Nourishing the Spleen and Stomach: Optimizing Health with Medicinal Diets

April 14, 2024
In traditional Chinese medicine theory, the spleen and stomach are considered as the foundation of the body's postnatal essence, and they are the source of qi, blood, and biochemistry. However, the fast-paced modern lifestyle often puts stress on our spleen and stomach. So, how can we nourish our spleen and stomach and improve our quality of life through medicinal diets? This article will introduce several medicinal diets that can promote spleen health. 1. Medicinal Diets for Spleen Health: Combining Tradition with Modernity Medicinal diets for spleen health are an important part of traditional Chinese diet therapy, and they have the functions of invigorating the spleen, stimulating appetite, and tonifying the middle burner. The following medicinal diets not only reflect traditional wisdom but also integrate with modern nutrition. 1) Yam and Poria Congee Yam has the function of tonifying the spleen, lungs, and kidneys, while Poria can invigorate the spleen and calm the mind. Cooking them together with glutinous rice can strengthen the spleen and stomach. 2) Codonopsis and Astragalus Stewed Chicken Soup Codonopsis and astragalus have the effects of tonifying qi and invigorating the spleen. Stewing them with chicken can not only enhance the function of the spleen and stomach but also improve the body's immune system. 3) Tangerine Peel and Hawthorn Tea Tangerine peel and hawthorn both have the functions of promoting digestion, resolving food stagnation, and promoting qi circulation. Brewing them into tea can stimulate appetite and improve digestion. 2. Selection and Combination of Medicinal Diets When selecting medicinal diets for spleen health, it is important to match them according to individual constitution and needs. For people with weak spleen and stomach and poor digestion, mild medicinal diets like yam and Poria congee are suitable. For those with hot constitution or dampness, cooler medicinal diets like tangerine peel and hawthorn tea are recommended. Additionally, we can adjust the combination of medicinal diets according to seasonal changes in order to achieve better spleen health. 3. How to Maximize the Effects of Medicinal Diets To maximize the effects of medicinal diets, we need to pay attention to the following points: 1) Cooking Methods The correct cooking methods can retain the nutritional components and medicinal value of the medicinal diets. For example, it is advisable to use slow cooking with low heat to avoid the loss of nutrients. 2) Ingredient Combination Proper ingredient combination can enhance the effects of medicinal diets. For example, combining astragalus with Codonopsis can strengthen the function of tonifying qi and invigorating the spleen.
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