Fifth season: how to maintain health during the off-season. Nutrition during the off-season in bodybuilding The off-season period the main taste is sweet

20.03.2022

Ancient healers and nutritionists of our time, over the course of centuries of observations, made an important conclusion for us. The fact that during the 12 months of the year, in each season, a certain system of the body is active, which needs specific nutrition, with a certain taste.
In short, this is seasonal food.

It is seasonal nutrition that gives us the opportunity to always be beautiful and slim. Nutrition that promotes metabolic processes, and therefore keeps the body and body in good shape. This means that both your figure and your health will always be normal, say followers of this diet.

According to seasonal nutrition, the year consists of 4 seasons and off-season periods:

The first season is winter;
The second season is spring;
The third season is summer;
The fourth season is autumn;
Off-season.

The off-season is an intermediate stage between seasons, occupying a certain, insignificant period.

Each season has its own taste and, accordingly, its own healthy foods.

Seasons, food:

In spring, the liver and gall bladder are active - the basis for their sour taste;
In summer, the heart is especially demanding, the small intestine - the basis of the taste is bitter;
In autumn, at the working peak, the lungs, large intestine are the main spicy taste;
In winter, the kidneys and the genitourinary system need care - the main taste is salty;
In the off-season, the stomach and pancreas are active - sweet taste is the main one.

Food according to the seasons.

All human organs work together.

But nevertheless, in each period, its seasonal taste prevails. Besides which there is also a complementary and neutral taste, there is no benefit from them. There is also a negative seasonal taste that is harmful.

The spring period is the main sour taste, the negative is spicy.
The summer period is the main bitter taste, the negative is salty.
The autumn period is the main pungent taste, the negative is bitter.
Winter period - the main taste is salty, the negative is sweet.
The off-season period - the main taste is sweet, the negative is sour.

SPRING AND NUTRITION

In spring, the liver and gall bladder require increased care and attention.

These organs prefer the sour taste, which is characteristic of:

Solyanok;
Seed;
Orekhov;
Carrots;
Celery;
Beetroot;
Turkeys;
Liver.

It's important not to drink cow's milk.
In the spring, a vegetarian lifestyle is always held in high esteem. Vegetables, sour soups, herbs, and fish are healthy.
Products with a spicy taste are prohibited - game, onions, garlic, wheat sprouts, adjika, sauces.

SUMMER AND FOOD

The cardiovascular system and our small intestine are active.

The main one is bitter taste. It is important to eat greens with bitterness.

Beneficial features have: lamb meat with horseradish, mustard, radish, onions, radishes, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, beets.
It is healthy to eat zucchini, pumpkin, new potatoes, and squash.
Please pay attention Special attention seasonal berries (find out in our previous article).
Dried fruits and compotes made from them are also important. In summer there is a negative salty taste, exclude pork and beans.
In the summer we eat chicken and sauerkraut.

AUTUMN AND NUTRITION

In autumn, our lungs and colon are active - they are stimulated by spicy tastes. Therefore, it is useful to eat horseradish and garlic.

Among meat products, game, beef, rice, buckwheat, and fruits are important. But you need to exclude lamb, baked goods, seeds, and nuts.

WINTER AND NUTRITION

In winter our kidneys are active. Salt is important during this period.
But you need to know that salty taste and salt are not the same thing. It is not necessary to add salt to all dishes. Soy sauce is the best alternative.

In winter you need to eat fatty foods: pork, lard, brisket, kidneys, legumes, buckwheat, potatoes, juices, sour and salty foods. Prohibition: sweets, beef, milk.

OFF-SEASON PERIOD AND NUTRITION

In the off-season, the main taste is sweet, which activates the gastrointestinal tract. We eat honey, fruits and beef.
Additional bitter taste is dried fruits, lamb. You should not get carried away with poultry, kefir, lemons - these are sour products. For all off-season periods, the nutrition is almost identical.

So, in the winter-spring off-season, January 22 - February 4, salty and sweet foods, salted watermelon, pickled cucumbers, and bell peppers are desirable. Products with sour taste are excluded.

In the spring-summer off-season April 22 -5 May, sweet and sour and bittersweet dishes are important.
Required - beef, lamb, cheeses, fruits, sweets.

But regardless of the frequency of the seasons, you should always eat fish and seafood. After all, they are a natural source of iodine.

In addition, vegetables and fruits should never leave our diet. Given that they are freshly grown during the harvest season, they are the healthiest. It is important to consume them without restrictions, because the freshness time is short-lived. And getting a vitamin supply is very important.

The best option is, of course, your own garden and your own harvest, without nitrates and other chemicals. But not everyone has such an opportunity. Therefore, relying on the agricultural supervision of the Russian Federation, we purchase these useful products from the market or from retail outlets.

But still, it is seasonal nutrition that gives us the opportunity

Along with the doctrine of yin and yang, which almost everyone has heard of, in Chinese philosophy there is also the teaching of Wu Xing, which is less known in the West. In accordance with it, in addition to the four seasons we are accustomed to, there is an off-season, during which organs such as the spleen, stomach and pancreas are activated. And if you believe the ancient Chinese sages, seasonal exacerbations of gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis and other diseases of these organs are not at all accidental: this is retribution for nutrition that does not correspond to the “fifth season”. Moreover, off-season transition periods we also have four: from winter to spring, from spring to summer, from summer to autumn and from autumn to winter. In the off-season, great importance is given: it is believed that the health and good functioning of the stomach ensure the timely replenishment of vital energy qi, and the spleen is responsible for immunity. AND poor nutrition During this “fifth season” you can seriously harm yourself, but with the right help, on the contrary, you can significantly improve your health.

So, let's look at the diet from the point of view of Chinese medicine. The main taste of the off-season - “sweet” - corresponds to honey, fresh sweet fruits, beef, butter and sunflower oil, rice, corn, buckwheat, oats, legumes, peanuts and pine nuts, mushrooms, dates, vegetables - pumpkin, potatoes, beets, cabbage, carrots. “Sweet” foods should form the basis of the diet. The complementary taste should be “bitter”, which improves the functioning of the spleen, stomach and pancreas (this includes lamb, millet, onions, lettuce, radishes, walnuts and almonds,

different types of hot peppers, mustard). You can also eat quite a lot of “bitter” foods, but less than “sweet” ones. “Spicy” (for example, garlic, green onions, radishes, bran, soybean and rapeseed oil, cinnamon, cardamom) and “salty” foods (pork, beef and pork by-products, cheese, seaweed, soy) you can eat a little at a time, but “sour” foods (long-aged fermented milk products, sour vegetables and fruits) are best avoided completely. Other off-season rules: do not eat at night, do not eat cold dishes, reduce the amount of dairy and raw foods to a minimum (with the exception of sweet apples, which can be eaten in any quantity), since the spleen “loves” sweet foods, it is advisable to add them to all dishes sugar or honey In general, such a Chinese diet is not so burdensome, especially since you only need to follow it for three weeks - that’s how long each off-season period lasts. What do Western luminaries of science and medicine advise?

More vitamins

At the end of winter the main problem our diet is lacking in vitamins. But don’t rush to run to the doctor and complain about vitamin deficiency! In most cases, we are not dealing with a complete absence of any vitamin, that is, vitamin deficiency, but only with hypovitaminosis - its deficiency. The situation is not critical, but unpleasant.

According to statistics, by the end of winter, 85-90% of the population of developed countries suffers from a lack of vitamins and beneficial microelements. The list of the most deficient ones includes “sunny” vitamin D, vitamins A, C and group B. Due to the lack of vitamins and microelements we need, the already small reserves of which were used up by the body during the winter to fight viral infections and frosts, we we suffer from drowsiness, fatigue, bad mood, loss of vitality, sleep disturbances... And the reflection in the mirror ceases to please: due to a lack of vitamins C and K, the complexion deteriorates and spider veins appear, the lack of vitamins B makes the skin dull and flaky, On the lips, jams and cracks that take a long time to heal appear.

Vitamin complexes and the most balanced diet will come to the rescue. Vitamins A and E are primarily milk, eggs, cottage cheese, nuts and vegetable oils, B vitamins are cereals, meat and dairy products, seafood, grain bread. Vitamin C - tea made from dried rose hips and frozen berries, fruits and vegetables. The easiest way is to make smoothies from frozen berries and fruits: tasty, healthy and low in calories! And in order to prevent hypovitaminosis, it is worth adopting the fashionable European fad - eating sprouts for breakfast: they contain even more vitamins and microelements than summer vegetables and fruits from the garden. The most useful are wheat, oat and buckwheat sprouts, which contain a lot of vitamins B and E, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, silicon. Nutritionists advise starting with two teaspoons, gradually increasing to three or four. Sprouts are good to add to salads, muesli and various cold dishes. The main thing is to eat them in the first half of the day: they invigorate and tone you up more than coffee and strong tea.

Immune Support

It is at the turn of the seasons that our body most often malfunctions, chronic diseases worsen, and often those who have steadfastly held out all winter and have not even succumbed to the flu are suddenly knocked down by a common cold. Cause? Immunity weakened by a lack of sunlight and vitamins, increased energy expenditure by the body, which is tuning into natural renewal in the spring, and viral attacks become more frequent against this background. Therefore, to support the body’s defenses, eat proper and healthy food!

Be sure to include in your daily diet foods rich in fiber, as well as “live” yoghurts, kefir, fermented baked milk and other fermented milk products: as World Health Organization experts never tire of repeating, our antiviral immunity directly depends on the intestinal microflora. And if harmful bacteria take precedence over beneficial ones, the body immediately weakens. Eat more foods rich in vitamin C (this is the main vitamin for maintaining immunity), and indulge in chocolate. As a last resort, you can simply smell it: as scientists from the University of California found, even the smell of cocoa beans accelerates the production of immunoglobulin A, which provides the body with protection against viruses. And their fellow immunologists from the UK advise eating a small handful of unpeeled almonds every day: in addition to the fact that they contain many vitamins and minerals necessary for maintaining immunity, recent studies have shown that almond skin contains unique bioactive substances that help the body to resist infections such as influenza and ARVI.

No more extra pounds!

The motto “Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, and give dinner to your enemy” is ideal for the off-season. In dank and slushy weather, your appetite works up even more than in cold weather, and when you’re in a bad mood, every now and then you want to eat something rich and sweet. And if you don’t take action in time, you’ll have to buy a completely new wardrobe for spring and summer—one size larger! Of course, you don’t need to completely give up dinner, but it should be the lightest of all meals. We make it a rule to have a hearty breakfast no later than nine in the morning. In this case, we can afford buns and other sweets without harming our figure: fast carbohydrates and sugars will be used to produce energy and will not be deposited as fat on the waist and hips.

In the opinion of many nutritionists, the ideal breakfast in the cold season must include porridge - nourishing and healthy. For example, buckwheat or rice (have an excellent detox effect and contain many complex carbohydrates), corn (rich in glucose, which will help avoid fatigue and loss of strength), millet or pearl barley (contain the amino acid lysine, which helps the body resist viruses and at the same time prevents fat deposition) . In addition, a warm breakfast warms you up well, preventing the body from “turning on” the fat accumulation mode. A warm or hot lunch will guarantee that in the evening you won’t have a ravenous appetite and dinner will be light and healthy.

To stay healthy and always have a good figure, it is not enough to eat healthy food. You also need to take it at the right time, that is, follow the natural schedule.
Three thousand years ago, Eastern doctors and astrologers noticed that different products, depending on the time of year, have different effects on the human body.
As a result of centuries-old observations, ancient nutritionists came to the conclusion that in each season of the year the activity of a specific organ or system of the body is activated.
In order for organs and physiological systems to work without failures and for the benefit of the body, depending on the time of year, you need to eat certain foods.
taste. Only in this case will food bring benefit, not harm, and be a medicine, not poison.
In the East, unlike Western countries, the year was divided not into four, but into five seasons. Traditionally, winter, spring, summer, autumn and off-season were distinguished here, i.e. a very special time, a transitional period between winter and spring, spring and summer, summer and autumn, autumn and winter.
Five seasons correspond to five tastes:
– in the spring the liver and gall bladder function well, the main taste is sour.
– summer – the season of activation of the heart and small intestines. The main thing is the bitter taste.
– in autumn the main burden falls on the lungs and large intestine. At this time, foods with a spicy taste are recommended.
– in winter The kidneys and the associated genitourinary system work most actively. The main taste is salty.
- V off-season The stomach, pancreas and spleen are activated, therefore, foods with a sweet taste are beneficial.

According to Eastern medicine, all organs in the human body do not work on their own, but are connected in unified system, and therefore support and stimulate each other. Thus, the lungs activate the activity of the kidneys, and the kidneys – the activity of the liver. The liver, being a hematopoietic organ, stimulates the activity of the heart, which determines how well the stomach, spleen, and pancreas work. In turn, the stomach, spleen and pancreas make the lungs work more actively.

In each period of the year there is a main, dominant taste. In addition to it, there is a complementary taste, which also has a positive effect on the body, but not as strong as the main one. In addition, eating a neutral taste is not harmful, but it will not bring much benefit either. Finally, there is a negative taste. If you eat a lot of food with this taste, it will suppress the body's vital functions and negatively affect your health.

Spring – the main taste is sour, complementary with salty, neutral – bitter and sweet, negative – spicy.
Summer – main taste – bitter, complementary – sour, neutral – sweet and spicy, negative – salty.
Autumn – main taste – spicy, complementary – sweet, neutral – sour and salty, negative – bitter.
Winter – main taste – salty, complementary – spicy, neutral – sour and bitter, negative – sweet.
Off-season – the main taste is sweet, the additional taste is bitter, the neutral taste is spicy and salty, the negative taste is sour.

FOOD IN SPRING\from February 19 to April 21\
In spring, the liver and, associated with it, the gallbladder become the most active. These organs need food with a sour taste - sauerkraut, lemons, all kinds of cabbage soup and hodgepodge. It is allowed to consume fermented milk products - cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt. Cow's milk should be excluded from the menu, although it is acceptable to drink goat's milk. As for cereals, preference should be given to products made from wheat and rye; all kinds of baked goods, pasta and bread kvass are allowed. It is recommended to diversify the table with seeds and nuts.
Apple seeds are very useful. There must be root vegetables on the table - carrots, celery, beets.
For preparing meat dishes, it is better to use chicken, duck, and turkey. The diet should include liver (pork, beef, chicken); it is this offal, and not fruit, as is believed in Europe during the period of spring vitamin deficiency, that gives the body strength. You can eat blood sausage for the same purpose.

In the period from March 21 to April 20, it is better to switch to vegetarianism. Vegetable soups with a sour taste, herbs, and fish with lemon sauce are very useful at this time. In spring, not only sour tastes are good for the liver, but also salty ones, which are considered complementary. Therefore, in the spring you need to consume foods that are allowed in winter, but in smaller quantities. Foods of neutral taste \ sweet and bitter \ can be included in the diet in minimal quantities (only to add piquancy to dishes and variety of the table as a whole). Foods that are prohibited in the spring
pungent taste - game (roe deer, wild boar, deer, elk and musk deer, as well as venison, goat meat, horse meat), sprouted onions and garlic. During this period especially
Wheat and rice sprouts have a bad effect on the body. Adjika and all kinds of hot sauces are strictly prohibited.

FOOD IN SUMMER\from May 21 to July 22\
The dominant organs in summer are the heart, circulatory system and small intestine.
They are stimulated by bitter taste. To improve their performance, you must first choose greens with a bitter taste, including plants available in the house (aloe leaf) and at your dacha (wormwood, dandelion). It is useful to make salads from barely hatched sprouts, seasoning them with vinegar and sunflower oil. The best cereal to use in summer is millet. According to Eastern dietetics, lamb has a bitter taste among meat products, and heart among offal products. The meat should be flavored with horseradish and mustard.
Vegetables with a bitter taste include radishes, rutabaga, turnips, onions, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, and beets.
Pumpkin crops are useful - zucchini, squash, as well as the pumpkin itself. All these vegetables can be added to various dishes (pancakes, porridge, etc.).
The same applies to new potatoes (old ones should be excluded from the diet as early as possible).
Summer products are considered to be dried fruits from prunes, dried apricots, dried pears and apples - it is recommended to cook compotes. You can also simply eat dried fruits, chewing them thoroughly. Among the drinks in the summer, preference is given to beer, as it has a bitter taste. Shrimp are suitable as an appetizer.
As for salted fish, nuts and roach, in the summer it is better to avoid them altogether. For summer, salty taste is considered negative, as it can cause interruptions in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The complementary tastes during this period are sour, and the neutral ones are spicy and sweet.
In summer you are allowed to eat chicken, sauerkraut and baked goods (this is sour food). Jellied meat, pork and beans should be excluded from the menu, as they are hard on the stomach in the summer.

FOOD IN AUTUMN\from August 23 to October 22\
In autumn, the maximum load falls on the lungs and large intestine. Their activities
stimulated by pungent taste. Therefore, it is recommended to use horseradish and garlic as the main seasoning at this time of year.

Among meat products, preference should be given to game (elk, venison, wild boar, bear meat, etc.). The most suitable offal for this time of year is light. It should be simmered for as long as possible so that the water accumulated in it completely disappears. The main grains in the autumn menu should be rice and buckwheat. Sweet is considered a complementary taste for autumn; during this season you can enjoy fruits, goat’s milk, and beef. Neutral flavors for autumn are sour and salty. But foods that have a bitter taste (lamb and millet porridge) are not recommended to be included in the diet. Sunflower seeds, nuts and fruit seeds should be consumed as little as possible during this period. Wheat baked goods are also considered non-seasonal food.

FOOD IN WINTER\from November 22 to January 21\
In winter, the kidneys show maximum activity. During this period, they should be given special attention - take care of them, not destroy them with alcohol, and most importantly, feed them properly. For the kidneys to work well, they must receive enough salt.
This means that in winter you need to especially ensure that your diet includes foods with a salty taste. At the same time, we must remember that salty taste and salt are not the same thing. It is not at all necessary to add table salt to all dishes. In oriental cooking, it is regarded as the most harmful to the body - it is difficult to eliminate and contributes to the formation of kidney stones. It is better to use products that have a salty taste. Salt can be replaced with extracts from plants that have a salty taste, such as soy sauce.

In winter, you need to eat fatty, filling foods. In addition to pork, it is permissible to include lard, bacon, brisket, loin, etc. in the diet. Eastern nutritionists do not recommend eating cold meat in winter. In our conditions, an exception can be made only for jellied meat with horseradish, as it strengthens the skeletal system. The most valuable product in the East was considered not meat, but animal liver. There is still a belief that it is in it that the “wind of fate”—the vital forces of a particular season—is concentrated. In winter, kidneys should be included in the menu. It is not recommended to eat head and brains. It is extremely rare that tongue can be served as a holiday delicacy. Cereals should include beans, lentils, peas, beans, and buckwheat. Potatoes must be present on the table. You can drink juices without preservatives. If the main taste of winter is salty, then the complementary taste is spicy. In addition to adjika and pepper, to the products
spicy tastes include rice, garlic, wild animal meat - venison, bear meat, and elk. In winter, it is allowed to eat sour and salty foods, but sweets are prohibited because they suppress the activity of the kidneys. It is not recommended to include beef and milk in the menu (these products have a sweet taste). Oriental medicine considers jam and canned compotes, as well as greenhouse vegetables and fruits, as harmful
products for the body. Herring is a winter delicacy.

Peculiarities of nutrition in the OFF-SEASON.
The transition from one basic taste to another does not occur immediately. This requires an intermediate period of time, which is called the off-season. And since there are 4 main seasons, there are just as many off-season periods. Their duration is as follows:
– winter-spring period – from January 22 to February 18;
– spring-summer period – from April 22 to May 20;
– summer-autumn period – from July 23 to August 22;
– autumn-winter period – from October 23 to November 21.

In the off-season, the main taste is considered to be taste, which activates the spleen, stomach and pancreas. The more sweets included in the menu at this time, the better for health. In addition to sugar and honey, sweet-tasting foods include fresh fruit and beef. At this time, they should be consumed as much as possible. You are allowed to enjoy cakes, pastries, marshmallows, marmalade, marshmallows, ice cream and sweet cereals.
Bitter is considered a complementary taste in the off-season. Products with a bitter taste include lamb, millet, dried fruits, etc. It is permissible to consume food with a pungent and salty taste in very small quantities during the off-season. You should not include lemons, wheat, poultry, or fermented milk products (kefir, cottage cheese, yoghurt) in your diet - these products have a sour taste and have a destructive effect on the spleen and stomach. As a rule, for all off-season periods the main recommendations are very similar, but each of them has its own characteristics.

So, in the winter-spring off-season, from January 22 to February 4, it is recommended
eat salty and sweet foods. The best option– salted watermelon. After February 5th, it’s time for sweet and sour dishes. Pickled cucumbers and peppers are useful, and it is advisable that they be sweeter. Products with an exceptionally sour taste are contraindicated at this time.

In the spring-summer off-season, from April 22 to May 5, sweet and sour dishes should be served, and from May 6 to May 20, bittersweet dishes.
From July 23 to August 5, products with a bittersweet taste, and from August 6 to 22 - sweet-spicy. The same applies from October 23 to November 4. And from November 5 to November 21 - sweet and salty.

Of course, depending on the circumstances, some deviations from these recommendations are acceptable. However, during the off-season, it is necessary to have
beef or, as a last resort, lamb should be present. Cheese should be added to the meat, and fruits and sweets are recommended for dessert.
It should be said that fish and various seafood, which are a natural source of iodine, should be on the table all year round.

Thus, the seasonal nutrition system is based on the variety of foods consumed and allows you to eat correctly, and most importantly, with maximum
It is beneficial for the body to eat at any time of the year.

This is what they call the off-season in the East. Ancient eastern sages believed: proper nutrition This “extra” time of year is more important to your health than any other. What do modern scientists and nutritionists think?

Chinese ethnoscience

Along with the doctrine of yin and yang, which almost everyone has heard of, in Chinese philosophy there is also the teaching of Wu Xing, which is less known in the West. In accordance with it, in addition to the four seasons we are accustomed to, there is an off-season, during which organs such as the spleen, stomach and pancreas are activated. And if you believe the ancient Chinese sages, seasonal exacerbations of gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis and other diseases of these organs are not at all accidental: this is retribution for nutrition that does not correspond to the “fifth season”. Moreover, we also have four interseasonal transition periods: from winter to spring, from spring to summer, from summer to autumn and from autumn to winter. In traditional Chinese medicine, the off-season is of great importance: it is believed that the health and good functioning of the stomach ensure the timely replenishment of vital energy qi, and the spleen is responsible for immunity.

And with the wrong diet in this “fifth season” you can seriously harm yourself, but with the help of the right one, on the contrary, you can significantly improve your health.
So, let's look at the diet from the point of view of Chinese medicine.- correspond to honey, fresh sweet fruits, beef, butter and sunflower oil, rice, corn, buckwheat, oats, legumes, peanuts and pine nuts, mushrooms, dates, vegetables - pumpkin, potatoes, beets, cabbage, carrots. “Sweet” foods should form the basis of the diet. The complementary taste should be “bitter”, which improves the functioning of the spleen, stomach and pancreas (this includes lamb, millet, onions, lettuce, radishes, walnuts and almonds,different types of hot peppers, mustard).

"Bitter" products You can also eat quite a lot, but less than “sweet” foods. "Spicy"(for example, garlic, green onions, radish, bran, soybean and rapeseed oil, cinnamon, cardamom) and "salty" foods(pork, beef and pork by-products, cheese, seaweed, soy) you can eat a little at a time, but “sour” foods (long-aged fermented milk products, sour vegetables and fruits) are best avoided completely.

Other off-season rules: do not eat at night, do not eat cold dishes, reduce the amount of dairy and raw foods to a minimum (with the exception of sweet apples, which can be eaten in any quantity), since the spleen “loves” sweet foods, it is advisable to add sugar or honey to all dishes . In general, such a Chinese diet is not so burdensome, especially since you only need to follow it for three weeks - that’s how long each off-season period lasts.

What do Western luminaries of science and medicine advise?

More vitamins

At the end of winter, the main problem in our diet is the lack of vitamins. But don’t rush to run to the doctor and complain about vitamin deficiency! In most cases, we are not dealing with a complete absence of any vitamin, that is, vitamin deficiency, but only with hypovitaminosis - its deficiency. The situation is not critical, but unpleasant.

According to statistics, by the end of winter, 85-90% of the population of developed countries suffers from a lack of vitamins and beneficial microelements.

Vitamin complexes and the most balanced diet will come to the rescue. Vitamin C - tea from dried rose hips and frozen berries, fruits and vegetables. And in order to prevent hypovitaminosis, it is worth adopting the fashionable European fad - eat sprouts for breakfast: They contain even more vitamins and microelements than summer vegetables and fruits from the garden. The most useful are wheat, oat and buckwheat sprouts, which contain a lot of vitamins B and E, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, silicon. Nutritionists advise starting with two teaspoons, gradually increasing to three or four. Sprouts are good to add to salads, muesli and various cold dishes. The main thing is to eat them in the first half of the day: they invigorate and tone you up more than coffee and strong tea.

Immune Support

Eat more foods rich in vitamin C (this is the main vitamin for supporting immunity), and indulge in chocolate. As a last resort you can just smell it: as scientists from the University of California found, even the smell of cocoa beans accelerates the production of immunoglobulin A, providing the body with protection against viruses. And their fellow immunologists from the UK advise eating a small handful of unpeeled almonds every day: in addition to the fact that they contain many vitamins and minerals necessary for maintaining immunity, recent studies have shown that almond skin contains unique bioactive substances that helping the body resist infections such as influenza and ARVI.

Off-season - features of behavior and nutrition in Traditional Chinese Medicine

First, a little math

The off-season is the fifth season in Chinese tradition. What does this mean? Unlike the Western tradition, the system of forming the seasons of the year in the Chinese tradition has five seasons instead of four. The fifth season is the Off-Season. Since 72 days are allocated for each season, we get: Winter (72 days) + Spring (72 days) + Summer (72 days) + Autumn (72 days) = 288 days or 366-72-72-72-72 = 78 days remains each year for one more, fifth season. True, the season is calculated not from 78 days, but from 72 days. Why is this so, I will not analyze this today, but I suggest that those who wish to study the Chinese calendar in detail. So, we have 72 days in the off-season. Since there are four main seasons, each Off-Season is eighteen days between seasons 72/4 = 18.

To correctly calculate the start date of the off-season, you need to do the following. Take the start date of any season, for example, in 2013 Summer begins on May 5th. We put it back 18 days and we get that the off-season between Spring and Summer begins on April 17th. Why is that?

Let me quote one of the sites dedicated to Chinese medicine:

“In the Classic of Categories by Zhang Zhi Bing (1624) it is said: “The Spleen belongs to the element Earth, to which belongs the Center, the influence of which manifests itself for 18 days at the end of each of the four seasons, and it itself does not belong to any season.”
In the Discourse on Copybooks from the Golden Palace, Zhang Zhong Jing said: “at the end of each season, the Spleen is strong enough to resist pathogenic factors and therefore in the cycle of seasons, the element Earth corresponds to the late stage of each season.”
Although the Earth element is often associated with “late summer” or “Indian summer” (the Chinese consider it the fifth season), it also corresponds to “late winter” and “late spring” and “late autumn”.

Those who study Chinese tradition know that each season has its own governing element. The off-season is governed by the Earth element*, and therefore lifestyle, behavior and nutrition are associated with the organs for which the Earth element is responsible. This is the system of organs of the Stomach and Spleen, or in other words, the system of meridians of the Stomach and Spleen.

In traditional Chinese medicine, this season, which is responsible for the Spleen system, is given very great importance. The reason is that the Stomach, together with the Lungs, is responsible for replenishing the postnatal Qi of the human body. And the Spleen is for immunity. If the Spleen or Lungs do not work well, then the person cannot sufficiently replenish the energy expended and, sooner or later, falls ill. That is why strengthening the Spleen and Stomach is given such great importance in Chinese medicine.

The off-season is a unique time when you can significantly improve and strengthen your health if you follow a few simple rules.

By the way, the rules of behavior, nutrition and lifestyle are the same for all periods of the off-season, that is, for the periods between spring-summer, summer-autumn, autumn-winter and winter-spring.

The only exception is the off-season between summer and autumn. It is worth considering that this is the peak season for vegetables and fruits. Therefore, if everything is fine with your digestion, you should not deny yourself fresh fruits and vegetables, despite the recommendations to eat mostly cooked food in the off-season. Therefore, the off-season between summer and autumn is a slight exception to the general rules.

So, what should you do to strengthen the Spleen during this period?

Peculiarities of nutrition in the off-season

Eat less. This is the most important rule.
Don't eat in the evening. That is, after 19.00.
Eat more grains and sweet root vegetables. Up to three times a day.
Do not eat raw, dry, sour foods. That is, all food must be thermally processed.
The period of sauerkraut and pickles in the off-season is ending. The only exception here is lemon. It strengthens the Stomach.
Drink less liquids.
Don't eat cold food. That is, the food should be warm.
Reduce or completely eliminate the consumption of dairy foods.
For those who cannot live without it, in the off-season you can fry or cook Adyghe cheese or mozzarella. Or make dishes such as cheesecakes and casseroles from fresh cottage cheese.
You can't drink chicory or coffee. But it is very useful to drink a decoction of dates. It can be prepared this way: put 2 - 3 dates in water and cook for 15 - 20 minutes. Drink some water. Eat dates.
Honey is okay. But it is best to choose cold varieties, such as acacia or sweet clover honey.
It is advisable not to eat dried apricots and figs during this period.
Pine nuts are recommended in the off-season.
This season's tea is black pu-erh.
Since the spleen loves sweet foods, it is a good idea to add sugar in moderation to each dish.
Sweet apples are the most in-season fruit. If raw (apples are the only exception), then no more than one apple per day.
For drinks, it is recommended to drink dried fruit compote.
You can eat beans every day, but no more than one tablespoon.

It is important to know that the Spleen fundamentally “loves” three types of food:

Cereals. The main grains of the spleen are millet, buckwheat and pearl barley. Moreover, during this period it is not only possible, but even very healthy to eat cereals 3 times a day. Hercules is not good for the spleen. Rice is neutral in its properties during this season.
Sweet root vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, cooked onions. Pumpkin is also very useful.
Meat and meat products. Especially among meat products, the following are recommended during the off-season: beef and beef-based broths. Quail eggs.

Spices in the off-season

Green cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh ginger. Grind and add to food when cooking. This is exactly the order of the degree of usefulness of spices for the Spleen.

Peculiarities of behavior in the off-season

You have to walk a lot. It is advisable to walk at least seven kilometers per day. Why is it important? The fact is that the Spleen system is strengthened through strengthening the legs. Therefore, long walks are especially recommended during this season.
Do any exercises from yoga, qigong and other health systems to strengthen your legs.
The spleen “loves” music very much. Therefore, listening to good music is especially useful in the off-season. It is not for nothing that one of the rules of Ayurvedic nutrition is to listen to harmonious, beautiful music while eating.
Physically, you shouldn't get too tired. It is also not beneficial to become mentally overtired. The fact is that the Spleen is always weakened by strong mental and physical stress. And there are 4 periods of 18 days a year - the off-season, when you should take care of yourself a little in order to feel great the rest of the time!

And in conclusion, as an illustration, I would like to give you a quote from the ancient medical “Treatise on the Inner Yellow Emperor Huang Di”:

"The middle generates moisture. Moisture generates the element of soil, soil generates sweetness, sweetness generates the spleen. The spleen generates muscles, and muscles generate lungs. The spleen controls the mouth. On the heavenly level it is moisture. On earth it is the element of soil. In the human body it is muscles. Among organs, zang is the spleen. Among flowers, it is yellow. Among the sounds is the sound of gong. Among the voice modulations is singing. Movement disorders include hiccups. Among the openings of the body is the mouth. Among the tastes is the sweet taste. Among the emotional aspirations is thoughtfulness. Overthinking destroys the spleen. Irritation overcomes thoughtfulness. Moisture destroys muscles. Wind defeats moisture."

Similar articles: