In spring, overly active yang energy can cause trouble
Print Edition
SPRING is coming. The temperature is rising, the sun is shining and yang (hot) energy is surging in the universe. It’s time to adjust your health regime with the right diet and exercise.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, yang energy grows rapidly in spring as the universe revives. During this time, the yang energy within the body is expected to expand naturally.
Though expanding yang energy is generally good for one’s health, it may lead to problems when it grows too rapidly and breaks the balance between yin and yang.
“Spring is a season for revival, not only to creatures but to ailments as well,” says Dr Xiao Shuyun, chief physician of the Geriatric Department of Yueyang Hospital.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, yang energy in the liver grows more vigorously than in other organs in spring. If it grows too quickly and upsets the balance, the excessive yang energy in the liver will disrupt the normal circulation of energy and blood, thus hurting itself as well as other organs.
People with liver-related ailments like fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis should take good care of their liver in the season. Meanwhile, patients with cardiovascular diseases should be alert as too much yang energy in the liver can cause high blood pressure.
Keeping your mood up is especially important to protect the liver, since traditional Chinese medicine believes it to be an organ closely related to ones’ emotional state. Over-active yang energy in the liver can make people easily irritable, while a bad mood, anger and sadness also damage the liver due to their negative influence on the energy circulation.
Dr Xiao recommends people to adopt a seasonal diet featuring high protein foods that are low in fat, greens rich in vitamins, and sweets.
Eggs, milk, fish and shrimp are good choices for high-protein foods, while seasonal vegetables like spinach, green peppers, sword beans and hyacinth beans are highly recommended. Naturally, sweet foods like apples, pumpkins, strawberries, yam, rice and oats will help nourish the digestive system in the season, while most people should reduce eating sour-tasting foods like plums and apricots in spring in case of an overly active yang in the liver.
Of course, all those choices for food should be based on a balanced diet principle.
For the elderly with a history of liver problems, it is advised to reduce eating fatty meat or animal organs. They are also advised to not eat more than two yolks a day and not to drink wines.
Regular physical exercise is always a beneficial practice to strengthen the immune system. Dr Xiao emphasizes the importance of choosing an exercise suitable for one’s condition.
Tai chi or slow jogging are good. Don’t engage in exercise that quickly exhausts you.
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