Autumn is the best season for health preservation. Vegetables not only nourish the body but also help in treating certain diseases. So, among the seasonal vegetables, which ones are suitable for health preservation?
Dark green vegetables: Eat half a kilogram daily
Autumn is dry, so it's important to eat more green leafy vegetables because of their high vitamin content. An adult should consume at least half a kilogram of vegetables daily. Dark green vegetables like spinach, bok choy, celery, crown daisy, amaranth, and carrots, along with brownish-red vegetables, are not only rich in vitamins but also contain higher levels of carotene.
White vegetables nourish yin and generate fluids
White vegetables can nourish yin and generate bodily fluids, such as radish, cauliflower, lily, and Chinese yam. During the summer, bodily fluids are depleted, so in autumn, it's important to eat more vegetables that have these properties. White vegetables generally have a rich concentration of these fluids.
Eggplant is not good for the spleen and stomach
For autumn health preservation, another principle is "strengthening the spleen to transform dampness." Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the harmony between humans and nature. In autumn, the body must first strengthen the spleen and stomach to prepare for winter. Autumn eggplant is cool and slippery, making it unsuitable for those with a weak or cold spleen and stomach. In contrast, pumpkin is very beneficial for the spleen and stomach.
Lotus root is the king of oriental vegetables
In autumn, you can eat some lotus root. It is known as the king of oriental vegetables, rich in polyphenols, which can boost immunity and fight aging. Furthermore, when cooked, its nature changes from cool to warm. Although it loses its ability to remove stasis and clear heat, it becomes beneficial for the spleen and stomach, with effects like nourishing the stomach, nourishing yin, enriching the blood, and stopping diarrhea.
Long-pickled snow vegetables aid digestion
As the weather cools, pickled and preserved vegetables are less likely to spoil and can be eaten more. Many people believe that pickled vegetables have high nitrite content and can cause cancer, but this view is not entirely accurate.
Vegetables pickled for a short time have very high nitrite levels. However, after one or two months, most of the nitrites have evaporated, leaving only abundant lactic acid bacteria in snow vegetables and pickles. Lactic acid bacteria aid digestion, which is why people find these foods particularly appetizing and good with rice.