Adjust Diet to Overcome "Spring Drowsiness"

Less sour, more sweet to nourish the spleen
"Spring sleep knows no dawn," in spring we often feel fatigued—what is commonly known as "spring drowsiness." Ancient physician Sun Simiao said: "In spring, reduce sour flavors and increase sweet ones to nourish the spleen and prevent spring drowsiness." Thus, in spring, reduce sour foods to avoid overstimulating the liver, while sweet foods enter the spleen and help nourish it, so they should be eaten more—but avoid cold, greasy, sticky foods, which may harm the spleen.
Greasy meals cause post-meal fatigue
Greasy dishes can lead to post-meal fatigue, characterized by lowered body temperature and blood sugar, low mood, and reduced work efficiency. Therefore, spring diet should focus on light, mild foods. You may moderately consume nourishing spleen foods like jujubes, honey, and fried rice cakes. Vegetables such as leeks, garlic, scallions, yams, spinach, and shepherd’s purse are recommended. These vegetables are rich in various vitamins, fiber, inorganic salts, and trace elements.
Ensure adequate protein intake to boost energy
Secondly, ensure sufficient protein intake. Since proteins are made up of various amino acids, adequate protein intake helps improve energy levels. Protein-rich foods include eggs, fish, shrimp, beef, lamb, chicken, rabbit meat, and bean products.
Eat more fruits to replenish minerals
Additionally, eat more fruits and drink fruit juices regularly. Fruits contain abundant potassium, whose deficiency causes weakness and impairs concentration. Many fruits like raisins, oranges, bananas, and apples are rich in this mineral. Professor Zhu Mingfang from the Department of Internal Medicine at Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine particularly warns against drinking too much baijiu in spring. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to drowsiness—it actually disrupts normal sleep patterns. Moreover, alcohol acts as a diuretic, causing dehydration and affecting physical strength and mental alertness.