In life, we always hope that our bodies can be healthier and get sick less often, which is not only beneficial for improving the quality of life but also brings us closer to longevity.
Now that the hot summer has arrived, it is a critical period for health preservation. In summer, people’s appetites tend to decrease gradually, leading to lower intake of nutrients, which can increase the risk of illnesses.
Today, I want to introduce to you a very diverse dietary approach that helps enhance physical fitness, prevent diseases – let’s take a look together.
How to adjust your diet in summer? Regularly eat “Three Bitters, Three Yellows, Three Blacks” to boost health
Three Bitters
Bitter Melon: While many people enjoy eating bitter melon, some find it too bitter. However, bitter melon holds high nutritional value for the body. Bitter melon also contains bitter melon extract, which greatly reduces the intake of fats and sugars, leading to weight management effects and skincare benefits.
The vitamin C content in bitter melon promotes skin metabolism. Whether eaten raw, made into soup, or added to congee, bitter melon is an excellent choice. Consuming bitter melon helps cleanse toxins and wastes from the blood vessels, stabilizes blood sugar and lipids, and maintains overall health.
Endive: Endive belongs to the dark green vegetable category, rich in various trace elements such as vitamin C, B vitamins, and dietary fiber.
Many people wonder how to eat endive. Endive can be lightly blanched and served cold or used as fillings for buns and dumplings – a great choice for stimulating your appetite and invigorating the spleen during this summer.
Lotus Seeds: Lotus seeds contain lotus seed kernel and lotus seed heart. Lotus seed heart has bitter and cool properties, clears heat and fire, helps dilate peripheral blood vessels, and lowers blood pressure.
During summer, many people may experience restlessness and insomnia. Consuming lotus seed heart infused water can calms the mind and aid in improving sleep quality.
Three Yellows
Eggs: Eggs provide high-quality protein to the body, with amino acid composition similar to that of human protein, making it highly absorbable and beneficial for the body.
Eggs are rich in vitamins and contain a complete range of varieties, along with abundant phospholipids, lutein, etc., which are beneficial for brain development.
Millet: Cooking millet porridge is beneficial for stomach nourishment, promoting food digestion and absorption, making it ideal for those with weak stomach function or elderly individuals with reduced gastrointestinal function. Drinking millet porridge regularly has excellent stomach-nourishing effects, especially during summer when many people experience decreased appetite.
Bananas: Bananas are rich in potassium ions, which inhibit myocardial excitement, help reduce cardiac contractility, slow down heart rate, and maintain internal balance of potassium and sodium, contributing to acid-base balance maintenance.
Regular consumption of bananas helps maintain normal excitability of nerves and muscles. Moreover, potassium and sodium ions have protective and dilating effects on blood vessels, aiding in stabilizing blood pressure and preventing sudden blood pressure rise.
Three Blacks
Black Soybeans: The saying goes: Rather than a bunch of tonics, it’s better to have black soybeans. Black soybeans contain twice as much protein as beef, chicken, or pork, and twelve times more protein than milk, making them not only rich in protein but also higher in nutritional value.
The amino acid composition of black soybean protein is similar to animal protein, rich in lysine, closely meeting human body requirements. Therefore, consuming more black soybeans during this summer aids in better digestion and absorption.
Black Fungus: Despite its unappealing appearance, black fungus is extremely nutritious. It contains rich protein, iron, and calcium, earning it the title of “meat among vegetables.”
For those who wish to lose weight and slim down during summer, consuming black fungus regularly is an excellent choice. It replenishes energy, maintains normal metabolism, and reduces fat intake.
Black Dates: Although small in size, black dates are highly nutritious. Rich in vitamin C, black dates promote the absorption of iron, have blood-nourishing effects. They are also rich in dietary fiber and pectin, which accelerate gastrointestinal motility, aid food digestion and absorption, expel toxins and wastes, and relieve constipation.
In summer, due to reduced appetite, many people tend to consume less energy, which may lead to a sense of discomfort. Eating these foods regularly can help replenish energy, and remember, during summer, it’s essential to stay hydrated to maintain normal bodily functions and prevent dehydration.
