Many people feel that eating fruit in the winter is very cold, and some fruits are considered "cool" in nature, so eating them in winter might be bad for your health. So, how should you eat fruit in the winter? How can you eat fruit without experiencing bloating or diarrhea? Let's take a look at how to eat fruit in the winter together!
Women should eat fruit "warm" in the winter
1. Steamed hawthorn aids digestion
Hawthorn contains a large amount of organic acids, fruit acids, etc. Eating raw hawthorn can be irritating to the stomach, so it's best to steam it. The steamed hawthorn has a bright color, a sweet and sour taste, and can strengthen the spleen, whet the appetite, and aid digestion.
Method: Pit the hawthorn, place it in a bowl, add rock sugar, and steam for 15 minutes. Regular consumption can strengthen the spleen and aid digestion.
Effect: Hawthorn is sour, sweet, and slightly warm in nature, affecting the spleen, stomach, and liver meridians. It has the effect of resolving food stagnation and dispelling blood stasis.
After consuming large amounts of rich, greasy food, symptoms such as loss of appetite, abdominal bloating, and even nausea and vomiting often occur. Because hawthorn is very effective at cutting through grease and breaking down meat stagnation, it is most appropriate to eat some hawthorn at this time.
In addition to its effect of promoting digestion and relieving stagnation, hawthorn also has the effect of dilating blood vessels and regulating blood pressure and cholesterol. It plays a good health care role in the prevention and treatment of fatty liver, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, coronary heart disease, obesity, and other diseases.
Contraindications: Although hawthorn is good, it should not be eaten in excess. It is not suitable for patients with excessive stomach acid, stomach ulcers, or reflux esophagitis. Pregnant women should avoid it.
2. Steamed apple treats diarrhea
Method: Place an apple in a bowl and steam for 5-8 minutes over boiling water. Peel it and mash it with a spoon. Take 4 times a day, 50 grams each time. For adults with diarrhea, it's best to eat it with the peel for a more significant effect.
Effect: Apples contain special substances like pectin and dietary fiber. The cooked pectin not only has antibacterial and toxin-absorbing effects but also has an astringent and anti-diarrheal effect.
Steamed Apple
3. Chuanbei pear moistens the lungs
Autumn and winter are the peak seasons for coughing. Due to the dry climate, symptoms such as a dry cough with little phlegm, dry mouth, and a sore throat are common. Steamed pears greatly increase their ability to nourish yin and moisten the lungs. Chuanbei pear with rock sugar can clear heat, moisten the lungs, and transform phlegm to stop coughing.
Method: Take 1 snow pear, cut off the top, remove the core, and add 3 grams of Chuanbei powder and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Cover with the pear top, place in a bowl, and steam for 10 minutes over boiling water. Turn off the heat. When the pear is warm, drink the steamed syrup and eat the pear. Once a day, it can moisten the lungs and transform phlegm.
Effect: Chuanbei mother (Fritillaria) is bitter, sweet, and cool in nature, affecting the lung meridian. It has the effect of transforming phlegm to stop coughing and clearing heat to resolve nodules. Chuanbei mother not only has a good effect on stopping coughs and transforming phlegm, but it can also nourish lung yin, diffuse the lungs, moisten the lungs, and clear lung heat, making it a good medicine for treating chronic coughs with phlegm. Rock sugar is sweet and neutral in nature, affecting the lung and spleen meridians, and has the effect of tonifying the middle jiao, benefiting qi, harmonizing the stomach, and moistening the lungs.
Contraindications: Chuanbei pear with rock sugar is not suitable for all types of coughs. It is contraindicated for those with wind-cold coughs characterized by clear, thin, white phlegm.
4. Steamed orange stops coughing
Oranges are slightly cool in nature and can regulate qi, transform phlegm, and moisten the lungs. The orange peel contains two ingredients that have a cough-suppressing and phlegm-transforming effect: noscapine and orange peel oil. Noscapine is a relatively common ingredient in cough medicine and is added to many Western medical prescriptions. Orange peel oil can help stop coughs and transform phlegm.
Method: Wash the orange and soak it in salt water for 20 minutes. Cut off the top to create a small bowl. Sprinkle a little salt on the exposed flesh and poke a few holes with chopsticks. Then, put the "lid" back on. Place the orange in a bowl and steam for 15 minutes after the water boils. After steaming, eat the flesh and discard the peel. It's best to also drink the juice at the bottom of the bowl.
Effect: This remedy is suitable for dry coughs caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis or lung dryness, with main symptoms such as yellow, sticky phlegm, red and swollen throat, and a dry, bitter mouth.
Dilute salt water can help expel phlegm, but don't use too much salt. Honey can also be used as a substitute. If there is no improvement after taking it, seek medical attention promptly.
Contraindications: Citrus or tangerines that look similar are considered fruits with a damp-heat nature. If used for steaming, not only will they not relieve the cough, but they may also cause internal heat or gastrointestinal discomfort.
Related reading: How to eat fruit better?
5. Stewed pomelo transforms phlegm
Pomelo contains very rich protein, organic acids, vitamins, and essential elements for the human body such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sodium. Those who often catch colds, have a cough with yellow phlegm, or have mouth sores can take a fresh pomelo with the peel on and the pits removed, add honey, and stew it to eat.
Method: Take a fresh pomelo, keep the peel on and remove the pits, add honey, and stew to eat. Eating an appropriate amount can help transform phlegm and reduce internal heat.
Effect: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that pomelo flesh is cold, sweet, and sour in nature, affecting the lung and stomach meridians, and has the effects of clearing heat and transforming phlegm, strengthening the stomach, and aiding digestion. The pomelo peel is a top-grade remedy for regulating qi, removing oil and grease, and clearing heat.
Eating 100-200 grams of pomelo per day is an amount that is more easily absorbed by the body. Also, because pomelo is slightly sour, eating it 1 hour before a meal can stimulate the appetite.
6. Roasted tangerine treats cough and asthma
Method: Wash and dry the tangerine, place it on a rack about 10cm away from the heat source, and turn it continuously until the peel is dry and slightly charred.
Effect: Through roasting, the harsh nature of the tangerine peel is eliminated but its medicinal properties remain. In other words, the fresh peel is briefly turned into dried tangerine peel (Chenpi) under the action of fire. Because fresh tangerines have a high water content, roasting a tangerine is equivalent to a single-ingredient decoction of Chenpi. Chenpi decoction has a dilating effect on the bronchi and can treat coughs and asthma. The flesh of the tangerine is rich in vitamin C, and when used together with Chenpi decoction, it can enhance the anti-inflammatory effect and resist inflammatory reactions in the bronchi. The orange network inside the peel can unblock the meridians, transform phlegm, regulate qi, and relieve stagnation. It has a cough-suppressing and phlegm-transforming effect for coughs caused by phlegm stagnation in the meridians.
7. Grilled fruit skewers
Method: Prepare 2 bananas, 1 apple, 1 pitaya (dragon fruit), 4 liang (approx. 200g) of small tomatoes, 2 small spoons of salt, 2 cups of water, and an appropriate amount of honey and wine. Then, wash the fruits, peel them, and cut them into 1.5 cm thick slices or cubes. Bring the water to a boil, add salt, and blanch the fruits quickly, then drain. Thread the small tomatoes, banana, kiwi, small tomatoes, pitaya, and apple onto skewers in that order. Clean the grill, place it over charcoal, put the fruit skewers on to grill. When the fruit becomes slightly translucent, turn it over and continue grilling until it is also translucent. When eating, dip it in the seasoning.
Note: The fruits for grilling should be fresh and crisp, not too ripe, so they can withstand the grilling and maintain their texture. The fruits should have a similar hardness (some soft, some hard) for better control of the grilling time, and you can choose the ingredients for the skewers according to your preference.
8. Steamed banana relieves constipation
Bananas are rich in dietary fiber, most of which is not digested and absorbed, thus promoting intestinal peristalsis.
Method: Peel the banana and place it in a dish. Add rock sugar to enhance its yin-nourishing and moistening effect. Steam for about 10 minutes. Take twice daily to achieve the effects of clearing heat and moistening dryness, and moistening the intestines to relieve constipation.
Effect: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that banana is cold and sweet in nature and has the effect of clearing heat and moistening the intestines. Eating bananas steamed can moderate their cold nature to avoid damaging the spleen and stomach.
Contraindications: This remedy is suitable for constipation caused by fluid depletion and intestinal dryness, but it is not suitable for patients with renal insufficiency or diabetes.
9. Steamed red dates nourish the blood
Red dates are sweet and warm in nature, affecting the spleen and stomach meridians, and have the effects of tonifying the middle jiao, benefiting qi, nourishing blood to calm the spirit, strengthening the spleen, and harmonizing the stomach. For those with deficiency of qi and blood, or insufficiency of the liver and kidneys, red dates can be steamed with goji berries and eggs.
Method: Take 5 red dates, remove the pits, and a small amount of goji berries. Soak them in water until soft. Take 2 eggs, add an appropriate amount of salt and beat into a liquid. Add the red dates, goji berries, and cool boiled water to the egg liquid. Steam until the egg mixture sets.
Effect: Goji berries are sweet and neutral in nature, affecting the liver and kidney meridians, and can nourish the liver and kidneys, and benefit essence to improve eyesight. Eggs have the effects of nourishing the heart to calm the spirit, and moistening yin to dryness. This dietary remedy is particularly effective for relieving symptoms like shortness of breath and reluctance to speak, listlessness and fatigue, palpitations and dreaming, and dry eyes. Red dates must be eaten cooked (steamed) as this makes them easier to digest and is especially suitable for people with a weak spleen and stomach.
These groups are all suitable for eating fruit warm
1. Patients with dental problems: Patients with dental diseases may find it difficult to eat. Fruits can be cooked to soften them before eating.
2. Those with a cold constitution: People with a cold constitution often worsen their condition by eating a large amount of "cool" natured fruits, causing physical discomfort. Therefore, they can choose to eat cooked fruits.
3. Those with weak gastrointestinal function: Eating cooked fruit can reduce the "cool" nature of the fruit, soften dietary fiber, and reduce irritation to the gastrointestinal tract, making it suitable for people with weak gastrointestinal function.
4. Pregnant and postpartum women: Pregnant and postpartum women are not suitable to eat overly cold foods, so they can eat fruits warm or steamed.
5. Babies: In winter, if babies eat fruit that is too cold, it can easily cause diarrhea. At this time, mothers can prepare fruit in different ways for their babies to eat.
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