I. Five Recommended Practices
1. It is advisable to add more vegetables. Vegetables are rich in vitamins and chlorophyll, and most have a cool nature. They can not only eliminate greasiness but also have a cooling, detoxifying, and heat-clearing effect. However, the vegetables should not be boiled for too long.
2. It is advisable to add some tofu. Adding tofu to the hot pot appropriately can supplement various trace elements and also utilize the gypsum in tofu to clear heat, reduce fire, and alleviate restlessness and thirst.
3. It is advisable to add some lotus seeds. Adding lotus seeds to the hot pot appropriately helps to balance nutrition and is beneficial to health. It is best to retain the lotus seed cores, which can clear the mind and reduce fire.
4. It is advisable to add some ginger. Ginger can season the food and combat cold. It is recommended to add unpeeled ginger to the hot pot, as the ginger peel is pungent and cool, and has the effect of dispersing fire and removing heat.
5. It is advisable to drink light tea after the meal. Drinking light tea after eating can not only relieve greasiness and refresh the palate but also clear internal heat. However, after a hot pot meal with a lot of meat, it is not advisable to drink tea immediately to prevent the tannic acid in the tea from binding with protein and affecting the absorption of nutrients.
II. Four Prohibitions
1. It is prohibited to eat for too long. Eating for an extended period causes continuous secretion of digestive fluids like gastric juice, bile, and pancreatic juice, preventing the glands from resting normally. This can lead to gastrointestinal dysfunction, causing abdominal pain and diarrhea, and in severe cases, acute gastroenteritis or pancreatitis.
2. It is prohibited to eat food that is too hot. Food that is too hot can easily scald the oral and esophageal mucosa. When combined with tobacco, alcohol, or unclean food, it can more easily lead to diseases.
3. It is prohibited to not master the cooking time. If food is boiled in the hot pot for too long, it will lose its fresh flavor and nutritional value. If it is not cooked enough, it can easily cause indigestion.
4. It is prohibited to eat food that is too spicy or too numbing. Food that is excessively spicy or numbing can irritate the mucous membranes of the mouth, esophagus, and gastrointestinal tract, causing congestion and edema, and can also easily induce diseases. Those with stomatitis, chronic pharyngitis, ulcers, chronic pancreatitis, recurrent cholecystitis, and some people who have undergone surgery should not eat hot pot.