Eating lotus root in autumn can strengthen the spleen and stomach ~ People with bloating and diabetes should not eat too much lotus root

Autumn is the season for tasting fresh lotus roots. Chinese medicine practitioners point out that lotus roots have very high medicinal value. The flowers, leaves, rhizomes (lotus roots), stamens and seeds can all be used as medicinal materials. In particular, lotus root is warm in nature and sweet in taste. Eating it raw can remove blood stasis, while eating it cooked can nourish the stomach and replenish qi, strengthen the spleen and lungs, and stop diarrhea. It can both nourish health and replenish vitality.

Sha Zhengping, executive director of the New Taipei City Chinese Medicine Practitioners Association and a Chinese medicine practitioner, pointed out that there is a proverb that goes "Lotus is full of treasures, and autumn lotus roots are the most nutritious." Autumn is a great time to enjoy lotus roots when the weather is clear and cool. The ancient book "Compendium of Materia Medica" calls lotus root a "spiritual root" and it has been a health-preserving food since ancient times. The more famous production areas in Taiwan are Baihe Township, Tainan and Shuishang Township, Chiayi.

Lotus root nourishes the spleen and stomach, but 3 groups of people should avoid eating it

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, raw lotus root and cooked lotus root have different effects. Raw lotus root is sweet and cold in nature, and can clear away heat and promote body fluid, cool blood and stop bleeding, and disperse blood stasis. It is suitable for people with dry mouth and hot temper. After the lotus root is cooked, its nature changes from cold to warm, and it has the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, replenishing qi and blood, and stopping diarrhea. However, the following three groups should be careful before eating lotus root:

1. Diabetic patients should not eat too much lotus root, because lotus root is starchy and eating too much may cause blood sugar instability.

2. People with gastrointestinal ulcers, bloating and irritable bowel syndrome should not eat too much, because lotus root is rich in fiber and will promote intestinal peristalsis.

3. People with weak spleen and stomach, prone to diarrhea, poor appetite, and women during their menstrual period, it is best to avoid eating raw lotus root which is cold in nature, and should eat cooked lotus root instead to avoid aggravating discomfort.

Red dates and lotus root slimming soup is a good ingredient for weight loss

Chinese medicine practitioner Sha Zhengping emphasized that for obese people, lotus root is a good ingredient to help them lose weight. Because lotus root is rich in dietary fiber and mucus protein, these substances can reduce the absorption of fat in the human body, convert fat into waste and excrete it quickly, thereby achieving a weight loss effect.

【Red Dates and Lotus Root Soup for Weight Loss】

Ingredients: 5 red dates, 500 grams of lotus root, 300 grams of pork ribs, cooking wine, salt and sesame oil as appropriate. .

Preparation: Wash the red dates, break them in half, wash and slice the lotus root; wash the pork ribs, put them into a pot with water and cooking wine, remove them after boiling, and rinse them with water again to remove blood stains; pour water into a soup pot, add red dates, lotus root and pork ribs, add salt to taste after boiling, simmer for 40 minutes, drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

[Instructions]: This weight loss soup contains various nutrients needed by the body, such as red dates for blood supplement, pork rich in protein, lotus root for spleen and stomach, and dredge meridians. It is an essential product for nourishing health.

Lotus root tasting with various choices. The lotus root nodes are short and thick, the heavier the better.

In addition, there are many ways to enjoy lotus root. In addition to eating it raw, making juice or cooking it into soup, you can also slice it and add plum juice or oil and vinegar to mix it cold, which is refreshing and appetizing, or cook it with brown rice. For those who like desserts, you can stuff glutinous rice into the lotus root, steam it, and then drizzle it with osmanthus sauce to make a delicious osmanthus honey lotus root.

Remember to keep in mind the following things when buying lotus roots: the skin should be intact, the cut should be fresh, the nodes should be short and thick, the heavier the better; when storing, you can wrap it in newspaper and refrigerate it. Cut lotus root turns black very easily, so it needs to be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated, or cut into thin slices and marinated with vinegar as a cold dish, which can be stored for about a week.