August 8th marks the beginning of autumn. During this transitional season between summer and autumn, people are not only prone to gastrointestinal discomfort but also to acne, loss of appetite, mouth ulcers, and constipation. They are also especially susceptible to colds. To use a balanced diet to fend off illness during this seasonal change, you should target your intake of vegetables rich in vitamins and fiber. It's like taking an "immunity medicine" for colds, acne, stomachaches, constipation, and diarrhea, allowing you to step into the fall season healthily and easily.
Prevent Colds with Lettuce and Cauliflower Soup
During seasonal transitions, the weather is unpredictable, and the body struggles to adapt, causing immunity to unknowingly decline. This creates an opportunity for cold viruses. Supplementing with sufficient Vitamin C is a good way to prevent colds. Recommended "medicinal" vegetables:
The Vitamin C content of cauliflower is twice that of citrus fruits. Traditional Chinese Medicine has long held the belief that "white foods benefit the lungs." The pristine cauliflower is undoubtedly a timely health food that not only helps prevent respiratory infections like colds but is also an excellent vascular cleanser.
Lettuce is high in iodine, which is beneficial for the body's basal metabolism and physical development. Recommended dish: Lettuce and Cauliflower Soup
Method: Slice the lettuce, chop the leaves into small sections, break the cauliflower into small florets, and slice the chicken breast into thin pieces. Marinate the chicken with water, starch, a small amount of salt, and MSG. Bring water to a boil, add ginger and chicken slices to the boiling water. After half a minute, add the prepared lettuce and cauliflower, and cook for another 3 minutes. Then add an appropriate amount of salt and chicken essence before serving.
Prevent Acne with a Lettuce and Bitter Melon Salad
Acne occurs when skin oil cannot be properly secreted, leading to bacterial growth on the skin. To prevent and eliminate it, you should eat foods rich in nutrients like vitamins, carotene, zinc, and fiber. Recommended "medicinal" vegetables:
Lettuce is rich in vitamins and trace elements and has one of the highest water contents among vegetables. Eating it helps hydrate the skin and has a辅助 therapeutic effect on acne.
Bitter melon is rich in crude fiber, Vitamin C, calcium, iron, and other nutrients. It also contains active proteins with anti-cancer properties, which can boost the activity of immune cells and clear toxins from the body. Recommended dish: Lettuce and Bitter Melon Salad
Method: Use 300g of lettuce, 150g of radishes, 100g of bitter melon, 5 small red chilies, and 30g of mung beans. Soak the mung beans overnight, then cook them until soft and drain the water. While hot, mix with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and a little salt, let it sit for 10 minutes, then add the lettuce, bitter melon, radishes, and chilies. Mix in an appropriate amount of sugar, 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds, and a little vinegar before serving.
Combat Indigestion with Chive and Shredded Pork Stir-fry
In autumn, people tend to gain "winter weight," making indigestion and food stagnation common. Eating foods that resolve stagnation, strengthen the spleen, and promote digestion is most helpful at this time. Recommended "medicinal" vegetables:
Chives are rich in carotene, protein, sulfides, and crude fiber. Eating chives can help with digestion, resolve stagnation, strengthen the spleen, and stimulate appetite.
Coriander has a unique aroma and can stimulate appetite and aid digestion. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes coriander warms the middle and strengthens the stomach. Eating some can alleviate stomach pain and indigestion. Recommended dish: Chive and Shredded Pork Stir-fry
Method: Shred the pork, wash and chop the coriander and chives into small sections. First, quickly stir-fry the shredded pork in oil. Cook the chives until 70% done. Sauté minced ginger and garlic in oil, then add the chives and pork and stir-fry until cooked. Garnish with coriander before serving.
Relieve Mouth Ulcers with Tomato and Spinach Juice
In early autumn, the climate becomes drier. If there's insufficient intake of vegetables, fruits, and water, it's easy to develop "internal heat," leading to ulcers and inflammation in the mouth. Recommended "medicinal" vegetables:
The rich riboflavin in spinach is a key nutrient for effectively preventing mouth ulcers, cheilitis, glossitis, and dermatitis.
Tomato has effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, and promoting the production of body fluids to quench thirst. Clinically, it is often used to treat symptoms like a dry mouth, loss of appetite, a bitter mouth from stomach heat, bleeding gums, and mouth sores. Recommended dish: Tomato and Spinach Juice
Method: Wash 500g of tomatoes, blanch in hot water, peel, then mash and squeeze the juice to get 150ml. Wash 600g of spinach, chop it, and juice it in a juicer to get 150ml. Mix the two juices together, cook, and it's ready to drink.
Promote Sleep with a Celery, Onion, and Ham Salad
During the transition from summer to autumn, the large temperature fluctuations directly affect the endocrine and nervous systems, leading to poor sleep quality. Recommended "medicinal" vegetables:
Celery is rich in various vitamins and trace elements and has effects of lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and calming the nerves.
The special aroma of onions can stimulate the cerebral cortex to produce a sedative effect. Chopping an onion and placing it in a cloth bag by the pillow to smell before sleep has a hypnotic effect. Recommended dish: Celery, Onion, and Ham Salad
Method: Dice the celery, onion, and ham into small pieces. Mix with store-bought salad dressing, or simply mix with salt, vinegar, and a little MSG.