"Food is the first necessity of the people." If one's diet is proper, it is like having a health doctor who constantly helps improve physical fitness and resist various external diseases. Similarly, the dos and don'ts of diet have always been valued by the common people. So, what are the dietary recommendations and taboos for spring? The Tang dynasty physician Sun Simiao said: "During the 72 days of spring, reduce sour and increase sweet foods to nourish the spleen." Ming dynasty scholar Gao Lian also recorded in his book "Eight Essays on Nurturing Life": "In spring, one should reduce sour and increase sweet foods to nourish the spleen." This means: when the liver is flourishing in spring, one should eat less sour food, otherwise it will make the liver fire even stronger and damage the spleen and stomach. At this time, one can eat more foods with a sweet and neutral nature. Therefore, during the spring season, you can eat more of the following:
1. Chinese Yam: "It is a gentle tonic without being harsh, and mildly aromatic without being drying." It has the effect of strengthening the spleen and stomach, and tonifying weakness.
2. Spring Bamboo Shoots: Besides being rich in protein, they are also rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and various vitamins. Fresh consumption is especially recommended.
3. Pea Shoots: A seasonal vegetable. For those with high blood pressure or diabetes, drinking fresh juice squeezed from them is most suitable.
4. Chives: They warm the middle energizer, promote qi circulation, and warm the kidneys and yang. They are quite effective for soreness in the lower back and knees, impotence, and spermatorrhea. Chives are warming and beneficial, with the best quality being the early spring chives and those about to go out of season.
5. Toon Sprouts: They have the effects of dispelling wind, detoxifying, strengthening the stomach, and regulating qi. They are a seasonal vegetable of spring. Eating their tender leaves is very fragrant when cooked and is often used in cold dishes with tofu or scrambled eggs. Other suitable foods for spring include lentils, spinach, cauliflower, cilantro, jujubes, honey, beans, dairy products, poultry eggs, lean meat, and fruits. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, there are also some items that should be avoided in spring. For example, during the three months of spring, one should avoid eating lamb, dog meat, quail, buckwheat, fried peanuts, fried melon seeds, sea fish, shrimp, and spicy foods.