As autumn's crisp chill returns, what foods are best to eat this season? Let's explore.
Purple Sweet Potatoes—Combat Fatigue and Aging
During summer and early autumn, many readers face concerns like cardiovascular health and allergy prevention. From a dietary perspective, incorporating purple sweet potatoes is a wise choice.
Purple sweet potatoes are rich in iron, selenium, and anthocyanins. Selenium and iron are essential for combating fatigue, aging, and boosting blood production. Selenium, often called the "king of anti-cancer agents," is easily absorbed by the body.
Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that shield the body from damage caused by harmful substances called free radicals. They also enhance vascular elasticity, improve circulation, suppress inflammation and allergies, and increase joint flexibility.
【Recommended Recipe】
Purple Sweet Potato & Bitter Melon Rings
Ingredients: 1 bitter melon, 1 purple sweet potato, honey to taste.
Instructions:
1. Peel and dice the purple sweet potato. 2. Place diced sweet potato in a plastic bag, sprinkle with water, and microwave on high for 3 minutes. 3. Mash the cooked sweet potato with a spoon. 4. Drizzle honey over the mash and stir until well combined.
5. Wash the bitter melon, trim both ends, cut into two sections, and remove seeds.
6. Bring water to a boil and blanch the bitter melon.
7. After blanching, plunge the bitter melon into cold water to retain its vibrant green color and crisp texture.
8. Fill the bitter melon sections with the purple sweet potato paste, pressing firmly to pack it in.
Chinese Yam — Hydrating, Skin-Nourishing, and Stomach-Strengthening
This season calls for foods that quench summer heat and provide nourishment, such as Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita).
Chinese yam, scientifically known as Dioscorea opposita, contains an important nutrient called diosgenin, often referred to as natural DHEA (also known as the "youth hormone").
DHEA contains various hormone precursors and is called the "mother of hormones." It promotes the synthesis of endocrine hormones, boosts epidermal cell metabolism, enhances skin hydration, and helps improve overall physical constitution.
For summer-related digestive discomfort caused by irregular eating habits or excessive consumption of cold foods, consuming yam can also be beneficial.
【Recommended Recipe】
Yam and Old Duck Soup
Ingredients: 1 old duck, 4 small sections of yam, 1 piece of ginger, 3-4 scallions. Salt to taste, a pinch of pepper, cooking wine.
Method:
1. Rinse the cut-up old duck and drain well;Divide the ginger into two portions and lightly crush each with the back of a knife. Wash the scallions and tie them into two knots. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add one portion of ginger and one scallion knot. Once boiling, add a small spoonful of cooking wine. Add the duck pieces and blanch until scum rises to the surface. Remove, rinse thoroughly, and drain well.Wash the Chinese yam, peel it, cut into chunks, and soak in water;
3. Place the blanched duck pieces into a soup pot. Add sufficient water at once, along with the remaining ginger and one scallion knot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, skim off any foam that rises to the surface;
4.Add the drained peeled Chinese yam to the pot. Once it returns to a rolling boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until the yam is tender and the duck pieces are fork-tender (about 2 hours). Season with salt and a pinch of pepper, then turn off the heat.
Potatoes—Dispelling "Emotional Heat"
After enduring summer's intense heat, people often accumulate "liver fire," leading to restlessness, lethargy, scattered thoughts, poor appetite, irritability, and anxiety—a condition known as "emotional heatstroke."
"Emotional heatstroke" poses significant risks to physical and mental health, particularly for the elderly and frail. Emotional disturbances can trigger myocardial ischemia, arrhythmia, elevated blood pressure, and even sudden death. Consuming potatoes may help prevent "emotional heatstroke."
Potatoes are rich in vitamin C and provide substantial calories.Individuals experiencing "emotional heatstroke" are most susceptible to negative emotions like depression, discouragement, and restlessness. The minerals and nutrients in potatoes can act on the body to improve mental state.【Recommended Recipe】
Potato Salad
Ingredients: Potatoes, green peas, sweet corn, carrots, cucumber, purple cabbage (all in appropriate amounts). Seasonings: Salt, salad dressing (a small amount each).
Method: 1. Wash and peel the potatoes, slice them, steam until tender, then mash with a rolling pin. Set aside.
2. Bring clean water to a boil in a pot. Blanch the green peas and corn kernels until tender, then drain. Dice the carrots and blanch briefly before draining.In a clean pot, bring water to a boil. Blanch the green peas and corn kernels until tender. Dice the carrot and blanch briefly, then drain and set aside.
2. After draining the peas, corn, and carrot, rinse under cold water to cool. Dice the cucumber and mix with the other vegetables. Combine the mashed potatoes with all vegetables, add a pinch of salt, then stir in a small amount of salad dressing until well blended.
3. Wash the purple cabbage and trim it into desired-sized leaves. Place the prepared potato salad on top of the purple cabbage leaves.
Eat More Potatoes for Health and Vitality
Potatoes offer the dual benefits of both grains and vegetables.The Chinese Dietary Guidelines recommend increasing tuber consumption, suggesting 5 servings per week at 50-100 grams each. 1. Replace some grain staples with tubers Tubers contain only one-third the calories of grains. Moderate daily consumption helps prevent obesity-related chronic diseases.Additionally, tubers help prevent fat deposition on cardiovascular walls, maintain vascular elasticity, reduce heart disease risk, and prevent connective tissue atrophy in the liver and kidneys, as well as conditions like arthritis.
2. Zero-fat dietary energy regulation
With extremely low fat content, preparing tubers with little or no oil increases satiety and provides energy while reducing fat intake. This helps control obesity and prevent metabolic diseases.
3. Maximizing Protein Utilization
The protein quality of tubers surpasses that of most grains. Potato protein, in particular, consists primarily of salt-soluble globulins and water-soluble albumins, with globulins accounting for two-thirds of the total. It contains nearly all eight essential amino acids required by the human body.
Appropriately pairing tuber and grain foods daily creates protein complementarity, enhancing nutritional value and significantly increasing biological protein value.
4. Enhancing Mineral Absorption and Utilization
Tuber foods are rich in minerals, with calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, and silicon often exceeding levels in vegetables.
Sweet potatoes and yams contain precursors to human hormones. Consuming them increases estrogen and testosterone levels while enhancing calcium absorption and utilization.