Welcome to another edition of Herbal Cuisine. Sea Gate Wellness’ guide to providing you nutritional advice according to the season. In the article below you will find several recipes to help maintain balance in your body by eating accord to the natural cycles that guide over our world. As always you are welcome to write to us at www.seagatewellness.com with any questions, concerns, or even if it is just to say hello. Let's get on with it then!
As the novelty of this seasons’ warmth is now far from being embraced many people will be finding themselves getting tired easily, a generalized and persistent heaviness in the body, irritated from constantly over sweating and feeling dehydrated. These common symptoms manifested in the heat of summer are quite common. Let's have a look at what your actions are now.
Are you drinking plenty of water? What about including some food and herbs that are rich in potassium? For example red beans, celery, sea vegetables of kelp & laver, astragalus, Schisandra, etc.
Long hot summer days and exposure to relentless high temperatures can damage our Wei Qi.
We get tired easily, feel heavy, and feel irritated because of it. To restore your energy consider an afternoon nap. If you do it, is very important to follow this guidance. First, take a moment and relax. While getting comfortable make sure to cover your skin while under the air conditioner or fan, especially the neck, shoulders and belly, and all the joints areas. Your Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) will not be circulating on the exterior of the body and so please don’t let the “cold evil” get into your body. If it does you will develop aches and pains.
Throughout these dog days of summer consume cooling foods and detoxifying herbs. Good options for your daily consumption are tea made from the bamboo leaf (dan zhu ye), honeysuckle(jin yin hua), bitter melon (ku gua), mung bean(lu dou), watermelon, lotus root(lian ou), tofu, kelp(Hai dai), etc.
There are several very popular recipes that we usually cook a few times a week during summertime. Below you will find our top three. Try them out and enjoy. It is still a long way to introduce herbal cuisine to western people even my Chinese medicine doctor's husband had difficulty accepting this combination at the beginning. How different diets around the world we have! Start with something easy like Sweetened Mung Bean & Kelp Soup. It is typically a great cooling and detoxifying dessert consumed in the summertime but, I recommend you try it when you feel thirsty all the time (even if you just had a cup of water), when you feel heavy, and even when the excessive heat leads to you having swollen ankles and feet.
Enjoy these time tested recipes. And remember “Add a Little to Your Health”
Sweetened Mung bean Kelp soup
Ingredients: mung bean(lu dou) 100g, pearl barley(Yi yi ren) 50g, dried kelp 15g, Rock sugar 120g, ginger a few pieces.
Process: Rinse all the ingredients, soak them for about an hour. Add 8 cups of water with the mung bean, pearl barley, ginger, cook it in the pressure cooker for 30 minutes; then add the sliced kelp and sugar, bring it to a boil then simmer. Serve chilled.
Astragalus Vegetable Soup
Ingredients: astragalus 15g, broccoli 300g, one medium-sized tomato, shiitake mushrooms 3 pcs, salt.
Process: 1. Clean all the ingredients, soak and precook Shiitake mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms and tomato, chop the broccoli into small pieces. 2. In the pot bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil, add the astragalus, reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes, do not remove the astragalus, and now add your chopped tomato and sliced mushrooms. Continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Lastly, add broccoli and turn to high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add a little salt to taste.
Efficacy: Replenishes qi and blood, consolidates sweating, strengthens the spleen and stomach to fortify Wei Qi. This Astragalus Vegetable Soup has been used therapeutically to reduce spontaneous and night sweats caused by a deficiency of qi and blood.
Bitter Melon Pineapple Stir Fry
Ingredients: bitter melon 200g, fresh lily bulb 100g, pineapple 100g, cherry tomato 100g.
Process: 1. Clean all the ingredients, cut the bitter melon into half, remove the seeds, then slice into the thin pieces. slice the pineapple, half the cherry tomatoes. 2. Bring two cups of water to a rolling boil, add bitter melon for a minute and drain. This process will assist in removing the intense bitter flavor for those who are not accustomed to eating it. 3. Heat your wok, add vegetable oil. Start with bitter melon sear it well and then add lily bulbs, stir fry for 2 minutes. Next, add pineapple and cherry tomatoes, stir fry on high heat for 30 seconds. Salt to taste.
Efficacy: Clears heat and eliminates irritability and aids in digestion. Suitable for people with strong stomach fire and yin deficiency.
