Ophiopogon, Solomon's seal, lily bulb, and Dendrobium are ideal herbs for nourishing yin and moistening dryness during the transition from summer to autumn. If you're vexed by vexation and dry mouth, try these four secret recipes.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), as autumn gradually approaches, the weather becomes crisp and clear, the climate dry, and the moisture in the air decreases. Dryness evil often enters the body through the mouth and nose, causing external dryness syndromes. Lu Lanfang, Deputy Chief Pharmacist of Guangzhou First People's Hospital, reminds us that herbal conditioning is an important method for health maintenance at this time. Conditioning the spleen and stomach focuses on clearing heat, draining dampness, and strengthening the spleen to expel damp-heat evil from the body through urine and promote the recovery of spleen and stomach function. Below, Lu Lanfang recommends four health-nourishing medicinal soups for you. However, she reminds that health supplements must be tailored to the individual's condition; one should not supplement indiscriminately. It is best to consult a TCM practitioner to determine your body constitution before taking any herbs.
For dry cough and constipation, use some Ophiopogon.
Ophiopogon is sweet, slightly bitter, and slightly cold in nature, and it affects the heart, lung, and stomach meridians. It has the effects of nourishing yin to moisten the lungs, benefiting the stomach to promote fluid production, and clearing the heart to alleviate vexation. It is commonly used for dry cough due to lung dryness, consumptive cough, fluid depletion and thirst, vexation and insomnia, and intestinal dryness with constipation. Ophiopogon can not only treat illnesses but also be used in medicinal diets. However, due to its slightly cold nature, it is not suitable for people with diarrhea caused by spleen deficiency, phlegm retention, or significant qi deficiency, nor should it be taken in excessive amounts.
1. Steamed Young Duck with Ophiopogon
【Ingredients】25g Ophiopogon, 1 young duck, 10g cooking wine, 5g salt, 10g soy sauce, 3g MSG, 3g pepper, 5g ginger, 10g green onion.
【Method】Wash the Ophiopogon with clear water, soak for 24 hours, take it out and flatten with a mallet, remove the inner core. After slaughtering the duck, remove its feathers, viscera, and claws. Chop the ginger and mince the green onion. Place the Ophiopogon inside the duck's abdominal cavity. Put it in a steamer over high heat and steam for 55 minutes.
2. Dendrobium and Ophiopogon Stew with Bird's Nest
【Ingredients】150g fresh Chinese yam, 20g Ophiopogon, 5g bird's nest, 750ml chicken soup.
【Method】Peel the Chinese yam and dice it. Remove the inner core of the Ophiopogon and wash it. Soak the bird's nest in warm water at 45°C, remove the fine feathers, and wash it. Place the bird's nest, Chinese yam, Ophiopogon, and chicken soup in a pot to stew. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for half an hour. Add salt to taste.
【Efficacy】Tonifies the spleen and stomach, nourishes yin and moistens the lungs, and has the effect of lowering blood sugar.
Solomon's seal and Ophiopogon are a great pair.
Solomon's seal is sweet, slightly cold, and neutral in nature, and it affects the lung and stomach meridians. It has the effects of nourishing yin to moisten dryness and promoting fluid production to quench thirst. It is suitable for lung and stomach yin injury, dry-heat cough, dry throat and thirst, dull stomach pain, and dry stools. It is also suitable for a dry cough with little phlegm, or a dry mouth and throat.
It should be noted that it is not suitable for people with a weak spleen and stomach, copious clear phlegm, or a cold stomach with diarrhea. At the same time, Solomon's seal is often used with other herbs like Glehnia and Ophiopogon. These three are standard ingredients in the "Qing Buliao Tang," a soup beloved by the "Old Guangzhou" people.
1. Solomon's Seal and Tremella Soup
【Ingredients】Take 10g each of fresh Solomon's seal, rock sugar, and tremella (snow fungus).
【Method】Wash and slice the Solomon's seal. Soak and clean the tremella. Add an appropriate amount of clear water and stew together until the tremella is tender. Add rock sugar before serving.
【Efficacy】Nourishes yin and clears heat. Suitable for dry mouth, thirst, dull stomach pain, and dry stools caused by stomach yin deficiency.
Lily bulbs calm the mind and are rich in high-quality protein.
Lily bulbs are slightly cold in nature and sweet and bland in taste. They have the effects of nourishing yin to moisten the lungs and clearing the heart to calm the mind. They are used for yin deficiency with dry cough, vexation and insomnia due to deficient heat, palpitations, and stomach pain. Lu Lanfang explains that lily bulbs are rich in excellent proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, trace elements, vitamins, and various alkaloids that are essential for the human body.
1. Lily Calming Tea
【Ingredients】25g each of lily bulb and wheat, 15g each of lotus seed and fleeceflower stem, 2 Chinese red dates, 6g licorice root.
【Method】Wash the lily bulb, wheat, lotus seed, fleeceflower stem, red dates, and licorice root. Soak in cold water for half an hour. Pour them into a pot, add 700ml of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for half an hour. Strain the liquid, store it in a thermos, and drink as desired.
【Efficacy】Has the effects of clearing heat, calming the mind, replenishing qi, and nourishing yin. Suitable for those with restlessness, irritability, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, palpitations, shortness of breath, and excessive sweating. Not suitable for those with copious phlegm, food stagnation, wind-cold cough, or a cold stomach with diarrhea.
2. Stir-fried Dutch Bean with Wood Ear Mushroom, Lily Bulb, and Celery
【Ingredients】100g Dutch beans, celery (deleafed and cut into sections), a small amount of dried lily bulbs and wood ear mushrooms.
【Method】Soak the dried lily bulbs and wood ear mushrooms in advance. Blanch the celery and Dutch beans briefly, then remove and drain. Heat oil in a wok until it's 70% hot. Stir-fry the Dutch beans until they change color. Add the lily bulbs, wood ear mushrooms, and celery, add a small amount of water and cook for 2 minutes, then season and stir-fry until done.
【Efficacy】Beautifies the skin, nourishes yin, and calms the mind. Suitable for the general population, but not for those with bleeding disorders, indigestion, or a tendency towards diarrhea.
Dendrobium and Chrysanthemum Soup Clears Fire and Brightens the Eyes.
Dendrobium is sweet and slightly cold in nature. It can nourish the stomach, promote fluid production, nourish yin to clear heat, and brighten the eyes to remove nebulae. It can be used for thirst due to heat illness, swollen and painful gums, blurred vision and soft bones and muscles due to kidney yin deficiency. It is especially suitable for autumn dryness accompanied by myopia, hyperopia, or mild cataracts.
1. Dendrobium and Chrysanthemum Soup
【Ingredients】6-12g Dendrobium, an appropriate amount of chrysanthemum.
【Method】Decoct the Dendrobium for 30 minutes first, then add the chrysanthemum and decoct together for another 5-10 minutes.
【Efficacy】Has a good effect of brightening the eyes and moistening dryness.
2. Dendrobium Congee
【Ingredients】15g Dendrobium, 100g rice, an appropriate amount of sugar.
【Method】Wash the Dendrobium, put it in a pot, add an appropriate amount of clear water, and decoct to obtain the liquid. Add rice to the liquid and cook into a congee. When it's almost done, add sugar and cook for another one or two boils. Take one dose daily.
【Efficacy】Quite suitable for dry cough due to lung dryness, and for the elderly or those recovering from an illness with dull stomach pain, loss of appetite, and a feeling of gastric upset.