Experts say that during this period, citizens should eat more foods such as lamb, spinach, and mushrooms to nourish the spleen and kidneys.
Firstly, for home cooking, meals should be tailored to the weak digestion of the elderly, avoiding rich, greasy, and overly salty foods. From a modern nutritional perspective, the diet for the elderly should follow the "three more, three less" principle: more protein, vitamins, and fiber; less sugar, fat, and salt.
For winter solstice dietary health, food should be warm, cooked, and soft.
At the same time, food should be warm, cooked, and soft. The cold weather can gradually deplete the body's yang energy, so it is advisable to eat warm foods to protect the spleen and kidneys.
It is particularly noted that starting from the winter solstice, one must regularly eat lamb stewed with radish, which was the first-choice dish of the imperial court for the occasion. Its effects are significant, able to replenish qi and nourish deficiency, warm the middle and lower body. It is especially suitable for those with sore and weak waist and knees, drowsiness and fatigue, kidney deficiency and impotence, and a cold and weak spleen and stomach. Meanwhile, mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, and spinach also help to nourish the intestines, resolve phlegm, and dispel cold. Additionally, it is recommended to eat more yams (steamed or boiled), which have the effect of strengthening the spleen, tonifying the lungs, and securing the kidneys and essence.
For winter solstice dietary health, food should be warm, cooked, and soft.
Expert reminder: Radish should not be taken with ginseng, American ginseng, or fleeceflower root at the same time; lamb is forbidden to be eaten with pumpkin.