🌱 Spring · Wood · Nourish the Liver
• Viscera: Liver, Gallbladder
• Emotions: Prone to irritability and anger
• Health preservation key points:
○ Spring energy rises; maintain a cheerful mood and avoid suppression.
○ It is advisable to go to bed early and get up early, and stretch your body outdoors more (Tai Chi, walking).
○ Diet should be light and less greasy; it is good to eat more green vegetables and sprouts (such as bean sprouts, leeks).
○ Proper amount of sour foods (hawthorn, lemon) is acceptable, but not excessive, to avoid “excessive astringency”.
🔥 Summer · Fire · Nourish the Heart
• Viscera: Heart, Small Intestine
• Emotions: Prone to excitement and overjoy
• Health preservation key points:
○ Summer is hot; one should conform to “the heart governing blood vessels” and nourish the mind.
○ Keep a calm mood and avoid overwork and emotional excitement.
○ Diet should be cool and refreshing to relieve summer heat; eat more bitter vegetables (bitter gourd, lettuce, celery).
○ A midday nap is suitable; avoid staying up late.
🌾 Late Summer · Earth · Nourish the Spleen
• Viscera: Spleen, Stomach
• Emotions: Prone to overthinking and melancholy
• Health preservation key points:
○ Humidity is heavy; it is important to invigorate the spleen and dispel dampness.
○ Diet should be light and less sweet; eat less cold food to avoid damaging the spleen and stomach.
○ It is good to eat more pumpkin, coix seeds, Chinese yam, and millet porridge.
○ Maintain a regular schedule and avoid excessive thinking.
🍂 Autumn · Metal · Nourish the Lungs
• Viscera: Lungs, Large Intestine
• Emotions: Prone to sadness
• Health preservation key points:
○ Autumn is dry; nourish the lungs and moisturize dryness.
○ It is advisable to go to bed early and get up early, and breathe fresh air in the morning.
○ Diet should focus on moistening the lungs, such as pears, lilies, honey, and white fungus.
○ Eat less spicy and stimulating food to prevent damage to lung qi.
❄️ Winter · Water · Nourish the Kidneys
• Viscera: Kidneys, Bladder
• Emotions: Prone to fear and anxiety
• Health preservation key points:
○ Winter is a time of storage; conserve energy and build up vitality.
○ It is advisable to go to bed early and get up late to preserve physical strength and reduce excessive consumption.
○ Diet is suitable for warm tonification; eat more black foods (black beans, black sesame, black fungus). ○ Exercise moderately (Tai Chi, static exercises) and avoid profuse sweating.
