Millet is a fine product for health preservation and wellness. It is not only rich in nutritional value but also has unexpected health benefits. Of course, not everyone is suitable for eating millet. How should you eat it, and what are the dietary taboos when pairing it with other foods? Read on to find out!
Millet is a fine product for health preservation among the five grains. Traditional Chinese medicine posits that among seeds, the greater the quantity, the greater the energy and the stronger the nourishing power. Therefore, among all things created by heaven and earth, the five grains are especially favored, and among them, foxtail millet is the best. Foxtail millet is also known as millet, millet grain, and Setaria italica. Millet, planted in spring and harvested in autumn, absorbs the most comprehensive energy from heaven and earth and the richest energy from the soil. It is considered the fruit of the spleen and is most nourishing to the spleen and stomach. Millet is sweet and salty in taste, and cool in nature. Its sweet flavor and yellow color enter the spleen and stomach meridians, and its salty flavor enters the kidney meridian. As the king of the five grains, millet nourishes both the foundation of life—the spleen and stomach—and the acquired foundation—the kidneys, making it an excellent product for health preservation.
Millet is highly nutritious
Millet contains protein, more than rice. It has 1.7 grams of fat and 76.1 grams of carbohydrates, neither of which is lower than in rice or wheat. Millet contains 0.12 milligrams of carotene per 100 grams, a nutrient not found in most grains. Its content of Vitamin B1 ranks first among all grains. In addition to being eaten, it can also be used to make wine and malt sugar.
Millet congee is a healthy food. It can be boiled on its own or with ingredients like red dates, red beans, sweet potatoes, lotus seeds, or lilies to create nutritious porridges with different flavors. When ground into flour, millet can be used to make delicious pastries. The sprouts of millet, like malt, contain a large amount of enzymes and are used in traditional Chinese medicine to invigorate the stomach and aid digestion. Millet congee also has a calming effect.
In many parts of northern China, it is a tradition for women to use millet with brown sugar to recover after childbirth. Millet porridge is rich in nutritional value and is known as "ginseng soup." Because millet does not need to be highly refined, it retains many vitamins and inorganic salts. The Vitamin B1 content in millet can be several times that of rice, and its inorganic salt content is also higher.
Nutritional Analysis
⒉ Millet has the effect of preventing nausea and vomiting;
⒊ It also has the function of nourishing yin and blood, which can help women recover from postpartum deficiency and cold constitution and restore their strength;
⒋ Millet can help reduce wrinkles, spots, and hyperpigmentation.
Medicinal Value
The "Compendium of Materia Medica" states that millet "treats vomiting, heat dysentery, and is beneficial to the dantian, supplements deficiency and damage, and opens the stomach and intestines when eaten as congee."
Millet is also known by names such as foxtail millet, white foxtail millet, rice millet, yellow millet, kodo millet, and millet grain. It is the kernel of the grass plant *Setaria italica*. It is native to China and is most widely cultivated in regions like Shandong, Hebei, Northeast China, and Northwest China. It is divided into two types based on its stickiness: glutinous millet and non-glutinous millet. It is harvested after the Start of Autumn. Large, full, and even grains are considered the best quality.
Main Functions and Indications
1. Strengthens the spleen and harmonizes the stomach, replenishes deficiency and damage, harmonizes the middle and benefits the kidneys, and clears heat and detoxifies. Used for spleen and stomach deficiency with heat, vomiting, diabetes, and diarrhea.
2. Millet contains various functional factors beneficial to sexual health, which can strengthen yang, nourish yin, and improve fertility.
Suitable and Unsuitable Groups
Generally suitable for everyone to eat;
Millet is a nourishing food suitable for the elderly, the sick, and postpartum women;
It should be avoided by those with qi stagnation; those with a naturally cold constitution and clear, frequent urination should eat it in moderation;
Choose millet that is plump, full, and fresh in color. Do not eat moldy or spoiled millet. For dietary therapy, organically grown millet, free from chemical fertilizers and pesticides, is the best choice.
【Millet + Mulberry】Protects cardiovascular health.
【Millet + Brown Sugar】Brown sugar replenishes qi and blood, while millet strengthens the spleen and stomach and supplements deficiency. The combination can replenish qi and blood.
【Millet + Meat, Soybeans】The amino acids contained are different; pairing them can improve the absorption and utilization of protein.
【Millet + Rice】The nutrients are complementary; eating them together increases the nutritional value.
【Food Incompatibility】Millet should not be eaten with almonds.
【Millet + Apricots】The minerals in millet, such as phosphorus, combine with the citric acid in apricots to form indigestible substances, which can easily lead to vomiting and diarrhea.
【Millet + Dried Shrimp】Millet and dried shrimp have incompatible natures and flavors; eating them together can cause nausea and vomiting.
【Millet + Vinegar】Vinegar contains organic acids that will destroy the carotenoids in millet, reducing its nutritional value.
Recommended Folk Remedies Using Millet
1. Replenish Vital Qi
Mr. Ji Xianlin lived to be 98 years old. His secret to longevity was drinking millet and mung bean congee every day, as millet replenishes vital qi and mung beans detoxify and clear heat.
2. Lower Blood Pressure
Use 200 grams of millet and 10 grams of lotus seeds to make a congee. It is effective for high blood pressure caused by excess heart-fire.
3. Nourish the Stomach
Use 200 grams of millet and 6 slices of ginger to make a congee. It is effective for stomach ailments.
4. Treat Myasthenia Gravis
Use 200g millet, 40g black sesame, 30g black beans, 5 walnuts, 6 red dates, 8 peanuts, 30 goji berries, and 10g raw Chinese yam. Blend in a soy milk maker and drink three cups on an empty stomach each morning.
The Right Way to Eat Millet
1. Millet and Brown Sugar Congee
Use 100g of millet, add an appropriate amount of water to a clay pot and cook into a congee. Add brown sugar to taste and eat after the rice is cooked. Used for nourishing the weak or for postpartum recovery from qi and blood deficiency.
Recipe for Millet and Brown Sugar Congee
2. Millet, Chinese Yam, and Red Date Congee
Use 100g of millet, 30g of Chinese yam, 5 red dates, and 30g of brown sugar. Cook them together into a congee. It can strengthen the spleen and stomach and benefit qi and blood. Used for treating diarrhea due to spleen and stomach weakness and for supplementing those with qi and blood deficiency.
3. Millet and Chinese Yam Paste
Use an equal amount of millet and Chinese yam, stir-fry until yellow, grind them into a fine powder, and cook with water into a paste. Add sugar to taste. Used for nourishing children or for children with indigestion.
Recipe for Goji Berry, Millet, and Chinese Yam Paste
4. Millet and Astragalus Congee
Use 50g of millet, 15 red dates, and 15g of Astragalus root to make a congee. Add brown sugar to taste. It is mainly used for treating postpartum body weakness.
5. Millet and Pinellia Decoction
Use 15g of millet and 4-5g of processed Pinellia ternata. Decoct in water. Suitable for insomnia caused by disharmony of the spleen and stomach.
6. Millet and Sesame Paste
Grind 500g of millet into flour and stir-fry until yellow. Stir-fry 180g of sesame seeds until yellow and crush them. Each time, take 30g of millet flour, 10g of sesame seeds, an appropriate amount of sugar, and mix with 300ml of boiling water. Take once in the morning and once in the evening.
Recipe for Millet and Sesame Paste
7. Steamed Pork Ribs with Millet
Ingredients: 200g pork ribs, 1 sweet potato (about 200g), half a cup of millet. Seasonings: 1 tbsp cooking wine, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ginger and garlic powder, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp minced ginger.
Method:
(1) Wash the millet and soak in an appropriate amount of water for 20 minutes.
(2) Wash the pork ribs, cut into small pieces, and marinate with the seasonings for 20 minutes.
(3) Drain the soaked millet, add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp ginger and garlic powder, and mix well.
(4) Add the marinated pork ribs to the millet and mix well.
(5) Peel and cut the sweet potato into small pieces. Place them in the bottom of a steaming bowl, arrange the pork ribs on top, and steam for 30 minutes.
Tip:
(1) Do not soak the millet for too long to avoid excessive loss of nutrients.
(2) Besides sweet potato, you can also use potato or taro as a base, mainly to absorb the juice from the ribs.
(3) You can also replace the ribs with pork belly for a richer flavor.
(4) Using a pressure cooker to steam will make the ribs and millet softer.
Steamed Pork Ribs with Millet
8. Millet and Egg Congee
Preparation: First, cook millet into congee and take the broth. Then, beat an egg into the broth and cook for a short while.
Usage: Soak your feet in hot water before bed, drink this congee, and then go to sleep.
Effect: Nourishes the heart and calms the spirit. Used for heart-blood deficiency, restlessness, and insomnia.
Recipe for Millet and Egg Congee
9. Silver Carp and Millet Congee
Ingredients: 1 live silver carp, 10g of luffa seeds, 100g of millet, chopped green onions, ginger slices, sesame oil, MSG, and fine salt to taste.
Feature: This congee promotes menstruation and increases milk production. Suitable for postpartum women with insufficient milk.
Method:
(1) Scale, gill, and gut the fish. Wash it, remove the bones, and cut into fillets. Place in a bowl, add green onions, ginger, sesame oil, and salt, and marinate for a while. Wash the millet and luffa seeds.
(2) Place a pot over heat, add millet, luffa seeds, and an appropriate amount of water to cook a congee. When the congee is almost done, add the fish fillets and cook for a moment until the fish is cooked. Add MSG before serving.
10. Millet and Pumpkin Congee
Ingredients: 100g of millet, about 10 cups of water, 1-2 pounds of pumpkin, a little rock sugar or honey.
Method: Wash the millet. Peel and deseed the pumpkin, cut it into 1/2-inch cubes or slices, and place in water. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Let it sit for a moment, then add rock sugar or honey.
Pumpkin can stimulate pancreatic B cells to produce insulin, preventing diabetes. Congee made with only millet is quite thin; when cooked with pumpkin, it neutralizes the thickness of the pumpkin after long simmering. The resulting congee has a golden color, a sweet and fresh taste, and the effect of clearing heat and reducing summer heat.
Recipe for Millet and Pumpkin Congee