Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the combination of medicine and food. In other words, the best way to nourish the body is through a combination of food and herbal medicine. By paying attention to the application of herbs in addition to dietary supplementation, the maximum efficacy can be achieved. Below are some recommended blood nourishing recipes for beauty and skincare purposes.
Recipe 1: Tomato-stuffed Red Eggs
Ingredients: 6 tomatoes (about 500g), 250g red bean paste, 2 egg whites, 50g flour, vegetable oil (as needed).
Instructions: Beat the egg whites and mix with flour and water to make a batter. Wash the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and stuff them with red bean paste. Seal the tomatoes with the flour batter. Dip the tomatoes in the egg white batter and deep fry them until golden brown.
Effect: This recipe nourishes the blood, promotes salivation, strengthens the spleen, aids digestion, and prevents and treats senile anemia.
Recipe 2: Millet Pumpkin Bowl
Ingredients: 1 pumpkin, 200g millet, 8 red dates, 8g dried lily bulb, 20 goji berries.
Instructions: Wash the red dates, dried lily bulb, and goji berries. Soak them in water. Wash the millet and cook it in a pot with enough water to cover it. Once the millet boils, turn off the heat and let it simmer for ten minutes to allow the millet to absorb the water. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, and mix the cooked millet, red dates, dried lily bulb, and goji berries together. Stuff the mixture into the pumpkin and steam it for 20 minutes.
Effect: Pumpkin is a great blood-nourishing food, and red dates are commonly used to nourish the blood. The combination of the two has the effects of nourishing the blood, promoting salivation, and replenishing qi.
Recipe 3: Ophiopogon Sesame Candy
Ingredients: 100g ophiopogon (maiyong), 300g black sesame, 300g honey, rock sugar or white sugar.
Instructions: Wash the black sesame and dry roast it. Let it cool and grind it into powder. Remove the core of the ophiopogon, wash it, and soak it in half a bowl of water for 1 hour. Mix the soaked ophiopogon, sesame powder, honey, and rock sugar in a porcelain bowl. Cover the bowl and steam it over high heat for 3 hours.
Effect: This candy nourishes yin and blood, strengthens the body, and promotes longevity.
Recipe 4: Dual-ear Red Date Porridge
Ingredients: Black fungus (dried), white fungus (dried), red dates (dried), rock sugar (as needed).
Instructions: Soak the black fungus and white fungus in advance, wash them, and tear them into small pieces. Wash the red dates (you can buy seedless red dates to save time). In a pot, add water, black fungus, white fungus, and red dates. Simmer on low heat until the soup thickens and the black fungus becomes soft and sticky.
Effect: Black fungus contains a lot of gelatin, which can absorb and concentrate the dust and impurities remaining in the digestive system and excrete them from the body. It is also rich in iron, which can nourish the blood and give the skin a healthy and radiant appearance. Red dates are rich in calcium and iron, which are important for preventing and treating osteoporosis and anemia.
