Introduction: As the Chinese saying goes, "Food is the first necessity of the people." From the perspective of physical health, diet is the foundation of well-being, and one must maintain a balanced diet. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that "medicine and food share the same origin." Different colored foods can not only treat various diseases but also ensure the quality of one's blood. For example, people with poor heart function can eat more red foods; those with poor liver function can eat more green foods; those with poor spleen function (digestive function) can eat more yellow foods; those with poor lung function can eat more white foods; and those with poor kidney function can eat more black foods.
Currently, among the factors affecting the health of Chinese people, cardiovascular diseases rank first. The occurrence of these diseases is related to the change in the "quality" of the body's blood caused by an unreasonable dietary structure. We know that blood travels throughout the body, reaching every part. Its function is to transport nutrients to all parts of the body and remove harmful toxins.
For such a vital task, the blood itself must be a "sound and healthy worker" to complete it perfectly. For example, if a housewife gets sick, she can't go shopping and cook for everyone, nor can she keep the house clean. Then, this home is no longer like a home. If your blood is unhealthy, then your body will be just as unhealthy as this home.
Eating the right food can also cure diseases
How can one maintain good blood? Nutritionists suggest: first, eat more alkaline foods, and second, eat fewer acidic foods. Which foods are alkaline and which are acidic? Generally speaking, animal foods (except milk) produce harmful acids in the body and are therefore called acidic foods; plant foods (with a few exceptions) can maintain the blood's moderate alkalinity, so they are called alkaline foods.
Red foods nourish the heart
Red foods mainly refer to tomatoes and red chili peppers. These two red foods are rich in vitamin C and vitamin A, which can enhance a person's physical strength and relieve fatigue caused by work and life stress. In particular, lycopene has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, with unique antioxidant abilities, protecting the body's cells from damage to DNA and immune genes, reducing the risk of cancer, lowering cholesterol, and preventing constipation.
Braised Eggplant with Tomatoes
Yellow foods nourish the spleen
Yellow foods mainly refer to corn and carrots. These yellow foods are rich in carotene. Especially corn, a health food among coarse grains, has a high fiber content, which can stimulate intestinal peristalsis, accelerate fecal excretion, and is the best food for lowering blood lipids, treating constipation, improving skin beauty, and preventing colon cancer. Corn also has a diuretic and blood pressure-lowering effect. Carrots are high in vitamin A, which can promote normal growth and reproduction of the body, prevent respiratory infections, protect vision, and have anti-cancer effects. Note: Alcohol cannot be consumed with carrots. This will cause a large amount of carotene and alcohol to enter the body, producing toxins in the liver and leading to liver disease.
Stir-fried Corn with Carrots
Green foods nourish the liver
Green foods include: cauliflower, celery, etc. These foods have a water content of 90%-94% and are low in calories, making them suitable for people who want to lose weight as they can fill the stomach without causing weight gain. Cauliflower comes in white and green varieties. The green variety is also called broccoli, which Westerners discovered early on, calling it "a gift from heaven" and "the poor man's doctor." Long-term consumption can soothe the throat, improve the voice, moisten the lungs, and relieve coughs. Cauliflower can also reduce the incidence of breast, colon, and stomach cancer. Additionally, it can kill Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, lower cholesterol, prevent platelet aggregation, and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Celery: It has a relatively high iron content and is the best vegetable for treating iron-deficiency anemia. Celery is rich in potassium, which can lower blood pressure, promote uric acid excretion, soften blood vessels, and treat constipation. Therefore, patients with high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high uric acid can consume it regularly.
Oyster Sauce Broccoli
Black foods nourish the kidneys
Black foods include: black fungus, eggplant, etc. TCM believes that black foods have a kidney-strengthening effect. Black fungus is rich in lecithin and cephalin, known as the "scavenger" for cleaning and softening blood vessels. Eating 5-10 grams of black fungus per meal can reduce blood viscosity and prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Eggplant contains large amounts of iron, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin D, which can soften microvessels, lower cholesterol, and prevent small vessel bleeding. It has a certain preventive and therapeutic effect on hypertension, arteriosclerosis, hemoptysis, skin ecchymosis, subcutaneous bleeding, and scurvy. In addition, eggplant contains solanine, which has a certain inhibitory effect on cancer.
White foods nourish the lungs
White foods mainly refer to Chinese yam and oatmeal. Chinese yam: Since ancient times, TCM has regarded it as an excellent and inexpensive remedy for deficiency. It can be used as both a staple food and a vegetable. Chinese yam contains various trace elements and digestive enzymes, which have the effects of strengthening the spleen, nourishing the stomach, aiding digestion, and protecting the gastric wall, preventing the occurrence of gastric ulcers and gastritis. Oatmeal: In ancient times, it was used as a medicinal herb abroad. In recent years, the benefits of oats have become more widely known. It is rich in vitamin B and vitamin E, can lower cholesterol and blood sugar in the blood, treat constipation, improve blood circulation, and is the best food for weight loss.
Double Pepper Chinese Yam
Twin peppers
Be careful with the squeeze