Traditional Chinese medicine theory holds that food supplementation is the best way to nourish the body. Autumn is the best season for such supplementation. So, what should one eat for health preservation in the fall? Fish products are delicious and highly nutritious. They are rich in protein that is easily absorbed by the body, while also being low in fat, making them a healthy food choice. Nutrition experts recommend eating more fish for health preservation in the autumn. But which fish are best?
1. Grass Carp --- A Remedy for Warming the Middle Jiao and Tonifying Deficiency
Grass carp is a very common fish, easily found on dining tables. Although ordinary, it has the effects of warming the stomach, pacifying the liver, and expelling wind. It is a health food that warms the middle jiao and tonifies deficiency. In your autumn diet, you might consider buying more grass carp, as it is an inexpensive yet beneficial food.
When consumed with tofu, grass carp can help regulate the middle jiao and stomach, promote urination, and reduce swelling; it has special benefits for the heart muscle and children's bone growth. It can be used as a dietary therapy for patients with coronary heart disease, high blood lipids, poor child development, edema, tuberculosis, or insufficient postpartum milk. When steamed with fried dough sticks, egg, and pepper, it can benefit the eyes and improve vision, making it suitable for the elderly as a warming and strengthening food. Additionally, the gallbladder of the grass carp is toxic and should not be eaten.
2. Hairtail --- A Remedy for Tonifying the Five Organs
Hairtail has the effects of warming the stomach, tonifying deficiency, nourishing the skin, expelling wind, killing parasites, and tonifying the five organs. It is very helpful as an adjunctive treatment for acute and chronic hepatitis. It should be noted that hairtail itself has a strong fishy smell, so it is best to cook it using methods like braising in soy sauce or sweet and sour.
Ancient and modern Chinese medical and aquatic medicinal books record that hairtail has functions such as nourishing the liver, expelling wind, and stopping bleeding. It is effective for treating bleeding, sores, and carbuncles. The scales of hairtail are used as raw materials for making antipyretic and analgesic tablets and anti-tumor drugs. The scales contain various unsaturated fatty acids, which have a significant effect in lowering cholesterol. It is suitable for people who are chronically ill and deficient, with symptoms like blood deficiency dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, poor appetite, emaciation, and malnutrition. Traditional Chinese medicine believes it can harmonize the middle jiao, stimulate the appetite, warm the stomach and tonify deficiency, as well as moisten the skin and provide beauty benefits. However, people with sores or scabies should eat it with caution.
Steamed Hairtail with Black Bean Sauce in the Microwave
3. Silver Carp --- Warming the Middle Jiao and Qi
Silver carp has functions such as warming the middle jiao and qi, warming the stomach, and moisturizing the skin. It is a health food that warms the middle jiao and tonifies qi. Silver carp provides rich collagen protein, which can both strengthen the body and enhance beauty, making it an ideal food for women to nourish their skin. It is effective for symptoms like rough skin, scaling, and brittle, easily falling hair, and is an indispensable delicacy for women's beauty regimens. It is generally suitable for all people, but those with heat accumulation in the spleen and stomach should avoid it. Those with pruritic skin diseases, internal heat, urticaria, or tinea should abstain from it.
4. Snakehead --- Tonifying the Liver and Kidneys
Snakehead has effects such as tonifying the spleen and promoting urination, removing stasis and generating new tissue, clearing heat and expelling wind, and tonifying the liver and kidneys. Snakehead is cold in nature, sweet in taste, and enters the spleen and stomach meridians. It can treat five types of hemorrhoids, dampness bi, facial and limb edema, and is said to "nourish the heart and yin, clarify kidney water, promote urination and drain dampness, and detoxify and clear heat." It has the effects of tonifying the spleen and promoting urination, removing stasis and generating new tissue, and clearing heat. It is primarily indicated for edema, dampness bi, beriberi, hemorrhoids, scabies, and ringworm.
It should be noted that some people are allergic to snakehead. Symptoms usually include diarrhea, vomiting, skin rashes, and accompanying lower back pain. Discomfort usually does not occur immediately after consumption but often manifests after 5-6 hours. Therefore, children, the elderly, and other people with low resistance should be cautious.
Braised Snakehead with Pickled Peppers
5. Cuttlefish --- Clearing the Stomach and Expelling Heat
Cuttlefish has effects such as nourishing the liver and kidneys, replenishing qi and blood, clearing the stomach and expelling heat, nourishing blood, improving eyesight, regulating menstruation, calming the fetus, aiding delivery, stopping bleeding, and promoting lactation. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, cuttlefish is salty in taste and neutral in nature, entering the liver and kidney meridians. It has the functions of nourishing blood, regulating menstruation, promoting lactation, tonifying the spleen, benefiting the kidneys, nourishing yin, regulating menstruation, and stopping leukorrhea. It is used to treat women's irregular menstruation, edema, dampness bi, hemorrhoids, and beriberi. Both the cuttlefish meat and its bone can be used as medicine. Li Shizhen called cuttlefish a "blood medicine," and it is an effective remedy for treating women's anemia and blood deficiency amenorrhea.
People with deficiency and coldness in the spleen and stomach should eat it in moderation. Patients with cardiovascular diseases such as high blood lipids, high cholesterol, and arteriosclerosis, as well as liver patients, should consume it with caution. People with diseases such as eczema, urticaria, gout, kidney disease, diabetes, or those who are prone to allergies should avoid it.
6. Common Carp --- Strengthening the Spleen and Stimulating the Appetite
Common carp has effects such as strengthening the spleen and stimulating the appetite, promoting urination and reducing swelling, relieving cough and asthma, calming the fetus and promoting lactation, and clearing heat and detoxifying. The protein in carp is not only high in content but also of high quality, with a human digestive absorption rate of up to 96%. It also supplies the body with essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins A and D. Every 100g of meat contains 17.6g of protein, 4.1g of fat, 50mg of calcium, 204mg of phosphorus, and various vitamins. The fat in carp is mostly unsaturated fatty acids, which can effectively lower cholesterol and help prevent arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
Homemade Stewed Common Carp
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