Vegetables are rich in vitamins and chlorophyll, and most have a cooling nature. When used as an ingredient for hot pot, they not only cut through the grease and supplement nutrition but also have effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, and reducing internal heat. Therefore, when adding ingredients to the hot pot, besides fish and meat, don't forget to add more vegetables like water chestnuts and radishes. Of course, experts remind that vegetables should not be cooked for too long, otherwise they will lose their "heat-reducing" effect.
Use light seasonings
An excessive amount of seasonings like chili, garlic, and scallions, or sauces like satay sauce and chili sauce, can cause certain damage to the gastric mucosa. This is especially true for people suffering from tuberculosis, hemorrhoids, gastritis, and duodenal ulcers, who should consume them even less.
Therefore, when eating hot pot, it's best to choose lighter seasonings like soy sauce and sesame oil to avoid irritating the digestive system and prevent "internal heat".
Add some heat-reducing foods
Such foods include tofu, white lotus seeds, ginger, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, bitter melon, and various edible mushrooms.
Tofu is a bean product containing gypsum. Adding an appropriate amount of tofu to the hot pot not only supplements various trace elements but also allows the gypsum to exert its effects of clearing heat, reducing fire, relieving restlessness, and quenching thirst.
White lotus seeds contain various nutrients and are also a good remedy for nourishing the body. Adding an appropriate amount of white lotus seeds to the hot pot helps to balance nutrition and is beneficial to health. Additionally, it's best not to remove the lotus seed cores, as they have the effect of clearing the heart and reducing fire.
Ginger can be used for flavoring and to combat cold. You can add some unpeeled ginger to the hot pot, as the ginger skin is pungent and cooling, and has the effect of dispersing fire and heat.
More fruits after the meal
Generally, it's appropriate to eat some fruit about 30 to 40 minutes after eating hot pot. Fruits are cooling in nature and can cool the body, detoxify, and reduce internal heat. Eating one or two fruits like snow pears or bananas after the meal can effectively prevent "internal heat".
Experts also remind that "internal heat" does not necessarily require drinking herbal tea, because herbal tea is also a type of medicine, and drinking it indiscriminately can affect the body.