Winter weather is cold, and many people often feel that their stomachs are cold and painful, especially when the abdomen is more uncomfortable after being cold, which is likely to be a symptom of "stomach cold". So what should stomach cold patients pay attention to in their daily lives?
Principles of stomach health in winter
1. Eat less salty food and more bitter food
In winter, the kidney meridian is strong, and the kidney is associated with salty taste, while the heart is associated with bitter taste. Eating too much salty food will make the already excessive kidney water even more vigorous, thus damaging the heart and weakening its strength, affecting overall health. Therefore, in winter, it is advisable to eat less salty food to prevent excessive kidney water; eat more bitter food to nourish the heart and enhance kidney function.
2. Eat more warm and less cold food
Sticky and hard, raw and cold foods are mostly yin in nature, and eating these foods in winter can damage the yang qi of the spleen and stomach. Overheated food can also damage the esophagus, and after entering the stomach and intestines, it can easily cause internal heat accumulation and lead to illness. Cold food can stimulate the blood vessels of the spleen and stomach, causing poor blood flow. The decrease in blood volume will seriously affect the blood circulation of other organs and harm overall health. Therefore, in winter, it is advisable to eat warm, soft food.
3. Increase intake of vitamin A and C
Increasing intake of vitamin A and C can enhance the body's ability to adapt to cold. Vitamin A mainly comes from animal liver, carrots, and dark green vegetables, while vitamin C mainly comes from fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, eating more chili peppers in winter can promote blood circulation and increase appetite.
4. Prepare the stomach before tonifying it
Tonic should be done in a gradual and progressive manner, so it is important to prepare the stomach first. For example, you can consume mild tonics like peanut and red date soup, ginger stewed beef, etc. In addition, drinking hot porridge in winter is also a good choice for health. Wheat porridge can calm the mind, sesame porridge can nourish the essence and yin, radish porridge can aid digestion and dissolve phlegm, and Poria porridge can invigorate the spleen and nourish the stomach.
Recommended diet therapy for stomach cold
Recipe 1: Perilla Ginger Red Date Soup
Ingredients: 10g fresh perilla leaves, 3 slices of ginger, 15g red dates.
Method: Wash the red dates in clean water, remove the pits, and slice the ginger. Cut the fresh perilla leaves into shreds. Put the ginger slices, red dates, and perilla leaves together in a pot with warm water, and cook over high heat until boiling. Then switch to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the perilla leaves, red dates, and ginger slices. Put the red dates back into the pot and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. The soup is ready.
Efficacy: Warm the stomach, dispel cold, aid digestion, and promote qi circulation.
Recipe 2: White Pepper Pig Stomach Soup
Ingredients: 1 pig stomach, 15g white pepper, a pinch of salt.
Method: Put the white pepper in a cheesecloth and crush it into powder. Rinse the pig stomach with salt and starch several times, then blanch it in boiling water for 1 minute, and drain. Put the white pepper into the pig stomach, tie the ends of the stomach with string, and add enough water to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Add a pinch of salt for seasoning.
Efficacy: Used for treating stomach cold, cold pain in the abdomen, and indigestion caused by cold.
