"Food is the first necessity of the people." If one's diet is proper, it is like having a healthcare 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 public. So, what are the dietary recommendations and taboos for spring?
As the Tang Dynasty physician Sun Simiao said: "During the 72 days of spring, reduce sour foods and increase sweet ones to nourish the spleen." This is also recorded in Gao Lian's "Eighteen Discourses on Nouraging Life" from the Ming Dynasty: "When spring arrives, one's diet should be less sour and more sweet 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 stronger and damage the spleen and stomach. At this time, one can eat more foods that are sweet in nature and neutral in flavor. Therefore, during the spring season, one can eat more:
1. Chinese Yam: "A gentle tonic without being harsh, slightly fragrant without being drying." It has the effect of strengthening the spleen and stomach, and nourishing weakness.
2. Spring Bamboo Shoots: In addition to being rich in protein, they are also rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and various vitamins. They are especially delicious when eaten fresh.
3. Pea Shoots: A seasonal vegetable. For those with hypertension or diabetes, drinking fresh juice squeezed from them is most suitable.
4. Chives: They warm the middle jiao, promote qi, warm the kidneys, and nourish yang. They are effective for soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, impotence, and spermatorrhea. Chives are warm and beneficial, with the early spring chives and those about to go out of season being the best.
5. Toon Leaves: They have the effects of dispelling wind, detoxifying, strengthening the stomach, and regulating qi. A seasonal spring vegetable, its tender leaves are very fragrant when cooked and are often used in cold tofu salads or scrambled eggs. However, Toon Leaves are also a "trigger food," so those with chronic illnesses should not eat them.
Other foods such as lentils, spinach, cauliflower, coriander, red dates, honey, beans, dairy products, poultry eggs, lean meat, and fruits are also suitable for consumption in spring.
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.