The spring weather is very dry, and coupled with an improper diet, most people will experience symptoms of a dry mouth and tongue and rough skin. This is just as annoying as the summer sunburn. So what can we do? From now on, let's start adjusting our diet, which will improve things a lot.
I. Avoid overeating
When spring arrives, due to the pleasant climate and abundant food, people often tend to overeat. An excess intake of calories will be converted into fat, leading to weight gain. In your spring diet, it's important to practice moderation and not give in to cravings by overindulging.
II. Avoid spicy and raw/cold foods
In spring, one should also reduce the intake of pungent, spicy, and heat-inducing foods, such as hot chili peppers. It's also important to avoid the accumulation of damp-heat. Foods with a pungent aroma have a dispersing effect, so it's recommended to eat foods like celery. Additionally, as the weather turns from cool to warm, the body's physiological metabolism changes to adapt. It's particularly important not to eat foods that are too raw or cold, as this can lead to poor digestion and various digestive tract disorders.
III. Avoid overly dry foods
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, bitter and drying substances can easily damage body fluids and vital energy. In spring, the pathogenic factor of dryness prevails. The lungs are considered delicate and are closely connected to the dryness of spring, making them susceptible to it. Many chronic respiratory diseases often relapse or gradually worsen in the spring. Therefore, the spring diet should avoid overly dry foods, such as fried and deep-fried items. Furthermore, to prepare for the coming winter, the body stores fat for warmth. Thus, calorie intake exceeds expenditure, and weight can increase easily. Therefore, overweight individuals should pay special attention to weight loss in spring by eating low-calorie foods like red beans, radishes, bamboo shoots, Job's tears (coix seed), kelp, and mushrooms. Additionally, after the start of spring, the average person should increase their intake of sour foods to strengthen liver function. Eating more sour, juicy fruits like apples, grapes, hawthorn, and grapefruit can also be therapeutic for hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes.
IV. Avoid greasy and fried foods
Greasy and fried foods are difficult to digest and can accumulate in the stomach, worsening the body's internal heat accumulation, which is not conducive to moistening dryness. Many chronic respiratory diseases relapse or worsen in the spring for this very reason.
V. Avoid aquatic plants
Most aquatic plants mature in the spring, but this is also the season when they carry the most cysts. Eating raw aquatic plants at this time can easily lead to infection, causing inflammation, bleeding, edema, ulcers, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and in children, facial swelling, developmental delays, and reduced intelligence. In severe cases, it can even lead to death from exhaustion or collapse.