Summer attacks the heart and causes loss of appetite! Red bean and barley porridge to relieve summer heat

In the hot summer, the body is hot and irritable, and it is easy to get angry and lose appetite. Chinese medicine practitioners point out that people should eat more porridge to reduce internal heat, detoxify and increase appetite. In addition to oatmeal porridge promoting bowel movements, red beans and coix seed can strengthen the spleen. People who stay in air-conditioned rooms for a long time can drink "ginger soup" frequently, which can also effectively prevent and treat "air-conditioning diseases" such as abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, colds and flu.

Dr. Chen Chaozong, chairman of the Taiwan Association of Primary Care Chinese Medicine Practitioners, said that summer is the season with the strongest yang energy, which belongs to fire among the five elements, and the corresponding internal organ is the heart. Therefore, the heart fire is stronger and consumes more qi and damages yin, leading to symptoms such as red and hot face, restlessness, dry mouth, loss of appetite, etc. It is also the season when you are most likely to feel tired and weak.

Eat bitter food to relieve fever and eat ginger to expel coldness

To nourish your body in the summer, you can eat more bitter foods such as lotus root, celery, etc., or slightly sweet foods such as sugar cane, cherry tomatoes, etc., to help relieve heat, dispel summer heat, and relieve bloating and fatigue. In addition, the days are long and the nights are short in summer, so it is better to go to bed late and get up early. Go to bed at 10 or 11 o'clock in the evening and get up at 6 or 7 o'clock in the morning. You can take a 30-minute nap at noon to help nourish the heart energy.

In addition, eating ginger in summer can strengthen the spleen and stomach. Because ginger is pungent and warm, it can induce sweating and relieve exterior symptoms, warm the middle and stop vomiting, warm the lungs and stop coughing, and help the body eliminate cold. For patients with weak spleen and stomach, ginger tea can increase gastrointestinal function and eliminate dampness and toxins. It is recommended that you do not drink ginger tea too strong, just 2 to 3 thin slices will do, or add 1 red date to complement it.

Avoid spicy ice cream for summer health

In terms of summer diet, Chinese medicine practitioner Chen Chaozong reminds people not to overeat ice cream, cold drinks or raw and cold food, as this can easily cause cold and dampness to bind in the body, disrupt the spleen and stomach function, and easily lead to abdominal pain and diarrhea symptoms. In summer, the diet should be light and you should avoid excessive consumption of spicy or fried foods, so as not to increase your internal heat and cause constipation. Drinking porridge and tea for health can not only strengthen the spleen and stomach, but also have the effect of reducing weight.

Drink porridge: strengthen the spleen and stomach Drink tea: relieve heat and toxins

《1. Mung Bean Oatmeal Porridge》: Promotes bowel movements

• Ingredients: 100 grams of mung beans, 80 grams of oatmeal.

• Method: Boil mung beans, oatmeal and 8 cups of water for half an hour, then continue to cook into porridge.

• Efficacy: Mung bean is cool in nature and sweet in taste. It has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, clearing away summer heat and relieving restlessness, quenching thirst and strengthening the stomach. Oats are rich in vitamin B group, E, and folic acid to supplement the nutrients needed by the body.

2. Red bean and coix seed porridge: Strengthens the spleen and stomach

• Ingredients: 100 grams of red beans, 80 grams of coix seeds.

• Method: Boil red beans and coix seeds with 8 cups of water for half an hour, then continue to cook into porridge.

• Efficacy: Red beans are mild in nature and can remove water and dampness. They are effective in treating edema, beriberi, jaundice, etc. Job's tears is slightly cold in nature and has the functions of strengthening the spleen, nourishing the lungs, clearing away heat, and promoting diuresis.

《3. Astragalus Health Tea》: Detoxification

• Ingredients: 3 qian of Astragalus, 5 qian of Ophiopogon japonicus, 5 qian of Lycium barbarum, and 1.5 qian of Mint.

• Preparation: Divide the herbs into 4 portions, take 1 portion each time and add 350c.c. boiling water to brew. Simmer in a thermos cup for about 5 minutes and then drink it instead of tea. Drink it up within 2 days.

• Efficacy: Astragalus nourishes the middle and replenishes Qi; Ophiopogon japonicus clears heat and nourishes Yin, moistens the lungs and nourishes the stomach; Lycium barbarum replenishes Yin, replenishes essence and blood, benefits the kidneys and nourishes the liver; Peppermint dissipates heat, detoxifies, and lowers blood sugar.