Introduction: As the saying goes, “In summer, without illness, three points are empty.” In summer, we sweat a lot and expend a lot of energy. When autumn comes, it’s a good time for nourishing the body. However, the method of nourishing the body should be proper, not just blindly consuming excessive amounts of rich food. Today, I’ll recommend something good for you – longan. It is a great health helper after the beginning of autumn. Eating around five longans a day can be as effective as a mother hen, and it can nourish the blood, invigorate the qi, nurture the heart, soothe the spirit, sweeter than red dates, and gentler than astragalus!
1. Longan: Nature’s “Little Sun”
Longan, also known as dragon eye, is considered a treasure in traditional Chinese medicine. Despite being small, its medicinal value is remarkable! Longan has a warm nature and sweet taste, which benefits the heart and spleen. After consuming it, it feels like lighting a small stove in your body, warm and comfortable.
Effect 1: Blood nourishment and beauty, surpassing red dates
Did you know? Longan is rich in iron and vitamins, making it a natural blood tonic. For female friends, especially those in middle age, eating longan can give you a rosy and radiant complexion, more effective than red dates! Moreover, longan can promote blood circulation, giving you a healthy glow from the inside out.
Effect 2: Qi nourishment and calming the spirit, comparable to astragalus
After the beginning of autumn, many people tend to feel fatigued and experience insomnia and vivid dreams. In such cases, having some longan is the way to go! It can nourish the qi and calm the spirit, relieving symptoms like palpitations and forgetfulness. If you have trouble sleeping at night, drink some longan-infused water, guaranteeing a good night’s sleep until dawn, more effective than drinking astragalus water!
Effect 3: Nourishing the heart and invigorating the spleen, a win-win situation
Longan not only nourishes the blood and soothes the spirit but also nurtures the heart and invigorates the spleen. For middle-aged and elderly people, whose spleen and stomach functions gradually weaken and digestion declines, consuming some longan can stimulate the appetite and aid digestion, a double benefit!
2. Who is most suitable for eating longan?
Those with deficiency and anemia: Especially female friends, eating longan can significantly improve the condition of anemia.
Those with insomnia and vivid dreams: For friends who have trouble sleeping at night and feel mentally fatigued, longan is a calming remedy.
Those with weak spleen and stomach: Uncles and aunties with poor appetite and indigestion can benefit from longan.
-Longan Red Date Tea-
Ingredients: 5 dried longans, 5 red dates, appropriate amount of water, a little honey (optional)
Method:
Remove the shells and pits from the dried longans and wash the red dates before slicing them.
Place the longan flesh and sliced red dates in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
After turning off the heat, adjust the taste by adding a small amount of honey according to personal preference, and the longan red date tea is ready!
-Longan Lotus Seed Congee-
Ingredients: 5 dried longans, 20 grams of lotus seeds, 50 grams of rice, appropriate amount of water, suitable amount of rock sugar
Method:
Soak the lotus seeds in advance, remove the hearts and wash them; rinse the rice thoroughly.
Remove the shells and pits from the dried longans.
Add an appropriate amount of water to the pot, add rice and lotus seeds, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
Add the longan flesh and continue to cook for 10 minutes until the congee is thick and the lotus seeds are soft and sticky.
Finally, add rock sugar to taste, stir well, and enjoy.
These two longan health recipes are simple to make, nutritious, and especially suitable for consumption after the beginning of autumn. Eating a few longans a day, or having a cup of longan tea or a bowl of longan congee, can not only warm your body but also nourish the blood, invigorate the qi, nurture the heart, soothe the spirit, more nourishing than chicken soup! Give it a try soon!
