A year's plan starts with spring. By focusing on health preservation in spring, you can lay a solid foundation for your health for the entire year. Our ancestors often reminded us to follow the natural cycles of the seasons for health. Following these cycles means adjusting your life according to the principles of spring birth, summer growth, autumn harvest, and winter storage.
Chopped Chili Spring Bamboo Shoots
Stay Away from Liver Cancer by Eating Three Types of Bamboo Shoots
No spring is complete without bamboo shoots. Before the Qingming Festival is the best time to eat bamboo shoots for health and liver nourishment. Eating these three types of bamboo shoots together can prevent liver cancer. Although they are just three vegetables, their order is crucial and works in a chain reaction: first, use spring bamboo shoots to detoxify, then eat lettuce stalks to nourish the liver, and finally use asparagus to block cancer cells.
Spring Bamboo Shoots: Detoxification
Chicken Pith Bamboo Shoots, a favorite dish of Jia Mu in "Dream of the Red Chamber," uses spring bamboo shoots. Eating spring bamboo shoots in spring can promote bowel movements. The E. coli in the intestines can synthesize the bamboo shoot's cellulose into vitamins needed by the human body. It can also combine with cholic acid, a metabolite of cholesterol in the intestines, to form indigestible composite waste that is expelled from the body, leaving no place for cancer cells to hide.
Chicken Pith Bamboo Shoots
Ingredients: 500g spring bamboo shoots, 1 bowl of chicken broth, 2 dried chili peppers, 1 spoon of Shaoxing wine, a little sugar and salt.
Method: First, cut the bamboo shoot shell vertically, about as deep as the flesh, and peel off the shell completely from bottom to top. This way, the bamboo shoot won't break, and later you can cut it into complete strips. Wash the bamboo shoots and blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove the astringent taste. Then, remove the bamboo shoots, rinse them in cold water, and place them in a pot with the cold chicken broth. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add 1 spoon of Shaoxing wine and the dried chili peppers, and simmer over low heat for 8 minutes. Finally, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and sugar. Simmer for a moment longer, then plate. Use chopsticks to arrange them neatly and remove the chili peppers.
Reminder: Some of the fiber in bamboo shoots is relatively coarse. People with poor gastrointestinal health may experience discomfort or even stomach bleeding from eating too many spring bamboo shoots. In addition, people who are prone to allergies should avoid eating them. Bamboo shoots should not be stewed with tofu, as the calcium in the tofu can combine with oxalic acid to increase the content of insoluble calcium oxalate, which is detrimental to health.
Stir-fried Beef with Lettuce Stalks
Lettuce Stalks: Liver Nourishment
Lettuce stalks are a prized vegetable in spring, often recommended by nutritionists. Lettuce stalks contain an aromatic hydroxyl ester that helps prevent liver and stomach cancer. The leaves of lettuce are rich in calcium, carotene, and vitamin C. The lactucarium in lettuce can promote the secretion of gastric juice, digestive enzymes, and bile, helping to improve appetite for people with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and chronic liver disease. Patients with cirrhosis complicated by anemia can eat lettuce regularly to promote the secretion of organic acids and enzymes, increase iron absorption, and help platelets recover and prevent the condition from worsening.
Lettuce Stalk and Pork Slices
Ingredients: Lettuce stalks, pork belly, scallions, ginger, cooking wine, light soy sauce, chicken essence, sesame oil.
Method: First, peel and root the lettuce stalks, then slice them. Also slice the pork belly and mince the scallions and ginger. Note that the lettuce leaves should not be discarded, as they are edible and very nutritious, similar to celery leaves. Heat some oil in a wok, add the pork slices and stir-fry, then add the scallions and ginger. Once the pork changes color, add the lettuce stalks and stir-fry for about a minute. Add a little salt, then a small amount of cooking wine and light soy sauce. Stir-fry for another minute. Before serving, add chicken essence and a drizzle of sesame oil. If you like spicy food, you can add some dried chili peppers while stir-frying.
Reminder: When buying lettuce stalks, check the root. If there are white spots or holes in the center, the lettuce is old and the texture will be poor. If the root is completely transparent, it is relatively tender.
Asparagus: Cancer Prevention
Asparagus is one of the top ten famous dishes in the world, also known as garden asparagus. It enjoys the reputation of "king of vegetables" in the international market. The nucleic acids, folic acid, glutathione, choline, arginine, mannose, peptide enzymes, and rutin in asparagus can effectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Asparagus can also be used as a nutritional food for patients with liver cancer, helping to reduce fatigue and improve appetite.
Oil-Drenched Asparagus
Cold-dressed Asparagus
Ingredients: Asparagus, millet chili peppers, garlic.
Method: First, cut the asparagus into the desired lengths; you can peel the base and cut off the tough part. Bring water to a boil in a pot, add a little salt and oil to keep the asparagus looking vibrant after blanching. Then, chop the millet chili peppers and garlic and set aside. Place the blanched asparagus in cold water for a moment, then remove and arrange on a plate. Heat oil in a pot, add the millet chili peppers and garlic until fragrant. Then add steamed fish sauce, salt, and sugar and heat until fragrant, and add a little sesame oil. Finally, pour the sauce over the asparagus and it's ready to eat!
Reminder: The freshness of fresh asparagus decreases quickly, causing the tissue to harden and lose many nutrients. It should be eaten while fresh and not stored for long. If it cannot be eaten immediately, wrap it in newspaper and store it in the refrigerator, where it can last for two to three days.
Spring is the perfect time to eat bamboo shoots! A meal of bamboo shoots can cleanse your system for days! The combination of these three bamboo shoots prevents liver cancer. If not now, then when?
The oily tarp
Pepper chopping
Let's make some meat and beans