Some foods have the effect of regulating blood, strengthening the spleen, warming the body, helping prevent disease and increasing resistance in the cold season.
MSc. Dr. Nguyen Quang Duong - Department of Surgery, Tue Tinh Hospital introduces 4 typical foods and medicinal foods, suitable for use in the cold season, helping to prevent diseases and increase resistance.
1. Ginger - warms the middle, dispels cold, increases resistance
- 1. Ginger - warms the middle, dispels cold, increases resistance
- 2. Perilla - relieves colds, regulates protective qi
- 3. Perilla – relieves colds, aids digestion, stops minor bleeding
- 4. White beans – strengthen the spleen, diuretic, aid digestion
Ginger has a spicy taste and warm properties; it has the effect of warming the middle, dispelling cold, relieving the exterior, warming the lungs and stomach; helps improve circulation and warm the body, especially useful when the weather is cold or the body is attacked by wind and cold.
Use:
- Warm ginger honey water: About 30g fresh ginger, 1-2 cups of filtered water, 1-2 spoons of honey. Wash the ginger, slice it thinly; boil 1-2 cups of filtered water, add 4-6 slices of ginger, then simmer for about 7-10 minutes; let it cool down then add 1-2 spoons of pure honey, stir well and use while the water is still warm.
- Ginger porridge to relieve mild colds: 300g white rice, 200g minced pork, 10g fresh ginger (sliced), 20g green onion (chopped), 2 shallots (thinly sliced), spices to taste.
How to cook: Mince the meat, marinate with spices; wash and slice the ginger. Put the rice in a pot of water, simmer until tender, add the marinated meat, stir well until the meat is cooked; ladle the porridge into a bowl, add the shredded ginger, sprinkle with green onions, ground pepper and a little sesame oil.
- Add a few slices of ginger to your tea every day.
Who should use it: People who often have cold stomach, catch colds, stuffy nose; people who have cough due to cold, poor digestion or low blood pressure.
Note: People with high fever, severe gastric reflux disease or progressive gastric ulcers should avoid using ginger; pregnant women should use small amounts, not too much.
Ginger helps improve circulation and warms the body, helping to increase resistance in cold weather.
2. Perilla - relieves colds, regulates protective qi
Perilla leaves have a spicy taste and warm properties; affect the lung and spleen meridians; help dispel wind-cold, relieve colds, reduce coughs, reduce bloating and nausea.
Use:
- Perilla porridge to relieve colds (when sneezing, runny nose): 100g rice, 2 eggs, 100g perilla leaves (chopped), 100g green onions, spices to taste. Cook porridge until soft, add eggs, perilla, green onions to the bowl, stir well and eat while the porridge is still warm.
- Boil perilla and ginger water to drink warm: Wash ginger, slice; wash perilla leaves; put ginger and perilla in a cup, add boiling water, cover, soak for about 10 minutes, add a little brown sugar, drink while still warm.
- Eat perilla leaves raw or use in steamed/boiled dishes.
Perilla is suitable for people who have just caught a cold or have mild flu symptoms. Pregnant women with nausea can use a small amount (as directed by a doctor).
Contraindications: People with "heat stroke" accompanied by high fever and thirst should not use perilla. People who sweat a lot naturally (spontaneous sweating) should not use perilla for a long time.
Perilla has the effect of dispersing wind-cold, helping to relieve colds and reduce coughs in cold weather.
3. Perilla – relieves colds, aids digestion, stops minor bleeding
Perilla leaves have a spicy taste and warm properties; they help to disperse wind and cold, treat colds, headaches, and stuffy noses. In folk medicine, black-roasted perilla flowers are used to stop minor bleeding (nosebleeds, mild menorrhagia).
Use:
Warm drink: Boil fresh or dried perilla leaves with water, drink warm in the morning — according to traditional medicine, can help aid digestion, "relieve mild colds".
Perilla is suitable for people with a cold, sneezing, mild fever; or people with itching due to cold, mild hives.
Avoid use: People with "heatstroke" (high fever, dry mouth, red throat), pregnant women should be careful when using high doses; people with bleeding disorders should consult a doctor.
Perilla has the effect of dispelling wind and cold, treating colds, headaches, and stuffy nose in cold weather.
4. White beans – strengthen the spleen, diuretic, aid digestion
White beans are sweet and neutral; they help strengthen the spleen, replenish qi, promote urination, aid digestion, and reduce bloating. During the cold season, when the spleen and stomach are easily weakened, eating white beans can help increase nutrient absorption and support overall health.
Use:
- White bean porridge + Chinese yam + Coix: 100g rice, 30g white beans (soaked until soft), 20-30g Chinese yam, 20-30g Coix, 1-1.2 liters of water; simmer over low heat until the porridge is soft and smooth; you can add very little salt or no salt.
- White bean and bone soup: 500g pork ribs (or marrow bones), 150g white beans, enough spices, a few green onions. Wash the bones, cut into bite-sized pieces, wash the white beans; simmer the bones until soft, add beans, simmer until tender; ladle soup, sprinkle with green onions; eat while still warm with rice.
- White beans cooked into thin sweet soup: 300g white beans, 300ml water. Soak beans for 3-4 hours until soft, rinse, cook with water until soft. Add sugar and a little salt to taste, stir well; use in thin, easy-to-digest form.
Who should use it: People with weak spleen and stomach, poor appetite, bloating, poor digestion; children (soft porridge).
Avoid use: People with bloating due to stagnation, severe indigestion; people with kidney disease should limit vegetable protein - should consult a doctor before use.
White beans have the effect of strengthening the spleen, replenishing qi, promoting urination, and helping to increase resistance in cold weather.
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