spring is here say byebye to winter weight

As spring arrives and flowers bloom, the battle for weight loss begins. Whether it's to shine in the spring and summer fashion weeks or to showcase a well-toned body, the campaign to shed pounds has already started.

 

It's often said that the year's plan starts in spring, and the day's plan starts in the morning. To have a healthy body and state of mind for the coming year, it's crucial to make the most of the spring mornings.

 

As spring awakens, it's an important time for health and wellness.

With the arrival of spring and the rise in temperatures, it is the best time for health maintenance. In spring, attention should be paid to clothing, diet, living, and travel. Here are 8 essential tips for spring health maintenance.

 

1. Ensure adequate sleep

 

As the saying goes, 'spring fatigue and autumn weariness.' Many people feel noticeably sleepy in spring, finding it hard to get up in the morning and feeling drowsy during the day. This is because as temperatures rise, human activity increases, leading to more blood flow to the body surface and less oxygen supply to the brain, causing 'spring fatigue.' Therefore, it's important to adapt to these changes, take a half-hour nap at noon to make up for the lack of sleep, and engage in moderate physical activities like walking or doing aerobics in the afternoon.

2. Increase physical activity

 

After a winter of accumulating fats, the warming climate of spring is the perfect time to increase physical activity. This not only helps with blood circulation and speeds up metabolism but also promotes the rise of yang energy, burning excess fat and calories. However, due to the significant temperature difference between day and night and the prevalence of outdoor winds, outdoor exercise should be moderate to avoid excessive sweating and catching a cold.

3. Take care of your spleen and stomach

 

A healthy spleen and stomach can boost the body's immunity and slow down aging. Spring is the best time to take care of these organs. Maintain a regular diet, eat at fixed times and in moderate amounts, avoid overeating, and consume more whole grains and light foods. Additionally, keep warm and enhance exercise.

4. Maintain a cheerful mood

 

Spring is the time to nourish the liver, so it's important to stay happy. Unstable emotions can disrupt the balance of the internal organs, so learn to control anger and strive to remain calm, optimistic, and cheerful.

5. Be mindful of diseases

 

As everything comes to life in spring, bacteria and viruses also start to spread, easily causing illnesses like flu, pneumonia, scarlet fever, and mumps. Neglecting health maintenance can also lead to the recurrence and worsening of chronic conditions such as pharyngitis, hypertension, allergic asthma, and heart attacks. Therefore, it's crucial to pay extra attention to hygiene, ventilate rooms frequently, and take care of both body and mind to prevent diseases.

 

6. Focus on dietary adjustments

 

With the resumption of metabolism in spring, avoid greasy and cold foods. Instead, consume foods rich in vitamin B and fresh vegetables. Studies suggest that overeating and a lack of vitamin B are among the causes of spring fatigue.

 

In spring, liver fire is more vigorous than usual. The internal heat accumulated from eating hot foods like mutton and supplements during winter, and staying in heated indoor environments, will surface as the weather warms, causing symptoms like dry mouth and mouth ulcers. At this time, consume foods that are sweet and neutral in nature, rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, and drink plenty of water. Foods like lean meat, poultry eggs, milk, soy products, and fresh fruits and vegetables are recommended. For dietary therapy, porridge is the best choice, such as yam porridge, lotus seed porridge, and red date porridge.

7. Dress warmly to prevent cold

 

'Spring cover and autumn freeze.' Spring weather is unpredictable, and middle-aged and elderly people with poor metabolism and temperature regulation are particularly susceptible to catching colds during 'spring cold snaps.' Therefore, don't rush to take off winter clothes when temperatures rise. Even if it gets significantly warmer, don't reduce clothing too quickly. Always carry a jacket and keep warm, especially during the large temperature differences between morning and evening.

 

8. Comb your hair 300 times a day

 

According to 'Health Preservation Theory': 'Comb your hair 100-200 times every morning in spring.' Combing hair in spring is an excellent health maintenance practice. Spring is the season when natural yang energy rises, and the human body follows this pattern, showing characteristics of yang energy rising and expanding outward. This is reflected in the gradual opening of pores and vigorous metabolism, leading to rapid hair growth. Therefore, combing hair in spring helps to promote blood circulation and facilitate the flow of yang energy.

 

Is going to bed early and getting up early good for your health? Not necessarily in spring.

 

As children, we often heard adults say: 'Going to bed early and getting up early is good for your health.' However, this doesn't apply in spring, as the principle for sleep in spring is 'going to bed late and getting up early.' So, how should we manage sleep in spring to be most reasonable?

 

1. How to properly manage sleep in spring

 

With longer days and shorter nights in spring, the body should adapt to these changes by going to bed slightly later and getting up earlier. This helps to absorb yang energy and promotes the rise of yang energy within the body. Generally, sleep duration varies with age: around 8-10 hours for those around 10 years old, 6.5-7.5 hours for adults and those around 50 years old, and less than 8 hours for those over 60.

 

Going to bed late doesn't mean staying up until midnight or later, nor does it mean 'the later you sleep, the better, and the earlier you get up, the better.' It simply means slightly delaying your usual bedtime and keeping your total sleep time between 5-7 hours, ideally from 11 PM to 6 AM. This is because the liver's self-repair time is between 11 PM and 3 AM, and the body needs to be asleep during this period for the liver to rest and rejuvenate.

2. How to combat spring fatigue

 

As spring arrives, people often feel drowsy and lethargic, as if they have caught a contagious disease. When one person starts yawning, those around them follow suit. This is what we call 'spring fatigue.'

 

Of course, spring fatigue is not an illness but a normal physiological response to seasonal changes. To avoid spring fatigue, ensure adequate sleep time and quality, engage in more outdoor activities to improve physiological functions, and enhance respiratory metabolism. For those who sit for long periods in offices, it's recommended to get up and move around every hour and, if possible, go outside to breathe fresh air. Also, ensure good ventilation indoors.

 

To avoid feeling sleepy in the afternoon, don't eat too much at lunch. Overeating causes blood to flow to the stomach, reducing the oxygen supply to the brain and leading to drowsiness.

 

3. How to achieve good sleep in spring

 

Don't linger in bed:Once you wake up, don't stay in bed. Develop a regular sleep schedule and habits. Even on weekends, avoid sleeping in, as it hinders the rise of liver energy and can lead to spring fatigue, causing tiredness, lethargy, and other discomforts.

 

Avoid coffee and smoking before bed:Caffeine in coffee is stimulating, so avoid consuming caffeinated foods before bed. Smoking also has a stimulating effect, so it's important to quit the habit of smoking before bed.

 

Stop thinking before bed:Avoid using your phone or watching TV before bed, and don't overthink the day's events. Try to keep your mind and body calm and peaceful. Reading a book or listening to soothing music can help improve sleep quality.

 

Do these 6 things after waking up to stay slim and healthy

 

Paying attention to details is crucial for weight loss. Therefore, the six good habits from waking up to leaving the house in the morning should be noted. They not only help with weight loss but also contribute to a healthy body!

 

1. Stretch after waking up

 

After waking up, don't get out of bed immediately. Stretch while lying in bed to loosen your joints. Stretching requires inhaling a lot of oxygen, increasing blood flow, promoting the expulsion of waste gases from the body, and boosting metabolism. Stretching your joints also helps to rhythmically contract and relax your waist and abdomen, aiding in shaping your waistline.

2. Open the curtains to let in light

Research shows that morning sunlight helps to activate the biological clock and boost metabolism. Additionally, getting more sunlight in the morning helps the body synthesize vitamin D, which not only enhances calcium absorption but also participates in the synthesis of growth hormones that promote fat burning and muscle formation.

3. Drink a glass of water after waking up

 

After a night's sleep, the body has consumed a lot of water. Drinking a glass of water after waking up not only replenishes the lost water but also helps cleanse the intestines and kickstart the day's metabolism.

 

4. Do some morning exercise

 

Engage in low-intensity aerobic exercise in the morning to boost metabolism and aid in fat burning. Morning exercise also promotes gastrointestinal motility, aids digestion, prevents constipation, enhances cardiovascular function, and improves blood circulation, preventing cardiovascular diseases.

 

5. Take a shower before breakfast

After waking up, the body is in a state of metabolic recovery. Taking a shower at this time promotes blood circulation, boosts metabolic rate, and aids in weight loss. Taking a shower after exercise and before breakfast can also dispel fatigue, making you feel refreshed and ready to start the day energetically.

6. Have a royal breakfast

 

Skipping breakfast because you can't get up in the morning? Rushing to work and grabbing a quick bite? It's time to change these bad habits. A nutritious breakfast is key to replenishing the body's energy for the day. Between 6:30 and 8:30 AM, the stomach and intestines are fully awake, and the digestive system is functioning. Eating at this time allows the body to quickly convert food into energy, keeping you energetic all morning. Also, don't eat breakfast too quickly; take 15-20 minutes to chew slowly for better digestion.

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