China's culinary culture has a long history, and it's not just about grand feasts; even daily snacks and fruits come with their own etiquette. Among these etiquettes, seasonal changes are a crucial factor, with different seasons dictating different diets. In recent years, people have placed a greater emphasis on health in their diets. In this issue, we will discuss how to eat healthily in the autumn by combining these two elements: season and health. While eating fish is beneficial, it should also be tailored to the individual.
Autumn is an excellent time for the weak to nourish their bodies, and fish is a great aquatic food for this purpose. Not only is it delicious, but it is also extremely nutritious. Its protein content is twice that of pork, and it is a high-quality protein with a high absorption rate by the human body. Fish is rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D, and contains certain amounts of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Although the fat content in fish is low, its fatty acids have been proven to have effects of lowering blood sugar, protecting the heart, and preventing cancer. The vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in fish can effectively prevent osteoporosis. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that eating fish must be tailored to one's specific condition; only by eating "fish" according to this principle can its food and medicinal value be fully realized. Below is a list of the medicinal properties and therapeutic effects of common fish for reference when choosing what to eat.
Carp: Also known as crucian carp, it is sweet in taste and warm in nature. Its effects include promoting urination to reduce edema, replenishing Qi to strengthen the spleen, unblocking meridians to promote lactation, and clearing heat to detoxify. It is primarily used for conditions like edema and ascites, insufficient lactation in postpartum women, gastric ptosis, and rectal prolapse.
Hairtail: It can nourish the five organs, expel wind, and kill parasites. It is especially suitable for those with a weak spleen and stomach, indigestion, or dry skin. It can be used as an adjuvant therapy for persistent and chronic hepatitis. Regular consumption of hairtail can also moisturize the skin, keeping it moist and elastic.
Black Carp: It has the effects of replenishing Qi to nourish the stomach, transforming dampness to promote urination, expelling wind to relieve restlessness, and resolving vexation. Consumption can treat symptoms such as Qi deficiency and fatigue, cold pain in the stomach, beriberi, dampness impediment, malaria, and headaches. The trace elements in black carp, such as zinc, selenium, and iron, also have anti-cancer effects.
Common Carp: Sweet in taste and warm in nature. It has the effects of promoting urination to reduce edema, replenishing Qi to strengthen the spleen, and unblocking meridians to promote lactation. It is primarily used for conditions like edema, obstructed lactation, and poor fetal development.
Grass Carp: Also known as grass carp, it comes in two colors, blue and white. It is sweet in taste and warm in nature, with effects of pacifying the liver, expelling wind, activating collaterals, and interrupting malaria. The ancients believed that the meat of the grass carp was thick and tender, and was effective for treating deficiency and fatigue, as well as wind-deficiency headaches. Steaming and eating the head was considered particularly beneficial.
Loach: Sweet in taste and neutral in nature, it has the effects of warming the middle to replenish Qi, clearing heat to promote urination, detoxifying, and astringing hemorrhoids. Loach meat is tender and highly nutritious, and its mucus has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. It can be used to treat conditions such as damp-heat jaundice, difficult urination, and night sweats after illness.