Spring is the season when yang qi is generated and liver qi is vigorous. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, the liver wood restrains the spleen soil, and excessive liver qi can easily damage the spleen and stomach. Meanwhile, as rainfall increases, the evil of cold and dampness can also easily lead to damage to the spleen and stomach. Therefore, the focus of Spring Festival health preservation is on "strengthening the spleen and stomach to prevent dampness stagnation, regulating the liver and wood to help promote hair growth".

In terms of diet, it is advisable to reduce the intake of sour foods and increase the intake of sweet foods to nourish the spleen and stomach. You can eat more red dates, bean sprouts, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, yam, carrots, chrysanthemum, celery, pumpkin, fungus, loofah, grapefruit, sugarcane, honey, etc. At the same time, some vegetables and seasonings with a pungent aroma can be appropriately selected as seasonings, such as chives, onions, cilantro (coriander), fennel, spring sand kernels, grass fruits, tangerine peel, etc. On the one hand, they can increase the deliciousness of the food by reasonable combination with the ingredients, and on the other hand, they can play a role in awakening the spleen, promoting digestion, promoting hair growth, and dispersing pathogenic factors through their pungent flavor.

For people whose liver qi is not comfortable, who are prone to getting angry or often feel depressed, they can choose rose flowers, acacia flowers, jasmine flowers and other tea drinks soaked in water, which are fragrant and regulate qi, and relieve liver depression.

For people with spleen deficiency and heavy dampness, a light, mild, and easily digestible diet should be the main focus, avoiding eating raw, cold, greasy, and overly sweet foods. At the same time, some ingredients and seasonings that can invigorate the spleen and stomach, warm and dissolve dampness should be appropriately selected for dietary maintenance, such as monkey head mushrooms, lotus seeds, Huaishan, five finger peaches, ginger, etc.

It is advisable to eat hot Congee to drive out cold and wet. Rehmannia Congee, Fangfeng Congee, perilla Congee, etc., are best eaten in rainy season. In addition, it is recommended to eat more vegetables and fruits to replenish water in the body, and to eat appropriate foods such as toon, lily, pea seedlings, chrysanthemum, shepherd's purse, spring bamboo shoots, yam, lotus root, taro, radish, water chestnut, sugarcane, etc. Avoid eating lamb and other foods.

Moderate exercise helps to enhance physical fitness and reduce diseases. But elderly people should not exercise early in the morning, and should choose a sheltered and dry place during the warmer days. It is best to focus on walking, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Sword, Baduanjin, and gentle movements in fitness exercises. The appropriate amount of exercise is to sweat slightly, which is beneficial for the circulation of qi and blood from the body to the skin and limbs, and conforms to the vitality of spring. Walking can nourish the mind, relax muscles, and digest food, especially suitable for elderly and weak people with weak spleen and stomach function.

Article source: People's Daily Online