As the Start of Summer solar term arrives, the weather gradually turns warmer, and the body's condition also undergoes corresponding changes. Traditional Chinese medicine says that the season to nourish the heart is summer. Therefore, during the Start of Summer, we should follow the changes of the solar term, focusing on nourishing the "heart" in our diet to peacefully endure the summer heat.
Fruit Salad
The diet should be light
After the Start of Summer, the summer heat can be oppressive, easily making one irritable and harming the heart, and appetite may also decrease. Therefore, the diet should be light, focusing on easily digestible and vitamin-rich foods, and try to eat less large fish, meat, and greasy or spicy foods. It is advisable to eat more lotus seeds, bean products, chicken, lean meat, sesame, corn, and drink more milk, which can not only supplement nutrition but also strengthen the heart.
Appropriately "increase sourness and decrease bitterness"
During the Start of Summer, the changes in nature are a gradual growth of yang energy and a gradual weakening of yin energy. Correspondingly, for the body's organs, it's a weakening of liver energy and a strengthening of heart energy. The dietary principle at this time is to increase sourness and decrease bitterness, to nourish the kidneys and support the liver, and to regulate the stomach's energy. As the weather turns warmer, the body sweats more and easily loses fluids. It is necessary to eat sour-tasting foods, such as tomatoes, lemons, strawberries, dark plums, grapes, hawthorn, pineapple, mangoes, and kiwis. Their sourness can astringe sweat, stop diarrhea, and expel dampness, preventing excessive sweating from depleting qi and damaging yin. They can also promote the production of body fluids, quench thirst, and invigorate the stomach for digestion.
Here are some heart-nourishing recipes to recommend
Lotus Leaf and Chicken Breast: Take 2 fresh lotus leaves, 30 grams of ham, 250 grams of boneless chicken breast, 50 grams of soaked mushrooms, 12 grams of cornstarch, and appropriate amounts of salt, sugar, chicken oil, Shaoxing wine, scallions, ginger, pepper, MSG, and sesame oil. Slice the chicken, mushrooms, and ginger. Wash the lotus leaves, blanch them briefly in boiling water, remove the stems, and cut them into 10 triangular pieces. Blanch the mushrooms in boiling water, rinse them in cold water, and mix them with the chicken in a bowl. Add the seasonings and mix well. Divide the mixture onto the 10 triangular lotus leaves, add a slice of ham to each, wrap them into rectangular packets, and steam for about 2 hours. This dish helps to nourish the heart, strengthen the spleen, and tonify deficiency.
Lotus Seed and Pork Stomach: Take 1 pork stomach, 50 grams of lotus seeds, and appropriate amounts of sesame oil, fine salt, ginger, scallions, and garlic. Soak the lotus seeds until they expand, place them inside the pork stomach, sew it up with thread, and put it in a pot with water to stew until cooked. Remove and let it cool. Slice the pork stomach into thin strips, place them in a plate with the lotus seeds, and mix with the seasonings. This dish can clear heart fire, strengthen the spleen, and benefit the stomach.
Fruit Salad: Peel and core the apples, pears, and bananas, and slice them into one-inch long, one-third-inch wide pieces. Separate the oranges into segments and cut the strawberries in half. Place them in a container and mix. Wash and disinfect lettuce leaves. Use lettuce leaves as a base in a small plate, then place the mixed fruit on top. Mix fresh cream and lemon juice into the salad dressing and pour it over the fruit. The salad is colorful, sweet, and refreshing, and is simple to make. The types and quantities of fruit can be increased or decreased according to personal preference. However, it is recommended to eat it immediately after preparation and not to let it sit for too long.
Tomato and Sago Porridge: Remove the stems from the tomatoes, wash them in cold water, blanch them briefly in boiling water, then transfer to cold water, peel off the skin, cut them in half, and dice them. Wash the sago, soak it in cold water until soft, and drain. Add about 1000ml of cold water to a pot, bring to a boil with the sago, then add the tomato pieces and reduce the heat to simmer. Add sugar and sweet osmanthus, then serve.
Soybeans with pigtails