Spring Dietary Regimen & Diet
● Preserve Yang Energy, Focus on Warming Nourishment
In spring, the body's Yang energy rises and disperses outward. To protect this Yang energy, one should eat more foods that are warming and nourishing to Yang, such as green onions, garlic, chives, ginger, and mustard.
1. Garlic: Allicin in garlic has strong antibacterial properties. It also promotes metabolism, stimulates appetite, prevents arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure, and can even benefit the brain.
Reminder: Do not consume with honey. People with Yin deficiency and excessive fire, or chronic gastritis and ulcers, should eat less.
2. Chives: Chives are of the best quality in early spring, followed by late autumn, and are poorest in summer, hence the saying "chives eaten in spring are fragrant, but in summer are foul." Eating chives in spring helps to nourish the body's Yang energy, enhance resistance, and inhibit and kill bacteria.
Reminder: Eat them freshly prepared and do not store for long, as nitrates in chives can convert into nitrites, leading to poisoning symptoms like dizziness, vomiting, abdominal pain, and cold sweats. Chives have a certain stimulating effect on the uterus, so pregnant women should avoid or eat them sparingly to prevent fetal restlessness.
● Nourish the Liver, Use Balanced Nourishment and Avoid Anger
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that nourishing Yang in spring focuses on nourishing the liver. In the Five Elements theory, the liver belongs to Wood, which corresponds to spring, and is responsible for rising and sprouting, flourishing and growing in spring. The liver regulates Qi and blood, aids the spleen and stomach in digestion and nutrient absorption, and smooths one's mood. To nourish the liver, in addition to dietary therapy, one must also avoid anger, get adequate sleep, and maintain a good mood.
1. Goji Berry: Very suitable for liver nourishment in spring. Consuming it moistens the lungs and clears the liver, nourishes the kidneys and replenishes Qi, generates essence and aids Yang, tonifies deficiency and exhaustion, and strengthens muscles and bones. It is suitable for making soups and congee. The "Materia Medica for Dietetic Therapy" says it "strengthens muscles and resists aging, tonifies the body, removes deficiency and exhaustion." Goji berries are also classified as berries, containing inosine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, arginine, etc., and have excellent antioxidant capabilities.
Reminder: People with external pathogens, excess heat, a weak spleen with dampness, or a tendency to have loose stools should not eat too much, as it can easily cause diarrhea.
2. Spinach: It has the effects of nourishing blood, benefiting the five organs, unblocking blood vessels, quenching thirst, moistening the intestines, aiding digestion, and cleansing the gastrointestinal tract. Spinach is rich in beta-carotene and iron, and is also an excellent source of vitamin B6, folic acid, and potassium. It can improve anemia, so eating plenty is essential for a good complexion.
Reminder: It contains a relatively high amount of oxalic acid. Blanch it in boiling water before cooking to avoid interfering with calcium absorption.
● Tonify the Spleen and Stomach, Reduce Sour, Increase Sweet
In spring, the flourishing liver Qi can affect the spleen, leading to a weak spleen and stomach. Therefore, Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty once said: "In spring, one should reduce sour foods and increase sweet ones to nourish the spleen Qi." This means eating less sour and more sweet to replenish the Qi of the spleen and stomach.
1. Honey: It tonifies the middle burner and Qi, and moistens the intestines to promote bowel movements. The spring climate is changeable, and one is prone to colds. Honey contains various minerals and vitamins, and has the function of clearing the lungs and detoxifying, which can enhance immunity and is very suitable for spring.
Reminder: Try not to consume it with cooling foods like watermelon or loofah, as it may cause diarrhea.
2. Jujube (Chinese Date): It has the effects of tonifying deficiency and Qi, nourishing blood to calm the mind, and strengthening the spleen and stomach. It is suitable for constitutions with a weak spleen and stomach, insufficient Qi and blood, fatigue and listlessness, and insomnia with many dreams. It also has anti-cancer and anti-allergic effects. It is also a recognized beauty food for women to nourish blood and improve complexion.
Reminder: Do not eat it when taking antipyretic drugs, as it can form insoluble complexes and reduce the initial absorption rate of the medication. Also, do not eat it with cucumber or radish, as radish contains ascorbic acid oxidase, and cucumber contains vitamin decomposing enzymes; both of these components can destroy the vitamins in jujubes.
What Not to Eat in Spring
1. Be cautious with seafood: Spring is the off-season for seafood. Most seafood on the market has been frozen for a long time, and even high-temperature cooking cannot completely destroy its toxins. Spring is also a time when old illnesses are prone to relapse, and seafood is considered a "trigger food," so it is best to avoid it.
2. Be aware of allergies when eating bamboo shoots: Spring is a high season for allergies, and spring shoots can easily trigger urticaria. Also, bamboo shoots contain relatively high levels of oxalic acid, which can affect calcium absorption, so children and the elderly should eat less.