Early Spring Nutrition: Liver Care, Yang Support, Cold Prevention
Simula ng spring, ang body yang starts to rise, making the skin pores more open. Pero dahil sa sudden changes in temperature, ang cold weather suddenly closes the pores again. Ang body’s ability to regulate this opening and closing is slow, so the liver gets damaged, causing disruption in blood and qi flow, which then affects other organs and leads to illnesses. Therefore, early spring nutrition should focus on liver care, while also supporting spleen and stomach, and warming yang to prevent cold-related sickness!
【Traditional Chinese Medicine on Liver Function】
• The liver governs smooth flow of qi and ensures smooth circulation of blood throughout the body;
• The liver stores blood and regulates blood distribution in the body;
• The liver regulates emotions, secretes bile, and promotes digestion and absorption by the spleen and stomach.
【22-word Rule for Early Spring Liver Care】
• Drink more water: Early spring is cold and dry, easily leading to dehydration. Drinking more water helps replenish fluids, enhance blood circulation, boost metabolism, aid digestion and waste elimination, and reduce damage from metabolic waste and toxins to the liver.
• Limit alcohol: Early spring has strong cold energy. Small amounts of alcohol help promote blood flow, activate circulation, dissolve stagnation, and support yang rising. But do not drink excessively—liver can only metabolize limited alcohol. Overdrinking will definitely harm the liver!
• Balanced diet: Maintain proper balance among proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Avoid excessive intake of any one flavor. Eat less spicy foods, more fresh vegetables and fruits. Avoid binge eating or irregular meals.
• Stay emotionally calm: Since the liver likes free flow and dislikes stagnation, anger and frustration easily cause qi and blood stagnation. Learn to control anger, stay peaceful, optimistic, and let the liver qi flow smoothly and normally.
• Moderate exercise: Engage in outdoor activities suitable for the season like walking, spring outing, playing ball, or tai chi. This improves blood and qi flow, promotes detoxification, strengthens the body, and also benefits liver health.
• Wear loose clothing: Loose belts and hair tied back allow the body to stretch freely, preventing qi and blood stagnation. When liver qi flows smoothly, the body becomes stronger.
Recommended Foods
• Liver-nourishing and cold-preventing dishes:
- Tomato-braised Green Fish: Green fish nourishes the liver and eyes, strengthens the stomach and spleen. Suitable for those who are weak after illness, have neurasthenia, chronic hepatitis, or chronic nephritis.
- Steamed String Beans: String beans are considered the top choice for spleen and stomach tonics in spring. Especially suitable for elders, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and patients with hypertension, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease.
• Liver-supporting and cold-fighting soup:
- Leek and Pork Liver Soup: Leeks are warm and aromatic, best eaten in spring to boost yang. Combined with pork liver, they nourish liver blood. Ideal for liver disease, night blindness, and constipation.
• Liver and cold-fighting porridge:
- Black Rice Porridge: Black rice is neutral and sweet, rich in 15 amino acids and various vitamins. It nourishes the liver and spleen, strengthens the stomach and kidneys, and is an excellent grain for spring nourishment. Ideal for liver and kidney deficiency, postpartum weakness in women.
- Red Date Porridge: Red dates nourish blood and qi, strengthen the liver, spleen, and stomach, and warm yang. Ideal for poor appetite, loose stools due to weak spleen and stomach, blood deficiency, low platelets, anemia, chronic hepatitis, and malnutrition.
• Liver-cleansing and cold-fighting tea:
- Honey-Black Tea: 5 grams of black tea in a thermos, pour boiling water, cover and steep for a few minutes. Add honey and brown sugar. Drink once before each meal daily. Helps warm the middle burner and nourish the stomach. Ideal for spring when liver qi is strong and digestive function is weak.
- Scallion and Ginger Tea: One large scallion, smash and chop, place in a pot, add one cup of boiling water, bring to a boil over high heat, add a handful of black tea, mix in one spoon of ginger juice, and drink hot immediately. Cover yourself and sleep. Helps generate warmth and prevent colds caused by early spring winds.
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