen and stomach. It is also necessary to prevent "liver hyperactivity damaging the spleen." At this time, you should eat more sweet foods and fewer sour foods. This is because sour foods enter the liver, while sweet foods enter the spleen. Eating more sour foods in spring can disrupt stomach acid secretion, affecting digestion and absorption. You should eat less sour and greasy food to enhance spleen and stomach function. To prevent liver hyperactivity from damaging the spleen, you can also eat more jujubes, which are sweet in nature and neutral in flavor.
Four Prevention: Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables to prevent "spring lethargy." A lack of vitamin C in the diet is one of the causes of "spring lethargy." Therefore, eating more fresh vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, sweet peppers, celery, Malan, and spring bamboo shoots is also very beneficial for spring dietary care.
Five Prevention: Dietary adjustments based on region to prevent physical weakness. In early spring, the cold in the north has not yet retreated, and it is still appropriate to use warming and nourishing foods. However, as the climate gradually warms and yang energy rises, the amount of warming and nourishing food should be gradually reduced. Generally, you can choose longan, red dates, chestnuts, lychees, Chinese yam, pork tripe, beef, beef tripe, sheep tripe, and chicken. In the south, spring is often overcast and rainy, with alternating low and warm temperatures. During the rainy season, the humidity is high, and dampness can hinder the spleen. It is advisable to eat foods that strengthen the spleen and transport dampness, such as crucian carp, black carp, rice eel, hyacinth bean, lotus seed, and soy milk.