Porridge is one of our favorite foods and also one of the traditional Chinese foods. We all know that eating porridge has great health benefits. Cooking porridge is not difficult, but making good porridge is not easy. Have a delicious and healthy porridge in early winter.
The preference of Traditional Chinese Medicine for porridge is reflected in many formulas for preventing and treating diseases. In the "Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases" by the sage of medicine, Zhang Zhongjing, japonica rice was a commonly used "medicine". Zhang Zhongjing would have patients take their medicine and then drink hot porridge to induce sweating and enhance the medicinal effect. He emphasized "nourishing with congee," which has a positive effect on disease prognosis and the care of weak patients. There are also many records of medicinal porridge in Sun Simiao's "Essential Formulas for Emergencies Worth a Thousand Gold" in its "Chapter on Dietetic Therapy," which states that japonica rice can "nourish the stomach's Qi and build muscle."
Millet Porridge
Millet nourishes the heart and stomach, has a certain protective effect on the stomach, and helps with sleep. For the elderly, patients, and postpartum women, millet porridge is an ideal nourishing food.
Millet Porridge
Corn Porridge
Research has confirmed that in addition to carbohydrates, protein, fat, and carotene, corn also contains riboflavin, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and various vitamins, which help prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia.
Rice Porridge
Rice porridge has a more balanced effect on the nourishment of the five organs and is suitable for most people. Glutinous rice, as a type of rice, contains more viscous substances and has a better effect of replenishing Qi.
Oatmeal Porridge
Sticking to drinking oatmeal porridge helps lower "bad" cholesterol levels and prevent hyperlipidemia. Harvard University research has proven that eating a small bowl of coarse grain porridge, such as oatmeal, every day can prolong life.
Sweet Potato Porridge
Sweet potatoes can nourish the stomach and spleen and prevent constipation. People with poor spleen and stomach are suitable for adding sweet potatoes to their porridge.
Experts emphasize that although porridge is mainly made of five grains, it should not be limited to them. It should also be paired with beans, vegetables, meat, etc., to increase nutrition and enhance health benefits through reasonable ingredient pairing. Zhou Yingchun recommends that in addition to the five grains, adding red beans, red dates, lotus seeds, and longan can enhance the heart-nourishing and blood-tonifying effects; adding soybeans, Chinese yam, hawthorn, and white beans is beneficial for strengthening the spleen and stomach; while mung beans and goji berries can increase the liver-nourishing and liver-protecting effects.
Sweet Rice Porridge