As the saying goes, eat more melons in summer, and the body is topped. In the hot summer, the sweat of the human body evaporates slowly, dissipates heat slowly, and when tired and thirsty, eat some sweet and refreshing melons and fruits to nourish the five internal organs.
So, how to eat melon in summer to be healthier? How to be a qualified "melon-eating mass"?
The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor points out that "five colors enter the five internal organs". Among them, the five colors refer to the five colors of red, blue, yellow, white and black.
Watermelon – red to the heart
Red watermelon is sweet and refreshing, can enter the heart meridian, is the best product to clear the heart and reduce the fire, clear the summer heat. If you juice and serve, you may wish to add a little washed melon skin. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that watermelon peel can be used in medicine, called "watermelon green clothes", which has the effect of clearing heat and relieving heat, diarrhea heat and eliminating irritability, and diuretic. Take the white melon skin part and cut it into cubes and cook porridge, especially suitable for people with mouth and tongue ulcers, poor urination, and excessive drinking. However, due to the cold nature and high sugar content of watermelon, people suffering from gastroenteritis and diabetes should avoid eating too much.
Loofah - green (cyan) color into the liver
Loofah is as clear as jade, soft and delicious, can enter the liver meridian, is a good product for clearing heat and eliminating irritability, water circulation, especially suitable for people suffering from sinusitis, laryngitis, mastitis, postpartum milk deficiency, hemorrhoids, blood in the stool, hernia.
Modern research has confirmed that loofah contains vitamin C, vitamin B1, calcium, iron, phosphorus, xylose gum, citrulline and other ingredients, and has antioxidant, anti-allergic and other effects.
Stir-fried loofah, scrambled eggs with loofah, and steamed loofah with garlic can all be used as "regulars" at the table at this time.
As a medicinal and food product, loofah has the effect of dispelling wind and circulation, activating blood and milk, and can be used as soup and tea substitute for drinking, assisting in the treatment of rheumatism, joint pain, maternal milk blockage, etc. You can take an appropriate amount of loofah (5~10g) and boil and drink with adzuki beans, roses and other ingredients.
Winter melon - white into the lungs
Winter melon inside is white and translucent, can enter the lung meridian, has the effect of quenching heat and thirst, water and swelling, winter melon seeds can also clear the lungs, dissolve phlegm, and relieve cough. Patients with tracheitis, diabetes, urinary tract infection, edema, urine obstruction, obesity, etc. can eat this product appropriately. In the hot summer, you may wish to cut the winter melon with skin, add lotus leaves, and brew a cup of lotus leaf winter melon tea, which can clear heat and moisture, lower fat and lose weight.
Papaya – yellow into the spleen
Huang Chengcheng's papaya is sweet and attractive, can enter the spleen meridian, and has the effect of dispelling dampness with the stomach, relaxing muscles and activating the muscles, especially suitable for patients with rheumatism joint pain, frequent leg muscle spasms, and vomiting and diarrhea when feeling the evil of heat and humidity. Papaya with milk is a good beauty product, suitable for the majority of women who love beauty.
Special reminder
After entering the ambush, everyone needs to pay attention to dietary hygiene, and fruits and vegetables must be cleaned before eating to prevent diarrhea, dysentery and so on. Some melons and fruits have high sugar content, so they can not replace the main meal with melons in daily life, especially women or obese people, to get out of the misunderstanding of "only relying on eating melons and fruits to lose weight", to ensure a balanced combination of grains, meat and vegetables in the diet.
In addition, many melons and fruits are cool, and the function of human spleen and stomach mobilization is weakened in summer, and excessive sweet and cold will help produce cold and dampness. Therefore, while eating melons, you can mix the diet with an appropriate amount of ginger, lotus seeds, yams, lentils, chicken, beef, etc., to protect the spleen and stomach.
Text: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Xuan Lei, Liu Wei
Editors: Liang Jing, Li Shiyao
Proofreader: Ma Yang
Reviewed: Xu Bingnan, Chen Fei