Introduction: Many people have a one-sided understanding of the principle of "light nourishment" (qing bu) in summer diets, even believing it means pursuing an absolutely "light" or "vegetarian" diet. In fact, the focus of "light nourishment" is still on strengthening and nourishing the body; it's just that the diet should also have the function of clearing heat and relieving summer heat to combat the scorching climate.
This point is especially important for the elderly. As people age, the taste buds on the tongue decrease and atrophy, olfactory cells renew slowly, and the heat causes a series of physiological changes in the body, which further reduces appetite. If the diet is too light or bland, how can one have the appetite to eat? Furthermore, if one only eats vegetables, the intake of protein and fat in the body will be insufficient, which will inevitably weaken the body's resistance and fail to achieve the purpose of nourishment. So, which meats and supplements have the function of "light nourishment" in summer?
Duck
Its nature and flavor are sweet, salty, neutral, and slightly cool, entering the stomach and kidney meridians. Duck meat has the effects of tonifying deficiency and clearing heat, eliminating dampness and detoxifying, nourishing yin and strengthening the stomach, and promoting urination and reducing swelling. It is suitable for treating symptoms such as deficiency-induced vomiting of blood, and damp-heat due to spleen deficiency. Modern nutrition believes that duck meat contains nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins B1 and B2, and niacin. People with internal damp-heat and excessive deficiency-fire are suitable for eating duck meat, especially those with low-grade fever, weakness, loss of appetite, dry throat and mouth, constipation, oliguria, edema due to spleen deficiency, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, irregular menstruation, and red and white vaginal discharge.
American Ginseng
It is cooling yet nourishing, able to support the vital qi, reduce fire, generate body fluids, and eliminate vexation and fatigue. In the hot summer, the heat and excessive sweating can deplete the body's vital qi and yin fluids, damaging yin and generating deficiency-fire, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, listlessness, vexation, a red tongue, and dark urine. You can take 1-2 grams of American ginseng, steep it in boiling water, and drink it as a tea substitute.
Loach
It is an excellent food that is high in protein and low in fat, and contains large amounts of vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and niacin, so some people call it "ginseng in the water." Traditional Chinese medicine believes that loach has the functions of tonifying the middle and replenishing qi, quenching thirst, and sobering up from alcohol. It can be used to treat symptoms such as excessive thirst, dry mouth during febrile diseases, impotence, as well as infectious hepatitis, hemorrhoids, and scabies. In addition, the mucus secreted from the loach's skin is also a medicine called "loach slip," which can be used to treat urinary retention, strangury, and carbuncles.
Fish
Fish meat is not only delicious but also extremely nutritious. Its protein content is as high as 20%, which is twice that of ordinary pork, and it is a high-quality protein with a high absorption rate by the human body. Fish meat also contains rich thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D, and a certain amount of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. The vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in fish are very beneficial for bone growth and can effectively prevent osteoporosis. Although the fat content in fish is low, its omega-3 fatty acids are indispensable to human health. Research has shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish have multiple effects such as lowering blood sugar, protecting the heart, and preventing cancer. Although Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that different types of fish have different natures and flavors, as long as the selection is appropriate, they are also a great dish for summer health preservation.
In addition, lean meat, seafood, and soy products can be stewed with dangshen (Codonopsis root), astragalus root, angelica, dried tangerine peel, licorice, etc. As long as the selection is appropriate, they are also beneficial for "light nourishment."