Introduction: Melons are cool-natured fruits that can relieve summer heat, clear heat and toxins, quench thirst, invigorate blood circulation, making them very suitable for consumption during hot summers. Many women tend to have excessive qi and blood in summer, experiencing symptoms like chest tightness, shortness of breath, and rough skin. Therefore, consuming more melon-based foods can achieve the effects of cooling the blood and relieving summer heat.
1. Bitter Melon
Bitter melon contains unique compounds like momordicoside and momordicin, giving it a distinctive bitter flavor. It can dispel summer heat, clear the mind, alleviate stuffiness and heat, and is effective for conditions like stomach heat, damp-heat dysentery, vomiting, diarrhea, and hematuria. Bitter melon is rich in Vitamin B1, Vitamin C, and minerals. In the dry summer, women can apply chilled bitter melon slices to their skin to immediately relieve dryness. Bitter melon can also moisturize, whiten, and soothe the skin, providing a calming and hydrating effect.
Bitter melon contains components that promote insulin secretion, helping to control blood sugar and prevent diabetes. Momordicin can also prevent fat absorption, aiding in weight loss. Due to its small content of quinine, which can stimulate uterine contractions and cause miscarriage, pregnant women should consume it with caution. Additionally, those with low blood pressure, low blood sugar, or a weak spleen and stomach should not eat it in excess.
2. Cucumber
Cucumber is cold-natured and has the effects of clearing heat, promoting urination, and detoxifying. It can be eaten raw, in salads, or cooked. The fine cellulose in cucumber helps expel putrefied food from the intestines and lowers cholesterol. Fresh cucumber contains malic acid, which inhibits the conversion of carbohydrates into fat in the body, benefiting obese individuals and those with high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Furthermore, cucumber is rich in Vitamin E and cucumber enzyme, which have strong biological activity and can help beautify the skin, delay aging.
A reminder for beauty enthusiasts: a dew-like sticky substance forms on the surface of cucumber slices, which can cause skin tightness and make it drier and more wrinkled. Therefore, it is not advisable to apply cucumber slices directly to the face. The correct method is to use fresh cucumber juice.
Pickled Cucumber
3. Luffa
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, luffa is considered cool-natured with a sweet flavor. It has effects such as clearing heat, detoxifying, cooling blood to stop bleeding, unblocking meridians, promoting blood circulation, beautifying the skin, and fighting cancer. Luffa is rich in nutrients and contains interferon inducers that can stimulate the human body to produce interferon, achieving antiviral and anti-cancer effects. Due to its ability to unblock meridians, promote circulation, and resolve stasis, it can also help new mothers with lactation. Those with irregular menstruation or fatigue can also benefit from eating more luffa.
Additionally, long-term consumption of luffa or using luffa juice to wipe the face can make the skin smooth and delicate, with special effects against wrinkles and inflammation, preventing and eliminating acne and melanin deposition. However, those who are chronically ill, have a weak spleen and stomach, or suffer from indigestion should consume it in moderation.
4. Papaya
Papaya is neutral and slightly cool-natured. Besides aiding digestion, it can also relieve summer heat, quench thirst, moisten the lungs, and relieve coughing. The fruit is rich in papain, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, calcium, phosphorus, and various minerals, making it highly nutritious. It is also abundant in carotene, protein, calcium salts, protease, and citrase. It helps prevent and treat hypertension, nephritis, constipation, aids digestion, treats stomach ailments, promotes metabolism, has anti-aging effects, and provides beauty and skincare benefits. The chymosin in papaya also has a lactation-promoting effect. New mothers often drink a soup of raw papaya and fish tail to relieve summer heat, strengthen the stomach, and nourish for milk production.
Papaya Yogurt
5. Winter Melon
Winter melon is cold-natured, and its flesh and pulp have diuretic, heat-clearing, phlegm-resolving, and thirst-quenching effects. It can also treat edema, phlegm-induced asthma, summer heat, and hemorrhoids. Winter melon is rich in Vitamin C, high in potassium salts, and low in sodium salts. For patients with high blood pressure, kidney disease, or edema, it can reduce swelling without depleting the body's vital energy.
The malic acid in winter melon can effectively inhibit the conversion of carbohydrates into fat. Coupled with the fact that winter melon itself is fat-free and low in calories, it can prevent weight gain and help maintain a healthy figure. A soup made from winter melon skin can treat mild edema. A soup of winter melon with lotus leaves and Job's tears can clear damp-heat and is a refreshing drink for summer. However, those with a weak spleen and stomach, insufficient yang energy, or yin deficiency and emaciation should avoid consuming it.
6. Pumpkin
Pumpkin has effects such as toning qi, reducing inflammation and alleviating pain, and lowering blood sugar and lipids. Pumpkin polysaccharide is a non-specific immune enhancer that can improve the body's immune function and promote cytokine production. Pumpkin is rich in zinc, which is beneficial for skin and nail health. Its antioxidant, beta-carotene, protects the eyes and heart, and can effectively eliminate mutations caused by nitrosamines, preventing the appearance of cancer cells.
Pumpkin is rich in cobalt, which activates the body's metabolism and is an essential trace element for pancreatic islet cells. Eating more pumpkin has a special therapeutic effect on preventing and treating diabetes and lowering blood sugar. Applying mashed raw pumpkin juice externally can treat burns, while taking it orally can expel roundworms. Pregnant women who regularly consume pumpkin flowers and fruits can not only promote the development of fetal brain cells and enhance their vitality but also prevent and treat pregnancy complications like edema and hypertension, promote blood clotting, and prevent postpartum hemorrhage.
Pumpkin Beef Soup
Hand paste
Squeeze the veggies white and fried beans
Bear crackers