A Guide to Chinese Seasonal Health and Diet Therapy

Author: Ma Yinwen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features:
1. What should be paid attention to in daily diet (1) Eat until 70% full to prolong life and prevent aging
"Eat until 70% full to prolong life and prevent aging" has been advocated by ancient health practitioners. The Sage of Medicine, Sun Simiao, said, "Do not overeat." Under the living conditions of ancient times, he even lived over a hundred years. Do not eat too full; it is best to keep meals at 70% to 80% fullness. Because eating too full causes prolonged blood circulation in the stomach, leading to slightly oxygen-deficient brain, easily causing fatigue and lack of energy, and also increasing the burden on the stomach. Many people find buffet restaurants economical and attractive, but eating too little in such places is not cost-effective. You have to eat more to make up for it, which makes the stomach and intestines suffer, and fat follows accordingly. For health, it is necessary to restrain oneself well, or exercise more to digest the extra food today and do not accumulate it in the body.
(2) Eat at fixed times and focus on nutrition
In Sun Simiao's Essential Prescriptions for Emergencies, it is recorded: "Eat at regular times, neither too hungry nor too full," and "Do not overeat at each meal." This means eating should be on a fixed schedule and in moderation. This is very important for maintaining the function of the stomach and intestines and keeping their work regular. Moderation in eating is the motto of health for everyone. Traditional Chinese medicine has always attached great importance to the functions of the spleen and stomach, emphasizing that "the spleen and stomach are the foundation of life after birth," "if the spleen and stomach are weak, all diseases arise," and "the key to treating diseases lies in harmonizing the spleen and stomach." Because the body's various metabolic products and nutrients are mainly digested and absorbed by the spleen and stomach. A strong spleen and stomach allow nutrients to be fully absorbed, naturally leading to a healthy body and abundant qi and blood. A weak spleen and stomach cannot fully absorb and utilize the nutrients needed by the body, leading to poor nourishment and naturally making one weak and prone to illness. Most gastrointestinal diseases, except for congenital defects, are caused by improper diet, intermittent hunger and fullness, or even eating a full meal and not feeling hungry for three days; eating hastily; overeating cold and stimulating foods, etc. To keep the spleen and stomach strong, in addition to some dietary and medicinal treatments, the fundamental is to eat at fixed times and in moderation. Moderation means balance, not too little or too much, stopping just right. Based on your appetite, eat until you are neither full nor hungry, finding a balance. In this way, the stomach and intestines are at ease, and the nutrients in the food can be fully absorbed and utilized, nourishing the five zang organs and six fu organs, as well as the limbs and bones.
(3) Prioritize plant-based diet and advocate a vegetarian lifestyle
Advocating a vegetarian diet does not mean that a completely vegetarian diet is bad. On the contrary, theoretically speaking, humans should be vegetarian. In the solar system, the sun is the ruler, corresponding to the element of fire, and the surface of the Earth, where humans live, is also ruled by fire. If plants correspond to the element of "wood," and wood generates fire, it means that the best food for humans is plants. On a larger scale, animals are the rulers of the Earth's surface, and humans are just one type of animal. Therefore, humans should coexist peacefully with other animals, rather than the current "survival of the fittest." P5-P6