MelonsEat Three Melons During Sanfu Days
Experts introduce that the hottest Sanfu days have arrived, and it is essential to eat three types of melons! Most melons can clear heat and eliminate dampness, helping to expel toxins, making them very suitable for cooling down and preventing heatstroke during Sanfu days.
1Eat Bitter Melon — Prevent Heat Rash During Sanfu
The “bitterness” of bitter melon is the key to its nutrition and essence! Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that bitter melon has the effects of clearing heat and relieving summer heat, calming the heart and eliminating irritability, strengthening the spleen and stimulating appetite, benefiting qi and relieving fatigue, and promoting diuresis. If you notice heat rash on your body, you can add bitter melon to your meals.
2Eat Winter Melon — Increase Appetite During Sanfu
“Winter melon” — its name indicates that it is very suitable for consumption during the hot Sanfu days. Winter melon can clear heat and transform phlegm, relieve irritability and thirst, reduce fire and detoxify, and promote diuresis and reduce swelling. Moreover, winter melon has a high water content, which can also enhance appetite. Since it contains no fat and is low in sugar, it is a good choice for people with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension.
3Eat Loofah — Alleviate Phlegm and Cough During Sanfu
Loofah is rich in vitamins, minerals, plant mucilage, and xyloglucan, and can be used medicinally throughout the body. Furthermore, loofah is a “good helper” for clearing heat, reducing fire, cooling blood, and detoxifying during the Sanfu days.
Loofah is cold in nature and has the effects of relieving summer heat, benefiting the intestines, dispelling wind and phlegm, and cooling blood and detoxifying. If you experience phlegm, cough, or thirst due to heat, try eating some loofah to alleviate these symptoms.
LeavesEat Three Leaves During Sanfu1Peppermint Leaves — Cooling and Relieving Summer Heat
Peppermint is often added to many beverages and chewing gums. During Sanfu days, you can eat some peppermint leaves, such as adding a bit of peppermint leaves when boiling mung bean soup, which makes the soup refreshing and delightful. Additionally, you can boil peppermint water and keep it in the refrigerator for use when making fruit juices.
2Lotus Leaves — Relieve Summer Heat and Increase Appetite
A famous dish in Hangzhou called “Flower Chicken” is wrapped in lotus leaves for cooking, and the fragrance of lotus leaves is very enticing. Consuming it during Sanfu days can increase appetite. It can also be used to make mung bean soup; like peppermint leaves, adding a bit when boiling mung bean soup enhances its cooling effect.
3Patchouli Leaves — Effectively Prevent Heatstroke
The most familiar product is the Patchouli Essence, which is not very pleasant to drink. In fact, patchouli can be used as a spice. When cooking, adding some patchouli leaves can effectively prevent heatstroke and enhance the flavor of dishes, which is much better than taking medicine, achieving two benefits at once.
SoupsDrink Three Soups During Sanfu1Kelp and Mung Bean Soup — Clear Heat and Promote Digestion
When it comes to summer soups for relieving heat, the kelp and mung bean soup is the best. Don’t underestimate this simple dish; the green skin can relieve summer heat. When it’s hot, boil a pot of water for about eight to ten minutes, then turn off the heat and drink the clear green soup for the best cooling effect. In addition to mung beans, you can add a small amount of kelp strips, which can help with summer indigestion.
▲Kelp and Mung Bean Soup
2Winter Melon, Lotus Seed, and Tremella Soup — Quench Thirst and Generate Fluids
During the hot Sanfu days, people often feel particularly irritable. At this time, a light and delicious winter melon, lotus seed, and tremella soup can be very helpful. Winter melon has high water content and low calories, and also has diuretic and swelling-reducing effects. Remove the core from the lotus seeds, wash them, and put them in a clay pot with enough water to boil. When the lotus seeds have boiled for 15 minutes, add the soaked tremella and continue to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Then add slices of winter melon and a small amount of rock sugar. Once the tremella is soft and the lotus seeds and winter melon slices are cooked, it is ready. This bowl of soup is perfect for afternoon tea, served chilled, refreshing, and quenching thirst.
3Adzuki Bean and Job’s Tears Porridge — Relieve Heat and Strengthen the Spleen and Stomach
Hot weather can weaken the spleen and stomach and reduce appetite. Cooking some white adzuki beans into porridge can enrich the staple food and help relieve heat while strengthening the spleen and stomach.
White adzuki beans are effective for spleen and stomach weakness and poor digestion. They can generally be purchased from Chinese medicine shops at a reasonable price. Soak 50 grams each of adzuki beans and job’s tears in water for 2-4 hours (keep them in the refrigerator while soaking), then mix with 50 grams of mung beans, put them in a clay pot, add 6-8 times the amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for 1 hour until the adzuki beans and job’s tears are soft. Add some sugar or honey when eating.
Main DishesThree Main Dishes During Sanfu
“Eat dumplings on the first day of Sanfu, noodles on the second day, and pancakes with eggs on the third day.”
1Eat Dumplings on the First Day — Good for Balanced Supplementation
Dumplings have a history of over a thousand years in China. During the Sanfu days, people often experience poor appetite and may lose weight compared to usual, and dumplings are traditionally considered a food that stimulates appetite.
Eating dumplings on the first day of Sanfu also has a scientific basis. Nutrition experts believe that during the hot days, one should avoid hot or warm supplements and instead aim for balanced supplementation, which dumplings are perfect for. Dumplings are rich in carbohydrates, B vitamins, and various minerals, making them nutritious and easy to digest.
2Eat Noodles on the Second Day — Drive Away Illness and Clear Heart Fire
The middle of Sanfu is the hottest time, and eating noodles made from freshly milled wheat flour can help induce sweating, which drives away external pathogens. In addition to hot noodle soup, you can also eat cold noodles, rinsing the noodles in cold water after cooking. The sesame paste should be diluted with water, the soy sauce should be heated with hot pepper oil, and a few drops of sesame oil should be added to the vinegar. Pour these seasonings over the noodles, and add shredded cucumber, spinach, and garlic paste, which not only stimulates appetite but also “clears heart fire.”
3Eat Pancakes with Eggs on the Third Day — Restore and Supplement Nutrition
By the time Sanfu arrives, the body has already consumed a significant amount of energy, and those who need to lose weight have likely lost quite a bit. Therefore, it is essential to appropriately replenish nutrition and restore energy at this time.
Pancakes alone lack sufficient nutrients, but adding eggs can achieve dietary diversity and nutritional balance.
Source: People’s Daily, Health Times