When it comes to stomach care, many people habitually think of millet porridge. As mentioned before, millet porridge is good for the stomach. However, if you stick to a single type of care such as millet porridge or stomach-nourishing soup every day without adjusting your diet, the results might not improve much. In the process of stomach care, it’s important to make adjustments over time by diversifying the ingredients or changing your eating habits. It’s not that millet porridge or stomach-nourishing soup is bad, but varying the food types is essential to enhance gastrointestinal function.
To assess the changes in the functions of the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, one should primarily observe complexion, clean and elastic skin, good appetite, smooth bowel movements, endurance, sufficient qi and blood. By noticing changes in details, one can determine the differences and improvements in health. A notable sign is the ability to taste different flavors, maintain normal gastrointestinal functions. However, regardless of good gastrointestinal function, if one indulges in a specific kind of food excessively, it indicates that the stomach has not been properly cared for. Following the five colors and tastes corresponding to the five internal organs, identifying the reasons, and focusing on improvement and prevention are vital. In the process of dietary therapy and nourishment, it is essential to moderately increase physical activities such as jogging, walking, and stretching.
Stomach care should be approached as a lifestyle habit rather than a task. Effective methods and experiences are usually self-discovered and verified over time. Every individual has different body constitutions, so the same method may yield different outcomes. Instead of blindly imitating others’ successful experiences, one should focus on methods that work well for oneself, develop personalized approaches, and commit to them in the long term.
In daily life, many unhealthy habits may harm the spleen and stomach, such as excessive drinking and eating, overindulging in fatty or greasy foods, unstable emotions, worrying, anxiety, lack of exercise, and preference for raw and cold foods. Thus, safeguarding the spleen and stomach should involve dietary adjustments, physical activities, emotional well-being, and more. In terms of diet, having regular meals, opting for light and seasonal foods, supplementing appropriately according to the weather conditions, consuming easily digestible foods, balancing cold and warm foods, and maintaining food cleanliness are recommended. Seasonal dietary supplementation can help regulate the spleen and stomach functions.
Chinese medicine states, “Weak stomach yang leads to various illnesses, and sufficient spleen yin suppresses numerous evils.” With the change of seasons, one’s daily routines, dietary habits, and stomach care methods should be adjusted accordingly. Human beings are closely linked with nature, and the weather changes throughout the year directly affect physiological activities. Therefore, dietary therapy for stomach care should adapt to seasonal characteristics, making appropriate variations in food combinations to balance and regulate bodily functions, prevent diseases, emphasizing spleen-strengthening and stomach-nourishing in health preservation.
The stomach governs intake while the spleen oversees transformation; their functions work in coordination with the stomach’s descending and the spleen’s ascending roles. “Nourishing the spleen and stomach” in summer requires balancing moisture and dryness, harmonizing ascension and descension, aiming for equilibrium. Consuming red and yellow grains like yellow millet, sorghum rice, adzuki beans, coix seeds, and red rice is recommended. Additionally, foods such as Chinese yam, winter melon, tangerine peel, white radish, mung beans, and poria have excellent spleen-strengthening and dampness-expelling effects. When eating cold-natured foods, be cautious not to overconsume them to prevent weakening the spleen yang and damaging the overall yang qi, leading to spleen and stomach weakness and even affecting the entire body’s yang qi.
Regardless of the season, it’s advisable to avoid cold foods for stomach care since the stomach dislikes coldness and is prone to cold. Therefore, summer stomach care should focus on preventing stomach coldness. The methods for stomach care vary across the seasons, and the selection of stomach-nourishing foods is influenced by the season. Thus, considering the summer climate, it’s advisable to choose appetizers that are sour and bitter, refreshing, and dampness-expelling to strengthen the spleen and stomach. Add ingredients like mung beans, lily bulbs, adzuki beans, Chinese yam to stomach-nourishing porridge or soup.
During the increased rainfall in summer, many may experience symptoms of spleen deficiency and damp obstruction. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen plays a crucial role in transforming and absorbing nutrients throughout the body. It belongs to the Earth element, preferring dryness and disfavoring dampness. Hence, consuming light foods, increasing bitter and sour flavors is recommended. Bitter foods have damp-expelling, cooling, and appetite-stimulating effects, while sour foods aid digestion. After the summer solstice, consuming winter melon, mung beans, and lotus leaves, which have cooling and dampness-expelling properties, is beneficial. These can be cooked into soups or porridge to relieve dampness and promote digestion. Adding lily bulbs can further provide a cooling and thirst-quenching effect. Additionally, due to the significant loss of water during midsummer, it’s essential to supplement potassium adequately to prevent muscle weakness, bloating, among other symptoms. Foods like eggplants, seaweed, and kelp are potassium-rich sources, while bananas and pineapples among fruits are also good potassium sources, allowing for adequate replenishment through fresh consumption or juicing.
1. Walnut, peanut, almond, hazelnut, chestnut are suitable for regular consumption due to their high fiber, high protein content, heart-healthy properties, and anti-aging benefits. However, the key is to moderate consumption due to their high-fat content, with the optimal daily intake not exceeding half an ounce.
2. Soybeans, red beans, mung beans, adzuki beans, among others are recommended for frequent consumption as they are beneficial for heart health. The insoluble fiber present in legumes effectively lowers cholesterol levels, while soluble fiber aids in waste elimination. Legumes also contain protein, carbohydrates, magnesium, and potassium. Consuming legumes at least three times a week is advisable.
3. Dried fruits are suitable for long-term consumption. Dried fruits like dried pineapple and apricots mostly retain the nutrients present in fresh fruits since the drying process mainly eliminates water content. Besides being rich in vitamins, dried fruits also contain ample minerals like iron, potassium. Moreover, the sugar content in dried fruits is lower than that in fresh fruits, making them a healthy snack option.
4. Sweet potatoes, being neutral in nature and sweet in taste, nourish the spleen and supplement qi, as recorded in medical texts. Suitable for consumption especially during cold weather, it helps invigorate the stomach, aid digestion, clean the intestines, reduce weight, hence, ideal for regular consumption.
5. Chinese yam is recommended for frequent consumption. Those with spleen and stomach deficiencies often experience symptoms such as poor appetite, bloating, loose stools, and fatigue. Regularly consuming yam porridge can effectively alleviate stomach discomfort.
6. Carrots are best consumed regularly. According to traditional Chinese medicine, they aid in qi descent, nourishing the middle, invigorating the spleen and stomach, regulating the intestines and stomach, benefiting overall health. The abundant carotene in carrots converts to vitamin A, supporting eye health, enhancing immunity, and preventing respiratory diseases.
7. Pumpkins are depicted in traditional Chinese medicine as warm in nature and sweet in taste, beneficial for the spleen and stomach meridians. They can tonify qi, clear heat, inhibit bacterial growth, relieve pain. The rich pectin in pumpkins can “adsorb” bacteria and toxins, including heavy metals like lead, purging toxins. Additionally, pectin can safeguard the stomach, reduce ulcers. Consuming pumpkin in porridge or soup format can nurture the intestines and stomach.
8. Black sesame is suitable for regular consumption. Black sesame contains vitamin E, vitamin B1, and various essential amino acids, with liver and kidney-nourishing, viscera-moistening, and muscle-building effects. It can assist in treating symptoms like dizziness, premature graying, hair loss, lumbar and knee weakness, and limb fatigue caused by liver and kidney essence deficiency.
