In the blink of an eye, it’s already the Beginning of Autumn, marking the start of autumn as summer gradually departs. Bid farewell to summer and welcome autumn, the climate in the natural world will gradually transition from the summer heat to the coolness of autumn. To adapt to the environmental changes, our bodies will automatically adjust, and our focus on maintenance should also adjust with the changing seasons.
After the Beginning of Autumn, the weather cools down gradually, and the air becomes drier. Our lungs are sensitive to both cold and dryness, so after the Beginning of Autumn, it’s crucial to pay extra attention to caring for our lungs. On one hand, maintain a joyful and relaxed mood, engage in moderate exercise, and incorporate more “sweet-flavored” foods into your diet to promote body fluid production, support the spleen, and nourish the lungs, ensuring a smooth transition into autumn.
It is said that “eating sweet flavors at the Beginning of Autumn prevents a hundred illnesses.” The lungs are like a “protective umbrella” for our bodies, taking good care of the lungs helps maintain overall health, strengthen immunity, and more. Thus, starting from the Beginning of Autumn, it’s beneficial to include four types of “sweet-flavored” foods in your family’s diet to nourish the spleen, moisten the lungs, boost immunity, and prevent illnesses.
1st kind: Chinese Yam
Chinese Yam is a root plant known for its dual benefits in food and medicine, often referred to as “the subterranean ginseng.” It contains a large amount of mucus quality, protein, diosgenin saponins, Vitamins C and E, as well as ions like zinc, phosphorus, and calcium, which help invigorate the spleen, promote metabolism, improve constitution, nourish yin, and moisten dryness.
Recommended preparation method: Apple Chinese Yam Cake
1. Peel a Chinese Yam and steam it until soft after cutting it into segments. Then mash it into a smooth Chinese Yam paste without lumps.
2. Peel and core an apple, then cut the flesh into fine shreds. Do not make them too long.
3. Combine the apple with the Chinese Yam paste, add a pinch of baking soda, mix them well, then add flour to form a dough.
4. Divide the dough into small portions, roll them into balls, flatten them, brush the surface with a little water, sprinkle some sesame seeds, and pan-fry them over medium heat until cooked.
Pumpkin
Autumn brings the flourishing pumpkin, a typical sweet-flavored food. It is rich in sugars, pectin, dietary fiber, Vitamin A, along with ions like potassium, iron, zinc, and chromium, beneficial for invigorating the spleen and stomach, clearing heat, nourishing the lungs, regulating the middle energizer, enhancing immunity. Its sweetness and tenderness make stir-frying a delightful experience.
Recommended preparation method: Stir-fried Pumpkin
1. Clean a fresh pumpkin by scrubbing, cut it open, remove the seeds, and cut it into small dices. Keep the skin, as it adds great texture.
2. Heat oil in a pan, stir-fry minced garlic until fragrant, add the pumpkin, stir in light soy sauce and oyster sauce, quickly mix, then pour in some hot water, covering half the height of the pumpkin. Simmer for six to seven minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
3. Uncover, add a little salt, stir over high heat to reduce the sauce, sprinkle some black pepper, plate, and serve.
3rd kind: Tofu
Tofu is a classic soy product and falls into the category of sweet-flavored foods. It’s hailed as “vegetable meat,” with a smooth texture, rich in proteins, flavonoids, Vitamins C and D, and ions such as calcium, iron, zinc, benefiting heat-clearing, moistening dryness, invigorating the spleen and stomach, and strengthening tendons and bones. After the Beginning of Autumn, using tofu to cook soups or dishes frequently can be both delicious and beneficial.
Recommended preparation method: Tomato Tofu
1. Take out a block of firm tofu, cut it into small pieces, steam in a steamer for ten minutes.
2. Prepare some ingredients, dice two tomatoes, and wash and cut some greens into small pieces.
3. Heat oil in a pan, sauté the tomato dices with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, a bit of rock sugar, and salt until well mixed for a while. Adjust the taste of the sauce.
4. Add the tofu, submerge it in the tomato sauce, simmer for five to six minutes to absorb the flavors, then add the greens, continue simmering for a minute, stir in some minced garlic or garlic sprouts, and serve immediately.
4th kind: Tremella
Fungi are also a major sweet-flavored category, with Tremella being known as the “King of Fungi.” It contains amino acids, polysaccharides, gelatin, cellulose, as well as calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, benefiting heat-clearing, nourishing the stomach, tonifying the spleen to support qi, moistening the lungs, and enhancing immunity. Adding Tremella to congees and soups in autumn is recommended.
Recommended preparation method: Tremella Congee
1. Soak Tremella in cold water until it expands naturally, then cut it into small pieces and remove impurities.
2. Wash some oatmeal and glutinous rice, soak them in drinking water until they swell.
3. In a pot, add plenty of drinking water and the Tremella, let it boil but not vigorously, cook for twenty minutes.
4. Add the rice, stir a few times, continue cooking for half an hour until the rice is cooked. After turning off the heat, add pure milk, mix well, and serve.
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