Regular Routine
As spring arrives, the skin stretches, blood supply to the extremities increases, and sweat glands become more active, placing a greater load on the body's organs. However, the central nervous system experiences a sedative and hypnotic effect, causing limbs to feel drowsy. At this time, you must not oversleep, as this is not conducive to the rise of yang energy. To adapt to this climatic change, one should go to bed early and rise early, frequently walk outdoors on tree-lined paths and in the woods, and merge with nature.
Spring weather is changeable, sometimes cold and sometimes warm. At the same time, the body's surface is relaxed, and its resistance to the outside world weakens. Therefore, when spring arrives, do not remove thick clothes all at once, especially for the elderly and those with a weak constitution.
Dietary Adjustment
In spring, the body's metabolism begins to flourish. The diet should include foods that are pungent, sweet, and slightly warm.
Spring diet should avoid greasy and raw-cold foods. Eat more foods rich in vitamin B and fresh vegetables. Modern medical research suggests that overeating and a lack of vitamin B are among the causes of springtime drowsiness.
Spring is the season when the liver is in a state of excess. Eating more acidic foods can further increase liver fire and damage the spleen and stomach. One should eat more foods that are sweet in taste and neutral in nature, and are rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, such as lean meat, poultry eggs, milk, honey, bean products, fresh vegetables, and fruits.
Mental Nourishment
A person's mental activity must adapt to changes in climate. The human body is most affected by the seasons during the transition periods, especially at the change from winter to spring. Some people cannot adapt to the changes in spring weather, which can easily trigger mental illnesses. Modern medical research shows that negative emotions can easily lead to stagnation of liver qi, disrupting the function of the neuroendocrine system, weakening the immune system, and increasing the risk of mental illness, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and infectious diseases. Therefore, in spring, attention should be paid to emotional well-being, maintaining an optimistic and cheerful mood to ensure the smooth flow of liver qi and prevent disease and promote health.
In the third month of spring, when all things begin to grow, it is important to refrain from anger and avoid feeling depressed. One should maintain a broad and optimistic mind; the body should be relaxed, comfortable, and natural, full of vitality.
Exercise Maintenance
After entering spring, one should adapt to the characteristic of rising yang energy by strengthening exercise. You can run, practice boxing, do exercises, walk, play ball, or fly a kite in the fresh air of nature, allowing the body to expel the old and absorb the new, and to stretch the muscles and bones, laying a good foundation for the year's work and study. Practice has proven that people who often exercise in spring have strong disease resistance, agile thinking, are less prone to fatigue, and have high work efficiency.
Warmth and Disease Prevention
As spring arrives, the weather warms up, and pathogenic bacteria and viruses multiply rapidly. Therefore, infectious diseases such as influenza, measles, epidemic meningitis, scarlet fever, and pneumonia are most likely to occur. "Wearing warm clothes in spring and keeping cool in autumn" is a health-preserving experience that adapts to the climate. Because spring weather is unpredictable, with sudden cold and warm spells, and people's metabolic functions are weakened from "bundling up" in winter, they cannot regulate their body temperature quickly. If clothing is too light, a moment of carelessness can easily lead to illness and endanger health. Middle-aged and elderly people with hypertension or heart disease should pay special attention to cold prevention and warmth to prevent the occurrence of diseases such as stroke and myocardial infarction.
In addition, in spring, when a hundred flowers bloom, pollen is carried by the wind, and patients with allergic asthma are most susceptible to attacks. The primary prevention method is to persist in physical exercise to improve the body's disease resistance. Second, attention should be paid to hygiene, eliminating pests to eradicate the source of disease, and keeping indoor air fresh by opening windows frequently.