Eating vegetable helps fight off spring tiredness

By Lee Seung-hun

Spring is the season when plants are invigorated, and much like trees shooting upwards, all things become energized and full of vitality.

It is evident from the buds sprouting though the thawed ground and from the green leaves showing up at the end of tree branches.

Our body reacts much the same way because circulation and general metabolism improve and we feel more reanimated and active.

On the flipside, many of us frequently feel tired and especially sleepy in the afternoon even though we have had plenty of sleep the night before.

When you feel this drowsy, no amount of coffee seems to help, and stretching the body and moving about only help temporarily.

During the season, other than tiredness and drowsiness, you can also experience a lack of general appetite, indigestion and dizziness.

Some even experience physiological changes that are similar to menopause, such as a rapid pulse and hot flashes.

All such seasonal symptoms are what we generally call spring fever (or spring tiredness when you literally translate the Korean term for it).

Spring fever is due to the sudden changes in biorhythms due to environmental changes.

As the days become longer and the temperature rises, outdoor physical activity increases.

Although our body adapts to the warmer weather gradually from its cold-weather state, sometimes the changes are too sudden and thus tiredness can set in.

Also, the fever can occur when food being eaten does not provide sufficient nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals that are essential to keep up with such increased physical activity.

Oriental medicine states that the vitality of spring is based on qi _ well tucked and stored during the cold winter season.

However, if a lack of exercise and mental stress deplete the qi that is supposedly stored during the winter, when spring comes, the body suddenly feels the lack of qi and become listless.

Spring fever, although the name may suggest otherwise, is not considered an illness but a natural phenomenon that can appear seasonally and thus does not require a specific treatment.

However, in order to be rid of its symptoms quickly and to feel more vital, good nutrition, sufficient sleep and exercise can help replenishing the depleted qi and promote better circulation of it.

Office workers who usually spend most of their time indoors can start by walking a little bit more during their commute rather than a vigorous workout, and stretch every hour or so. It helps to vent the stuffy air, and light walking after lunch can help as well.

As overeating during lunch can make you feel drowsier in the afternoon, having a solid breakfast can help you adjust the amount you eat for lunch.

During winter, it is more difficult to obtain sufficient vitamins and minerals from seasonal food, and thus people need to consume the right foods to replenish them.

Spring greens are great for this. Sprouts are naturally strong in making qi rise, as they are the epitome of stored and concentrated qi during the winter season literally piercing through the ground.

Spring greens can promote qi in our body to strengthen general metabolism. In Oriental medicine, the slightly bitter taste from spring greens are said to bring down fever and prevent listlessness by removing dampness from the body while whetting the appetite. Korea’s seasonal spring greens such as shepherd’s purse, wild chive, fatsia shoots, and pimpinella brachcarpa are especially good as they contain vitamins A, B and C while their aroma and taste can improve appetite.

Generally, spring fever only lasts two or three weeks with minimal treatment.

However, if people experience listlessness for over a month, or if symptoms are so severe that they cannot conduct normal activities, they may need to seek medical treatment as this can signal chronic fatigue.

Initial symptoms of chronic fatigue include prolonged tiredness and a lack of concentration accompanied by muscle pain, headaches and a lack of appetite.

If left untreated, chronic fatigue can develop into sleep and gastroenteric disorder, pantalgia, and depression.

Elderly people or those of weaker constitution may require extra care in dealing with spring fever as their immune system does not cope with seasonal changes and they can suffer from severe exhaustion.

Most people in sound health can overcome spring fever by consuming the right food to supplement the required energy and nutrients and exercises to promote better circulation of qi and blood.

If people are of an innately weaker constitution or suffering from excessively depleted qi due to physical exhaustion and mental stress, treatments are available to replenish them.

The writer practices oriental medicine at the UN Oriental Medical Clinic in Hannam-dong, Seoul.