The red bean is highly nutritious, especially for women, and eating more of it can be beneficial for health. Moreover, expectant mothers can also consume red beans in moderation to supplement their nutrition. Let's talk more about this little red bean.
The benefits of red beans for women are numerous
1. Nourishing the heart and enriching the blood. The ancient herbalist Li Shizhen called the red bean the "grain of the heart," which indicates that it can nourish the heart. Red beans can clear heart fire and enrich heart blood. They are rich in crude fiber, which helps lower blood lipids and blood pressure and improve heart function; at the same time, they are rich in iron, which can promote qi and blood circulation, making them very suitable for heart blood. Women who often have cold hands and feet in winter can find relief by eating more red beans.
2. Strengthening the spleen and stomach. A strong digestive function in the spleen and stomach leads to better absorption. Therefore, people who are relatively weak should intensify their nourishment in winter to build up nutritional reserves for the following year, so that they will have more energy and strength and will not get sick. Red beans, known as "chi xiao dou" in traditional Chinese medicine, also have a significant effect of strengthening the spleen and stomach.
3. Reducing edema. In addition to being rich in potassium, the saponins in the skin of red beans have a strong diuretic effect, which can well improve the swelling of the face and feet caused by beriberi and kidney function decline. Therefore, red beans are a must for treating edema.
4. Removing dampness and clearing heat. When body fluids cannot flow with qi and blood and stagnate between human cells, the body swells rapidly. Red beans are rich in B vitamins and iron, and also contain protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, niacin, and other components, and have the effects of clearing heat, promoting urination, removing dampness, and detoxifying.
5. Detoxifying and aiding weight loss. Red beans are not only delicious but also a wonderful medicine for treating diseases. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" says that its nature moves downward, can pass through the small intestine, promote urination, and reduce swelling. Nowadays, at least five or six out of ten people are overweight, which is also a type of swelling, called bloated body. In the view of traditional Chinese medicine, whether it is obesity or edema, it means that there is dampness in the body. When body fluids cannot flow with qi and blood and stagnate between human cells, the body swells rapidly. This is true for both edema and obesity, the only difference is the degree. Substances with strong dampness-removing properties can eliminate these stagnant fluids in the body, thus reducing swelling.
So, how should red beans be eaten to be most beneficial to health?
Red Bean and Coix Seed Porridge
Red Bean and Purple Rice Soup
Ingredients: 20 grams each of red beans and purple rice, appropriate amount of rock sugar.
Method: Soak the red beans and purple rice in water separately for two hours, then discard the water. Add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer until the porridge is thick. Add an appropriate amount of rock sugar and stir well before serving.
Effect: Since red beans themselves have the effect of promoting urination and reducing swelling, they are most suitable for frequent consumption during rainy seasons. In addition, because purple rice is not easy to digest, it is recommended not to eat too much at once.
Red, Green, and Lily Soup
Ingredients: 20 grams each of red beans, mung beans, and lily.
Method: Soak the three ingredients in water for four hours, then bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low heat, and cook until done. Add seasonings to taste.
Effect: Eating Red, Green, and Lily Soup in summer helps digestion, clears heat and detoxifies, and nourishes yin and moisturizes the skin.
Red Bean and Coix Seed Soup
Ingredients: 30 grams of red beans, 20 grams of raw coix seed, appropriate amount of brown sugar.
Method: Soak the red beans and coix seed in water until the red beans expand. Then cook the red beans and raw coix seed together in a pot until they form a porridge. Add brown sugar, let it fully dissolve, then turn off the heat, and let it cool before eating.
Effect: Red Bean and Coix Seed Porridge has the effects of reducing swelling, replenishing qi and nourishing blood, and beautifying the skin.
Rich and Cozy Laba Porridge
Red Bean and Lotus Seed and Lily Paste
Ingredients: 500 grams of red beans, 30 grams each of lotus seeds and lily, 10 grams of dried tangerine peel, appropriate amount of rock sugar.
Method: Wash the red beans, lotus seeds, and lily, then soak them in water for two hours. Then place the ingredients in a pot and simmer over low heat for two hours. Add rock sugar, increase the heat to high, and cook for another 10 minutes before serving.
Effect: Red Bean and Lotus Seed and Lily Paste has the effects of clearing internal heat, beautifying the skin, and regulating qi and replenishing qi.
Coix Seed, Red Bean, and Pork Rib Soup
Ingredients: 500 grams of pork ribs, 100 grams of red beans, 20 grams each of red dates and hawthorn slices, appropriate amount of ginger, pepper, cooking wine, etc.
Method: Soak the red beans in water for half an hour, then place them in a pot with the pork ribs, red dates, and hawthorn slices and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender. Then add ginger, pepper, edible salt, and chopped green onions for seasoning.
Effect: Coix Seed, Red Bean, and Pork Rib Soup is a health-preserving soup suitable for all ages, with the effects of enriching blood, reducing swelling, and supplementing nutrition.
Laba Porridge
Ingredients: 20 grams each of red beans, mung beans, black beans, peanuts, coix seed, japonica rice, oats, and red dates, appropriate amount of rock sugar.
Method: Soak the ingredients in water for half an hour, then place them in a clay pot and cook until the porridge is thick. Add rock sugar to taste.
red bean glutinous rice porridge
Quail