Today marks the beginning of chunfen, or the spring equinox, the fourth period in the traditional Chinese agricultural solar system. The term, which means "division of spring" in Chinese, usually falls on March 20 or 21 and ends on April 5.

Along with qiufen (or the autumnal equinox, which falls between September 22 and 24), chunfen is one of the two times in the year when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator, and the day and night are of equal length. It's also the time when the weather begins to get noticeably warmer.

And as temperatures start to climb, the human body needs to adjust to these climatic changes. During this time, the blood circulation begins to improve and the metabolism starts to accelerate.

Night and day

According to the precepts of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as chunfen is the mid-point between day and night, and cold and warmth, the key to staying healthy during this period is to balance the energies of yin and yang in the human body.

So the diet during this period should be mild and balanced. Try to avoid foods that are overly "hot" or "cold" by nature, according to TCM. Vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, beansprout, leek and potato are recommended, while chicken, carp and crucian carp are suitable for more protein-rich diets. Recommended fruits include apples, oranges and cherries, and other suggested foods include peanuts, sesame seeds, red dates, ginger and scallion.

With this in mind, the Global Times has found a few recipes that are easy to cook at home and are ideal for staying in tiptop physical condition during chunfen.

Eggplants with garlic

This dish is a perfect example of "hot" and "cold" foods, and achieves a balanced nutritional effect. "Cold" by nature, eggplant is said to dispel toxins and any swelling in the body. It's also rich in vitamin D, a substance that can strengthen the elasticity of the blood vessels. Garlic is "hot" by nature which helps warm the spleen and stomach.

Ingredients

25 grams garlic, 500 grams eggplants, scallion, ginger, starch, soy sauce, white sugar, salt and olive oil

Method:

Wash the eggplants and chop them into rectangular pieces

Wash the garlic and slice into two pieces for later use

Pour some oil into a frying pan and heat for a couple of minutes

Put the eggplants into the pan and stir for a few minutes

Add ginger slices, garlic, salt, soy sauce and water into the pan

Stir all the ingredients and stew for about 10 minutes

Add white sugar and starch to thicken the soup

Add more white sugar to taste and serve

Sweet soup with Chinese red dates and eggs

In TCM theory, spring is the ideal time to consume sweet foods while sour flavors are said to be best avoided. Sweet foods give the body the vital energy and calories that the body needs at this time of year. So, a warm and sweet soup is a perfect choice.

Ingredients

Two eggs, 12 Chinese red dates, 24 grams Chinese fleeceflower roots (he shouwu, a herb available at medicinal stores)

Method

Wash the red dates and the fleeceflower roots

Boil the eggs and peel off the shells

Put all the ingredients into a pot and add water

Boil and simmer for about 30 minutes

Add some rock sugar or honey to taste and serve

Chrysanthemum porridge

This porridge can help relieve the burden on the liver and lower the blood pressure. It also helps alleviate some common ailments during chunfen such as dizziness, headaches, sore eyes and excessive phlegm.

Ingredients

15 grams dry chrysanthemum (available at supermarkets or medicinal stores), 100 grams rice, 10 grams rock sugar

Method

Wash the dry chrysanthemum and the rice

Put them into a pot and add water

Put the lid on the pot and boil

Simmer and stew for about 30 minutes

Add some rock sugar to taste, and serve