“Eating sweet in autumn, no illness will afflict you.” In autumn, five types of “sweet flavor” should be consumed, benefiting the spleen and nourishing the lungs while eliminating dryness!
In the blink of an eye, autumn has arrived. The heat of summer will gradually fade away, and the cool autumn breeze will blow gently in. As we transition from summer to autumn, our body will automatically adjust to adapt to the changes in the environment, and our care for our health should also change with the seasons. So, which parts of our body should we protect as autumn approaches? With the weather getting cooler and the air drying out, our lungs are particularly sensitive to both cold and dryness. Therefore, it becomes crucial to pay special attention to nurturing our lungs in autumn.
As the saying goes, “Eating sweet in autumn, no illness will afflict you.” In addition to maintaining moderate exercise during autumn, it is essential to keep a pleasant and relaxed mood. Furthermore, in our diet, we should consume more “sweet-flavored” foods, which help generate fluids, strengthen the spleen, nourish the lungs, eliminate autumn dryness, and enhance our immunity, thus enabling us to avoid illness and peacefully navigate through autumn. Let’s take a look at which sweet foods we should eat.
1. Fresh lily bulb.
Fresh lily bulb is a seasonal vegetable of autumn, slightly cold in nature and sweet in taste. It has functions such as nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, calming the mind, enhancing skin beauty, and boosting immunity. Consuming it has remarkable dietary therapeutic effects on symptoms like dry cough, excessive phlegm, and persistent cough.
Recommended dish: 【Lily and Snow Pear Soup with Tremella】
Main ingredients: Lily bulb, snow pear, tremella, goji berries.
Seasoning: Rock sugar.
Steps: 1. Soak tremella in advance, cutting away any unsoaked yellow parts, then cut into small pieces; clean the lily bulbs and set aside. Wash, peel, and core the snow pears, then cut them into chunks.
2. Boil water in a pot. Once boiling, add the tremella, bring to a rapid boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for a while before adding the snow pear and lily bulb.
3. Once boiling again, simmer until the tremella becomes gelatinous, then return to high heat, add goji berries and rock sugar, and cook until the sugar dissolves before turning off the heat and serving.
2. Water chestnut.
Water chestnut is a unique autumn product, a cooling food that grows in water. It is rich in protein, carbohydrates, amino acids, and other nutrients. Moderate consumption can supplement the body’s nutrition and has effects such as clearing heat and relieving summer heat, strengthening the spleen and benefiting the stomach, as well as moistening the lungs and eliminating dryness.
Recommended dish: 【Stir-fried Water Chestnuts with Chicken, Lotus Root Slices】
Main ingredients: Water chestnut, chicken, lotus root.
Seasonings: Cooking oil, salt, scallions, chicken essence.
Steps: 1. Clean and peel both the water chestnuts and chicken; wash and peel the lotus root, then cut into small pieces.
2. Heat cooking oil in a pot, add all ingredients, and stir-fry evenly until the ingredients are cooked through. Season with salt, then add water and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, add chicken essence for added flavor, and then turn off the heat to serve. This dish has a lovely pink color, with the water chestnuts and lotus root being crunchy and sweet, while the chicken is tender and bouncy, making it truly delicious.
3. Water caltrop.
Water caltrop, also known as black yam or water chestnut, is a slender, creeping, tuberous food with a crunchy texture and sweet flavor, often referred to as “underground snow pear.” It has functions such as clearing lung heat and generating fluid.
