All things are rooted in thisThe four seasons of yin and yangTraditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) health preservation
Dietary therapy
Dietary therapy is guided by TCM theory, selecting appropriate herbs and related foods to meet the needs of disease prevention and treatment, health maintenance, and longevity. These are prepared through special cooking methods to create medicinal soups with specific colors, aromas, flavors, and forms for daily consumption. There are many types of medicinal dishes; here we will briefly introduce a few that are used for health and beauty.
【Note】The medicinal dishes provided in this article are suitable for self-preparation under the guidance of a physician. For the assessment of your own disease nature, please consult or visit a TCM clinic first, and do not self-medicate indiscriminately.
Weight loss and diuresis
Obesity is related to factors such as diet, activity, and mental state. In TCM, it is believed to be caused by dampness, phlegm, and deficiency of spleen and kidney yang. If it is due to spleen and kidney yang deficiency, the main herbs used are those that tonify the spleen and benefit, such as Ren Shen (Ginseng), Huang Qi (Astragalus), and Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes). If there is dampness and phlegm, herbs such as Yi Yi Ren (Job’s Tears), Fu Ling (Poria), Zei Xia (Alisma), He Ye (Lotus Leaf), and Dong Gua (Winter Melon) are used for their diuretic and damp-dispelling effects. Of course, maintaining exercise is still a key method for weight loss.
Lotus Leaf Weight Loss Tea
【Ingredients】15g Lotus Leaf, 5g Hawthorn, 5g Yi Yi Ren (Job’s Tears), 5g Chen Pi (Dried Tangerine Peel), 2g Ren Shen (Ginseng)
【Preparation and Usage】Grind the herbs into a fine powder, mix well, place the powder in a water bottle, pour in boiling water, cover, and steep for about 30 minutes before drinking. Use this as tea, and after finishing the water, you can add more water to continue drinking. Use 1-2 doses daily for 3-4 months.
【Effects and Applications】Regulates qi, promotes diuresis, transforms food stagnation, reduces fat and aids weight loss. Suitable for simple obesity due to spleen dysfunction and phlegm-qi obstruction, and hyperlipidemia.
【Note】Not suitable for those with yin deficiency, and those with severe yang deficiency should also avoid it.
Carp Soup from “Emergency Essentials”
【Ingredients】1 Carp (about 500g), 15g Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes), 9g Ginger, 9g Bai Shao (White Peony), 9g Dang Gui (Angelica), 12g Fu Ling (Poria).
【Preparation and Usage】Clean the carp, remove scales and internal organs, set aside. Cut the other five ingredients into small pieces, add water, boil to remove dregs, then use the medicinal broth to cook the fish. After the fish is cooked, add seasonings, eat the fish and drink the soup, finishing it within one day in 3-5 servings.
【Effects and Applications】Strengthens the spleen, nourishes the blood, promotes diuresis, aids weight loss. Suitable for water retention, obesity in women, difficulty urinating, dizziness, and edema in the limbs.
Kidney tonification for black hair
The hair is closely related to the liver, kidneys, and essence-blood. If there is deficiency in the liver and kidneys, and insufficient essence-blood, the hair becomes dry and falls out easily. Therefore, tonifying the liver and kidneys and nourishing the essence-blood is key. Commonly used herbs include Dang Gui (Angelica), Shu Di Huang (Rehmannia), He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti), Hei Zhi Ma (Black Sesame), Hei Dou (Black Beans), Huo Guo (Walnuts), and animal liver. Additionally, emotional well-being is also crucial for maintaining beauty and hair.
Seven Treasures Beautiful Beard Egg from “Compendium of Materia Medica”
【Ingredients】90g Prepared He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti), 60g Bai Fu Ling (White Poria), 30g Huai Niu Xi (Achyranthes), 30g Dang Gui (Angelica), 30g Goji Berries, 30g Tu Si Zi (Cuscuta), 40g Bu Guo Zhi (Psoralea), 10g Raw Chicken Egg, 6 Star Anise, 6g Cinnamon, 3g Tea Leaves, appropriate amounts of Scallions, Ginger, Salt, Sugar, Soy Sauce.
【Preparation and Usage】Boil the egg for 10 minutes, then peel it. Place it together with the above ingredients in a clay pot, add water, and boil. Then switch to low heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Eat 2-3 eggs daily. The marinade can be refrigerated and reused 2-3 times.
【Effects and Applications】Nourishes the liver and kidneys, darkens hair, strengthens bones. Suitable for white hair, hair loss, and infertility caused by liver and kidney deficiency.
【Note】This recipe contains He Shou Wu, so during the period of taking this medicine, avoid eating radishes, animal blood, garlic, scallions, and other foods.
Boiled Bean from “Supplement to the Inner Canon”
【Ingredients】24g Prepared He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti), 24g Goji Berries, 12g Sheng Di Huang (Raw Rehmannia), 12g Shu Di Huang (Cooked Rehmannia), 12g Dang Gui (Angelica), 12g Du Zhong (Eucommia), 12g Niu Xi (Achyranthes), 3g Chrysanthemum, 3g Licorice, 3g Chuan Xiong (Szechuan Lovage), 3g Chen Pi (Dried Tangerine Peel), 3g Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes), 3g Bai Shao (White Peony), 3g Dan Pi (Moutan), 6g Huang Qi (Astragalus), 18g Salt, 500g Black Beans.
【Preparation and Usage】Place the herbs in a cloth bag, cook them together with black beans in water until done, then remove the black beans and dry them in the sun or in an oven. Eat as a snack, about 30-50g daily.
【Effects and Applications】Darkens hair, strengthens teeth, and improves vision. Suitable for blood deficiency, white hair, dizziness, palpitations, and pale complexion.
Moisturizing and beautifying the skin
The skin is the body’s surface organ, and TCM believes that diseases of the internal organs often manifest on the skin. For example, liver and gallbladder damp-heat can cause yellowing of the skin, kidney yang deficiency can lead to dark skin, excess heart fire can cause redness, yin deficiency can result in dry skin, heart blood deficiency can cause a pale or white complexion, and insufficient essence-blood can lead to aging. Therefore, beauty treatments often use herbs that nourish blood and essence or eliminate phlegm and remove stasis.
Huang Jing Braised Pork Knuckle from “Chinese Clinical Dietary Therapy”
【Ingredients】500g Pork Knuckle, 20g Huang Jing (Polygonatum), 10g Mulberries, 20g Yu Zhu (Polygonatum), 30g Jujube, appropriate amounts of Salt, Sugar, and Five-Spice.
【Preparation and Usage】First, place Huang Jing, Mulberries, and Yu Zhu in a cloth bag. Clean the pork knuckle and blanch it in boiling water to remove blood. Place the pork knuckle and jujubes with the herb bag in a pot, add fresh water, bring to a boil, remove the foam, and simmer until the sauce thickens and the knuckle is tender. Serve the knuckle, soup, and jujubes together.
【Effects and Applications】Nourishes yin, moistens dryness, strengthens skin, and nourishes blood. Suitable for those with insufficient qi, blood, and body fluids, leading to dry, rough skin, itching, and easy formation of brown spots.
【Note】This dish is rich in yin-nourishing and blood-nourishing properties, and is heavy in flavor, so those with spleen and stomach weakness or poor digestion should avoid it.
Soft-Shelled Turtle with Sand Yao from “Chinese Clinical Dietary Therapy”
【Ingredients】1 Soft-Shelled Turtle (about 750g), 20g Sha Yuan Zi (Cynomorium), 15g Tu Si Zi (Cuscuta), 10g Shu Di Huang (Cooked Rehmannia), 15g Ginger, 10g Scallions, 30g Cooking Wine, 2g Salt, 10g Soy Sauce, 1g Pepper, 500ml Meat Broth, 1g MSG.
【Preparation and Usage】Clean the turtle, remove the internal organs, claws, head, tail, and black membrane, and stew for half an hour. Remove the shell, cut the meat, and wrap the Sha Yuan Zi, Tu Si Zi, and Shu Di Huang in a cloth bag. Place the turtle pieces, herb bag, and meat broth in a steamer or pot, add ginger slices, scallions, and cooking wine, and steam on high heat for 2 hours or simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours until the meat is tender. Remove the herb bag and add MSG before serving.
【Effects and Applications】Nourishes the liver and kidneys, replenishes essence-blood, strengthens the waist, and beautifies the skin. Suitable for those with liver and kidney deficiency, and those who are weak and frail due to aging.
【Note】This dish nourishes yin and blood, suitable for those with yin deficiency. If there is yang deficiency with cold or excessive dampness, it should be avoided.
Rose Five Flower Cake from “Zhao Bingnan’s Clinical Experience”
【Ingredients】25g Dried Rose, 15g Safflower, 15g Cockscomb Flower, 15g Trumpet Vine Flower, 15g Wild Chrysanthemum, 250g Rice Flour, 250g Glutinous Rice Flour, about 250g Warm Water, appropriate amounts of Granulated Sugar. It can also be directly brewed as tea; if not made into a cake, various rice flours are not needed.
【Preparation and Usage】Dissolve sugar in warm water, adjusting sweetness to taste. Mix rice flour and glutinous rice flour, then crush and mix in the dried flowers. Gradually pour the sugar water into the flour mixture, stirring until it becomes slightly transparent and can be formed into a ball. (If too much water is added, it can also be made into a paste for consumption). Pour the mixture into a mold or bowl, not too thick to ensure it cooks through. Steam on high heat for 15 minutes and eat as a snack, 50-100g each time, once a day.
【Effects and Applications】Regulates qi, relieves depression, cools blood, invigorates blood circulation, and detoxifies. Suitable for chest tightness and facial spots caused by liver qi stagnation and emotional distress.
【Note】This product has a strong qi-invigorating and blood-activating effect, so it should be avoided by those with qi deficiency, blood deficiency, during menstruation, pregnancy, and lactation.
Replenishing essence and nourishing the brain
The heart houses the spirit and governs consciousness; the kidneys produce marrow, which fills the brain. Therefore, a person’s spirit, mental state, and brain function are closely related to both the heart and kidneys. As one ages, the essence and qi of the five organs become insufficient, leading to symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, and memory decline. Herbs such as Ren Shen (Ginseng), Fu Ling (Poria), Fu Shen (Poria Spirit), Bai He (Lily Bulb), Yi Zhi Ren (Alpinia Oxyphylla), Suan Zao Ren (Sour Jujube Seed), Bai Zi Ren (Biota Seed), and Gui Yuan (Longan) can be used to tonify the kidney essence and nourish the heart blood.
Qiong Yu Soup from “Hong’s Collection of Verified Recipes”
【Ingredients】6g Ren Shen (Ginseng), 20g Fu Ling (Poria), 50g White Honey, 10g Sheng Di Huang (Raw Rehmannia).
【Preparation and Usage】Soak Fu Ling and Sheng Di Huang in cold water for 1 hour, then add Ren Shen and White Honey, boil, and simmer for half an hour. Drink the soup as tea (the original recipe is for Qiong Yu Paste, which requires complex preparation and is prone to spoilage, so it has been modified to a soup recipe).
【Effects and Applications】Replenishes qi and yin, fills essence and marrow. Used for symptoms of palpitations, fatigue, low energy, and lack of concentration due to insufficient qi, yin, and essence.
【Note】Not suitable for those with yang deficiency and cold intolerance, or those with excessive phlegm and dampness. Diabetic patients should avoid white honey.
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