TCM interpretation: Rain Water solar term health care, diet regulates the spleen and stomach

The Rain Water solar term falls around February 18th of the Gregorian calendar every year. Rainwater, "When the Dipper points to Ren, it represents Rainwater. The east wind thaws the ice and snow, and they all disperse and become water, which turns into rain, hence the name Rainwater. " Rainwater not only indicates the beginning of rainfall, but also indicates that the amount of rainfall begins to increase.

With the arrival of the Rain Water solar term , the weather with flying snowflakes and bone-chilling cold air gradually disappears, and the spring breeze blows, the ice and snow melt, and the days of moist air, gentle sunshine and drizzle are coming to us. Du Fu has a poem that says, " Good rain knows the season, and it occurs in spring. It sneaks into the night with the wind, moistening everything silently." The poet vividly describes that spring is the season when all things sprout and grow. When rain is needed, it comes. This spring rain is accompanied by a gentle breeze, and when night falls, it falls quietly, silently, and finely, nourishing all things. The poet uses personification to personify the rain, saying that it "knows the season" and knows how to meet objective needs. In spring, when everything is sprouting and growing, and just when rain is needed, it starts to rain. The word "good" not only praises the "rain", but also praises those who bring timely rain to those in need. The poet hopes for such "good rain" and likes such "good rain".

People often say: "The temperature starts to rise after the beginning of spring, and the rain brings fertilizer." A year's plan depends on spring, so how should we look at the rain in spring? For farmers, rain is a critical period for early spring management and spring preparation for farming, and our lives are also filled with new hope.

Based on the impact of the Rain Water solar term on nature, the health preservation chapter emphasizes the importance of "regulating the spleen and stomach" during the Rain Water solar term. Because Chinese medicine believes that the spleen and stomach are the "foundation of acquired constitution" and the "source of qi and blood metabolism", the strength of the spleen and stomach is an important factor in determining a person's longevity. Zhang Jingyue, a physician in the Ming Dynasty, proposed: "Earth Qi is the source of all things, and stomach Qi is the master of health preservation. A strong stomach means strength, a weak stomach means weakness, life means life with a stomach, and death means death without a stomach, so health practitioners must put the spleen and stomach first." (In the relationship between the Five Elements and the Five Internal Organs, the Earth in the Five Elements corresponds to the Spleen in the Five Internal Organs.) The Book of Books: Organ Qi and Organ Virtue points out: “To nourish the spleen is to nourish the Qi, and to nourish the Qi is the key to health preservation.” It can be seen that a healthy spleen and stomach are the basis for people's health and longevity.

Why is the liver wood in spring related to the spleen earth? In the application of the Five Elements Theory in traditional Chinese medicine, the characteristics of the five elements are used to explain the physiological functions of the five internal organs of the human body. The liver belongs to wood. The nature of wood can be bent or straight, smooth and has the characteristics of growth. Therefore, the liver likes to be smooth and hates depression, and has the function of venting. The spleen (stomach) belongs to the earth element. The earth element is honest and has the ability to generate all things. The spleen also has the functions of digesting grain, transporting essence, and nourishing the five internal organs, six bowels, and limbs. It is the source of the generation of qi and blood. The five internal organs are interconnected physiologically and influence each other pathologically. In the transmission and transformation of the relationship of mutual generation and mutual restraint among the Five Elements, the strong Wood overcomes the Earth, that is, the excessive Liver Wood restrains the Spleen Earth. In other words, due to excessive release of Liver Wood, the Spleen and Stomach will become deficient in Qi. If the Liver Qi is too stagnant, the Spleen and Stomach will become stagnant in Qi. Both are cases of the Liver Wood restraining the Spleen Earth. The "Nanjing" calls it "reverse transmission", which means liver disease spreads to the spleen. Therefore, in spring health care, we should pay attention to the characteristics of the growth of Yang energy in spring, support Yang energy, and avoid damaging the spleen and stomach.

Traditional Chinese medicine calls the spleen and stomach the "sea of ​​water and grain," which have the function of invigorating Qi and transforming it into blood. The material basis of human body's functional activities, nutrition, qi, blood, body fluid, essence, etc., are all generated in the spleen and stomach. Only when the spleen and stomach are healthy and the source of energy is sufficient, can the functions of the internal organs be strong. The spleen and stomach are also the hub of the ascending and descending movement of qi. The coordination of the spleen and stomach can promote and regulate the body's metabolism and ensure the coordination and balance of life activities. The body's vital energy is the basis of health, and the spleen and stomach are the basis of vital energy . Li Dongyuan, a famous doctor in the Yuan Dynasty, proposed the view that damage to the spleen and stomach will lead to the decline of vital energy, and the decline of vital energy will shorten people's lifespan. In his "Discussion on Spleen and Stomach": "True Qi, also known as Original Qi, is the essence of the body that is born before, and it cannot be nourished without stomach Qi." It also points out that: "Internal damage to the spleen and stomach will lead to a variety of diseases." This shows that weak spleen and stomach are the main causes of various diseases.

" Bencao Yanyi Zonglun" says: "Those who are good at health preservation nourish the inside, while those who are not good at health preservation nourish the outside. Those who nourish the outside fill the outside, and focus on satisfying pleasure, joy, greed, and emotions, but they do not know that a full outside means an empty inside. Those who are good at nourishing the inside make the internal organs harmonious, the three burners keep their positions, and the diet is appropriate." From this we can see that the spleen and stomach are the basis of life and health. Doctors and health experts in all dynasties have attached great importance to the care of the spleen and stomach. Modern medical experiments have proved that regulating the spleen and stomach can effectively improve the body's immune function and prevent aging.

The specific methods of regulating the spleen and stomach can be selectively adjusted according to one's own situation, including diet adjustment, medication adjustment, and daily life and work-rest adjustment.

Diet adjustment: The climate becomes warmer in spring, but it is also windy and dry, so dry skin, mouth, and chapped lips often occur. Therefore, you should eat more fresh vegetables and juicy fruits to replenish the body's water. Since spring is the beginning of the growth of all things and the season when Yang energy is growing, you should eat less greasy food to avoid helping Yang to leak out. Otherwise, the Liver Wood will grow too much and damage the Spleen Earth. Sun Simiao, a health expert in the Tang Dynasty, said in "Qianjin Fang": "During the 72 days of spring, reduce sour food and increase sweet food to nourish the spleen." In the five elements, the liver belongs to wood and tastes sour, the spleen belongs to earth and tastes sweet, and wood overcomes earth. Therefore, in spring, you should eat less sour food and more sweet food to nourish the spleen. You can choose from leeks, toon, lily, pea sprouts, chrysanthemum, shepherd's purse, spring bamboo shoots, yam, lotus root, taro, radish, water chestnut, sugarcane, etc.

"Qian Jin Yue Ling" says: " It is suitable to eat porridge in the first month of the year... One is Rehmannia glutinosa porridge, which nourishes the kidney." (150 grams of fresh Rehmannia glutinosa, mash the juice for later use, 50 grams of polished rice, wash it, add appropriate amount of rock sugar, put them into the pot, add appropriate amount of water, cook it into porridge, pour the fresh Rehmannia glutinosa juice into the porridge, and simmer for 20 minutes.) The second is Saposhnikovia divaricata porridge, which is used to dispel wind in the limbs. Take a portion of Saposhnikovia divaricata, boil it into a soup, remove the juice and cook it into porridge. The third is Perilla porridge. Take a portion of Perilla, fry it until it turns slightly yellow and has a slight aroma, then boil the juice and cook it into porridge. "Eat less raw, cold, sticky food to prevent damage to the spleen and stomach.

Medication conditioning: It is necessary to consider the ascending and descending biochemical functions of the spleen and stomach, and use the method of raising Yang Qi to regulate and nourish the spleen and stomach. You can choose from Adenophora radix, American ginseng, Cassia truncatum, white chrysanthemum, Polygonum multiflorum powder and Buzhong Yiqi Decoction.

Mental regulation: "Anger, sadness, and fear will damage your vital energy." Therefore, in terms of mental regulation, you should be calm, have few desires, and avoid overwork in order to nourish your vital energy.

Adjust your daily routine and combine work and rest: have a regular daily routine and combine work and rest. That is, adapt to nature, protect vitality and follow the laws of natural change, so that the rhythm of the life process can be adjusted with the changes in time, space and the four seasons, so as to achieve the purpose of strengthening the spleen and stomach, regulating the acquired constitution, and prolonging life.

Avoid foods: Avoid eating mutton, dog meat, and sparrow meat in the first month of the lunar year. Do not eat raw onions and garlic. Peanuts should be boiled instead of fried.