Elderly people need to focus on nourishing the heart and calming the mind during the winter. Commonly used Chinese medicinal herbs for this purpose include longan flesh, dates, pine nuts, sour jujube kernel, lotus seeds, and lily bulbs. Animal hearts such as pig hearts and sheep hearts are also commonly used.
"Medicinal herbs that nourish the heart and calm the mind are suitable for patients with excessive thinking, spleen damage from overwork, forgetfulness, insomnia, frequent dreaming, and physical exhaustion. However, these herbs are often 'rich in flavor but thin in energy and greasy in nature,' so patients with damp heat syndrome should not consume them."
Experts particularly emphasize that people with disturbed mental states are often closely related to psychological factors. Therefore, in addition to nourishing, they should also learn self-relaxation techniques and engage in appropriate physical exercises to achieve good results.
Furthermore, improving spleen health and stimulating appetite is also popular for nourishment. Commonly used ingredients for this purpose include Chinese yam, poria cocos, cowpea, cardamom, hawthorn, dried tangerine peel, and amomum villosum. Animal foods such as lean pork, chicken, fish, pig stomach, and duck meat are also recommended.
"These ingredients have the effects of strengthening the spleen and replenishing qi, aiding digestion and stimulating appetite. They are suitable for people with weak spleen and stomach and poor appetite." Experts point out that these ingredients should be consumed warm and not eaten cold.
