Sunday, February 13, 2011

Basic tips for Spring food

    Although it is still cold, but the wind has been proving to us that Spring is already here.So here comes to one of my favor aspect of health preservation, the food. There is no doubt that the best way to nourish and help the body to stay healthy is to take the right food, not just "good" food, I mean the "right food", the food that fit in the current seasonal energy. 


   2 main rules in Spring: 1.Nourishing the liver and the eyes.  2.reducing acid intake and increase sweetness intake for the spleen and stomach 
  •     Nourishing the liver and eyes:
    1. Use food or herb that are mild in nature and semi-sweet in taste. Such as rice, wheat, flour, yellow bean, sesame, taro, radish and milk. Actually as the nature of these food are balanced, they are not only the first choices for Spring, also the good choices all year long.
    2. Focus on nourishing the blood. TCM believes the functions of liver are nourishing the tendon, store blood and produce chi (energy). Therefore the first step to nourish the liver is to make sure there is good amount of blood in it, and through nourishing the blood to nourish the liver itself.. There are many foods and herb can nourish the blood. Such as barley. sesame, wolfberry, mulberry and fleece-flower root （radix-polygoni multiflori). If the blood level in the liver is low, it may cause anemia, dizziness, insomnia, and low in energy level. You can fix it by eat some animal livers, such as pig liver, sheep liver and chicken or duck liver. It is scientifically proven that animal liver contains lots of vitamin A that has strong effect on healing the eyes and maintaining good functions of them. Especially sheep or goat liver and there is even one Chinese patent medicine made of sheep liver for healing the eyes.  This may sounds crazy to some people but it just another old way how people try to help the body. You don't have to agree with it.
    3.Cleanse the liver. Spring is the liver season, as I mentioned before this is a very emotional season. Here I just bring it up again with the food tips as a reminder. Stay peaceful and calm, eat right, you are in good shape.


  • Reducing acid intake and increase sweetness intake for the spleen and stomach 
    Spring is the liver season and if the liver energy is not balance it will directly affect the spleen and stomach ("tree" conquers the "earth" according to the 5-element system). Reducing the acid or sour food to balance the liver energy and meanwhile take more sweet to support the stomach and spleen. Also, a little bit of hot and spicy may help but make sure it's only "a little bit", too much spiciness may cause high blood pressure. Also this is the best season for any green color food, as green is the color of Spring. 
    
    After all please remember that the mind is a "conductor" of the whole body, we should eat right but make sure to think and feel right as well. Our mind force is so powerful and we should use it to help yourself, not to damage the body.  
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2011 at 10:30 PM

    please tell us something about the wind in the spring season. Here in the SF Bay Area, often the wind kicks up quite strong,especially on my walks along the Bay. Is there anything specific about the Spring winds?

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  2. Cedric Q. SunFebruary 13, 2011 at 11:08 PM

    I lived in SF for couple years, I know exactly what you are talking about. Due to the special climate pattern in SF area, you guys go through almost the four seasons in one single day. Spring in the morning, Summer at noon, Fall for the afternoon and winter at night.
    My opinion, wind in the morning and noon are less harmful, just like wind in Spring and summer. But wind in the afternoon (especially when the cloud start to climb over the mountain) and evening are more harmful and people need to avoid them by simply wear the right clothes, such as a good windbreaker.
    The back of the neck is the most fragile area against wind attack. Try to cover them up while you are out.
    As I mentioned, Spring wind affect people's emotion the most. After a cold winter, everyone is anticipating the weather to get warmer. When the Spring wind arrives, it will bring the energy people have been longing for, therefore affect people right away. For example in my current area at western New York, this is the season for a lot of "road rages", people tend to drive faster and furiously.This can be a direct result of the Spring wind force affecting the liver energy (liver is the organ that connected with anger).
    So I guess the bottom line is, for the spring season, not only work out your body, also cultivate the mind. Take advantage of the wind force to "grow" your inner energy, not being manipulated by it.

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