July 23rd is "Great Heat", the hottest solar term of the year. Experts remind citizens that the key to health preservation during Great Heat is to remove dampness, and it's best to eat more foods like winter melon, coix seed, poria, and yam.
Fitness in Sauna Weather is Best Done by Walking
Director Li Jian, chief physician of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Specialty Department at Beijing Hospital of TCM, told reporters that the weather in Beijing during Great Heat is often sultry and humid, making people feel hot. Even when sweating profusely, the heat cannot be relieved easily, making it very easy to suffer from heatstroke. Therefore, health preservation during Great Heat should first avoid sauna-like weather, minimize going out and physical activity on muggy days, and if you must go out, do not stay exposed to the open air for a long time. To allow the dampness inside the body to dissipate, it is best to engage in light activities such as walking in the cooler temperatures of the early morning or evening.
Experts from the Beijing Emergency Medical Center also reminded that patients with chronic diseases, especially middle-aged and elderly individuals, are much more likely to experience cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents compared to young people. Thus, middle-aged and elderly individuals should avoid strenuous physical exercise when engaging in fitness activities during the high-temperature days of midsummer.
Huo Xiang (Agastache) Should Not Be Boiled for Too Long
Chief Physician Li Jian also reminded that proper diet can help the body resist the invasion of summer dampness. You can eat more foods like winter melon, coix seed, poria, and yam, which can be used to cook porridge or soup. If you already feel dizzy, you can also use fresh Huo Xiang leaves, mint leaves, and Eupatorium to cook soup or porridge, or choose Huo Xiang leaves.
Deputy Chief Physician Xie Chun'e from the Gastroenterology Department of Dongfang Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine further reminded in an interview with reporters that the main function of fresh Huo Xiang leaves is to clear turbidity with its aromatic properties, dispel summer heat, and resolve exterior symptoms; while the main function of mint is to disperse wind-heat, relieve sore throat and promote eruption, and soothe the liver and reduce heat. Summer is mainly characterized by damp-heat, so using fresh Huo Xiang leaves for health preservation is feasible, but one should be cautious not to overdo it, nor should this be considered a method of disease treatment. Moreover, both Huo Xiang and mint should not be boiled for too long. Taking Huo Xiang as an example, if boiled for too long, its aromatic qualities will disappear, losing its original effectiveness. Therefore, it is best to add it last.
Health Preservation Recipes for Great Heat:
1. Stir-Fried Assorted Vegetables: 1 block of tofu, 50 grams of tender green beans, 50 grams of tomatoes, 15 grams of black fungus, appropriate amounts of sesame oil, vegetable oil, salt, monosodium glutamate, and chopped green onions. Cut the tofu, green beans, tomatoes, and black fungus into cubes. Add water to the pot and bring to a boil. Blanch the tofu, green beans, tomatoes, and black fungus separately (tomatoes need only be slightly blanched), drain off the water, and set aside on a plate for later use. Heat the wok, add vegetable oil, put in Sichuan pepper, stir until fragrant, then add green onions, salt, tomatoes, and monosodium glutamate to the wok, stir evenly, pour over the previously blanched tofu, green beans, and black fungus, drizzle with sesame oil, and mix well before serving.
2. Mung Bean and Pumpkin Soup: 50 grams of mung beans, 500 grams of old pumpkin, a little salt. Wash the mung beans clean with water, while they are still wet, sprinkle a little salt (about 3 grams) and mix evenly, marinate for a few minutes, then rinse clean with water. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, wash clean with water, and cut into 2 cm square pieces for later use. Add 500 milliliters of water to the pot, bring to a boil, add the mung beans first, boil for 2 minutes, pour in a little cool water, boil again, add the pumpkin to the pot, cover the lid, simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the mung beans bloom, add a little salt for seasoning before serving.
3. Bitter Melon and Chrysanthemum Porridge: 100 grams of bitter melon, 50 grams of chrysanthemum, 60 grams of glutinous rice, 100 grams of rock sugar. Wash the bitter melon clean, remove the seeds, and cut into small pieces for later use. Wash the glutinous rice clean, wash the chrysanthemum, place both in the pot, pour in an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil on high heat, then add the bitter melon and rock sugar to the pot, switch to low heat and continue cooking until the rice blooms.
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