"Shouqin's New Book on Elderly Care" says: "The food for the elderly should generally be warm and cooked, and they should avoid hard and raw food." Although only mentioning some aspects, it points out that in the medicinal and dietary care for the elderly and elderly patients, besides supplementing their deficiencies, attention should also be paid to the suitable and unsuitable medicated diets.
1. Cooked Food is Preferred over Fried Food
"The Introduction to Medicine and Maintenance" says: "As people reach middle age, their kidney qi declines... Avoid all stir-frying, grilling, alcohol intoxication, and spicy condiments that generate heat, as they may also generate blood heat." The weakened spleen and stomach of the elderly make it difficult for them to tolerate oily and grilled foods. These foods are inherently dry and hot, and are also hard to digest. Therefore, in the cooking of medicated diets for elderly patients, it is preferable to use cooking, stewing, steaming, and other methods that use water as the medium for heat transfer, and to use frying, stir-frying, smoking, grilling, and other methods that use oil as the medium for heat transfer or direct heating sparingly or not at all.
2. Soft Food is Preferred over Hard Food
The weakened spleen and stomach of the elderly, combined with weak digestive function, make it necessary for medicated diets to be soft and easily digestible. It is not suitable to choose hard foods, especially those that contain excessive fiber or are too old, in order to accommodate the characteristics of the spleen and stomach of the elderly, especially elderly patients.
3. Light Diet is Preferred over Excessive Flavor
"The Introduction to Medicine and Maintenance" says: "Being able to appreciate light and mild flavors is the foundation of the five tastes, and it is sufficient to nourish the organs. This applies to both the elderly and the young." The weakened five organs of elderly patients cannot tolerate excessive leaning towards any specific taste. Medicated diets should be light and emphasize the original taste in order to nourish the five organs. Excessive leaning towards specific tastes, especially excessive spiciness, saltiness, and sweetness, is to be avoided. Excessive spiciness can contribute to heat, deplete qi and cause blood stagnation; excessive saltiness can cause blood vessel constriction and damage kidney function; excessive sweetness can cause qi stagnation, abdominal distension, and phlegm production.
4. Congee is Recommended
Congee plays an important role in the medicated diets for elderly patients. This is not only because it is easy to prepare and cook, but also because it can reduce the burden of chewing and digestion on the spleen and stomach, and facilitate digestion and absorption. Throughout history, congee has been highly valued for its role in nourishing and treating diseases in the elderly. As Lu You wrote in his poem "Congee": "Everyone strives for longevity, but they fail to realize that longevity is right in front of them. I have found a simple method in Wanyou, which is to eat congee and become immortal." Elderly people should consume medicated congee on an empty stomach in the morning.
5. Less Meat and More Vegetables
"Essential Prescriptions for a Thousand Gold" says: "Those who are good at nurturing their nature should eat less meat and more rice." Zhu Danxi's book "On a Light Diet" advocates for a primarily vegetarian diet, believing that "grains, vegetables, and fruits naturally have a harmonious taste," which is beneficial for the elderly. With the improvement of living standards, meat consumption has increased significantly, leading to an increase in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other health issues that seriously threaten the health of the elderly. Therefore, in medicated diets and regular diets, the elderly, especially elderly patients, should generally eat less meat and more vegetables, and consume more fresh vegetables and fruits to protect their health. However, in certain stages of certain diseases, such as certain stages of recovery, the consumption of animal products may be necessary, in which case it can be used in moderate amounts to aid in recovery.
6. Less Cold and More Warm
The weakened five organs and the weakened spleen and stomach of the elderly, whether due to natural aging or diseases, make them unable to tolerate cold and cool foods. Therefore, in terms of diet and medicated diets, the focus should be on neutral and warm tonics, and foods that are extremely cold or extremely hot should be avoided.
7. Less Food and More Frequent Meals
"The Old Man's Constant Words" says: "In terms of food, less is beneficial. The spleen is easily worn out, and it digests essence and fluids. Otherwise, foods that are too excessive are easily harmful. Therefore, eating less is beneficial for the spleen." The weakened five organs of the elderly and elderly patients reduce their need for and tolerance of food and medicated diets. At the same time, the weakened spleen and stomach reduce their digestive function. Therefore, under the premise of controlling the total intake, it is advisable to eat less and have more frequent meals in order to promote health and treat diseases. If each meal consists of excessive food, it not only burdens the spleen and stomach in digestion, but also may aggravate the existing illness or lead to new ones.
