10 Appetizing Foods for a Poor Summer Appetite

Loss of appetite in the summer is a common problem for many people. There are many appetite-stimulating foods, such as hawthorn, lotus root, millet porridge, white radish, and grapes, which have the effect of whetting the appetite and strengthening the stomach. Below, we will introduce 10 kinds of appetite-stimulating foods to you, making your appetite wide open.

1. Hawthorn

Hawthorn contains various vitamins, tartaric acid, citric acid, hawthorn acid, malic acid, etc. The lipase it contains can promote the digestion of fatty foods, and it has functions such as promoting gastric juice secretion and increasing gastric enzymes. Moreover, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that hawthorn has the effects of eliminating food stagnation, astringing to stop diarrhea, invigorating blood to resolve stasis. It is mainly used for symptoms such as food accumulation, fullness in the chest and diaphragm, hernia, blood stasis, and amenorrhea. In addition, eating hawthorn slices can also help with weight loss and lower blood lipids. Hawthorn has a regulatory effect on gastrointestinal motor function, inhibiting gastrointestinal smooth muscle in a state of spasm and exciting it in a relaxed state.

Not only that, hawthorn also has the effect of enhancing myocardial contractility and increasing cardiac output. Hawthorn extract can enhance myocardial contractility in toad hearts, both in vivo and in vitro, with a long-lasting effect. The currently identified active ingredients are 3’,4’,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone-7-glucoside and rutin.

Snow Pear and Hawthorn Syrup

2. Lotus Root

Lotus root is known as the "king of oriental vegetables." It clears heat and relieves depression, contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, and is rich in polyphenols, which can improve immunity and also has anti-aging effects. Its abundant vitamin C and minerals have medicinal properties, are beneficial to the heart, and promote metabolism and prevent rough skin. When processed until cooked, its nature changes from cool to warm. Although it loses the properties of resolving stasis and clearing heat, it becomes beneficial to the spleen and stomach, with the effects of nourishing the stomach, nourishing yin, benefiting blood, and stopping diarrhea. Fresh lotus root juice with honey can help relieve vexation and thirst. After being cooked, it strengthens the spleen and stimulates the appetite, making it suitable for people with a weak spleen and stomach for nourishment and health preservation.

Not only that, lotus root contains a large amount of tannic acid, which has a vasoconstrictive effect and can be used for hemostasis. Lotus root can also cool the blood and disperse stasis. TCM believes it stops bleeding without leaving stasis, making it a great dietary remedy for bleeding syndromes caused by heat.

Pork Bone and Lotus Root Soup

3. Millet

Millet is highly nutritious, containing rich protein, fat, and vitamins. It is not only for food but also for medicinal use, with effects such as clearing heat and thirst, nourishing yin, tonifying the spleen, kidneys, and stomach, promoting urination, and treating diarrhea. It can also be used to make wine. "Compendium of Materia Medica" says millet "treats vomiting and heat dysentery; eaten as congee, it benefits the dantian, tonifies deficiency, and opens the stomach." TCM also states that millet "harmonizes the stomach and warms the middle," believing that millet is sweet and salty, with functions such as clearing heat and thirst, strengthening the stomach and eliminating dampness, harmonizing the stomach, and promoting peace. It is especially suitable for people with internal heat and a weak spleen and stomach. For some people with a poor appetite, eating millet can both stimulate the appetite and nourish the stomach, with the effects of strengthening the stomach, aiding digestion, and preventing nausea and vomiting.

Pumpkin and Millet Paste

4. Sour Plum

The organic acids contained in sour plums are mainly citric acid, malic acid, tannic acid, bitter leaf acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, etc. They have the effects of promoting saliva production to quench thirst, stimulating appetite, and eliminating fatigue. Among fruits, its citric acid content is the highest. Citric acid is an important acid indispensable for human cell metabolism. It can promote the decomposition of lactic acid into carbon dioxide and water to be excreted from the body, relieve fatigue, and is beneficial to calcium absorption. Sour plums can neutralize acidic foods (such as meat and grains), promote metabolism and digestion, and improve gastrointestinal function.

Not only that, sour plums are alkaline foods, which help maintain the acid-base balance of blood in the body. People with excess liver fire should eat more sour plums, as it can not only lower liver fire but also help the spleen and stomach digest and nourish the liver. For people with a bad temper, eating a few sour plums every day can keep their mood happy.

Sour Plum Soup

5. Tomato

Tomatoes are a natural source of vitamin C. Eating 1-2 tomatoes daily can enhance the flexibility of blood vessels, prevent gum bleeding, and boost anti-cancer ability, which is very beneficial for patients with hypertension and heart disease. At the same time, tomatoes also contain a special component—lycopene. Lycopene has the effects of quenching thirst, promoting saliva production, strengthening the stomach, and aiding digestion. It can prevent and treat symptoms such as stomach heat and a bitter taste in the mouth, fever, thirst, and heatstroke, making it an excellent remedy for replenishing qi, promoting saliva production, strengthening the spleen, and harmonizing the stomach.

However, it should be noted that eating tomatoes before a meal can easily increase stomach acid, causing discomfort symptoms such as heartburn and abdominal pain. Eating tomatoes after a meal, however, because the stomach acid has already mixed with food, the acidity in the stomach will decrease, thus avoiding these symptoms.

Tomato Fish