Introduction: Women are a group very susceptible to anemia. Anemia can cause dizziness, pale complexion, cold sweats, and other symptoms due to insufficient blood supply. Severe anemia in pregnant women can also lead to miscarriage. Replenishing blood is particularly important for women because they experience menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation throughout their lives. If the supply of blood and energy is insufficient, a woman's appearance will age quickly, and her constitution will become fragile. In fact, women do not need to spend a fortune on expensive items like Cordyceps sinensis to replenish their blood. In our daily lives, there are many foods that can help replenish blood, and they are quite effective.
There is a very simple secret: black and red foods often have the effect of replenishing blood. Black foods enter the kidney meridian and help the kidney store essence and absorb qi. The kidney stores essence, essence generates marrow, and marrow transforms into blood; therefore, the root of blood also lies in the kidney. As for the theory of red foods replenishing blood, it originates from "nourishing like with like, nourishing color with color".
I. Black Sesame
Black sesame replenishes blood and lowers blood pressure. It has the effects of nourishing the liver and kidneys, moistening the five organs, and replenishing vital energy. It is rich in oleic acid, linoleic acid, lecithin, vitamin E, protein, and substances like calcium and iron. Sesame enters the liver, kidney, lung, and spleen meridians, and has the effects of replenishing blood and improving vision, promoting sperm production and lactation, and benefiting the liver and nourishing hair. Eating sesame can promote the functions of the kidney in generating blood, the liver in storing blood, and the spleen in governing blood.
The oil content of black sesame is as high as 50%, and its vitamin E content is the highest among plant foods. It not only prevents the harm of peroxidized lipids to the human body, has the effects of delaying aging and prolonging life, but also reduces blood clots, prevents atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease.
Preparation: It is recommended to make it into sesame paste, or grind it into a powder with walnuts and peanuts. It can also be mixed with milk or soy milk when needed.
He Shou Wu and Black Sesame Paste
II. Red Dates
As the saying goes, "If you want good skin, add red dates to your congee." There is a folk saying, "Eat red dates every day, and youth will never fade." Although somewhat exaggerated, there is some truth to it. Women can often eat red dates because they have a good blood-replenishing function. Red dates are also a natural beauty food; they can also replenish qi and strengthen the spleen, promote blood circulation and anti-aging, making them a great health food.
Red dates nourish the stomach and spleen, replenish blood, and calm the spirit; they can also moisten the heart and lungs, harmonize the nutrient and defensive qi, promote the production of body fluids, clear the orifices, and benefit the twelve meridians. They are very good for regulating and conditioning anemia, pale complexion, and irregular qi and blood.
Red Dates and Longan Soup
III. Pork Liver
Pork liver is a blood-nourishing food, rich in protein, liver glycogen, heparin, vitamins, etc. It can regulate and improve the physiological function of the hematopoietic system of anemia patients and prevent iron-deficiency anemia and rickets. People with blood deficiency or iron-deficiency anemia can eat more stir-fried pork liver with spinach.
However, there are several "taboos" to be aware of when eating pork liver.
First, avoid eating too much at once: We know that pork liver contains relatively high cholesterol. If you eat too much at once, you will consume a lot of cholesterol, which can lead to atherosclerosis and aggravate cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, patients with high blood pressure and coronary heart disease should eat less pork liver.
Second, avoid taking it with Vitamin C: Vitamin C is easily oxidized and destroyed, especially when it encounters certain trace elements. The copper content in pork liver is relatively high, which can combine with Vitamin C, causing it to lose its original function. Therefore, you should not take Vitamin C at the same time as eating pork liver.
Third, avoid eating it without removing toxins: The liver is the largest detoxification organ in the pig's body. Various toxic metabolic products and some toxic substances in feed will remain in the liver and are detoxified before entering the kidneys and then excreted through urine. The toxic blood in the liver is dispersed in the tens of thousands of liver sinusoids. Therefore, the pork liver you buy should be rinsed under running water for 10 minutes, then soaked in water for 30 minutes before it can be eaten.
Fourth, avoid taking it with enzyme preparations: Common enzyme preparations include pepsin, pancreatin, amylase, and polyenzyme tablets. The copper in pork liver can form precipitates with the acidic groups of enzyme proteins and amino acid molecules, affecting the efficacy of the drug. Therefore, you cannot take enzyme preparations when eating pork liver.
Pork Liver and Goji Berry Noodles
IV. Lotus Root
The health proverb "Fresh lotus root stops bleeding, cooked lotus root replenishes blood" and "A woman should not go three days without lotus root, a man should not go three days without ginger" all illustrate the health-preserving and disease-preventing effects of lotus root. Modern medical research shows that fresh lotus root has a hemostatic effect, while cooked lotus root has a blood-replenishing effect. Lotus root can be eaten raw or cooked, and can also be used as medicine. It is a rare dish and a great product for strengthening the body in life. Especially for women's gentle nature, they should "not go three days without lotus root."
Lotus root is mild in nature. Eating it raw can clear heat and cool the blood, stop bleeding, and dissipate stasis. Eating it cooked can strengthen the spleen and stomach, and nourish the blood. For patients with nosebleeds, fresh raw lotus root juice can be taken in an emergency to stop bleeding quickly. It is beneficial for women to eat more lotus root, but it is not advisable to eat it raw during menstruation or for those who are inherently cold and have dysmenorrhea. Diabetics should not eat cooked lotus root or lotus root starch.
Lotus root nodes contain tannic acid, asparagine, starch, vitamin C, etc. Whether eaten raw or cooked, lotus root has medicinal effects. The "Ben Jing Shu" says, "The raw root is sweet and cold, able to cool the blood and stop bleeding, clear heat from the stomach, mainly resolve scattered stasis blood, vomiting blood, nosebleeds, postpartum blood stagnation, treat sores and wounds, and stop heat, thirst, cholera, vexation, and alcohol poisoning. The cooked root is sweet and warm, able to strengthen the spleen and whet the appetite, benefit the blood and nourish the heart, aid digestion, stop diarrhea, and promote tissue growth; when taken by people, it makes them happy and stops anger."
Cuttlefish and Lotus Root Soup
V. Carrot
Carrots, also known as red radishes, are called "ginseng" by the Japanese. They contain vitamins B and C, and a special nutrient—carotene. Carotene is extremely beneficial for replenishing blood, so making a soup with carrots is a very good blood-replenishing soup. It is a famous blood-nourishing food, and its carotene content, which is rich in iron, can be considered an important food among blood-nourishing vegetables.
Carrots enter the spleen, stomach, and lung meridians. They are an excellent food for replenishing blood and improving kidney deficiency. They nourish the liver and blood, strengthen the spleen to resolve stagnation, and tonify the middle and lower qi. They are especially good for improving vision problems and blindness caused by liver blood deficiency. They also have a good effect on improving indigestion and hiccups caused by spleen deficiency and food stagnation.
Carrot and Rice Porridge