"The turn of winter and spring is the perfect time to eat radishes." In some parts of our country, eating radishes during the early spring is a traditional custom. This custom originated from a plague at the turn of winter and spring in ancient times. At that time, people were preparing for the Start of Spring, unexpectedly, a strange disease spread everywhere. Those who fell ill were all weak and short of breath, had no appetite, and felt heavy-headed and light-footed when walking. Later, the patients, after being "guided by an immortal," ate radishes and, surprisingly, recovered. From then on, every time the Start of Spring arrived, people would eat radishes to pray for peace.
Why can radishes cure illnesses? And what illnesses can they cure?
Radishes have high edible and medicinal value. Raw radishes are pungent in taste and cold in nature, while cooked radishes are sweet in taste and slightly cool in nature. The most important effects are benefiting the stomach, regulating qi, and aiding digestion. From a nutritional perspective, radishes are rich in nutrients. Regular consumption can boost the body's immune system and even has an inhibitory effect on the growth of cancer cells, so in recent years, they have been included in "anti-cancer diets".
Right after the Spring Festival, many people suffer from digestive system diseases, with the most common being bloating, loss of appetite, and constipation. At this time, it's a good idea to buy some crisp and fresh radishes, cut them into shreds, and mix with an appropriate amount of sugar and vinegar. The sweet and sour taste is refreshing, relieves greasiness, clears internal heat toxins, and aids digestion.
During the early spring, the weather turns warm but is still cold, especially in the evening when the temperature drops significantly. People with a weak constitution are prone to catching cold and developing the flu. At this time, you can boil radishes in water and drink it like tea to prevent and treat colds. The specific method is as follows: Take 250 grams of fresh white radish, no need to peel, wash and slice thinly. Add 3 bowls of water and boil down to 2 bowls. Drink one bowl while it's hot (you can add sugar according to your personal taste). After one hour, warm up and drink the second bowl. Follow this method for two to three consecutive days to effectively prevent colds.
A special reminder is that because radishes are cold in nature, people with a weak spleen and stomach or a constitution that is cold and deficient should not eat too much. Moreover, radishes have the effect of moving and breaking qi, so people taking traditional Chinese medicine, especially those taking qi-tonifying herbs like ginseng and astragalus, should not eat radishes at the same time, lest it be "a case of one tonifying and one breaking, all for nothing".
Good Partners for Eating Radishes
White Radish + Pear:
It can moisten the lungs, clear heat, and resolve phlegm. Pears have the effect of moistening the lungs, cooling the heart, and resolving phlegm and fire. Juicing them with white radish not only masks the spicy taste of the radish but also doubles the therapeutic effect. In winter, if people with a weak spleen and stomach cannot drink cold juice, they can also boil the two together in water to drink.
White Radish + Lamb:
Eating lamb in winter can dispel cold, warm the heart and stomach, and also tonify qi and blood, nourish the liver, and improve blood circulation. But "meat generates phlegm," and eating too much lamb can easily lead to "heatiness." If stewed with the cooling effect of white radish, it not only resolves phlegm and reduces fire but also relieves greasiness, making the nutrients complementary.
White Radish + Crucian Carp:
White radish and crucian carp soup has the effect of warming the middle jiao and guiding qi downward, strengthening the spleen, and promoting urination to drain dampness. This soup is also wonderful for its "two white" ingredients; the white radish soaked in the milky fish broth looks very appetizing.
White Radish + Scallion:
In winter, it is the season when cold and wind-related colds are common. After being infected, a person will feel aversion to cold and wind, have little sweating, a stuffy nose with a runny nose, and a cough with phlegm. At this time, one should eat foods that generate heat. Boiling soup with scallion sections, ginger slices, and white radish slices has the effect of dispelling cold and stopping cough. This soup can also prevent colds.
White Radish + Kelp:
Kelp and seaweed are rich in iodine. Boiling white radish with kelp has the effect of resolving phlegm and reducing swelling, and it has a certain effect in preventing goiter.