Introduction: When it comes to nourishing the body, people often think of various tonics, meats, or delicacies. In fact, the common grains we eat daily can also be considered excellent "tonics." Traditional Chinese Medicine has a concept called "medicine and food share the same origin." The medicinal properties of grains can be used to prevent and treat diseases, are economical and practical, and have no side effects.
Rice: Also known as japonica rice, it is sweet in taste and neutral in nature. It has the effects of tonifying the middle burner and replenishing qi, strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach, and relieving vexation and thirst. In winter, indoor heating can be hot and the air dry. Drinking some rice porridge in the morning and evening can help you stay away from the discomfort of a dry mouth and tongue. A special reminder for diabetic patients is that different cooking methods for rice have different effects on blood sugar. Studies have shown that an equal amount of rice cooked into dry rice has a smaller impact on blood sugar than congee. Therefore, diabetic patients eating dry rice for breakfast is beneficial for blood sugar control.
Rice Bowl Cake
Millet: Millet has relatively balanced nutrition, with a wide variety and relatively high content of vitamins and minerals. The biggest characteristic of millet is that it is easy to digest and absorb, so it doesn't put a heavy burden on the stomach, which is why there's a saying that "millet protects the stomach." Millet can not only be used to make porridge, but also can be cooked with rice to make "two-grain rice."
Wheat: Wheat is sweet in taste and neutral in nature with a slight coolness. It has the effects of strengthening the spleen and benefiting the kidneys, and nourishing the heart and calming the mind. For those with vexation and insomnia, wheat can be cooked with rice and red dates to make a porridge for consumption. In addition, wheat bran is high in dietary fiber and has preventive and therapeutic effects on hyperlipoproteinemia, diabetes, atherosclerosis, hemorrhoids, senile constipation, and colon cancer.
Mung Bean: From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, mung bean is cold in nature, therefore it has the function of clearing heat and detoxifying. From a nutritional perspective, the health benefits of mung beans come from their antioxidant components, such as flavonoids, tannins, and saponins, which have the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. Mung beans can be used to make soup, cook porridge, or can be soaked and added to rice to make mung bean rice.
Homemade Mung Bean Cake
Corn: It is sweet in taste and neutral in nature, with the effects of strengthening the spleen to promote urination, whetting the appetite and benefiting intelligence, and calming the mind and activating blood. The linoleic acid in corn oil can prevent cholesterol from depositing on the blood vessel walls, playing a positive role in preventing hypertension and coronary heart disease. In addition, it also has the effects of promoting urination and lowering blood sugar, making it especially suitable for diabetic patients. American scientists have also discovered that eating corn can stimulate brain cells and enhance human memory. The lutein and zeaxanthin contained in corn can prevent the occurrence of age-related macular degeneration in the elderly.
Job's Tears: Also known as coix seed, its protein content is much higher than that of rice and flour, and it is easy to digest and absorb, which is beneficial for reducing the burden on the gastrointestinal tract and enhancing physical fitness. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that coix seed is sweet and bland in taste, slightly cold in nature, and has the effects of strengthening the spleen, tonifying the lungs, clearing heat, and promoting urination. Modern research has proven that coix seed has effects such as anti-tumor, enhancing immunity, and lowering blood sugar. Coixenol found in coix seed has been found to have a good function in controlling the growth of cancer cells, making it a very ideal anti-cancer food.
Winter Melon and Job's Tears Soup