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The Qi of the Spleen and Stomach are exteriorly-interiorly related. The Stomach is the "Sea of Water and Grain," primarily responsible for receiving and containing food and drink. The Spleen grinds and digests, transforming them into Qi and Blood to nourish the whole body. Therefore, regulating diet is essential. Generally, meals should be taken at breakfast time, not too late; dinner should be sufficient to relieve hunger but not excessive. Food should be warm, not cold or raw. Food should be cooked and soft, not hard. Food should be dry, not soupy or watery. Eating should be slow and careful, not rushed or coarse. Diet should be light and bland, not rich or heavy in flavor. Diet should be frugal and restrained, not wasteful. Furthermore, the Five Flavors cannot replace the taste of Grains, and meat/fish cannot replace grain-based staples. One should eat before feeling hungry, without overeating. One should drink before feeling thirsty, without drinking excessively. Confucius said: "Do not eat rice that has become stale or fish/meat that has rotted." Such practices damage Stomach Qi and can cause illness or shorten life. (Ibid.)

A bowl of porridge in the early morning, do not fill yourself up at dinner. When the Jingyang Bell rings [signaling wakefulness], click your teeth thirty-six times. During extreme cold or heat, strictly avoid lustful desires. Do not engage in sexual intercourse when drunk or overly full, as this causes the Zang-Fu organs to become disordered and reversed. If desire-fire burns through the body, it is far better to sleep alone. Do not sit or lie facing the wind; bathe only in warm places. Walk a hundred steps after eating, and massage the abdomen with your hands many times. Do not eat scaleless fish, nor meat from birds or beasts that died naturally. Speak little, drink alcohol sparingly, get angry rarely, and harbor few evil desires. Cherish the human body in the cycle of reincarnation; keep the Six Roots pure and white like jade. (Collected Works of Sun Simiao)

Humans have no fixed root of life; self-harm leads to premature death. To extend lifespan, the body requires regulation and preservation. Speech must be cautious and reflective; diet must be moderate. Do not indulge in alcohol and sex; excess leads to physical weakness and timidity. Do not overthink; excessive thought causes Qi stagnation. Do not sit or lie facing the wind; when hungry or thirsty, prefer hot foods. Do not frequently spit phlegm; when rinsing teeth, avoid picking the tongue. Excessive physical labor damages bones; excessive mental labor injures blood. Avoid roasted or grilled foods even if they taste good, as accumulated Qi can form carbuncles and boils. Maintain a good complexion; do not leak spirit lightly. As long as the Six Pulses are peaceful and harmonious, all diseases will naturally vanish. Understanding this and practicing careful preservation, why seek immortal secrets? (Must-Reads from the Banana Window)

In human affairs, those who practice restraint in desires suffer less illness and live longer, remaining sharp-eared and clear-eyed until old age, with hair and teeth intact. Only those who indulge in desires inevitably suffer frequent illness and die young. This is because various pathogenic factors enter through deficiency; if the invasion is mild, it is easy to cure; if severe, difficult to heal; if extreme, fatal. Guo Kaifu said: "Before thirty, I did not know how to cherish my Spirit, so I went seeking disease. After forty, I finally learned to cherish my Spirit, yet disease came seeking me." Thus, restraining desires is the key to preserving health. (Quanshen Ju)