How much do you know about the science of digestive health? Summer is a season when the digestive system is prone to problems, and women are more susceptible to digestive issues. How can you improve your digestive health? Here are 10 foods recommended to help regulate your digestive system, as a healthy gut is the key to achieving both health and beauty!
1. Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are rich in protein, starch, pectin, cellulose, amino acids, vitamins, and various minerals, earning them the reputation of a "longevity food." They contain a sugar content of 15%-20%. They have effects such as cancer prevention, heart protection, prevention of emphysema, diabetes management, and weight loss. In the "Compendium of Materia Medica" by Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty, it is recorded that "sweet potatoes nourish deficiency, strengthen the spleen to whet the appetite, and reinforce kidney yin," and that people who eat them live long. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) considers sweet potatoes a beneficial medicine.
Moreover, sweet potatoes are rich in essential nutrients for the human body, such as starch, vitamins, and cellulose, as well as mineral elements like magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium, and linoleic acid. These substances can maintain blood vessel elasticity and are very effective in preventing habitual constipation in the elderly. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly believe that eating sweet potatoes causes weight gain and are afraid to eat them. In fact, the opposite is true; sweet potatoes are an ideal food for weight loss. Their calorie content is only one-third that of rice, and due to their rich content of cellulose and pectin, they have the special function of preventing sugar from being converted into fat.
Cheesy Baked Sweet Potatoes
2. Seaweed
Seaweed contains dietary fiber porphyrin, which can promote sodium excretion, prevent hypertension, and can lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by 24% and raise high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) by 30%. Research has found that regular consumption of seaweed can improve the deformability of red blood cells. Since the average diameter of human capillaries is 5 micrometers and the diameter of a red blood cell is 8 micrometers, if the red blood cells' deformability is poor, they cannot pass through the capillaries. The minerals and phospholipids in seaweed can soften the red blood cell membrane and increase its fluidity. Animal experiments have found that the deformability of red blood cells in animals fed seaweed increased by 10%, and the cancer control rate in mice fed seaweed powder for a long period reached 53%.
Kimbap
3. Lamb
Lamb is tender and nutritious and can be used as a therapeutic food for those with insufficient kidney yang, soreness in the lower back and knees, cold abdominal pain, or deficiency and fatigue. Lamb is rich in nutrients and is greatly beneficial for tuberculosis, bronchitis, asthma, anemia, postpartum deficiency of both qi and blood, cold abdominal pain, physical weakness and aversion to cold, malnutrition, soreness in the lower back and knees, impotence, premature ejaculation, and all types of deficiency-cold diseases. It has the effects of tonifying the kidneys and strengthening yang, and tonifying deficiency and warming the middle, making it suitable for regular consumption by men. Moreover, Li Shizhen said in the "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Lamb can warm the middle and nourish deficiency, tonify the middle and benefit qi, whet the appetite and strengthen the body, benefit kidney qi, nourish the gallbladder and brighten the eyes, and treat deficiency-cold and the five labors and seven injuries."
Satay Stewed Lamb
4. Apple
Apples are a great beauty product; they can help with weight loss and make the skin smooth and tender. Apples are a low-calorie food, with only 60 kcal per 100 grams. The nutrients in apples are highly soluble and easily absorbed by the body, hence they are called "living water," which helps dissolve sulfur and keeps the skin smooth and tender. Apples also contain elements like copper, iodine, manganese, zinc, and potassium. A deficiency of these elements in the body can cause dry, easily cracked, and itchy skin.
Furthermore, apples are rich in potassium, which can combine with excess sodium in the body and excrete it. When you consume too much sodium, eating apples helps balance the body's electrolytes. Elements like phosphorus and iron in apples are easily absorbed by the intestinal wall and have the effects of nourishing the brain and blood, and calming the nerves for sleep. There is a scientific basis for the saying that eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Compared to other fruits, fresh apples are the best choice for preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Apple Crisps
5. Chestnut
The sweet and delicious chestnut has been a precious fruit since ancient times, being a standout among dried fruits. Chestnuts belong to the nut category and are high in starch. TCM believes that chestnuts have the effects of tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the spleen, strengthening the body and fortifying bones, and benefiting the stomach and pacifying the liver. Therefore, chestnuts have also earned the beautiful name "fruit of the kidney." Moreover, the rich unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals in chestnuts can prevent and treat diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and osteoporosis, making them a great tonic for anti-aging and prolonging life. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" contains the record that "chestnuts can treat kidney deficiency, weakness in the lower back and legs, can tonify the kidney and benefit qi, and strengthen the intestines and stomach." For the elderly with kidney deficiency, weakness in the lower back and legs, or frequent urination, chewing 1 to 2 raw chestnuts slowly in the morning and evening can have a therapeutic effect with regular consumption.
Honey Jujube and Chestnut Rice Cake
Apple chip
Nutritional vegetable rice
Spam
Cinnamon dates
♪ Burning potatoes ♪