Spring's gift, strawberries

When spring comes, spring energy appears in the sky, changes occur in the land, and the human body also responds of it. Spring energy refers to the energy of wood, which is the energy of buds breaking through the ground, the heart of a bachelor blowing the spring breeze, and the energy of magnolia flower coming through the snow.

The human body is closely related to nature and influences each other. When the temperature gets warmer, we take off our thick winter clothes, go out to the mountains and fields to feel the spring, and eat spring vegetables to adapt to the season.

However, Spring, which we have been eagerly waiting for all winter, is surprisingly a season that puts a considerable burden on our bodies. When spring comes, warm spring winds blow in the sky, green buds sprout on the ground, and the human body reacts accordingly. During the season transition from winter to spring, the body consumes a lot of energy as rapid changes occur in its biological rhythm to adapt to the external environment.

Temperatures rise significantly in spring, but due to severe daily temperature differences and strong winds, skin, muscles, and blood vessels contract and relax more frequently to maintain and appropriate body temperature. In addition, as the days get longer, there is a change in the secretion of various hormones, which increases the secretion of endorphins, testosterone, and estrogen. Due to these changes, the requirement for vitamins and proteins increases, putting a burden on the body and causing fatigue. People who are less active are unable to adapt to the rapidly changing spring atmosphere and feel physical discomfort such as drowsy fatigue, loss of appetite, indigestion, and dizziness.

The Oriental medicine book, Inner Canon of the yellow emperor, 四氣調神大論, suggests a way of living appropriate to the season, and looking at ways to manage health in spring, it is as follows.

In the March of the lunar month of spring, the old disappears and the new arise, so heaven and earth grow and all things become glorious. Go to bed late at night and wake up early in the morning, take a slow walk around the yard. Make yourself comfortable by keeping your clothes and hair loose, relax and let your spirit bloom. At this time, everything should be kept alive and not killed, given and not taken away, rewarded and not punished. This is Tao of YangXiang (養生法), which corresponds to spring.

How much do modern people these days know and practice these principles?

If you go against nature, you will soon get sick. Even though spring has come, we wake up late in the morning and all things are encouraging and nurturing each other, but we hurt the each other person’s feelings, we don’t eat spring vegetables, we only eat meat, we can’t cope flexible, we become hardened with pride, and all these things cause illness.

There are six types of natural energy: harmony between wind, cold, hot, humanity, dry and heat. Among them, the wind corresponds to the wood and spring. In oriental medicine, it refers to spring energy means wood energy, which is the energy that rises like a spring that has been pressed down by the warm energy of spring. In spring, because the wood energy that rises and radiates is strong, metabolism becomes active and our body is reorganized to adapt to change in nature.

Wind can cause skin disease, cough, eye disease, etc,. and flouring pollen that make us tired are also products of spring. All things always have two-faced properties. The same goes for the wind while it promotes the revival of all things, it also has the property of causing disease.

Now that you know the characteristics of the seasons, it would be nice to find a way to spend this season. It is a good idea to go for a light hike on the weekend to strengthen the liver, the organ that corresponds to spring in our body. Then, lightly blanch spring vegetables and mix them with sour seasoning to whet your appetite. The sour taste is also the taste of spring. How about changing your hairstyle for spring? Wear light clothes that are not too tight and go for a walk while holding the

hand of your loved one. Praise children and people around you to encourage each other. Look at your neighbors with kind eyes. A kind heart is also a heart that corresponds to spring.

Enjoy the strawberries that grow in spring. Strawberries, an alkaline food, have the most vitamin C. Vitamin C in strawberries improve physical strength by activating the function of the adrenal cortex, which regulates various hormones, and even has a beautifying effect on skin with spots.

It contains many minerals such as phosphorus, sodium, silicic acid, and iron, which makes the skin elastic and maintains nutrition. Since it is about 90% water, it is low in calories and delays the time food stays in the stomach, so you don’t feel hungry and you are less tempted to reach for food, which helps treat obesity. In addition, it is rich in pectin, a vegetables fiber that lowers blood cholesterol, so it is prevents arteriosclerosis, suppresses the synthesis of carcinogens in the body, is resistant to stress, and is good for preventing cancer by improving immunity.

Modern people who can feel spring to the fullest in warm weather, a feast of beautiful flowers, and budding buds, and who can discover spring in the smiles of their families and the chatter of children, will be able to enjoy their illness without getting sick.

Main photo by Anastasia Zhenina from Unsplash