The dry winter climate accelerates the loss of moisture from the body. Especially in northern regions after heating begins, many people find that symptoms like a dry mouth, hoarse voice, dry cough, dry skin, and reduced urination or constipation become more severe. These are all signals from the body indicating a lack of water. Besides drinking more water, how can you alleviate dryness through your daily diet?
Sour fruits also contain substances like tannic acid, organic acids, and dietary fiber, which can stimulate the secretion of digestive fluids and accelerate gastrointestinal motility, thereby nourishing yin and moistening dryness. Moreover, fruits generally have a water content of over 70%. During the dry winter, eating a fruit a day is an ideal way to replenish fluids.
Secondly, "white foods" can moisten the lungs. Professor Zhou Jianian, an expert on Chinese dietary nutrition at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, explains that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) holds that "dryness easily injures the lungs." The lung, one of the five organs, corresponds to the color "white" in the five-color system. Therefore, eating some "white foods" can moisten the lungs and replenish fluids. In winter, you can often eat white radish, cabbage, winter melon, lily bulb, tremella (snow fungus), lotus root, and lotus seeds. Among these, the "common vegetables" cabbage and white radish are the most effective and economical. White radish is rich in various vitamins and minerals, with its vitamin C content being 8-10 times higher than that of pears and apples. Cabbage is rich in vitamins C and E, which can prevent skin dryness caused by dryness and heat. Its dietary fiber can also promote bowel movements and prevent constipation caused by internal "heat." You can make soups like winter melon soup, white radish soup, or napa cabbage soup, all of which have a far greater hydrating effect than just drinking plain water.
Finally, it's important to remind you to consume less salt during the winter. The dry climate is particularly harmful to the respiratory system and can easily trigger upper respiratory tract infections. If food is too salty, it can reduce saliva secretion, making it easier for various bacteria to survive in the upper respiratory tract. A high-salt diet can also reduce the mucous membranes' ability to resist disease, allowing bacteria and viruses to take advantage and cause inflammation. However, compared to the summer when people eat more light cold dishes, in winter people often prefer rich, braised dishes, which can unknowingly increase salt intake. Therefore, it's especially important to limit salt intake during the winter.