Introduction: End of Heat Diet: Remind Middle-aged and Elderly: Don’t Be Too Stingy, Eat Four Kinds of Meat More, Nourish and Cool Down without Getting Excessive Heat
As the end of summer quietly approaches, we usher in the last heat period of the three Dog Days – the End of Heat. During this period, although the intense heat is gradually receding, the power of the “late summer heat” cannot be underestimated, the weather remains hot and dry, posing a significant challenge to human health, especially for middle-aged and elderly friends, who need to pay more attention to dietary regulation, to enhance their physical fitness and safely transition from summer to autumn.
Here, especially remind middle-aged and elderly friends, don’t be too stingy, eat the following four kinds of meat more, they are not only rich in nutrients but can also help cool down and reduce excessive heat, escorting your body.
1. Duck Meat: Nourish Yin, Moisturize Dryness, Clear Heat, and Relieve Summer Heat
During the End of Heat period, duck meat becomes a delicacy on the dining table. Duck meat is cool in nature, sweet in taste, nourishes yin, moisturizes dryness, clears heat, and relieves summer heat. For middle-aged and elderly people, who tend to experience dry mouth and throat due to sweating in summer, eating an appropriate amount of duck meat can effectively alleviate this issue. In addition, duck meat is rich in high-quality proteins and other trace elements, making it suitable for consumption during this season.
Recommended Recipe: Winter Melon and Coix Seed Duck Soup
Ingredients: Half a duck, 500g winter melon, 50g coix seeds, some ginger slices, a little salt.
Instructions:
1. Wash and cut the duck into pieces, blanch in water to remove any odor; peel and cut the winter melon into pieces; soak the coix seeds in advance for 2 hours.
2. Put the duck, coix seeds, and ginger slices into a clay pot, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
3. Add the winter melon pieces, continue simmering for 30 minutes until the duck meat is tender, season with salt, and it’s ready to serve.
This soup is light, refreshing, and nourishing, ideal for middle-aged and elderly people during the End of Heat period. Don’t forget to enjoy it!
2. Fish Meat: Low Fat, High Protein, Clear Heat and Promote Water Metabolism
Fish meat is another highlight in summer diet. Fish meat is tender, easy to digest and absorb, and rich in high-quality proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, and other nutrients. For middle-aged and elderly people, it is also very delicious; at the same time, fish meat is cool in nature, clears heat, and promotes water metabolism, making it very suitable for consumption during the End of Heat period.
Recommended Recipe: Steamed Sea Bass
Ingredients: 1 sea bass, some shallots and ginger, some steamed fish soy sauce, a little salt, a little cooking wine.
Instructions:
1. Remove the scales and internal organs of the sea bass, wash clean, make a few cuts on both sides of the fish, marinate with salt and cooking wine for 10 minutes.
2. Shred the shallots and ginger. Place some shredded shallots and ginger on the bottom of a plate, place the sea bass on top, then sprinkle some more shredded shallots and ginger on the fish.
3. Bring water to a boil in a pot, place the plate with the sea bass inside, steam over high heat for 8-10 minutes.
4. Take out the steamed sea bass, discard the soup in the plate, remove the shallots and ginger, place fresh shredded shallots and ginger on top, drizzle with steamed fish soy sauce, and finally pour hot oil over the fish.
Steamed sea bass retains the original delicious taste of the fish meat, light and not greasy, a preferred dish on the summer table for middle-aged and elderly people.
3. Rabbit Meat: High Protein, Low Fat, Clear Heat and Cool Blood
Rabbit meat, with its high protein, low fat, low cholesterol characteristics, has become synonymous with good ingredients. Rabbit meat is cool in nature, sweet in taste, nourishes the middle and benefits Qi. Consuming rabbit meat during the End of Heat period supplements the body with necessary nutrients and helps eliminate internal heat toxins.
Recommended Recipe: Braised Rabbit Meat
Ingredients: 500g rabbit meat, some scallions, ginger, garlic, 1 star anise, 1 small piece of cinnamon, some cooking wine, some light soy sauce, a little dark soy sauce, some salt, a little sugar.
Instructions:
1. Wash and cut the rabbit meat into pieces, blanch in water to remove blood foam; slice the scallions, ginger, and garlic.
2. Heat oil in a pot, sauté the scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, add the rabbit meat and stir-fry until it changes color. Add cooking wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, stir well, add enough water.
3. Add star anise, cinnamon, and other spices, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until the rabbit meat is tender. Season with salt, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce.
Braised rabbit meat has a bright red color, tender texture, satisfying the taste buds and meeting the body’s needs.
4. Chicken Meat: Warm the Middle and Replenish Qi, Nourish Essence and Fill the Marrow
Although chicken meat may not be the first choice for clearing heat in summer. For middle-aged and elderly people, consuming an appropriate amount of chicken meat can strengthen the body, boost immunity, combat summer fatigue, and weakness. Moreover, the high-quality proteins in chicken meat are easily absorbed and utilized by the body, making it a great ingredient.
Recommended Recipe: Chicken and Mushroom Stew
Ingredients: Half a free-range chicken, some dried shiitake mushrooms, a few wolfberries, some ginger slices, some salt, some water.
Instructions:
1. Clean the free-range chicken, cut it into large pieces, soak it in cold water for 30 minutes to remove blood and impurities. Pre-soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water, wash and remove the stems, rinse the wolfberries with clean water.
2. Add enough water to a pot, add the chicken pieces, bring to a boil, skim off any foam, remove the chicken pieces, rinse them with cold water to remove surface impurities, and drain.
3. In a clay pot, add enough water, chicken pieces, ginger slices, and soaked shiitake mushrooms, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat. During the simmering process, skim off any oil on the surface to keep the broth clear.
4. After simmering for about 1 hour, add the wolfberries, continue simmering over low heat for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender, and the soup is rich. Season with salt according to personal taste, let it simmer for a few more minutes to blend the salt flavor into the soup.
5. Turn off the heat, let the chicken stew cool naturally in the clay pot for a moment, this allows the chicken to flavor more, and the soup becomes more delicious. Finally, serve the chicken and soup, garnish with some chopped scallions or coriander for fragrance, and enjoy.
Chicken and mushroom stew is not only delicious but also rich in nutrients. For middle-aged and elderly people, this soup can nourish the body during the End of Heat period, allowing us to maintain a good physical condition.
In conclusion, during the End of Heat period, middle-aged and elderly friends should adjust their diet according to their physical conditions and health status, eat more of the above four kinds of meats, which can not only satisfy the taste buds but also provide the necessary nutrients for the body. At the same time, pay attention to moderate exercise, maintain good living habits, comprehensively improve physical fitness, and embrace a more wonderful life.
