Traditional Chinese medicine believes that for health preservation in spring, "dietary supplementation is necessary." However, it is crucial to select foods that are gently nourishing or cooling, based on the body's gradually flourishing yang energy during spring, to avoid counterproductive effects.
Nutritionists believe that the following groups of people are suitable for dietary supplementation in spring: middle-aged or elderly people showing signs of premature aging; those suffering from various chronic illnesses and who are frail and thin; those with lower back pain, dizziness, sallow complexion, and listlessness; people who are prone to recurrent colds after getting chilled due to the volatile spring climate; those who have a history of asthma attacks in spring but are currently symptom-free; and those who experience poor appetite during the plum rain season or have summer low-grade fevers. Anyone in the above situations can use the spring season to choose appropriate dietary supplementation methods based on their individual constitution and condition to prevent and treat diseases.
For the elderly or those with the aforementioned conditions, a gently nourishing diet can be adopted. Foods with this effect include grains like buckwheat and Job's tears, legumes like soy milk and red beans, fruits such as oranges (including kumquats) and apples, as well as sesame seeds and walnuts. These can be taken long-term. They are also suitable for individuals with yin deficiency, yang deficiency, qi deficiency, or blood deficiency.
For the elderly with internal heat due to yin deficiency, a cooling diet can be used. Such foods include pears, lotus root, shepherd's purse, lily, soft-shelled turtle, and river snails. These foods have a cool nature and help to clear heat and reduce fire after consumption, which is beneficial for improving a poor constitution.
For the elderly who are ill or in the recovery phase, dietary supplementation should generally focus on foods that are cool, light, fresh and palatable, and easy to digest. Suitable choices include rice porridge, Job's tears porridge, red bean porridge, lotus seed porridge, vegetable puree, and meat floss. It is essential to avoid overly sweet, fried, greasy, raw, cold, and indigestible foods to prevent damage to gastrointestinal function.