Strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach: Can you make these health-boosting medicinal dishes? What should you eat to aid digestion? What should you eat if you have a cold stomach? What to do if you don’t feel like eating in hot weather? Strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach, using local medicinal materials from both the north and south, learn to make health-boosting medicinal dishes.
What should you eat to aid digestion?
Reishi and Dendrobium Chicken Soup
► Method:
Remove the skin from the chicken and blanch it. Soak 15 grams of Dendrobium (Shi Hu) in warm water, then place it with the chicken in a stewing pot to cook.
► Expert Commentary:
As mentioned in the “Huangdi Neijing” (Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine): At the age of forty, the yin energy is halved. Staying up late and excessive fatigue can deplete yin fluids, causing damage to both qi and yin, especially in middle-aged and elderly individuals who need to nourish yin. Dendrobium nourishes yin and tonifies deficiency, strengthens the spleen and nourishes the stomach; Reishi nourishes the stomach and can replenish the qi of the five organs. The combination of the two is referred to in TCM as “mutual reinforcement”, enhancing the effects of nourishing yin and tonifying deficiency.
► Tip:
Dendrobium is a local medicinal material from the south and can also be paired with pork ribs or old duck for stewing.
Ginseng and Radish Stewed Pork Ribs
► Method:
Blanch the pork ribs, cut the radish into large pieces, and place them in a clay pot. Add an appropriate amount of ginseng (Ren Shen), jujube (Da Zao), and goji berries (Gou Qi), and simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours.
► Expert Commentary:
Ginseng greatly tonifies the original qi, radish helps to relieve qi stagnation and bloating, and aids digestion. For those with insufficient spleen and stomach qi, especially those with deficient original qi and accompanying abdominal bloating, consuming cooked radish and ginseng together is beneficial. Cooking the radish reduces its pungency, which minimally affects the qi-tonifying effects of ginseng.
► Tip:
Ginseng is a local medicinal material from the north, primarily produced in Jilin, and prefers cool, cold-resistant environments.
What should you eat if you have a cold stomach?
Sand Ginger and Pig Stomach Soup
► Method:
Clean the pig stomach, blanch it, and cut it into strips or pieces. Place it in a pot, add white pepper, spring sand ginger (Sha Ren), ginger slices, and a small amount of coix seed (Yi Yi Ren). Add enough water and simmer for 1 hour, then season with salt.
► Expert Commentary:
Pig stomach has the effect of tonifying deficiency and strengthening the spleen and stomach; sand ginger can transform dampness, nourish the stomach, and warm the spleen to stop diarrhea. Cooking them together can nourish the stomach, tonify deficiency, and warm the interior to dispel cold. Here, spring sand ginger is used instead of Sichuan sand ginger, as they have different effects; Sichuan sand ginger is generally used as a hot pot base to enhance flavor and remove fishy smells.
► Tip:
Spring sand ginger originates from Yangchun, Guangdong, and is a local medicinal material from the south.
Qiamagu Yam and Pig Stomach Stew
► Method:
Clean and cut the pig stomach, yam (Shan Yao), and Qiamagu, then place them in a pot and add Sichuan pepper to stew.
► Expert Commentary:
Qiamagu belongs to the cruciferous family and has effects similar to radish, helping to relieve qi stagnation, reduce bloating, and aid digestion; yam enters the spleen, lung, and kidney meridians, tonifying the spleen and nourishing the kidneys. The combination of these with pig stomach can strengthen the spleen and nourish the stomach. If there is insufficient spleen yang and a tendency to diarrhea, adding pepper to the soup can help warm the interior and dispel cold.
► Tip:
Huai yam is primarily produced in Jiaozuo and is a local medicinal material from the north.
How to stimulate appetite when you have no appetite?
Yam and Euryale Cereal Porridge
► Method:
Take an appropriate amount of Euryale (Qian Shi), millet, rice, and yam, and cook them together.
► Expert Commentary:
In TCM, poor appetite can be classified into two types: deficiency syndrome and excess syndrome. If one has a long-term poor appetite and feels full after eating a little, it is generally due to spleen deficiency and poor transformation, indicating a deficiency syndrome. Yam strengthens the spleen, Euryale tonifies the spleen and nourishes the kidneys, and millet strengthens the spleen and benefits the kidneys, making this porridge beneficial for the spleen and stomach.
► Tip:
Euryale is also known as chicken head grass and is a local medicinal material from the south.
Appetite-Enhancing Drink
► Method:
Take a piece of dried tangerine peel (Chen Pi), six pieces of hawthorn (Shan Zha), 10-15 goji berries (Gou Qi), and an appropriate amount of jasmine tea, and steep them in boiling water for a moment before drinking.
► Expert Commentary:
In summer, the heat and humidity can easily lead to the accumulation of phlegm and dampness in the body due to prolonged sitting. Dried tangerine peel can strengthen the spleen and transform dampness, jasmine tea can disperse depression and relieve summer heat, hawthorn can aid digestion and relieve stagnation, and goji berries can nourish qi and blood. The combination of these four not only balances sour and sweet but also has effects such as strengthening the spleen, transforming dampness, relieving stagnation, and dispelling summer heat.
► Tip:
Hawthorn is divided into northern and southern varieties. Northern hawthorn is larger and sweeter, with stronger effects in aiding digestion and relieving stagnation; southern hawthorn is smaller and harder, with better effects in promoting blood circulation and resolving stasis. It is recommended to use northern hawthorn for this drink.
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Article edited by:Bo Ran Editor: Bai Xia
