Ginger is commonly used in cooking and can also be used for foot soaking and dispelling coldness. However, after using it for so long, I just found out that it is not recommended to eat ginger at night. Eating ginger at night is like taking poison. Let's see what Traditional Chinese Medicine says about this.
Reasons why Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests not eating ginger at night
In a day, there is a distinction between yin and yang. Starting from midnight, the yang energy in the natural world gradually rises and reaches its peak at noon when the temperature is the highest.
Afternoon is when the yang energy gradually weakens and the yin energy becomes predominant until midnight when the yang energy is at its weakest.
After midnight, the yang energy gradually recovers.
Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that there is a correspondence between the heavens and humans. During the day when the yang energy is strong, we should be more active.
Consuming warm-tonifying foods or medicines helps to promote the generation of yang energy. This includes consuming appropriate yang (warm) foods such as ginger.
When the yin energy becomes predominant at night, the yang energy should start to converge and not be as active as during the day.
If excessive warm and hot foods or tonics are consumed during this time, it can affect sleep and interfere with the body's synthesis and metabolism.
It is not conducive to the self-repair of the body after fatigue and can be harmful to the body.
The activity of life belongs to yang, while the quietness of life belongs to yin.
Ginger can help dispel coldness in the body
1. Ginger and Perilla Leaf Drink with Brown Sugar: 3g ginger, 3g perilla leaves, 15g brown sugar
Method: Wash and slice the ginger and perilla leaves, put them in a porcelain cup, add brown sugar, then pour boiling water over it. Cover the cup and let it steep for 10 minutes before drinking it while it's still hot.
Effect: Take it twice a day. This drink has the effect of inducing sweating, dispelling coldness, and invigorating the stomach.
Suitable for: Wind-cold type of cold, especially suitable for stomach-intestinal cold with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomachache, and bloating.
2. Ginger Brown Sugar Soup
Method: 5-10g ginger (increase the amount for people with cold constitution), 15g brown sugar.
Before boiling, vigorously beat the ginger or grind it to extract the juice. Add 1 cup of water, brown sugar, and heat it until boiling for 15 minutes. It can be consumed after that.
Effect: Dispels wind and disperses coldness. Diabetic patients can omit the brown sugar.
