Three Soups for Wind-Heat Cold
A wind-heat cold is characterized by worsening fever, headache, a red, swollen, dry, and sore throat, nasal congestion with yellow discharge, a cough with sticky or yellow phlegm, a preference for cold drinks due to thirst, and an aversion to wind. Looking in the mirror, one may observe a red tip and edges of the tongue with a thin, white, slightly yellow coating.
It can also aggravate conditions like facial acne and constipation. The treatment principle should focus on releasing the exterior with cool, acrid substances.
First Soup: Mint Congee
Decoct 15 grams of mint to obtain a medicinal broth, then let it cool. Take 60 grams of japonica rice, add water to cook it into a congee. Just before the congee is done, add the mint broth and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Serve it slightly warm; inducing a sweat is ideal. Mint is a key herb for dispelling wind-heat. When made into a congee with japonica rice and rock sugar, it promotes sweating and also protects the stomach. This soup is most suitable for those with a new wind-heat cold.
Second Soup: Mulberry Leaf, Chrysanthemum, and Mint Drink
Combine 6 grams of mulberry leaf, 6 grams of chrysanthemum, 3 grams of mint, 15 grams of bitter bamboo leaf, and a little honey. Add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil, and drink it frequently as a substitute for tea. Mulberry leaf clears lung heat; chrysanthemum dispels wind-heat, brightens the eyes, and pacifies the liver; mint is a key herb for dispelling wind-heat and can rapidly relieve symptoms like fever and headache. This drink is also quite suitable for patients with hypertension, headache, or blurred vision.
Third Soup: Steamed Snow Pear with Fritillary and Glehnia
Take 1 snow pear, peel it, and remove the core. Fill the cavity with 6 grams of fritillary bulb, 10 grams of glehnia root, 2 grams of mint, and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Close the pear, place it in a bowl with water, and steam it until cooked. Eat it in the morning and evening for several consecutive days. This soup moistens dryness, stops coughing, transforms phlegm, and ventilates the lungs. It is particularly suitable for the elderly and children who, after a cold, have symptoms of dry throat and cough, or lung heat with yellow phlegm, caused by injury to body fluids by the febrile disease. It is also indicated for dry mouth, thirst, and constipation.