How to Supplement in Winter Based on Directions - East, West, South, and North
Professor Yang Li from the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences explains: "Supplementing during the three coldest nine-day periods ensures a pain-free year ahead." This saying highlights the importance of winter supplementation. However, it’s not about eating whatever is nutritious; it needs to be tailored based on the individual, time, and location. The north is dry and cold, the south damp and warm, the east humid, and the west windy, with these different characteristics determining different supplementation methods for people in different regions.
Generally speaking, the main forms of supplementation are soups and porridges, paired with appropriate vegetables and local seasonings.
North: Dry Cold Requires Hot Supplements and Healthy Dietary Combinations. Due to the cold weather, the body requires 'hot supplements' and healthy eating habits, so it's best to choose highly warming foods like mutton. Overall, the north is not only cold but also dry, so you can add 'moistening' ingredients like radish and cabbage while stewing soup. When it gets cold, people sweat less, so adding ginger when cooking helps to dispel cold and induce sweating. Chestnuts have both anti-cold and kidney-nourishing effects, making them suitable for winter supplementation, whether eaten alone or cooked into dishes. Additionally, millet is nourishing and ideal for making porridge. Recommended: Radish Mutton Soup, Millet Porridge.
South: Damp Cold Requires Moisture Removal. Although temperatures drop compared to summer, they don't get very cold, so southerners should focus on mild supplementation. Chicken, duck, and pork are mildly warming and quite suitable. Since the south is more humid, it's best to consume more moisture-removing foods such as winter bamboo shoots, fresh bamboo shoots, and lotus roots. For kidney supplementation, southerners don't need to choose strongly anti-cold foods like chestnuts; goji berries are relatively more appropriate. For porridge, southerners mainly use rice, paired with some moisture-removing coarse grains. Recommended: Fermented Bean Curd Old Duck Soup, Rice Coix Seed Porridge.
East: Suitable for Mild Supplementation and Dietary Nourishment. Similarly, chicken and duck serve as the primary mild supplements. It's worth mentioning that due to its coastal geographical position, locals tend to eat fish. Fish is a relatively hot food, so it's best to pair it with foods that neutralize its heat, such as tofu, fermented bean curd, and asparagus. Recommended: Asparagus Chicken Soup, Rice Oatmeal Porridge.
West: Dryness Requires Moisture-Nourishing Supplements. The northwest region is windy and dry, so apart from needing 'hot supplements' like most northerners, it's also important to focus on 'moisture-nourishing' supplements by eating more lung-moistening foods. Lilies, lotus roots, almonds, white fruits (gingko), silver ear fungus, and black fungus are all good choices for their sweet and moistening properties. People in Sichuan, Hunan, and Hubei provinces in southwestern China are accustomed to eating spicy food because of the heavy humidity there. During winter supplementation, it’s advisable to follow this habit and add more ginger and chili for flavoring. Recommended: Winter Melon Mutton Soup, Sorghum Millet Porridge (Northwest), Bamboo Shoots Spare Ribs Soup (Southwest).
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