In the “Book of Caring for the Elderly” written by Chen Zhi during the Song Dynasty, it is stated: “Elderly individuals tend to dislike medicine and prefer food; using food to treat diseases is superior to using medicine. Especially for elderly ailments, caution is required with vomiting and diarrhea, thus food should be used for treatment. Whenever an elderly person is ill, food treatment should be prioritized; if food treatment does not yield results, then medicine may be prescribed. This is the fundamental principle of caring for the elderly. Therefore, those who are skilled in treating diseases should be more cautious about ailments; those who are adept at using medicine should be more proficient in using food.”
Today, I will introduce several dietary remedies suitable for maintaining the health of the elderly.
Qi-Boosting Dietary Formula for the Elderly
Stewed Pig Stomach Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals to replenish deficiency and combat fatigue.
Ingredients:Two pig stomachs (cleaned, as per cooking method), 15g ginseng (peeled), 6g dried ginger (processed and crushed), 6g pepper (peeled, lightly roasted), 7 green onions (white part only, trimmed and chopped), 200g glutinous rice.
Preparation:Crush the above ingredients into a powder. Mix with rice and stuff into the pig stomach, sewing it up to prevent air leakage. Boil in 5 liters of water over low heat until thoroughly cooked. Consume on an empty stomach, allowing it to cool slightly before eating. Follow with a small cup of warm wine.
Qi-Boosting Milk Formula
Milk is particularly beneficial for the elderly, as it nourishes the blood vessels, strengthens the heart, builds muscle, and promotes overall health, leading to a radiant complexion and vitality. It can be made into milk cakes or used in weaning, ensuring adequate intake is maintained, as it surpasses meat in benefits.
Goji Berry Decoction
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals frequently suffering from illness, weakness, and inability to recover; it is highly recommended.
Ingredients:Fresh goji berry roots (finely shredded, 10 liters, boiled with 5 liters of water to yield 1.5 liters of clear liquid), 1 lamb spine (crushed).
Preparation:Boil the above ingredients over low heat to extract 5 liters of liquid, strain, and store in a porcelain container. Take one cup before meals, mixed with a small cup of warm wine.
Stewed Lamb Head Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals to replenish energy and recover from physical exhaustion.
Ingredients:One lamb head and hooves (burned over grass fire until yellow, cleaned of ash), 15g pepper, 15g prickly ash, 15g dried ginger, 1.5 cups chopped green onions, 250g fermented black soybeans.
Preparation:Boil the lamb head and hooves in water until half-cooked, then add the other ingredients and continue boiling until tender. Remove bones and consume on an empty stomach. Eat one head per day, stopping after seven days. Avoid raw, cold, vinegar, slippery foods, five pungent spices, aged or foul foods, pork, and chicken for seven days.
Eye Health Dietary Formula for the Elderly
Liver-Replenishing Pig Liver Soup Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with liver weakness, farsightedness, and lack of strength.
Ingredients:One pig liver (finely sliced, membranes removed), a handful of green onions (trimmed and chopped), 2 eggs.
Preparation:Cook the ingredients in fermented black bean sauce to make a soup. When nearly done, crack the eggs into the soup and consume.
Black Chicken Liver Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with liver wind deficiency and dim vision.
Ingredients:One black chicken liver (finely sliced).
Preparation:Mix with rice and cook to make porridge.
Common Cocklebur Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with unclear vision.
Ingredients:Common cocklebur (15g), japonica rice (1 cup).
Preparation:Crush the cocklebur and strain through cloth, using 2 liters of water to extract the juice, then cook with rice to make porridge. Alternatively, it can be made into a powder and decocted.
Lotus Seed Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals to enhance hearing and vision, and strengthen willpower.
Ingredients:Lotus seeds (15g, peeled and finely chopped), glutinous rice (1.5 cups).
Preparation:First, cook the lotus seeds until soft, then strain. Add glutinous rice to make porridge, stirring in the lotus seeds until well mixed. Serve hot.
Bamboo Leaf Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with wind-heat in the upper body, headache, and eye discomfort.
Ingredients:50 bamboo leaves (cleaned), 90g gypsum, 15g rock sugar, japonica rice (1.5 cups).
Preparation:Boil bamboo leaves and gypsum in 3 large cups of water to extract 2 cups of liquid. Strain and clarify, then cook with rice until done. Add rock sugar before serving.
Dietary Remedies for Elderly Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
Carp Brain Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with persistent hearing loss.
Ingredients:Carp brain (60g), japonica rice (1.5 cups).
Preparation:Cook the ingredients into porridge, adjusting flavors as needed, and consume on an empty stomach.
Pig Kidney Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with kidney fatigue and hearing loss.
Ingredients:Pig kidney (30g, membranes removed and finely sliced), 2 green onions (trimmed and chopped), 3g ginseng (peeled), 3g ledebouriella (peeled), japonica rice (200g), 7 green onions (trimmed).
Preparation:Grind the above ingredients into powder. Combine with rice, green onions, and ledebouriella, and boil in water. When the porridge is nearly done, push aside the center and add the kidney, avoiding stirring, and simmer for a long time. Add flavors and consume on an empty stomach.
Black Chicken Fat Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with internal stagnation and hearing loss.
Ingredients:Black chicken fat (30g), japonica rice (1.5 cups).
Preparation:Mix and cook into porridge, adding flavors as needed, and consume on an empty stomach. Black chicken fat can also be consumed with wine.
Dried Persimmon Porridge Formula
Effects:Treats hearing loss and inability to perceive scents.
Ingredients:Dried persimmons (3, finely sliced), japonica rice (1.5 cups).
Preparation:Cook the above in fermented black bean sauce to make porridge, consuming on an empty stomach.
Dietary Remedies for Elderly Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency
Stuffed Pig Stomach Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with weak spleen and stomach qi, unable to eat, feeling fatigued and weak.
Ingredients:One pig stomach (preferably fatty, cleaned), 15g ginseng powder, 15g dried orange peel powder, 2 pig spleens (finely sliced), 1/2 bowl of rice, a handful of green onions.
Preparation:Mix all ingredients and stuff into the pig stomach, sewing it shut, and steam until thoroughly cooked. Consume on an empty stomach. This can yield three doses and also helps with fatigue.
Egg Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with weak spleen and stomach qi, poor appetite, weakness in walking, yellowish complexion, and nausea at the sight of food.
Ingredients:3 eggs, 250g flour, 250g lamb meat.
Preparation:Prepare as usual with egg whites and flour. Cook with flavors until done, consuming on an empty stomach once daily. This is highly nourishing.
Lamb Spine Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with weak spleen and stomach qi, fatigue, and poor appetite.
Ingredients:One lamb spine (preferably fatty, crushed), 1.5 cups of millet (cleaned).
Preparation:Boil in 5 liters of water to extract 2 liters of broth, then add millet to cook into porridge, consuming on an empty stomach.
Millet Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with weak spleen and stomach, vomiting, poor appetite, and gradual weight loss.
Ingredients:Millet (1.5 cups, cleaned), 250g flour.
Preparation:Grind millet into flour, mix well, and cook into porridge, consuming on an empty stomach twice daily. This is excellent for nourishing kidney qi and harmonizing the stomach.
Yellow Hen Wonton Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with weak spleen and stomach qi, and emaciation.
Ingredients:Yellow hen meat (250g), 350g flour, 2 cups of green onions (finely chopped).
Preparation:Prepare wontons with chopped meat, cooking with flavors until done, consuming on an empty stomach once daily. This nourishes the organs and improves complexion.
Ginger Soup Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with poor appetite or vomiting due to weakness.
Ingredients:Fresh ginger (60g, peeled and finely sliced), 1 liter of water.
Preparation:Mix with a little salt. Boil to yield 700ml, consuming on an empty stomach. Regular consumption stimulates appetite.
Yam Flour Formula
Effects:Boosts energy, builds muscle, promotes longevity, enhances mental clarity, and prevents hunger.
Preparation:Peel and thinly slice yam, dry in the sun, grind into flour, and consume as usual. Adding honey enhances its benefits.
Dietary Remedies for Elderly Cough and Wheezing
Ginger Sugar Decoction Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with cough, wheezing, heat, poor appetite, and nausea.
Ingredients:Fresh ginger juice (500ml), rock sugar (250g).
Preparation:Mix and warm over low heat. Stop boiling after 20 minutes. Take half a spoon gradually.
Peach Kernel Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with cough, chest fullness, and wheezing.
Ingredients:Peach kernels (90g, peeled and ground), millet (200g, cleaned).
Preparation:Cook the peach kernels with millet to make porridge, consuming on an empty stomach once daily for best results.
Sugarcane Porridge Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with cough, heat, dry mouth, and thick phlegm.
Ingredients:Sugarcane juice (1.5 liters), millet (1.5 cups, cleaned).
Preparation:Cook millet in sugarcane juice, consuming on an empty stomach once or twice daily. This is excellent for moistening the lungs.
Rehmannia Drink Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with cough, heat, or blood-tinged sputum, and difficulty eating.
Ingredients:Fresh rehmannia (250g, ground, with water to extract juice).
Preparation:Boil the rehmannia juice to make a syrup. Consume on an empty stomach, gradually increasing intake. Highly effective.
Pig Gallbladder Honey Formula
Effects:Food remedy for elderly individuals with cough, yellow phlegm, dry mouth, constipation, mild heat, nasal congestion, and red tongue.
Ingredients:One fresh pig gallbladder (juice), 1kg fresh honey.
Preparation:Mix the two ingredients and heat until cooked. Take two spoons with warm water on an empty stomach every morning and evening.
【Source: Traditional Chinese Medicine Text “Book of Caring for the Elderly” by Chen Zhi, Song Dynasty】 Recommended Reading
