🌿 Folk Prescriptions

In TCM, spring is a season greatly emphasized by health preservation experts. This season sees rising yang energy and vibrant life, but also rapid reproduction and revival of various pathogens and microorganisms, making diseases prone to spread.
Eat: More Sweet, Less Sour Is the Spring Dietary Principle
TCM associates spring with the liver among the five zang organs. Spring easily triggers excessive liver qi, negatively affecting the spleen and impairing normal digestion and absorption. Sweet-tasting foods nourish the spleen and stomach, while sour flavors enter the liver and have astringent properties. Eating too much sour food hinders the rise of yang energy and the free flow of liver qi, further intensifying already excessive liver qi and worsening spleen damage. This is one reason why chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers often recur in spring.
Regarding supplementation: Healthy individuals need not supplement. Those with chronic illnesses may follow the principle of "nourishing yang in spring and summer," consult physicians for syndrome differentiation and treatment, thereby controlling old ailments and preventing new ones. Under physician guidance, one may use various ginseng varieties to strengthen constitution, but never abuse tonics. Experts recommend consuming sweet and neutral foods now, such as lean meat, eggs, milk, honey, soy products, and fresh vegetables. Since spring sees strong liver qi and weak spleen qi, and since the spleen governs the limbs, weak spleen qi leads to weakness and fatigue in the limbs. Thus, strengthening the spleen is essential. Food-based nourishment is better than medicinal. To strengthen the spleen, eat more crucian carp, carrots, apples, and yam.
Wear: Four Principles of "Spring Warming"
TCM Clothing Theory
TCM emphasizes "spring growth, summer flourishing, autumn harvest, winter storage." In winter, it's cold, but in spring, people, like plants, begin to revive. However, spring is also when viruses are active. With lingering cold air, people are easily susceptible to illness. Thus, TCM advocates "spring warming" for health preservation and disease prevention.
Experts explain that "spring warming" means focusing on warmth. The "warming" period should be early spring, generally from early March to mid-April. The degree of warming should vary by individual, based on personal constitution—adjust clothing accordingly. Generally, follow these principles: adjust clothing as needed, protect against cold to aid yang energy rise and defend against external pathogens. This is especially important for infants, the elderly, and pregnant women. Those with chronic conditions should pay extra attention to staying warm to prevent strokes and myocardial infarctions.
However, over-warming is harmful. Wearing too many clothes, being overly thick or tight, not only hinders body’s ability to resist cold but also restricts movement.
Sleep: A Nap to Prevent Spring Drowsiness
After enduring long winters, the body’s yang energy is depleted. In early spring, yang energy rises insufficiently, causing fatigue. If experiencing "spring drowsiness," self-regulation is crucial.
First, restrain emotions to avoid liver injury. Liver fire ascending affects spleen and stomach functions, opening the door to digestive disorders. Also, don’t oversleep due to "spring drowsiness"—instead, adapt to spring and adjust your routine. If tired, take a nap to relieve fatigue.
Second, combat spring drowsiness through dietary regulation to replenish qi and yang. TCM holds: "Nourish yang in spring and summer, nourish yin in autumn and winter." But nourishing yang is better achieved through food than medicine. Experts suggest that eating porridge made with Poria cocos or lotus seed paste with red dates can replenish deficient spleen qi. Eating more longan flesh also strengthens spleen qi. Consuming more goji berries and black chicken can replenish deficient kidney qi. These dietary therapies help alleviate spring drowsiness.
Move: Spring Exercise Remedies
TCM Movement Theory
TCM believes yang energy is particularly abundant in spring air near trees, rivers, and lakes—rich in negative oxygen ions, which have effects such as relieving cough, eliminating fatigue, regulating nerves, lowering blood pressure, and calming the mind. Outdoor exercise improves respiration, metabolism, and blood circulation, making one feel more energetic. Thus, spring exercise should ideally be outdoors.
After entering spring, adapt to the rising yang energy by increasing physical activity. Choose activities like running, martial arts, calisthenics, walking, ball games, or kite flying to promote detoxification and refresh the body and limbs. Additionally, avoid excessive sweating in spring. Stop when slightly perspiring. After exercise, immediately wipe off sweat and change into clean clothes to prevent catching a chill. If suffering from a cold, avoid exercise—rest instead, and resume only after recovery.