【Health and wellness】The spring is coming! Learn how to keep fit in spring

Source: China Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine Author: Deng Yi, Anhui College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

"Following the yin and yang" and "keeping health according to the seasons" are the specific applications of the holistic concept and the theory of correspondence between heaven and man in the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, and are also important contents of health care in the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. The Suwen · The Great Theory of the Four Qis to Regulate the Spirit points out: "The three months of spring are called the beginning of the new year. Heaven and earth are both alive, and all things flourish. Sleep at night and get up early, walk around the courtyard, let your hair down and relax your body, so that your mind can be alive. Give and do not kill, give and do not take, reward and do not punish. This is the response to the spring qi and the way to keep health. If you go against it, you will hurt your liver, and in summer you will become cold, and there will be fewer people who respect the elderly."

This passage not only introduces the natural changes and meteorological characteristics of spring in nature, but also introduces the health-preserving methods that people should adopt in their daily life, mental state and emotions. It also points out that spring in nature corresponds to the human liver. If the health-preserving methods are violated, it will cause liver damage, and it may also affect the strength of the human heart function in summer, cause cold diseases, or cause insufficient growth and development.

The following introduces specific measures for health preservation in spring based on the theories and methods of "Huangdi Neijing" and combined with the understanding and practice of later generations.

Mental and emotional health

Mental happiness, promote liver growth

"Suwen·The Great Treatise on the Four Qi to Regulate the Spirit" points out that in spring, one should "let the spirit grow, give life without killing, give without taking away, reward without punishing". That is, in spring, people should adapt to the characteristics of spring "growth", regulate their spirit and emotions, maintain a happy and comfortable mood, avoid negative emotions such as depression and anger, learn to give, and even if someone makes a mistake, they should avoid negative emotions such as anger, so as to promote the growth and regulation of people's liver qi.

If negative emotions such as anger appear, you can relieve and vent them in time by talking with relatives and friends, or writing poems, writing a diary, or running, playing ball, crying behind closed doors, etc.

Outdoor activities, cultivate temperament

Spring is a season of bright sunshine, gentle breezes, singing birds and fragrant flowers, and nature is full of vitality. At this time, people should do more outdoor activities, go for a walk, enjoy the scenery, cultivate their temperament, and harmonize their spirit and emotions with the vitality of nature.

Avoid living alone or sitting in silence, so as not to generate stagnation and hinder the release of liver qi. For example, the Revised Popular Treatise on Cold Damage also states: "In this warm spring, it is advisable to go to a spacious garden to relieve stagnation and release vitality. Do not sit or lie for a long time, which will cause stagnation of vitality." In addition, going out for a walk in spring to enjoy the scenery can also relieve people's stagnation in winter.

Daily life and health

Go to bed early and get up early to prevent spring fatigue

Many people always feel that they do not get enough sleep in spring, and feel drowsy and lack energy during the day. As Meng Haoran said in his poem "I sleep so soundly in spring that I don't feel the dawn", this phenomenon is actually "spring sleepiness".

To improve spring sleepiness, you should go to bed early and get up early, ensure 6 to 8 hours of sleep a day, and conserve your energy to adapt to the more activities in spring.

Protect against wind and cold, prevent spring fever

"Suwen·Four Qi and Regulating the Spirit" talks about the spring "starting to grow", all things grow, various pathogenic bacteria and viruses also grow and multiply rapidly, and infectious diseases are prone to occur. In addition, from the perspective of the human body itself, because people spend a long time indoors in winter, their ability to adapt to the outside world will be slightly reduced in spring, and the climate in early spring is changeable, with sudden changes in temperature. In addition, people's pores and skin begin to open in spring, so the human body is prone to external pathogens in spring, especially in early spring, causing epidemic diseases, such as influenza, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, measles, mumps, scarlet fever, pneumonia and other diseases, which are what Chinese medicine calls "warm disease" and "spring fever".

Prevention of spring fever should start from the following points: First, it is necessary to add or remove clothes at any time according to seasonal climate changes, reduce going out, avoid places where people gather, and wear a mask when going out. Second, it is necessary to strengthen physical exercise and strengthen the body. For example, you can choose to practice the "Si Zi Gong" of the six-character health-preserving formula. Long-term exercise can regulate the lung qi and have the effect of regulating cough, asthma, and chest tightness. Third, those who are prone to lung diseases such as rhinitis, colds, tracheitis, and pneumonia, accompanied by fatigue, shortness of breath, and sweating, are mostly qi-deficient. Daily use of 10g of astragalus and wolfberry, add 1200mL of water, boil over high heat, simmer for 10 minutes on low heat, then add 6g of chrysanthemum, simmer for 5 minutes on low heat, add appropriate amount of rock sugar for seasoning, and drink instead of tea, which has the effect of replenishing qi and lungs and preventing diseases.

Diet and Health

Reduce acid and increase sweetness, do not over-supplement

Because spring and liver both belong to the "wood" element of the five elements, people of the same kind attract each other. In spring, the liver function, that is, the liver qi, is often strong. An abnormally strong liver will damage the spleen, which belongs to the "earth" element. In order to prevent the liver from being too strong and suppressing the spleen and stomach, thus causing spleen and stomach diseases, one should reduce sour foods that help the liver and increase sweet foods that nourish the spleen and stomach.

Sweet foods such as rice, sweet potatoes, potatoes, yam, eggs, duck eggs, chicken, duck, beef, lean pork, fresh fish, peanuts, sesame, red dates, chestnuts, honey, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, mushrooms, etc. are all suitable for spring. Acidic foods such as tomatoes, oranges, hawthorns, lemons, pomegranates, olives, etc. should be eaten in moderation in spring.

Spring is the season of growth, so it is not advisable to take a lot of tonic food, especially spicy and hot food, such as ginseng, deer antler, aconite and other Qi-boosting and Yang-boosting medicines. You should also drink less liquor and eat less mutton to avoid generating heat and fire. At the same time, you should not eat cold drinks and other cold foods too early in spring to avoid damaging the stomach and yang and affecting the digestive function of the spleen and stomach.

Eat more vegetables and be careful about eating hairy foods

In spring, especially in early spring, you can eat vegetables that have a hair-growing effect in moderation, such as Chinese toon, leek, shepherd's purse, celery and other spicy and fragrant things, or spring bamboo shoots, ginger sprouts, bean sprouts, bean sprouts and other sprouts. This can promote the growth of liver qi and help qi and blood flow outward, make qi and blood vigorous, strengthen the function of internal organs, and also help improve spring sleepiness.

Spring is the season for everything to come back to life. Some old diseases such as high blood pressure, asthma, skin diseases and allergic diseases tend to relapse at this time. Therefore, patients with this disease should be careful about eating foods that cause irritation in spring. It is generally believed that foods with hot and spicy tastes, such as mutton, rooster, leek, coriander, fennel, green onion, ginger, and white wine, as well as foods that are foreign proteins to the human body, such as chicken, eggs, pork head, fish, shrimp, and crab, are all irritants and should be eaten with caution.

Sports and Health

It is advisable to move in spring to promote the growth of Yang

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine believes that spring corresponds to the human liver, which stores blood and governs fascia, and is closely related to human movement. Through exercise, the body's yang energy can be slowly released, so as to achieve the health-preserving purpose of unblocking meridians, unblocking qi and blood, harmonizing internal organs, and improving health. Exercise in spring helps the growth of human yang energy, improves metabolism, harmonizes qi and blood, enhances blood circulation and cardiopulmonary function, regulates the function of the central nervous system, improves thinking ability, and makes the spirit full. It also strengthens muscle strength and makes tendons and bones more flexible.

Spring belongs to Shaoyang, moderate exercise

Spring is when the Yang Qi has grown but is not yet strong. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine calls it "Shao Yang". Therefore, it is suitable to exercise in spring, but it should be moderate exercise. According to your physical condition, you can choose some slow-paced sports, such as walking, jogging, kite flying, Tai Chi, Yi Jin Jing, Ba Duan Jin, Wu Qin Xi and other fitness techniques, or less intense ball games, etc., to integrate your body and mind into nature, achieve unity between man and nature, cultivate your body and mind, and strengthen your body. The Su Wen: The Great Theory of the Four Qis to Regulate the Spirit states that "sleep at night and get up early, and walk around the courtyard". Shi Chengjin, a medical scientist in the Qing Dynasty, also said that the three spring months are when all things happen, and it is appropriate to walk frequently to regulate the limbs.