How to Eat "Chinese Medicine Snacks"
Nowadays, health preservation has become a hot trend. Walk into any supermarket, and you'll be greeted by a dazzling array of "Chinese medicine snacks" such as donkey-hide gelatin dates, guilinggao, and herbal teas. As the saying goes, "all medicine has some toxicity." Combining Chinese medicine with snacks might seem like a way to enjoy both delicious taste and health benefits, but could there be side effects?
Donkey-hide gelatin dates are simply red dates with added donkey-hide gelatin. Both donkey-hide gelatin and red dates have the effects of nourishing yin, nourishing blood, and replenishing blood, making them very popular among women. Donkey-hide gelatin dates do have a tonic effect and can be beneficial for those with qi deficiency or blood deficiency, improving symptoms like a pale complexion, lack of energy, and frequent drowsiness. However, donkey-hide gelatin dates are considered "warm" in nature and are not suitable for people with internal damp-heat. If you have a thick, greasy, yellow tongue coating, dry stools, or are prone to "getting heaty," you should eat fewer donkey-hide gelatin dates.
The Chinese medicinal ingredients in guilinggao are turtle shell and Smilax glabra. Due to its health benefits of clearing heat, detoxifying, and removing dampness, plus its smooth and slippery texture, it's very popular. However, turtle shell is "cold" in nature. People with weak spleen and stomach, or women with menstrual cramps, should eat it in moderation. Pregnant women should use it with caution. Additionally, don't drink tea immediately after eating guilinggao.
Modern urbanites face high levels of psychological stress, combined with dietary habits of rich food and a love for spicy dishes, which has made herbal tea drinks, marketed for their ability to "reduce internal heat," very popular. The Chinese medicinal ingredients added to these drinks, such as chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, Prunella vulgaris, and licorice, generally have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying. Luo Weifeng says that for people with high blood pressure or dry eyes, herbal tea is very suitable. However, those with a weak stomach, poor appetite, or loose stools should not drink it, as it will only worsen their symptoms.
The main ingredient of sour plum soup is dark plum. Dark plum is sour. Su Chunzhi explains that if a person has a poor stomach, often feels heartburn, acid reflux, or has high stomach acid, then sour plum soup is not suitable for them. Furthermore, dark plum has an astringent effect. For people with a damp-heat constitution who have a particularly thick tongue coating and dry stools, drinking astringent sour plum soup might have the opposite effect. Hawthorn slices aid digestion. If you've eaten a lot of flour-based foods recently and have a thick tongue coating, you can eat some hawthorn slices to aid digestion. Similar to dark plum, hawthorn is sour in nature, so people with high stomach acid should eat it in moderation.
Ginger candy was originally a southern snack, but in recent years, it has gradually been accepted by people in the north as a snack. The medicinal value of ginger is highly regarded in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its effects of warming the stomach and dispelling cold. For people suffering from wind-cold colds or those who are prone to motion sickness, keeping some ginger candy on hand can provide great relief. Luo Weifeng points out that precisely because ginger is very "warm" in nature, it is not suitable for people with a sore throat, dry eyes, dry stools, or who are prone to "getting heaty." This same principle applies to ginseng candy. Although ginseng is effective for replenishing qi, its strong "warm" nature makes it unsuitable for people with a "hot" constitution or excessive "internal fire."
Foods like Poria cakes and mint candy also contain Chinese medicinal ingredients. Poria is mild in nature and is generally suitable for all body types, so it can be eaten without worry. As for mint candy, since the amount of mint it contains is very small, and people usually only suck on a few to moisten their throat, it will not produce a significant medicinal effect.