Due to the fast pace of modern life, most people opt for simple and convenient fast food when it comes to eating, leading to various digestive problems. These seven foods are a boon for people with gastrointestinal disorders.
1. Glutinous rice
Also known as sticky rice, it is warm in nature and has the effects of tonifying the middle and qi, warming the spleen and stomach, and treating diarrhea and stopping sweating.
Glutinous rice is mainly used to treat deficiency of spleen and stomach qi, thirst, spontaneous sweating, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, frequent urination, and diarrhea. 100 grams of glutinous rice contains 8 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, 80 grams of carbohydrates, as well as small amounts of calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins.
[Guidelines for consumption]
Glutinous rice should be consumed after being heated, such as in the form of glutinous rice porridge, glutinous rice cakes, tangyuan (glutinous rice dumplings in sweet soup), and stewed pork ribs with glutinous rice. However, glutinous rice should not be consumed in excessive amounts at one time, and it is recommended to be eaten as a snack. Glutinous rice is sticky and difficult to digest, so it is not advisable to consume too much at one time, especially for the elderly, children, or patients.
2. Milk
Milk is rich in nutrients, easily digested and absorbed, inexpensive, and convenient to consume. It is considered the most "perfect food" and an ideal natural food.
The proteins in milk are mainly casein, lactalbumin, and lactoglobulin, and it contains 20 different amino acids, including 8 essential amino acids for the human body. Milk protein is a complete protein with a digestion rate of up to 98%. Milk fat is a high-quality fat with a digestion rate of over 95% and contains a large amount of fat-soluble vitamins.
[Guidelines for consumption]
Some people have the habit of drinking milk on an empty stomach, which is not scientifically recommended. This is because eating on an empty stomach speeds up intestinal peristalsis. Moreover, the protein in the milk will quickly be converted into energy and consumed. The nutrients in the milk have not been fully digested and absorbed, but are excreted into the large intestine, causing waste. It is better to eat something or consume food while drinking milk.
3. Eggs
Eggs contain various essential nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and a large amount of lecithin in the yolk. This lecithin can form a thin hydrophobic layer on the surface of the gastric mucosa, providing strong protection and resistance against harmful factors, thereby maintaining the balance between gastric attacking factors and protective factors.
[Guidelines for consumption]
Eggs processed into egg flower soup are rich in nutrition, delicious, and belong to soft liquid food, which is beneficial for digestion and absorption by the stomach and can reduce the burden on the intestine. It is suitable for consumption by people with gastrointestinal diseases. During cooking, it is important to ensure that the eggs are thoroughly cooked but not overcooked.
Eggshells contain a large amount of calcium. Consuming eggshell powder can help reduce stomach acidity and supplement calcium, which has a good therapeutic effect on conditions with excessive stomach acid.
4. Ginger
Ginger is used to treat cold vomiting and external wind-cold. The juice of ginger can stimulate gastric mucosa, invigorate function, enhance gastric secretion and gastrointestinal motility, thus aiding digestion. Some components in ginger have obvious antiemetic effects. It also has analgesic, sweating, and antipyretic effects.
According to recent studies, ginger also has functions such as inhibiting cancer cell activity and reducing the toxicity of pain. Long-term consumption of ginger products can greatly reduce the incidence of stomach pain.
[Guidelines for consumption]
Wash the ginger and mash it, then squeeze out the juice and take it with warm water. It has the effects of resolving phlegm and stopping vomiting. Wash fresh ginger, wrap it in a few layers of grass paper, and put it in clear water. Place it directly in the fire until the grass paper turns black and the ginger is cooked. It has the function of harmonizing the middle and stopping vomiting, suitable for symptoms such as disharmony of the spleen and stomach, nausea, and vomiting.
5. Honey
Honey is suitable for diseases caused by deficiency of spleen and stomach qi, such as poor appetite, hidden abdominal pain, and constipation, as well as chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, habitual constipation, and indigestion. For people with deficiency of spleen and stomach qi, taking a spoonful of honey, dissolved in warm water, twice a day can have a certain auxiliary therapeutic effect.
Honey is rich in nutrients, including glucose, fructose, gum, organic acids, enzymes, inorganic salts, vitamins, and various trace elements.
[Guidelines for consumption]
Honey has a protective effect on gastric ulcer surfaces. According to clinical reports, patients with gastric ulcers who consume 100 grams of fresh honey every day, divided into three servings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, have a good auxiliary therapeutic effect.
6. Lamb
Lamb is one of the main meat consumed by the Chinese people. Because sheep are pure herbivores, the meat of lamb is more tender compared to beef. It has less fat and cholesterol compared to pork and beef, but it contains more calcium, iron, and high-quality protein. Lamb can be used for both nourishment and therapeutic purposes. It is an excellent food for strengthening the body and eliminating diseases, often used in folk medicine for toning.
In traditional Chinese medicine, lamb has the functions of tonifying qi, invigorating the middle, warming the spleen, strengthening the kidneys and yang, promoting tissue growth, and resisting wind and cold. Lamb is rich in calcium and iron, so it is beneficial for conditions such as chronic gastritis, pyloric obstruction, malnutrition, and anemia.
[Guidelines for consumption]
Lamb is warm in nature and should not be consumed by people with symptoms of excessive internal heat, as well as patients with hepatitis, hypertension, acute enteritis, etc. Additionally, fresh and elastic lamb meat is the best choice when purchasing.
7. Beef
Beef is one of the meat products consumed by the Chinese people, second only to pork. Beef is rich in protein and amino acids, and it is closer to human needs compared to pork. It has a lower fat content and a fresher taste, making it highly favored and known as the "pride of meat".
Beef is neutral and moderate in nature, and it can improve the body's resistance to diseases. It is especially suitable for supplementation of blood loss and tissue repair in growth, post-operative, and post-illness recovery. Consuming beef in the winter can warm the stomach, making it a good choice for winter nourishment. In traditional Chinese medicine, beef enters the spleen and has the effects of tonifying the spleen and stomach, nourishing qi and blood, and strengthening tendons. It has particularly strong qi-tonifying functions. Patients with gastrointestinal diseases can use beef stewed with large jujubes to consume.
[Guidelines for consumption]
Beef should not be consumed frequently, and once a week is recommended. Beef is not easily cooked tender, but adding a hawthorn, a piece of tangerine peel, or a little tea leaves during cooking can make it tender. Clear stewed beef preserves more nutrients. The muscle fibers of beef are coarse and not easily digested, and it has high cholesterol and fat content. Therefore, it is not advisable for the elderly, children, or people with weak digestion to consume too much beef. Tender beef is more suitable for them.
