Superior Medicine - Chinese Yam
The name "Chinese Yam" is not entirely accurate; its full name is Dioscorea. The commonly referred to "Chinese Yam" actually refers to its underground tuber. China began cultivating Chinese Yam as early as the Zhou Dynasty, meaning it has grown on Chinese soil for over 3000 years, earning it the reputation of a "superior medicinal herb." Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that Chinese Yam has the effects of "benefiting kidney qi," "strengthening the spleen and stomach," and "moistening the skin."
Chinese Yam contains amylase, which can hydrolyze starch in the human body into glucose. Glucose is the energy source for all bodily activities, equivalent to fuel for the body. For diabetic patients, when starch is broken down to the stage of polysaccharides, the lack of insulin prevents it from being further broken down into glucose. Chinese Yam can help them absorb glucose more effectively, lower blood sugar concentration, and alleviate the condition of diabetes.
The polyphenol oxidase in Chinese Yam aids in the digestion of the spleen and stomach and promotes absorption.
The rich mucoprotein in Chinese Yam can be broken down into protein and carbohydrates, which can moisturize the skin. Chinese Yam also contains a substance called "mucopolysaccharide," which can combine with inorganic salts in the body to form bone tissue and give cartilage its elasticity. Recommended Recipes
Chinese Yam and Goat Milk Soup
50g Chinese Yam, 500ml fresh goat milk, appropriate amount of white sugar or honey. Sauté the Chinese Yam in a pan until slightly yellow, then grind it into a fine powder. Bring the goat milk to a boil, add the Chinese Yam powder and sugar, and stir until well combined. Suitable for dietary therapy for chronic gastritis, nausea, and vomiting.
Chinese Yam and Fish Fillet Soup
Slice 250g of fish fillet and grind 20g of Chinese Yam into a powder. Add water to a pot, add kelp strips and Chinese Yam powder, and bring to a boil. Add tofu cubes, fish fillets, and an appropriate amount of salt. Cook until done, then add chopped green onions and pepper. Suitable for a weak spleen and stomach, indigestion, and post-illness weakness.
Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic - Glehnia Root
Glehnia Root is a general term; the variety grown in southern China is called South Glehnia Root, and the one in the north is called North Glehnia Root. Although they are different varieties, their effects are very similar, and both are excellent medicines for nourishing yin. North Glehnia Root has a better effect in nourishing yin, while South Glehnia Root also has the effect of expelling phlegm.
The use of Glehnia Root in TCM has a long history, with records of it dating back to the "Shennong Ben Cao Jing" (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica). It is generally used to treat symptoms caused by stomach yin deficiency, such as dry mouth and tongue, poor appetite, as well as dry mouth and throat due to yin fluid deficiency from febrile or chronic diseases.
Modern medicine has found that Glehnia Root contains psoralen, a substance that has a significant inhibitory effect on cancer cells. Even when diluted 10,000 times, it can still reduce tumor growth by 50%. Glehnia Root is now clinically used in the treatment of lung cancer. The saponins and other substances in Glehnia Root have a strong inhibitory effect on *Staphylococcus aureus* and *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 5mg/ml. Recommended Recipes
Glehnia Root and Tremella Soup
10g Tremella, 5g Lily Bulb, 5g North Glehnia Root, appropriate amount of rock sugar. Soak the Tremella until soft and chop it. Simmer it with the Lily Bulb and North Glehnia Root on low heat for 1 hour. Add rock sugar before serving. Suitable for symptoms like a dry nose and mouth, dry throat and thirst, and a dry cough with little phlegm in autumn.
Beauty Elixir - Aloe
Aloe is not native to China; it was introduced from Africa. Its spread worldwide is credited to a famous emperor—Alexander the Great! When Alexander the Great campaigned across Europe and Asia, he personally ordered aloe to be planted in Samothrace. Aloe has a curing effect for many diseases, especially for diarrhea and eye diseases, which were most prone to spread in armies and cause a large number of non-combat casualties.
Over 2000 years ago, in Alexander's harem, the concubines used aloe to keep their skin smooth and delicate. In 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. Besides the massive casualties, many survivors suffered from radiation burns. At that time, someone applied aloe leaf juice to the skin, and the wounds healed quickly and well, without even leaving scars.
The aloetin in aloe is a strong bactericide that has a strong inhibitory effect on fungi, molds, viruses, and other pathogens. Therefore, it also has a strong inhibitory and killing effect on diseases that often cause large-scale infections and epidemics, such as dysentery, cholera, and epidemic encephalitis. Aloe contains more than 70 components, including natural proteins, vitamins, and active enzymes. In particular, aloe polysaccharide has an excellent moisturizing and nourishing effect on the skin and can effectively eliminate acne. *Aloe arborescens* has high medicinal value but average beauty effects. *Aloe vera* has thick, fleshy leaves, making it most suitable for beauty. Special attention should be paid to the fact that pregnant women are strictly prohibited from using aloe, as it can cause miscarriage. Recommended Recipes
Stir-fried Aloe and Shredded Pork
Clean the aloe and cut it into thin shreds. Cut the pork tenderloin into shreds and mix with starch water and soy sauce. Heat a wok, add oil, and stir-fry green onions, ginger, garlic, pork, broad bean paste, and aloe. Add sugar, salt, and chicken essence to taste.
Aloe Vegetable Soup
Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add 2 fresh aloe leaves, 1 spinach plant, 1 carrot, 2 florets of broccoli, 1 cabbage leaf, and 2 dried mushrooms. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. If scum rises to the surface during cooking, carefully skim it off. If the water evaporates, add a little more. Most suitable for those with poor appetite and for post-illness consumption.