From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), diet in the spring is a matter of great importance to health practitioners throughout history. This is because while the season is one of rising yang energy and vibrant life, it is also a time when various germs and microorganisms multiply and revive, making diseases prone to spread. A proper diet can boost the immune system and prevent illness.
The renowned Tang dynasty physician Sun Simiao, in his book "Qian Jin Fang" (Essential Formulas for Emergencies Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces), once pointed out that spring diet should "reduce sourness and increase sweetness to nourish the spleen qi." This means eating less sour food and more sweet food in the spring to replenish the spleen and stomach qi of the body.
Sweet foods can nourish the spleen and stomach. In TCM, "sweet" foods not only refer to those with a slightly sweet taste but, more importantly, must have the effect of tonifying the spleen and stomach. Among these foods, jujubes and Chinese yam are top recommendations. Modern medical research has shown that eating Chinese yam or jujubes regularly can enhance human immunity. If you cook a congee with jujubes, Chinese yam, rice, and millet, it can not only help prevent the recurrence of gastritis and gastric ulcers but also reduce the chances of contracting infectious diseases like the flu, making it very suitable for spring consumption.
In addition to jujubes and Chinese yam, other sweet foods include: rice, millet, glutinous rice, sorghum, cowpeas, lentils, soybeans, cabbage, spinach, carrots, taro, sweet potatoes, potatoes, pumpkin, black fungus, shiitake mushrooms, longan, and chestnuts. Everyone can choose to eat more of these according to their own taste. Furthermore, it is advisable to eat less of "cold" natured foods such as cucumbers, winter melon, and mung bean sprouts, as they can hinder the body's spring yang energy. Eating more "warming" foods like green onions, ginger, garlic, chives, and onions can help dispel yin and cold.
For individuals suffering from gallstones and hepatitis, in addition to following the principles of "reducing sourness and increasing sweetness" and "nourishing yang" in their spring diet, they should also eat less greasy food to prevent a recurrence of liver and gallbladder diseases. Those often troubled by "heatiness" symptoms such as a sore throat, bad breath, or constipation can moderately consume more yin-nourishing and moistening foods, such as honey, pears, bananas, lily bulb, rock sugar, sugarcane, and white radish, which can provide some relief.