Winter is the season when vitality is hidden and it is also the best season for health and nourishment. The period from the start of winter to the end of spring is the most suitable time for nourishment. In addition to maintaining good lifestyle habits and exercising more, dietary health is the most important aspect of winter health. To learn how to maintain health through diet in winter, we can refer to the following tips for winter diet and health. As long as we choose the right dietary regimen, we can have a warm and healthy winter.
Nourishing with Congee in Winter
Oatmeal Congee
Oats are rich in dietary fiber. Moderate consumption can increase satiety and have the effect of strengthening the spleen. In winter, when the weather is dry, the body is prone to dehydration. Boil the oats in water for five to six minutes, then add an appropriate amount of milk before consumption. This can effectively promote intestinal peristalsis and help relieve constipation caused by dehydration, especially suitable for the elderly and children.
Chinese Yam, Pig Liver, and Celery Congee
Chinese yam is rich in high-quality protein and has a low calorie content. It has the effect of strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach. Pig liver is rich in vitamin A, which has the effect of improving eyesight and promoting blood circulation. Slice the pig liver and marinate it with salt, soy sauce, ginger, scallion, cornstarch, and monosodium glutamate. Cut the Chinese yam into pieces and cook it with rice and water. After boiling, add the Chinese yam and shiitake mushrooms. Continue to cook until thick, then add salt for seasoning. Finally, add the marinated pig liver and chopped celery. Add olive oil or sesame oil before serving. Pig liver is high in cholesterol and should not be eaten alone. When combined with Chinese yam, shiitake mushrooms, and celery in congee, it can achieve a balanced nutrition.
Radish Congee
In winter, nourishing should focus on nourishing yin. Radish is the best ingredient for nourishing yin in winter. In addition, the dry weather in winter makes many people prone to respiratory diseases such as dry cough, sore throat, and asthma. Radish enters the lung meridian. Cooking radish with rice and adding salt or honey for seasoning can moisturize the lungs, stop coughing, aid digestion, dispel stasis, and detoxify.
Golden Foods for Winter Health
Soybean Sprouts
Soybean sprouts are made by soaking soybeans in water until they germinate. During the germination process, the protein structure of soybeans becomes loose and the digestibility increases. The content of vitamins B1, B2, vitamin C, and water-soluble dietary fiber also increases. Soybean sprouts are highly nutritious vegetables that can be eaten more in winter. Soybean sprouts have a cooling nature and a sweet taste. They enter the spleen and large intestine meridians and have the effects of clearing heat, eliminating dampness, reducing swelling, and nourishing the skin. They are suitable for treating damp-heat in the spleen and stomach, constipation, and hyperlipidemia.
Black Soybeans
Black soybeans have a neutral taste and a sweet flavor. They enter the spleen and kidney meridians. They have the highest protein content among various legumes. The fatty acids they contain are mainly unsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They also contain phospholipids, soy isoflavones, biotin, and other nutrients. They help reduce swelling, moisturize the lungs, relieve heat, diuretic and promote blood circulation, nourish the blood and calm the mind, nourish the kidneys and nourish yin, and darken and strengthen the hair. They also have the effect of reducing cholesterol. They can be used to treat athlete's foot, jaundice edema, postpartum wind edema, and carbuncle swelling and toxicity.
Black Fungus
Black fungus has a neutral taste and a sweet flavor. It contains many trace elements, vitamins B1 and B2, carotene, phospholipids, lecithin, mannose, xylose, calcium, iron, and other nutrients. It has the effect of nourishing qi and promoting intelligence and nourishing the blood. It can help prevent and treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, prevent blood clotting, and relieve constipation. It is suitable for people with anemia, sore waist and legs, and numb limbs.
Soybeans
Soybeans contain a complete range of nutrients. The protein they contain is a "complete protein" with a high content of lysine. They can be used as both a dish and a staple food. Eating soybeans in winter is especially beneficial for tonifying the stomach and regulating the middle, invigorating the spleen and replenishing qi, moistening dryness and taking a nap, clearing heat and detoxifying, and also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. It is ideal for diabetes patients, cardiovascular disease patients, and mental workers.
Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms have a sweet, neutral, and cool nature. They enter the liver and stomach meridians. They contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, more than 50 enzymes, free amino acids, choline, adenine, ergosterol, and shiitake polysaccharides. In addition to inhibiting cholesterol synthesis in the body, promoting cholesterol decomposition and excretion, and preventing blood lipid elevation, shiitake mushrooms also have the effects of strengthening the liver and kidneys, invigorating the spleen and stomach, replenishing qi and blood, resolving phlegm and regulating qi. They are mainly used to treat poor appetite, physical weakness, urinary incontinence, and constipation.
Several Types of Soup for Winter Health
Drinking Pork Rib Soup in Winter for Anti-aging
In addition to containing protein, fat, and vitamins, pork ribs also contain a large amount of calcium phosphate, collagen, and bone mucoprotein, which can provide a large amount of calcium for the human body. The special nutrients and collagen in bone soup can promote microcirculation. Especially for older people, bones age quickly, so drinking bone soup can strengthen bones and slow down the aging process. Adding winter melon, kelp, or lotus root to the pork rib soup can also have the effect of clearing heat and replenishing qi.
Drinking Chicken Soup in Winter for Cold Prevention
Chicken soup is nutritionally rich. Whether it is clear stewed chicken soup or chicken soup cooked with other health-preserving herbs, the nutrients in the soup are mainly small molecules dissolved from chicken fat, skin, meat, and bones, and have excellent nutritional value. In winter, when influenza is prevalent, chicken soup has a certain effect in relieving flu symptoms and improving immune function. Drinking chicken soup in moderation in winter can help improve the body's immune system. For people who have already been infected with the flu virus, drinking chicken soup can help suppress inflammation and mucus production caused by colds, thereby relieving cold symptoms.
