Maintain a happy and optimistic mood, and avoid emotions and psychological states such as depression, anxiety, and anger. The *Neijing* states, "Anger causes the liver's qi to rebel, grief causes the lung's qi to rebel, fear causes the spleen's qi to rebel, and worry causes the heart's qi to rebel," and "Anger causes qi to flow upwards, and in severe cases, it can lead to vomiting blood and diarrhea." These passages describe how illnesses can arise from emotional imbalance.
1. Start with your daily routine. At a minimum, have three meals a day at regular times and in appropriate amounts. It's best to create a schedule for yourself and strictly follow it. This will also affect your sleep schedule, as some people who sleep and wake late combine their early and midday meals. This habit must be changed. It's not something that can be compensated for by having a late-night snack, because although the human biological clock can shift, it always stays within a certain range and cannot have too much of a difference. If you don't believe this, you can look up information on the human biological clock.
2. Generally, people with poor digestive function feel full after eating a little, and their stomachs will bloat if they eat a little more. Eating too much at night can also affect sleep due to stomach distension. Hard and fibrous foods are difficult to digest. Therefore, it is recommended to eat smaller meals more frequently. If it's not yet a regular meal time, you can have a small snack, but not too much. Be sure to remember this is not a substitute for a regular meal. Food should be soft and loose; foods that are tough or refreshing should not be eaten in large amounts because they are the hardest to digest. Soup is best drunk before a meal; drinking it after can increase digestive difficulty. It's best not to eat two to three hours before bedtime, as this can easily affect sleep. If you feel hungry, you can drink more water.
3. People with stomach problems should quit smoking, alcohol, coffee, strong tea, carbonated drinks (sodas), and spicy or irritating foods, as these are the most harmful to the stomach. The stomach's nature prefers warmth and dislikes cold, so cold drinks and ice cream must also be avoided. Food should be served warm, which is a test for anyone, especially during the hot summer. There are two drinks you should drink more: milk and hot water. Milk can form a protective layer for the stomach. Drinking a glass of milk before eating in the morning is the best thing you can do. Drink plenty of water, especially hot water, because the body often mistakes thirst for hunger.
4. While soy milk is good, it is considered "cold" in nature and cannot replace cow's milk.
5. Steamed buns can nourish the stomach; you might try them as a staple food.
6. Other vegetables and fruits are essential for the body and should be consumed in sufficient amounts. However, it's best to cook them until they are soft, which will be easier on the stomach. The fiber in vegetable and fruit skins is relatively high; you can eat them in moderation but not too much, as they are not easily digested. Therefore, melons and fruits can be eaten relatively more.
7. People with stomach problems should not exercise after a meal. It's best to rest and wait until the food in the stomach is mostly digested before starting work, or take a slow walk, which is also good for digestion. In short, avoid working right after a meal.
8. In non-acute situations, taking medication is not recommended, as long-term medication has side effects. Stomach problems are chronic conditions and cannot be cured in a short period. If necessary, it is recommended to consult a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner, as TCM formulas are particularly effective for nourishing the stomach.
9. Papaya is suitable for the stomach's nature and can be considered a stomach-nourishing food. However, for people with high stomach acid, it should not be used too much. Also, always remember that the stomach prefers warmth and dislikes cold. Besides ice, other cold foods like mung bean soup should not be eaten in large amounts.
10. To reiterate, stomach problems are a chronic condition and cannot be cured quickly. The best remedy is "nourishment," which cannot be rushed. It can only be achieved by improving lifestyle habits. We all need a healthy stomach, and these habit changes are essential.
11. Be cautious with medications that irritate the stomach, such as hormones, aspirin, phenylbutazone, and some anticoagulants. Also, be cautious with overly bitter and cold herbs such as Gentiana, Sophora flavescens, and Coptis.
Balance work and rest, exercise moderately to enhance physical fitness. 5. Dietary therapy: Regularly cook congee with Job's tears, Chinese yam, jujubes, Poria, and Euryale ferox to strengthen the spleen, replenish qi, and build a strong body.
Spring is windy, with alternating warm and cold temperatures and large temperature differences between day and night. The saying "Spring cover, autumn freeze" refers to how to dress for health in spring; another saying, "Nourish yang in spring and summer," emphasizes the health strategy for spring from a dietary perspective. In spring, the body's yang energy rises, qi and blood flow smoothly, the liver qi舒展 (expands), the skin is moist, and the pores are open. Health preservation should adapt to these characteristics.
First, it is advisable to regulate emotions and boost morale. In spring, the sun is bright and the weather is pleasant. The elderly should not sleep alone or sit in solitude, which can lead to depression. In all matters, one should have an open mind and optimistic mood, avoiding depression and anger to cultivate one's nature. The best way to improve negative emotions is to cultivate a love for life and nature. You can go out with friends and family to enjoy the spring scenery, flowers, mountains, and rivers, or take walks and practice exercises. This will cultivate your temperament, regulate qi and blood, and make your spirit vigorous.
Second, it is advisable to maintain a regular routine and guard against wind and cold. In spring, it is best to sleep late and wake early, and spend more time outdoors to stretch the body, making one's energy more abundant throughout the day. The morning air is fresh, which is beneficial for expelling harmful substances deposited in the respiratory tract during the night and promoting metabolism. However, it is worth reminding that due to the decline in organ function in the elderly, one should not get up immediately after waking up in the morning. Because the ligaments of the elderly are relatively loose, suddenly changing from a lying to a standing position can easily sprain the waist and back and may also affect the nervous system. For those with high blood pressure or heart disease, a sudden change in position could lead to an accident. After waking up, the elderly can stretch their limbs and joints in bed, rest for a while, and then get out of bed. In addition, the temperature in early spring is unpredictable, like a child's face, changing at any moment, with cold snaps often arriving. Therefore, one should not be careless with clothing (see "First Don't").
Third, it is advisable to eat in moderation and nourish yang. In spring, the body's metabolism speeds up, and nutrient consumption increases accordingly. The diet should be sweet and warm, rich in nutrition, with the principle of strengthening the spleen and supporting yang. Avoid overly astringent foods, prefer light and palatable dishes, avoid greasy and raw or cold foods, and especially avoid large amounts of pungent and hot substances like ginseng and strong liquor, lest they generate heat and fire. One should choose more foods that are both yang-promoting and nutritious, such as soybean sprouts, mung bean sprouts, tofu, fermented bean curd, barley, wheat, jujubes, lean meat, fish, eggs, peanuts, black sesame, citrus, green onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, and honey. Due to the lack of fresh vegetables in winter, it is easy to have insufficient vitamin intake. Therefore, when spring comes, one should eat more fresh vegetables, such as bamboo shoots, spring leeks, rapeseed, spinach, celery, shepherd's purse, Malan vegetable, wolfberry, and toon.
Fourth, it is advisable to strengthen the body and exercise. The fresh air in spring is most conducive to expelling the old and taking in the new, nourishing the internal organs. Exercising more in spring will enhance immunity and disease resistance, reducing the incidence of flu and other diseases throughout the year. It also makes one's mind sharp and less prone to fatigue. People can choose outdoor activities according to their age and physical condition. The amount of exercise should not be too large to avoid sweating profusely, which can damage yang. The measure should be that one feels energetic, relaxed, and comfortable after exercise. Generally, one can choose simple and easy activities, such as Tai Chi, walking, jogging, spring outings, flying kites, and playing on a swing.
Fifth, it is advisable to focus on health preservation and prevent diseases. In addition to paying attention to diet and daily routine, one should also prevent various diseases in spring. Because the weather is unpredictable in spring, with alternating warm and cold temperatures, bacteria and viruses are easy to breed and spread, leading to diseases like the flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, cerebrospinal meningitis, scarlet fever, mumps, and viral myocarditis. Therefore, it is essential to maintain good hygiene, wash and sun-dry clothes and bedding, eliminate pests, ventilate rooms, improve defensive capabilities, and avoid public places during epidemics to prevent infection.
First, it is advisable to regulate emotions and boost morale. In spring, the sun is bright and the weather is pleasant. The elderly should not sleep alone or sit in solitude, which can lead to depression. In all matters, one should have an open mind and optimistic mood, avoiding depression and anger to cultivate one's nature. The best way to improve negative emotions is to cultivate a love for life and nature. You can go out with friends and family to enjoy the spring scenery, flowers, mountains, and rivers, or take walks and practice exercises. This will cultivate your temperament, regulate qi and blood, and make your spirit vigorous.
Second, it is advisable to maintain a regular routine and guard against wind and cold. In spring, it is best to sleep late and wake early, and spend more time outdoors to stretch the body, making one's energy more abundant throughout the day. The morning air is fresh, which is beneficial for expelling harmful substances deposited in the respiratory tract during the night and promoting metabolism. However, it is worth reminding that due to the decline in organ function in the elderly, one should not get up immediately after waking up in the morning. Because the ligaments of the elderly are relatively loose, suddenly changing from a lying to a standing position can easily sprain the waist and back and may also affect the nervous system. For those with high blood pressure or heart disease, a sudden change in position could lead to an accident. After waking up, the elderly can stretch their limbs and joints in bed, rest for a while, and then get out of bed. In addition, the temperature in early spring is unpredictable, like a child's face, changing at any moment, with cold snaps often arriving. Therefore, one should not be careless with clothing (see "First Don't").
Third, it is advisable to eat in moderation and nourish yang. In spring, the body's metabolism speeds up, and nutrient consumption increases accordingly. The diet should be sweet and warm, rich in nutrition, with the principle of strengthening the spleen and supporting yang. Avoid overly astringent foods, prefer light and palatable dishes, avoid greasy and raw or cold foods, and especially avoid large amounts of pungent and hot substances like ginseng and strong liquor, lest they generate heat and fire. One should choose more foods that are both yang-promoting and nutritious, such as soybean sprouts, mung bean sprouts, tofu, fermented bean curd, barley, wheat, jujubes, lean meat, fish, eggs, peanuts, black sesame, citrus, green onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, and honey. Due to the lack of fresh vegetables in winter, it is easy to have insufficient vitamin intake. Therefore, when spring comes, one should eat more fresh vegetables, such as bamboo shoots, spring leeks, rapeseed, spinach, celery, shepherd's purse, Malan vegetable, wolfberry, and toon.
Fourth, it is advisable to strengthen the body and exercise. The fresh air in spring is most conducive to expelling the old and taking in the new, nourishing the internal organs. Exercising more in spring will enhance immunity and disease resistance, reducing the incidence of flu and other diseases throughout the year. It also makes one's mind sharp and less prone to fatigue. People can choose outdoor activities according to their age and physical condition. The amount of exercise should not be too large to avoid sweating profusely, which can damage yang. The measure should be that one feels energetic, relaxed, and comfortable after exercise. Generally, one can choose simple and easy activities, such as Tai Chi, walking, jogging, spring outings, flying kites, and playing on a swing.
Fifth, it is advisable to focus on health preservation and prevent diseases. In addition to paying attention to diet and daily routine, one should also prevent various diseases in spring. Because the weather is unpredictable in spring, with alternating warm and cold temperatures, bacteria and viruses are easy to breed and spread, leading to diseases like the flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, cerebrospinal meningitis, scarlet fever, mumps, and viral myocarditis. Therefore, it is essential to maintain good hygiene, wash and sun-dry clothes and bedding, eliminate pests, ventilate rooms, improve defensive capabilities, and avoid public places during epidemics to prevent infection.