As the weather gets cold, your appetite increases, making it the perfect time to "nourish" your body. For those who focus on health preservation, food choices should follow the seasons. In winter, it's a good idea to eat more "red foods".
So-called red foods mainly fall into two categories: one is heme-containing meat and meat products, such as beef and mutton; the other is brightly colored vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red dates, and hawthorn. In the bleak winter, these foods first catch the eye, providing a pleasant visual stimulus that whets the appetite and increases hunger.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, red meats are warm in nature but not drying, with the effects of warming the middle to dispel cold, tonifying qi and blood, and stimulating the appetite and strengthening the spleen. Eating them in winter not only protects you from the cold but also nourishes the body. Furthermore, most red meats are naturally rich in iron, which helps to nourish the blood, enrich the heart blood, and give the face a healthy ruddy complexion. Stewing mutton with an appropriate amount of Angelica sinensis and ginger once or twice a week is a great way to replenish blood, benefit the kidneys, and improve complexion.
Red fruits and vegetables are also "masters of health preservation" because they are mostly rich in natural pigments like lycopene, polyphenols, and anthocyanins, which have antioxidant effects. They are also rich in calcium and iron, which can provide a certain protective effect on the cardiovascular system. In addition, carrots contain a large amount of carotene, which can strengthen the spleen and aid digestion, nourish the liver and improve eyesight, and lower qi and relieve coughs. Sweet potatoes enter the spleen and kidney meridians and can "nourish the spleen and stomach," "boost qi and strength," and "resist cold and wind." In Traditional Chinese Medicine, they are considered a "good medicine." Red dates can tonify the middle jiao, replenish qi, nourish the blood, and calm the spirit. These "common" vegetables and fruits are everywhere, and with proper pairing, you can easily reap health benefits.