With the gradual drop in temperature, many people are wearing thicker clothes, but their bodies are getting colder. This is likely a sign of insufficient Qi and blood. People with this condition need to take good care of themselves, especially in winter. Below, I recommend several herbal soups that can warm the body and drive away the cold to improve the symptoms of coldness.
Warm Body Herbal Soups
1. Astragalus Beef Soup
Preparation: Wash 12g of astragalus and 12g of Codonopsis pilosula, put them in a double-layered gauze bag and seal it. Wash and cut beef into pieces, boil to remove blood, then add the herbal bag, ginger, and scallion, bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Add cooking wine, simmer over low heat for two hours. Finally, add a little salt and pepper.
Effect: In Traditional Chinese Medicine, "Qi" in the human body has the function of regulating body temperature and controlling the opening and closing of pores. Therefore, when the body is "Qi deficient," the ability to regulate body temperature decreases, and symptoms such as feeling cold and easily sweating occur. If sweating occurs and is blown by cold wind, it is even easier to catch a cold, and the recovery time is longer than others. The astragalus in this soup can nourish Qi and raise Yang, stabilize the exterior and stop sweating. Codonopsis pilosula can invigorate the spleen and nourish the lungs, nourish Qi, nourish blood, and produce body fluids. Beef can invigorate the middle and supplement Qi, and strengthen the tendons and bones.
2. Dried Ginger Cinnamon Lamb Soup
Preparation: Cut 150g of lamb into pieces, stew with 30g of crushed dried ginger and 15g of cinnamon until the meat is tender. Season with salt, scallions, and Sichuan pepper, and eat the meat and soup while hot.
Effect: Lamb is nutritious and has significant benefits for anemia, Qi and blood deficiency, and other symptoms of coldness. Dried ginger is the product of ginger after it is dried. It has the effect of warming the spleen yang. If you have yang deficiency and feel cold, pain in the abdomen and stomach, and cold limbs, it is best to use dried ginger. In addition, cinnamon has the functions of supplementing the original yang, warming the spleen and stomach, promoting blood circulation, and dispersing cold. Combining dried ginger, cinnamon, and lamb into a herbal soup is more beneficial for dispelling cold and treating colds.
3. Jujube Ginger Soup
Preparation: Take 10 jujubes, 5 slices of ginger, and an appropriate amount of brown sugar. Cook them together to make a soup and drink it as tea. It is recommended to drink it once a day and persist in taking it to be effective.
Effect: This is mainly because jujubes have a sweet and warm nature, so they have the effects of nourishing the middle, replenishing Qi, nourishing blood, and calming the mind. Ginger has a pungent and warm nature, and it has a good effect of dispelling the exterior and dispersing cold.
4. Pear Lotus Root Water Chestnut Soup
Preparation: Peel and cut one large section of lotus root and half a piece of Chinese yam into small pieces. Stew them together in half a pot of water for half an hour. Then add ten peeled water chestnuts and one peeled and diced pear, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Effect: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that white foods have the effect of nourishing yin and moistening the lungs. Snow pears, lotus roots, water chestnuts, and Chinese yam are all good ingredients for nourishing the lungs and stopping coughs. The latter three types of root and rhizome ingredients also have the effect of replenishing body energy, strengthening the immune system, and preventing catching a cold.
Warm Body Teas
1. Peony Tea
Some women often feel cold in their hands and feet because of poor blood circulation. Therefore, it is recommended to drink peony tea to promote blood circulation and eliminate blood stasis. The preparation is very simple. Boil 15g of sun-dried wild peony with 400ml of water. When half of the liquid is left, add ginger, jujube, and honey.
2. Red Date Osmanthus Tea
Preparation: Take 100g of red dates, 3g of osmanthus flowers, 10g of tea leaves, and 30g of white sugar. Wash the red dates and put them in a pot with 1000ml of water. Boil until the red dates are cooked, then add the tea leaves, white sugar, and osmanthus flowers. Boil and it is ready to serve.
Effect: It nourishes blood and promotes Qi flow, invigorates the spleen, and harmonizes the stomach. It is suitable for dizziness and blurred vision caused by blood deficiency and a pale complexion. It can be used as a substitute for tea and can also be eaten with the dates.
