Spring is here, everything revives, and our diet must also change with the seasons.
Every time spring comes, many people will notice that they tend to feel sleepy, or get angry, or old problems from the past come back. In fact, this has a lot to do with diet.
Traditional Chinese medicine holds the view that the focus of spring health care is on protecting the liver, and modern nutrition also emphasizes that nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals need to be balanced, and overeating is not allowed.
Today I will tell you that the things that really need to be paid attention to in spring diet are all the experiences left by our ancestors and the principles that have been scientifically verified.
Nourish the liver first, eat the right food to reduce the burden
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, spring belongs to wood, and the liver also belongs to wood, so spring is the golden period for nourishing the liver.
Liver cells are responsible for detoxification and detoxification. Bacteria and viruses are active in spring. The workload of the liver is usually very huge. If we have inappropriate diet, it will be even more exhausted.
Some people have high blood pressure or coronary heart disease. In this season of spring, they need to pay more attention to the maintenance of Yang Qi. In fact, this is also the maintenance of liver function.
The advice given in terms of diet is to eat more items with warming and tonic properties, such as leeks, onions, and garlic. These foods can help the growth of yang energy.
On the other hand, eat less greasy and spicy food to avoid putting extra burden on the liver.
You can usually make some wolfberry and chrysanthemum tea, which can not only cleanse the liver but also brighten the eyes. The preparation method is also simple: select a few wolfberry, two or three chrysanthemums, and brew it with boiling water for five minutes.
Remember, don’t drink it on an empty stomach, it will be better if you drink it after a meal.
To nourish yang in spring and summer, warm and nourishing foods should keep up.
The "Huangdi Neijing" clearly states "replenishing yang in spring and summer". The implication is that in spring and summer, you should eat some foods that can warm and replenish yang qi appropriately, so that the yang qi in the body is sufficient, so that you can resist external diseases.
People with insufficient yang energy are easily afraid of cold and lack of energy. At this time, eating the right food is very important.
Onion is a good ingredient for nourishing yang, garlic is a good ingredient for nourishing yang, and leeks are a good ingredient for nourishing yang. Fried eggs with leeks are a classic home-cooked dish that warms and nourishes kidney yang without being greasy.
Kidney yang is the foundation of human body yang, so the diet must also take into account warming and nourishing kidney yang.
Some people have a cold stomach. You can cut a few slices of ginger and boil it in water to drink it to warm the stomach and drive away the cold.
Friends with asthma, drink some ginger and honey water in the morning, which can moisturize and relieve asthma.
Note that honey should be washed with warm water. Water temperature that is too high will destroy nutrients.
Less sour and more sweet, protecting the spleen and stomach is the key
Sun Simiao, a famous doctor in the Tang Dynasty, said this: "In the spring, you should reduce the intake of sour foods and increase the intake of sweet foods to recuperate the body and mind and cultivate the temperament." In spring, the liver qi is already in a strong state. If the liver qi is too strong, it will have an impact on the spleen and stomach. Many people often suffer from indigestion and lack of appetite when eating in spring. This is the reason.
Foods with sour taste will cause liver function to develop in a more hyperactive direction, which will in turn cause harm to the body. Therefore, the consumption of sour foods such as vinegar and lemons needs to be reduced.
Instead, eat more sweet foods, such as dates, honey, yams, and pumpkin.
Red dates, which can be used directly as snacks, can also be used to cook porridge and drink. Drinking a cup of honey water every morning on an empty stomach has the effect of moistening the intestines and laxatives.
We recommend an ordinary yam and red date porridge. Remove the skin of the yam and cut it into small pieces. Add the red dates and rice to cook the porridge. It has a soft, glutinous and sweet texture and is suitable for the whole family, regardless of age.
It should be reminded that patients with diabetes should be cautious when eating sweets and it is best to consult a doctor.
Eat a light diet and stay away from greasy, raw and cold food
The diet in spring should be warm and light. To put it bluntly, don’t eat anything too greasy or too cold.
Eating fatty meat can easily make people feel sleepy, and eating fried food can also make people feel sleepy. Fatty meat can increase blood fat, and fried food can also increase blood fat content, which is not friendly to the liver and even more detrimental to blood vessels.
People with cold stomachs can chew two pieces of ginger from time to time to achieve the effect of dispelling cold and warming the stomach. For ordinary people, placing some shredded ginger when cooking can achieve the purpose of freshness and removing the fishy smell.
In addition, although the weather has begun to get warmer, do not be greedy for coolness. Try to eat less iced drinks and cold salads, because they can easily damage the yang energy of the spleen and stomach.
It is recommended to eat more vegetables that grow according to the season, such as spinach, shepherd's purse, and spring bamboo shoots. They are great stir-fried or boiled into soup.
If you want to eat meat, choose fish, shrimp or skinless chicken, which is low in fat and nutritious.
Remember, you only need to be 70 to 80% full with each meal, don’t hold it back.
Small details in daily life, prevent diseases and refresh your mind
In addition to the big principles above, there are also some small details that can help you better adapt to spring.
After getting up in the morning, drink a cup of warm water to wake up the stomach and intestines; at noon, take a nap of fifteen to twenty minutes to maintain liver blood; at night, do not stay up late, because liver repair mainly takes place at night.
For those who are prone to allergies, they need to reduce their consumption of hair-causing foods such as seafood and mangoes. For those with a history of asthma, if you feel uncomfortable in your throat, you can store some ginger honey water at home and drink a small cup.
In the field of exercise, it is good to spread, carry out Tai Chi exercises, and carry out Baduanjin exercises. Do not engage in strenuous exercise that will cause a lot of sweating, as this will deplete Yang Qi.
Another important thing is that in spring, emotions are prone to fluctuations. You can't stay angry all the time, because being angry will damage your liver. You can listen to music or plant flowers to relax yourself.
Spring is a period that is conducive to health preservation. Take advantage of this period to adjust your diet and living habits to stay energetic throughout the year.
Remember that you nourish your liver, that you protect your yang, that you have less sourness and more sweetness, that you eat a light diet, and that you combine regular work and rest with a good mood. Then your body will naturally give you good rewards.
Starting from now, try to include ingredients such as leeks, red dates and ginger in your recipes. Continue for a certain period of time, and you will notice a change.
