The liver responds to spring, belongs to wood, and mainly produces hair. Spring is the season for nourishing the liver. So, how should spring nourish the liver? What should be paid attention to when nourishing the liver in diet?
Three Steps to Nourishing and Protecting the Liver:
Step 1: Balanced Nutrition
The liver is a chemical factory, and the nutrients we eat in three meals must undergo metabolic processing to convert them into biologically active proteins, lipids, and glycogen, which are supplied to the organs of the whole body. Therefore, we should treat this important organ gently and not be rough. According to nutritionists, a balanced diet is the most important, with five essential nutrients for the liver: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. A balanced diet should consist of 60% to 70% carbohydrates (such as rice and pasta), 20% to 30% protein (such as meat and beans), and 10% to 20% diverse unsaturated fats (such as vegetable oils).Step 2: Ensure Sleep
Staying up late for a day will take a week for the liver to return to normal function. Poor sleep quality, especially when sleep disorders occur, can also affect the liver. For example, sleep apnea syndrome can cause liver damage. Therefore, high-quality sleep requires protection of the liver. Generally speaking, after a day of hard work, the time from 11:00 pm to 3:00 am is for the liver to self repair and metabolize. At this point, the human body must enter sleep to ensure that the liver can rest adequately and regain vitality. The liver has the lightest burden during sleep, and the body is lying down, allowing the liver to enjoy more nourishment from blood. The most blood flows through the liver, which is beneficial for liver repair.
Step 3: Maintain optimism
Negative emotional changes, bruises the internal organs, and physical discomfort. In traditional Chinese medicine theory, anger is the most detrimental to the liver among the seven emotions. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that the liver is responsible for regulating and releasing fluids, promoting smooth and effective circulation. Anger can lead to liver dysfunction and stagnation of liver qi, which can easily cause liver disease in the upper body over time. Impatience, irritability, anxiety and other negative emotions can all lead to liver qi stagnation. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine believes that the core of protecting the emotional liver is to learn anger. Even if angry, do not exceed 3 minutes, try to maintain a calm and optimistic mood, and eliminate liver fire, so that the liver can develop normally and smoothly. Protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins are relatively popular in the liver, while fat intake should be moderate. Excessive body fat can increase the burden on the liver and also increase the risk of fatty liver. If diet and weight are properly controlled to reduce body fat, the fat in the liver will also decrease, reducing the burden on the liver. At the same time, controlling alcohol intake and excessive drinking can increase the risk of developing fatty liver and alcoholic liver disease. If you already have liver disease, you should completely quit drinking.
Spring liver nourishing should choose "three high" foods
High vitamin foods: vegetables and fruits. Green food nourishes the liver, but attention should be paid to the difference between cold and cold foods. Too hot or too cold is not suitable for the liver. For example, green peppers and chives are green in color, but they are hot in nature. Tropical fruits such as mangoes and pineapples are not suitable for liver health and protection, while vegetables and fruits such as celery, cabbage, apples, and oranges are suitable for liver health and detoxification.
High protein foods: fish eggs, milk, and soybeans. Protein is the raw material for liver enzymes and antibodies, and can also provide energy. Fish is the best high-quality protein, river fish or sea fish, which is better? The nutritional value of sea fish is relatively high, but it does not necessarily mean that high nutritional value is suitable for oneself. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that sea fish belong to the category of volatile substances, while river fish have a calm nature and are suitable for regulating and nourishing the body. In spring, it is recommended to eat more freshwater fish such as carp and crucian carp, which have sufficient nutritional value and are not easy to get overheated. High sugar foods include rice, flour, and grains. Sugar is an important substance that protects the liver. Carbohydrates can provide most of the energy needed by the human body. If a person is in a state of energy deficiency for a long time, it can affect liver function. Sugar can also be synthesized into a substance called glycogen, which is stored in the liver to prevent the intake of toxins that can damage liver cells. However, high sugar is relatively easy to suffer from diabetes if it is taken too much, and energy is insufficient if it is taken too little. It consumes human protein and reduces physical fitness. In summary, a person's diet should be as comprehensive as possible, eating more grains and cereals. Some people eat vegetables without eating in order to lose weight.
Additionally, one should not have excessive liver fire. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that anger can harm the liver. Both anger and suffocation can easily cause liver qi stagnation, leading to symptoms such as elevated blood pressure, headache, dizziness, stroke, and confusion. Spring not only helps to maintain a relaxed mood, but also allows for more exercise, promotes blood and qi harmony, and soothes the liver and lowers fire. After waking up in the morning, moderate aerobic exercise for half an hour and falling asleep before 11 pm are also beneficial for maintaining good mood and nourishing the liver.
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