It is currently winter, the peak season for hot pot. However, frequent consumption of hot pot can easily lead to "heatiness" (上火), and in severe cases, it can cause symptoms such as a sore throat and swollen gums, a sore or ulcerated tongue or mouth, canker sores, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and even gastrointestinal bleeding. If you pay attention to food pairings in your hot pot, you can reduce these symptoms. Additionally, it is recommended to eat hot pot once a week, and no more than two hours each time, as a broth that has been simmering for too long can easily increase its "heatiness."
1. Leafy Green Vegetables
When eating hot pot, pair it with plenty of leafy greens. These vegetables tend to be cool and can not only cut through the grease and supplement the body with vitamins but also have a cooling, detoxifying, and "heatiness"-reducing effect. However, do not cook the vegetables for too long, or they will lose most of their nutritional value and their ability to reduce "heatiness."
2. Tofu
After eating lamb or beef, you can add some tofu to the hot pot. Some tofu contains gypsum, and adding it to the pot not only supplements the intake of various trace elements but also allows the gypsum to exert its effects of clearing heat, purging fire, relieving restlessness, and quenching thirst.
Hakka Stuffed Tofu
Further Reading: A Complete Guide to Eating Tofu
3. Lotus Root
Raw lotus root is cool in nature and has the effect of clearing heat and cooling the blood. It can help eliminate lung heat, stop bleeding, and relieve coughing. Adding lotus root to your hot pot can alleviate symptoms of "heatiness." Furthermore, lotus root contains tannins, which can strengthen the spleen to stop diarrhea, as well as stimulate appetite, promote digestion, and whet the appetite, helping to relieve conditions like diarrhea, indigestion, and poor appetite.
4. Sweet Potato
Meat is acidic, while sweet potatoes are alkaline. When they enter the stomach, they can neutralize acid and help maintain the body's acid-base balance. Additionally, sweet potatoes can boost immunity, enhance libido, and slow down aging. Because sweet potatoes are low in calories, they are an ideal food for weight loss.
5. White Radish
White radish is cool in nature with a sweet and pungent flavor, and it is associated with the lung and stomach meridians. It is particularly suitable for people with heat in the lungs and stomach, excess phlegm, bloating, food stagnation, indigestion, and difficulty with urination or bowel movements. Slicing white radish in hot pot can reduce heat and fire. Moreover, the vitamin C in white radish aids digestion, promotes metabolism, and can help prevent and treat constipation.
Potato Chips with Stir-fried Meat
Further Reading: A Complete Guide to Eating Sweet Potatoes
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