论曰。内经谓法于阴阳。和于术数。饮食有节。起居有常。不妄作劳。故能形与神俱。而尽终其天年。
度百岁乃去。今时之人不然也。以酒为浆。以妄为常。醉以入房。以欲竭其精。以耗散其真。不知持满。不时
御神。务快其心。逆于生乐。起居无节。故半百而衰也。且饮食起居。乃人生日用之法。纵恣不能知节。而欲
传精神服天气者。不亦难乎。又经曰。饮食自倍。肠胃乃伤。起居如惊。神气乃浮。是以圣人春木旺以膏香助
脾。夏火旺以膏腥助肺。金用事。膳膏臊以助肝。水用事。膳膏膻以助心。所谓因其不胜而助之也。故食饮之
常。保其生之要者。五谷五果五畜五菜也。脾胃待此而仓廪备。三焦待此而道路通。荣卫待此以清以浊。筋骨
待此以柔以正。故经云。盖五味相济。斯无五宫之伤。所以养其形也。虽五味为之养形。若味过于酸。肝气
以津。脾气乃绝。味过于咸。大骨气劳。短肌心气抑。味过于甘。心气喘满色黑。肾气不衡。味过于苦。脾气
不濡。胃气乃浓。味过于辛。筋脉沮弛。精神乃央。所谓失五味之常。而损其形也。王注曰。味有偏缘。脏有
偏绝。此之谓也。饮食者养其形。起居者调其神。是以圣人春三月夜卧早起。被发缓形。见于发陈之时。且曰
以使志生。夏三月夜卧早起。无厌于日。见于蕃秀之时。且曰使志无怒。使气得泄。秋三月早卧早起。与鸡俱
兴。见于容平之时。收敛神气。且曰使志安宁。以应秋气。冬三月早卧晚起。去寒就温。见于闭藏之时。且曰
使志若伏若匿。若有私意。若已有得。此顺生长收藏之道。春夏养阳。秋冬养阴。顺四时起居法。所以调其神
也。经所谓逆于春气。则少阳不生。肝气内变。逆于夏气。则太阳不长。心气内涸。逆于秋气。则太阴不
收。肺气焦满。逆于冬气。则少阴不藏。肾气独沉。此失四时之气。所以伤其神也。智者顺四时。不逆阴阳之
道。而不失五味损益之理。故形与神俱久矣。乃尽其天年而去。与夫务快其心。逆于生乐者。何足与语此道哉。
故圣人行之。贤者佩之。岂虚语哉。
论述说：《内经》提到，要效法阴阳变化的规律，运用正确的养生方法，饮食要有节制，起居要有常规，不随意过度劳累。因此能够形体与精神协调统一，从而享尽天赋的自然寿命，活到一百岁才离开人世。
现在的人却不是这样。他们把酒当作浆水一样随意饮用，把妄为当作常态，醉酒后行房事，用情欲来耗竭精气，用劳损来散失真气。不知道保持精气的充盈，不能适时地调摄精神，只求满足一时的快乐，违背了养生的乐趣，起居没有节制，所以不到五十岁就衰老了。
况且饮食和起居，是人生日常生活的法则。如果放纵恣意而不知节制，却想传承精神、吸纳天地之气，难道不是很难吗？
又经书说：“饮食过量一倍，肠胃就会受伤；起居作息受到惊扰，神气就会浮越。”
因此，圣人当春季木气旺盛时，食用膏脂香气之物以助脾；夏季火气旺盛时，食用膏脂腥膻之物以助肺；秋季金气主事时，食用膏脂臊味之物以助肝；冬季水气主事时，食用膏脂膻味之物以助心。这就是所谓因为五行相克的关系而加以辅助的方法。
所以，饮食的常道，是保全生命的关键，即五谷、五果、五畜、五菜。脾胃依赖这些食物而仓库充实，三焦依赖这些食物而道路通畅，营卫之气依赖这些食物而分清浊，筋骨依赖这些食物而柔韧端正。
所以经书说：“五味相互调剂，就不会伤害五脏，这是用来滋养形体的。”虽然五味能滋养形体，但如果味道过于酸，会导致肝气过盛溢流，脾气就会衰竭；味道过于咸，会导致大骨受损，肌肉短缩，心气受抑；味道过于甘，会导致心气喘促胀满，面色发黑，肾气失去平衡；味道过于苦，会导致脾气不湿润，胃气变得浓滞；味道过于辛，会导致筋脉松弛败坏，精神受损。这就是所谓失去了五味的正常平衡，从而损害了形体。王冰注解说：“味道有偏颇，脏腑有偏衰，说的就是这个道理。”
饮食是用来滋养形体的，起居是用来调摄精神的。因此，圣人在春季三个月里晚睡早起，披散头发，舒缓形体，以适应万物发陈生长的时节，并且说要使意志生发；夏季三个月里晚睡早起，不厌恶日照，以适应万物蕃秀茂盛的时节，并且说要使意志没有怒意，使气机得以宣泄；秋季三个月里早睡早起，与鸡鸣同时起床，以适应万物容平收敛的时节，收敛神气，并且说要使意志安宁，以顺应秋气；冬季三个月里早睡晚起，避开寒冷靠近温暖，以适应万物闭藏的时节，并且说要使意志如同潜伏隐匿，好像有私密的意图，好像已经有所收获。这是顺应生长收藏的道理，春夏保养阳气，秋冬保养阴气，这是顺应四时的起居法则，用来调摄精神。
经书所说：违背春气，则少阳之气不生，肝气在体内发生病变；违背夏气，则太阳之气不长，心气在体内枯竭；违背秋气，则太阴之气不收，肺气焦枯胀满；违背冬气，则少阴之气不藏，肾气独自沉陷。这是违背了四时之气，从而损伤了精神。
明智之人顺应四时，不违背阴阳之道，也不失去五味损益的原理，因此形体与精神能够长久协调，从而享尽天年离去。这与那些只求满足心意、违背养生乐趣的人相比，怎么值得与他们谈论这个道理呢？
所以圣人践行它，贤者佩戴铭记它，这难道是空话吗？
It is stated: The *Neijing* (Inner Canon) teaches to follow the laws of Yin and Yang, harmonize with proper methods, regulate diet, maintain regular daily routines, and avoid excessive labor. Thus, one can achieve unity of form and spirit, completing one's natural lifespan.
People today are different. They treat wine as if it were water, regard reckless behavior as normal, engage in sexual intercourse while intoxicated, exhaust their essence through desires, and dissipate their true Qi through depletion. They do not know how to preserve fullness, fail to manage their spirit appropriately, seek only momentary pleasure, go against the joy of life, and have irregular routines. Consequently, they decline before reaching fifty years of age.
Diet and routine are the principles of daily life. If one indulges without restraint, yet wishes to transmit spirit and absorb the Qi of Heaven, is this not difficult?
Furthermore, the Classics state: "If food and drink exceed by double, the intestines and stomach will be injured; if daily routines are disturbed like a startle, the spirit and Qi will float."
Therefore, the Sages, when Wood Qi is prosperous in Spring, consume fatty and aromatic foods to assist the Spleen; when Fire Qi is prosperous in Summer, consume fatty and fishy foods to assist the Lung; when Metal Qi governs in Autumn, consume fatty and organ-meat foods to assist the Liver; when Water Qi governs in Winter, consume fatty and mutton-like foods to assist the Heart. This is called assisting based on the relationship of overcoming.
Thus, the constant of diet, which preserves life, consists of the Five Grains, Five Fruits, Five Livestock, and Five Vegetables. The Spleen and Stomach rely on these to fill their granaries; the Sanjiao (Triple Burner) relies on these to keep its pathways open; Ying and Wei Qi (Nutritive and Defensive Qi) rely on these to distinguish clear from turbid; sinews and bones rely on these to become supple and upright.
Hence, the Classics say: "When the Five Flavors are balanced, the Five Zang Organs are not injured; this nourishes the form." Although the Five Flavors nourish the form, if the Sour flavor is excessive, Liver Qi overflows, and Spleen Qi fails; if the Salty flavor is excessive, the large bones suffer, muscles shorten, and Heart Qi is suppressed; if the Sweet flavor is excessive, Heart Qi becomes panting and distended, complexion turns black, and Kidney Qi loses balance; if the Bitter flavor is excessive, Spleen Qi does not moisten, and Stomach Qi becomes thick and stagnant; if the Pungent flavor is excessive, sinews and vessels become flaccid and ruined, and spirit is harmed. This is losing the constancy of the Five Flavors and damaging the form. Wang Bing’s commentary states: "Flavors have biases, Zang organs have deficiencies; this is what is meant."
Food and drink nourish the form; daily routines regulate the spirit. Therefore, the Sages in the three months of Spring sleep late and rise early, let down their hair, relax their bodies, aligning with the time of sprouting and renewal, stating that this allows the will to generate. In the three months of Summer, they sleep late and rise early, do not dislike the sun, aligning with the time of flourishing and beauty, stating that this keeps the will free from anger and allows Qi to vent. In the three months of Autumn, they sleep early and rise early, waking with the chickens, aligning with the time of receptivity and stability, gathering the spirit, stating that this keeps the will peaceful to respond to Autumn Qi. In the three months of Winter, they sleep early and rise late, avoiding cold and seeking warmth, aligning with the time of storage, stating that the will should be hidden and concealed, as if having private intentions or already possessing something. This follows the Way of Growth, Flourishing, Harvesting, and Storage; nourishing Yang in Spring and Summer, nourishing Yin in Autumn and Winter. These are the routines following the Four Seasons, used to regulate the spirit.
The Classics say: Going against Spring Qi, Shaoyang Qi does not generate, and Liver Qi changes internally; going against Summer Qi, Taiyang Qi does not grow, and Heart Qi dries up internally; going against Autumn Qi, Taiyin Qi does not receive, and Lung Qi becomes scorched and full; going against Winter Qi, Shaoyin Qi does not store, and Kidney Qi sinks alone. This is losing the Qi of the Four Seasons, thereby injuring the spirit.
The wise follow the Four Seasons, do not violate the Way of Yin and Yang, and do not lose the principles of benefit and harm regarding the Five Flavors. Thus, form and spirit remain united for a long time, completing the natural lifespan. How can such people converse with those who seek only mental gratification and go against the joy of life?
Therefore, the Sages practice it, and the virtuous carry it with them. Is this an empty word?