In spring, virtue and grace are bestowed upon all things, and everything shines with brilliance. The arrival of spring, when all things revive, is known as "the third month of yang spring" and "the opening of the three yangs," when the yang energies rise. However, during the chilly spring mornings when the weather is still cold despite occasional warmth, many people wake up and drink cold water or cold milk, or eat cold food on an empty stomach, thinking that since the weather is warming, they don't need to pay much attention to keeping their food warm. Little do they know that the high incidence of stomach and liver diseases in spring is often related to not paying attention to keeping warm. In daily life, if one does not take care to maintain their health, eating cold food or being exposed to wind and cold can cause the body's yang energy to be trapped by cold and dampness, weakening the digestive function of the spleen and stomach, and leading to an insufficient source of qi and blood. This can result in symptoms such as abdominal bloating and poor appetite, dizziness and insomnia, or drowsiness, fatigue, and cold hands and feet. Therefore, drinking cold water on an empty stomach in the morning suppresses the yang, as water overcomes fire, violating the principle of nourishing yang in spring and easily causing gastrointestinal discomfort and indigestion. The vast majority of Chinese people are better off drinking warm water, of course, with the exception of those with special constitutions or those who have long been accustomed to this habit. [China Cuisine]
Generally, for breakfast, it is advisable to have hot congee, hot steamed buns with a hot egg, and to eat until about 80% full. Additionally, a little ginger can be eaten. Ginger is warm in nature and a pure yang substance. In the spring morning, the qi in the human stomach needs to rise. A little ginger can strengthen the spleen and warm the stomach, "paving the way" for the digestion and absorption of food throughout the day. Red dates, which are warm, tonify yang, and dispel dampness and cold, are also a good choice for breakfast.
For patients with stomach problems, it is best to eat more soy products for breakfast, with soy milk mixed with minced ginger being ideal; sweet soy milk should not be consumed. Additionally, one should eat less fruit, try not to drink strong tea, and take fewer cooling and heat-clearing medications, as these foods can reduce the spleen and stomach's yang energy, making the gastrointestinal tract weak and cold, weakening the constitution, and making recovery more difficult. In addition to paying attention to eating less cold and raw foods, spring and summer are the seasons when the earth's energy transitions from dry to humid. Therefore, it is also important to eat more foods that remove dampness, such as white radish, lotus seeds, and red beans.