In spring, the temperature fluctuates greatly, so the nutritional composition should be mainly high-calorie. Due to the stimulation of cold and heat, the body's protein decomposition can accelerate, leading to reduced resistance and illness. At this time, it is necessary to supplement high-quality protein foods, such as eggs, fish, chicken, and soy products.
In spring, bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms begin to reproduce and become more active, easily invading the human body and causing disease. Therefore, the diet should include sufficient vitamins and inorganic salts. Fresh vegetables like Chinese cabbage, rapeseed, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and fruits like citrus and lemons, are rich in vitamin C and have antiviral effects. Yellow-green vegetables like carrots and amaranth are rich in vitamin A, which can protect and enhance the function of the upper respiratory tract mucosa and epithelial cells of respiratory organs, thereby resisting the invasion of various pathogenic factors. Foods rich in vitamin E should also be consumed to improve the body's immune function and enhance its disease resistance. These foods include sesame seeds, green cabbage, and cauliflower.
Traditional Chinese medicine also believes that "in spring, one should reduce sour and increase sweet foods to nourish the spleen." This is because the liver's energy is most potent in spring, and an overactive liver can affect the spleen, leading to weakness in the spleen and stomach. Eating more sour foods can over-stimulate liver function. Therefore, for dietary conditioning in spring, it is advisable to choose pungent, sweet, and warm foods and avoid sour and astringent ones. The diet should be light and palatable, avoiding greasy, raw, cold, and irritating foods.
For health preservation in spring, "dietary supplementation is necessary." However, it must be based on the characteristic of the body's Yang energy gradually generating in spring, choosing foods that are mildly tonifying or clearing and nourishing to avoid counterproductive effects.
Nutritionists believe that middle-aged and elderly people with signs of premature aging, those suffering from various chronic diseases and being emaciated, or those with symptoms like lumbar acidosis, dizziness, sallow complexion, and listlessness can use this season to choose appropriate dietary supplementation methods based on their individual constitution and condition to prevent and treat diseases.
For the elderly with the above conditions, a mildly tonifying diet can be adopted. Foods with this effect include: grains like buckwheat and Job's tears, legumes like soy milk and red beans, fruits like oranges and apples, and seeds like sesame and walnuts, which can be taken long-term.
If the elderly have symptoms of Yin deficiency and internal heat, a clearing and nourishing method can be used. Such foods include: pears, lotus root, shepherd's purse, and lily. These foods have a cooling nature and have a heat-clearing and anti-inflammatory effect after consumption, which helps to improve a poor constitution. For the elderly who are ill or in the recovery period, the diet should generally consist of cool, light, fresh, palatable, and easily digestible foods. Options can include rice porridge, lotus seed porridge, vegetable puree, and meat floss.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "when all grasses sprout, all illnesses flare up," which means that old diseases are prone to relapse in spring. Due to the warm and windy weather in spring, it is suitable for the reproduction and spread of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms. Therefore, there are more external contractions (colds) in spring. For the elderly with a weak constitution, this should receive special attention.
Facts have shown that in spring, people with liver Yang rising are particularly prone to headaches and dizziness, which is the reason why "spring's Qi affects all diseases in the head" as pointed out by traditional Chinese medicine long ago. Modern medicine has also discovered that spring's climate changes can easily lead to high blood pressure, accompanied by symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and insomnia. The dietary prevention and treatment method is to eat 250-500 grams of bananas or oranges daily, because bananas contain potassium ions that can lower blood pressure. In addition, regularly consuming potassium-rich foods like lemons, pears, and mung beans is also beneficial for preventing and treating hypertension.
Gastric and duodenal ulcers are also prone to flare up in spring. The diet should avoid consuming pork soup, chicken soup, fish soup, beef soup, and foods like spinach, beans, animal offal, and irritating condiments, as these are rich in substances like creatine and purine bases. The above foods strongly stimulate gastric acid secretion or form gases that cause bloating, increasing the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. For dietary prevention and treatment, a honey therapy can be used: steam the honey over boiling water, take it on an empty stomach before meals, 100 ml daily in three divided doses; or boil 250 ml of milk, mix in 50 grams of honey and 6 grams of Bletilla striata, and drink it after mixing well. These methods have the effect of nourishing Yin and benefiting the stomach.