The Health Preservation Chapter of the Start of Spring in the 24 Solar Terms

February 4th is the Beginning of Spring for Liu Tingting. The Beginning of Spring is the first solar term of the year. The character "Li" means the start. The Beginning of Spring marks the beginning of spring, indicating the revival of all things. At this moment, the tender willow buds as golden as gold and as soft as silk, as well as the grass leaping in the soil, are waiting for the "spring breeze to bring them back to life", and the saying "As the year turns late with less ice and frost, when spring comes to the world, the grass and trees know" vividly reflects the natural characteristics of the Start of Spring. With the arrival of the Start of Spring, people can clearly feel that the days are getting longer, the sun is much warmer, and the temperature, sunshine and precipitation tend to rise and increase. People start to "welcome spring" according to the old calendar customs. In Taiwan, China, the day of the Beginning of Spring is designated as "Farmers' Day", which is the last day of rest after the slack farming in the winter and March. As the saying goes, "When the Start of Spring comes and the Rain Water arrives, get up early and go to bed late." Agricultural activities thus began. At this time, people also went out of their homes to enjoy the spring scenery and experience the most subtle and mysterious spring atmosphere. Spring health preservation should follow the characteristics of the rising Yang energy and the beginning of all things in spring, pay attention to protecting the Yang energy, and focus on the word "life". According to the attributes of nature, spring belongs to wood and corresponds to the liver. This is the theory of the Five Elements, which uses the characteristics of the Five Elements to explain the physiological activity features of the five internal organs. For instance, the liver prefers to be unobstructed and has the function of free flow, but does not have the characteristic of growth. Therefore, the liver is attributed to "wood". The physiological feature of the liver is to be unobstructed and free flow, and its mood is anger. It dislikes depression and prefers to be unobstructed and free flow. In terms of mental health preservation in spring, one should avoid extreme anger and even more so, depression. One should keep an open mind, be optimistic and maintain a pleasant state of mind. At the same time, we should make full use of and cherish the time when nature "revives" in spring. Taking advantage of the rising Yang energy, the sprouting of all things, and the vigorous metabolism of the human body, through appropriate regulation and adjustment, the spring Yang energy can be disseminated and the metabolic functions can operate normally. In spring, the climate changes greatly, with sudden cold and warm spells. As the human body 腠理 begins to become loose and the resistance to cold weakens, people, especially those living in northern regions, should not take off their cotton-padded clothes all at once in early spring. Elderly and weak people should be particularly cautious when changing clothes and should not reduce them abruptly. The "Thousand Gold Prescriptions" advocate that in spring, one should dress "thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top". The "Old Man's Constant Words" also states: "In spring, when the cold is half cold, it is better for the lower body to be overly warm and for the upper body to be slightly lighter, so as to nourish the vital energy of Yang." In terms of daily life in spring, the human body's qi and blood, just like in nature, need to be unobstructed and smooth. This requires us to go to bed late and get up early, wear loose hair without a hat, loosen the belts of clothes, stretch our bodies, participate in more outdoor activities, overcome the state of drowsiness and sleepiness, and make our mental state and emotions adapt to nature, striving for harmony between the body and mind and abundant energy. In terms of dietary adjustment, it is necessary to consider that in spring, the Yang energy begins to rise. It is advisable to consume pungent and sweet foods that disperse and disperse, and avoid sour and astringent flavors. The "Suwen: On the Method of Storing Qi and Timing" states: "The liver governs spring,..." The liver feels bitter and urgent. Eating sweet food can help relieve it,... When the liver is about to disperse, it is advisable to consume pungent food to disperse it, use pungent food to nourish it, and use sour food to purge it. In the relationship between the five internal organs and the five flavors, sourness enters the liver and has astringent properties, which is not conducive to the generation of Yang qi and the smooth flow of liver qi. Dietary adjustment should cater to the preferences of the internal organs, that is, "going against their nature leads to bitterness, while following their nature leads to desire." Desire is what the spirit of the internal organ likes, that is, to nourish. Suffering is detested by the spirit of the internal organ; it is a form of diarrhea." Once this relationship is clarified, one can purposefully select some herbs and foods that soothe and nourish the liver, as well as regulate qi and soothe the liver. Herbs such as wolfberry, curcuma, salvia miltiorrhiza, and Corydalis yuanhu can be chosen, while foods that are pungent, warm and dispersive, such as jujube, douchi, scallion, coriander, and peanuts, can be flexibly selected for the formula and diet. On the other hand, spring health preservation is about disease prevention and health care. Especially in early spring, as the weather changes from cold to warm, various pathogenic bacteria and viruses grow and multiply accordingly. When warm and toxic pathogens become active, modern medical conditions such as influenza, meningococcal meningitis, measles, scarlet fever and pneumonia also frequently occur and spread. To prevent the occurrence of spring diseases, the first step in preventive measures is to eliminate the source of infection. Second, Windows should be opened frequently to ensure good air circulation and keep the air fresh. Third, one should strengthen physical exercise to enhance the body's defense capabilities. In addition, pay attention to oral and nasal health care to prevent the upward invasion of warm pathogenic factors into the lungs first. The dietary medicine for the Start of Spring should focus on "ascending and nourishing". You can choose: Polygonum multiflorum Liver Slices: [Ingredients] 20 milliliters of Polygonum multiflorum liquid, 250 grams of fresh pork liver, 25 grams of rehydrated black fungus, a few green vegetable leaves, an appropriate amount of Shaoxing wine, vinegar, salt, starch, fresh soup, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, garlic and oil. [Preparation] Boil the Polygonum multiflorum in water and concentrate it. Take 20 milliliters of the liquid and set it aside. Remove the tendons from the pork liver, wash it and slice it. Wash the scallions, ginger and garlic. Cut the scallions and ginger into thin shreds and the garlic into slices. Wash the green vegetables and drain them. Soak the slices of pork liver in the juice of Polygonum multiflorum (take half of the juice), add a little salt and an appropriate amount of starch, and stir well. Then, mix the remaining Polygonum multiflorum juice, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, vinegar, wet starch and fresh soup to make the sauce. Heat a wok over high heat and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the mixed pork liver slices and stir-fry until tender. Use a strainer to drain the remaining oil. When there is only a little oil left in the wok, add the garlic slices and minced ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add the pork liver and rehydrated black fungus and stir-fry for several minutes. Add the green vegetable leaves and stir-fry several times. When they are 80% cooked, pour in the sauce and stir-fry evenly. Before serving, add the shredded scallions and stir-fry. The dish is ready to be served. [Functions] Tonifies the liver and kidneys, enriches essence and blood, blackens hair and improves eyesight. Polygonum multiflorum can not only protect the liver but also lower lipid and blood pressure. Black fungus has the effect of promoting blood circulation. Even if one is healthy, eating it regularly can also help maintain health and prolong life. Shrimp and Chinese Chives: [Ingredients] 30g shrimp, 250g Chinese chives, 1 egg, salt, soy sauce, starch, vegetable oil, and sesame oil in appropriate amounts. [Method] Wash the shrimps in clean water until they expand. After about 20 minutes, remove them, drain the water and set aside. Wash the Chinese chives thoroughly and cut them into 3-centimeter-long sections for later use. Break the eggs and put them in a bowl, stir well. Add starch and sesame oil to make an egg batter. Pour in the shrimps and mix well. Set aside. Heat a wok and pour in vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimps and stir-fry. After the egg batter solidifies the shrimps, add the Chinese chives and stir-fry together. When the Chinese chives are cooked, add salt and drizzle with sesame oil, stir well and serve. [Functions] Tonifies kidney Yang, consolidates kidney qi, and promotes lactation. Leeks contain a large amount of crude fiber, which can stimulate the intestinal wall and enhance peristalsis. Therefore, this dish can be used as a diet for patients with habitual constipation. Pearl Three Delicacies Soup: [Ingredients] 50g chicken breast, 50g peas, 1 tomato, 1 egg white, 25g milk, 25g starch, an appropriate amount of cooking wine, salt, monosodium glutamate, stock, and sesame oil. [Method] Remove the tendons from the chicken, wash it and chop it into a fine paste. Stir 5 grams of starch with milk; Open the egg, remove the yolk and keep the white. Put these three ingredients in a bowl and blend them into chicken paste for later use. Wash the tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water, peel them and cut them into small cubes. Wash the peas and set them aside. Place a wok over high heat and pour in the stock. Add salt and cooking wine and bring to a boil. Then add diced peas and tomatoes. When it boils again, reduce the heat to low. Use chopsticks or a small spoon to shape the chicken puree into small round balls the size of pearls and add them to the wok. Turn up the heat again and wait for the stock to boil. Add water starch and bring to a boil. Then add monosodium glutamate and sesame oil to the wok and it's done. [Functions] Warming the middle and benefiting qi, replenishing essence and marrow, clearing heat and relieving irritability. Food taboos: Pork liver should not be eaten together with soybeans or tofu (eating them together may cause chronic diseases). Avoid eating it with fish (eating it together can be mentally taxing). From China.org.cn