Hawthorn has a delicate aroma and a sweet and sour taste. It is effective in promoting digestion, strengthening the spleen, promoting Qi circulation, dispelling stasis, and can be used to treat meat stagnation, epigastric fullness, diarrhea and dysentery with abdominal pain, amenorrhea due to blood stasis, postpartum blood stasis, stabbing pain in the heart and abdomen, hernia pain, hyperlipidemia, etc. The following introduces the wonderful uses of hawthorn:
Hawthorn Congee
50 grams of hawthorn, 50 grams of japonica rice, and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Slice the hawthorn and cook it with the japonica rice to make congee. When the congee is almost done, add the rock sugar and mix well. Take twice daily, as breakfast and dinner. It is suitable for food stagnation, indigestion of meat; postpartum blood stasis and abdominal pain, lochia, dysmenorrhea; infantile indigestion of milk; hypertension, coronary insufficiency, angina, hyperlipidemia.
Silver Ear and Hawthorn Jelly
50 grams of hawthorn, 100 grams of cactus, 50 grams of white fungus, and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Pick out impurities from the white fungus, wash it clean, and cook it by the usual method. Peel the cactus, cut it into small dice, wash the hawthorn and slice it. When the white fungus is about to become tender, add the hawthorn and rock sugar together, and cook until the juice thickens into a jelly. This recipe nourishes yin and supplements the stomach, moistens the lungs and promotes body fluids. It has the functions of strengthening the heart, nourishing blood vessels, lowering blood lipids, and lowering blood pressure. It is suitable for patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and coronary heart disease.
Hawthorn, Cassia Seed, and Lotus Leaf Soup
15 grams of hawthorn, 15 grams of cassia seed, and half a sheet of lotus leaf. Slice the hawthorn, shred the lotus leaf, and decoct with cassia seed in water. Take the decoction as tea. It is suitable for coronary heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, etc. Cassia seed can lower serum cholesterol and inhibit the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta. Its aqueous extract has a blood pressure-lowering effect. Lotus leaf has the effects of quenching thirst, dispelling blood stasis, aiding the spleen and stomach, and reducing edema. When used with hawthorn, it can remove lipids, lower blood pressure, aid weight loss, and promote fitness. It is a good medicinal diet for dizziness and blurred vision caused by hypertension.
Hawthorn and Shredded Pear
200 grams of hawthorn, 500 grams of pear, and an appropriate amount of white sugar. Wash the hawthorn and remove the pits. Peel and core the pear, then shred it. Place sugar in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water and cook until the sugar forms threads. Add the hawthorn and stir-fry until the sugar syrup is absorbed, then remove from the heat and serve with the shredded pear. It is suitable for yin injury by pathogenic heat, deficiency of essence and fluid, heat accumulation in the chest, indigestion, hypertension, etc. Pear has the effects of clearing and moistening, promoting body fluids, and stopping cough. When used with hawthorn, it can moisturize the skin, improve complexion, and prolong life.
Hawthorn and Goji Berry Drink
15 grams of hawthorn and 15 grams of goji berry, steeped with boiling water and sipped frequently. It is suitable for post-illness weakness, loss of appetite, indigestion, soreness in the lower back and knees, blurred vision, etc. Goji berry contains various unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, and other components. It has the effects of nourishing yin and blood, benefiting essence and improving eyesight; it can also protect the liver, lower blood pressure, and lower blood sugar. When used with hawthorn, it can nourish the liver and kidneys, and enrich blood and benefit the brain.
Hawthorn and Motherwort Paste
50 grams of hawthorn, 50 grams of motherwort, and 100 grams of brown sugar. Slice the hawthorn, decoct with motherwort in water, remove the dregs, and add brown sugar to form a paste. It is suitable for postpartum exposure to cold, incomplete lochia, small amount with purple color, and abdominal pain that resists pressure. Motherwort invigorates blood and dispels stasis. When used with brown sugar and hawthorn, it has a good effect on postpartum blood stasis type of lochia.