The heart is the "engine" of the human body, which is the most active and fragile in summer. According to statistics, when the natural temperature exceeds 33℃, the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases will increase significantly.
Chinese medicine also believes that "fiery heat is summer, the heart should be in the middle, and the heart should control the blood and store the spirit", that is, people's mental activities are in charge of the heart, and the high temperature in summer will turn the heart into a "high-risk area", so we should pay attention to "rest", maintain a good mood and avoid great joy and great anger.
From this point of view, "nourishing the heart" in summer is the most important thing. The so-called "nourishing the heart" is not as simple as simply preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Five colors entering five zang-organs
Prosperity helps the heart.
The "heart" in traditional Chinese medicine has two meanings: one is the essential heart organ, and the other is the spiritual heart. In the view of Chinese medicine, summer belongs to fire, and it is easy to get upset, causing symptoms such as thirst, chest tightness, palpitation and insomnia, because the fire is in the heart and the fire is moving. At this time, it is necessary to protect the heart and nourish the heart. Because "five colors enter the five internal organs and red enters the heart", it is necessary to supplement red food to protect the heart in summer.
Red food belongs to fire, which can enter the heart and blood after entering the human body. Has the effects of invigorating qi and blood, promoting blood production and promoting fluid production, enhancing heart and qi and blood functions, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
But the first thing to clarify is that "red food" is divided into two categories, one is red vegetables and fruits, and the other is meat products containing heme. Heme iron mainly exists in animal foods, such as red meat, animal viscera, blood products, etc., and is also rich in high-quality protein. But red meat also contains a lot of saturated fat, which will increase the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease, so we must pay attention to the intake.
Red fruits and vegetables can provide a lot of vitamins and trace elements for human body, especially lycopene, anthocyanins and anthocyanins. Nutrition believes that it has a certain effect on preventing cardiovascular diseases. Let's look at some red fruits and vegetables that protect and nourish the heart:
Watermelon: free hydration
Summer, high temperature, red food, you must think of "watermelon" for the first time! Watermelon has been regarded as a good heatstroke prevention product since ancient times. Cold nature, entering the heart, stomach and bladder meridian, has the effects of reducing fire, relieving annoyance and quenching thirst, lowering blood pressure and diuresis, and relaxing the middle energizer.
Watermelon contains a lot of lycopene, and the redder the watermelon, the more lycopene. Lycopene is one of the natural substances with the strongest antioxidant capacity, which can promote human metabolism, resist aging and prevent cardiovascular diseases.
It should be noted that eating watermelon is easy to accumulate cold and help dampness, which will damage the yang of the spleen and stomach. Eating watermelon in summer night will aggravate the cold and dampness of the body, leading to vomiting and diarrhea in the middle of the night.
Jujube: a powerful heart muscle
It is said that "three eclipses will never make you old!" Jujube is sweet and warm, which can nourish the heart, calm the stomach and strengthen the spleen. The cyclic phosphate gland contained in jujube can dilate blood vessels, enhance myocardial contractility, rapidly increase the oxygen content in blood, and increase the oxygen supplied to the heart. It can also dilate blood vessels, increase myocardial contractility and improve myocardial nutrition, which has a good effect on preventing cardiovascular diseases.
In addition, rutin contained in red dates can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and has a health care effect on patients with hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
If you want to nourish your heart in summer, you should drink more "double black tea". The formula is simple. Soak 5 denuded Chinese dates and 15g hawthorn slices in water to nourish the heart, nourish the heart and remove blood stasis.
Cherry: tonify the middle and replenish qi.
Cherry is sweet and warm, and the pulp is rich in vitamin C and potassium, which helps to maintain blood pressure stability. Cherry is rich in iron, which can promote hemoglobin regeneration and improve human immunity.
At the same time, cherry is also one of the main sources of anthocyanins, which can not only resist oxidation, inflammation and cancer, but also have various effects on blood vessels, platelets and lipoproteins, which can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Tao Hongjing in the Liang Dynasty recorded that "(Cherry) is harmonious and beneficial to temper" in "A Bielu of Famous Doctors". Cherry is used to treat deficiency syndrome, replenish primordial qi, enrich blood and moisturize skin in TCM clinic. Eating cherries raw or boiling soup can cure weakness, anemia, loss of appetite, insomnia and other symptoms.
Pomelo: Reducing Blood Lipids and Detoxification
Grapefruit pulp is tender, juicy and refreshing, and tastes bitter, but it contains potassium but not sodium. It is the best fruit to maintain cardiovascular disease. The natural pectin contained in its valve can reduce cholesterol in the body and prevent various cardiovascular diseases.
Studies have shown that eating a grapefruit every day for one month can reduce the level of low-density lipoprotein by 20% (this indicator is related to the level of cholesterol in the blood).
Contains natural vitamin P (flavonoid glycoside), which can enhance the detoxification function of skin and pores. Grapefruit is most suitable for squeezing juice at breakfast, which can accelerate the metabolism of the human body in the morning.
Hawthorn: Remove oil and silt.
Hawthorn is sour and sweet, slightly warm, and enters the spleen, stomach and liver meridians. It is a food for invigorating spleen, stimulating appetite, promoting digestion, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and has the effects of lowering blood pressure, promoting digestion and improving immunity. If you usually eat oil, you might as well make some "oil-relieving soup" and have a drink.
The practice is also very simple: take a proper amount of hawthorn, cassia seed and lotus leaf, and add water to decoct the soup. It not only tastes good, promotes digestion, but also helps to lower blood pressure, and is suitable for people with hypertension and hyperlipidemia.
Tomatoes: sun protection and beauty
Tomatoes have the functions of promoting fluid production to quench thirst, invigorating stomach and promoting digestion, and have adjuvant therapeutic effects on summer heat to quench thirst, dyspepsia and loss of appetite. Lycopene contained in tomatoes can reduce blood lipid levels, prevent "bad" cholesterol from being oxidized, and help prevent atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
In addition to protecting the cardiovascular system, it can also effectively prevent or slow down the damage of ultraviolet rays to the skin, remove free radicals that damage the skin, and play a role in skin care. It should be noted that Chinese medicine believes that tomatoes are cold and it is best to cook them, while people with stomach deficiency, cold and cough should not eat too many tomatoes raw.
Red beans: clearing fire and eliminating dampness
Red beans can clear heart fire, at the same time, they are rich in iron, and can promote qi and blood, which is very suitable for women with insufficient qi and blood. Clinically, red beans are often used to reduce blood fat, blood pressure and improve heart activity.
Li Shizhen, a medical scientist in the Ming Dynasty, called red beans "the valley of the heart", which means that red beans are most suitable for nourishing the heart in summer, which can relieve symptoms such as thirst and irritability caused by summer heat, especially at noon in summer, when "heart fire" is the most abundant. To avoid excessive heart fire, a bowl of iced red bean soup can relieve thirst and irritability, and also relieve edema caused by dampness in summer, especially for people with edema of lower limbs.
Amaranth: supplementing iron and blood
Amaranth has high nutritional value and is rich in vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, iron and other nutrients, and does not contain oxalic acid. Among them, the iron content of red amaranth is six times that of spinach, and it is also the best blood supplement for vegetarians. Its taste is soft and smooth, and its taste is rich. Sweet and fragrant, it can benefit qi and clear heat, improve eyesight and benefit large intestine, moisten stomach and clear heat, and is a good food therapy for delicious health. In addition, it has the functions of promoting blood coagulation, increasing hemoglobin content, improving oxygen carrying capacity and promoting hematopoiesis.
Carrots: lowering blood pressure and diminishing inflammation
The nutritional value of crispy and delicious carrots is outstanding among many vegetables and is known as "Little Ginseng". Pterocaryne contained in it can increase coronary blood flow, promote adrenaline synthesis, and has the effects of lowering blood pressure and diminishing inflammation. Potassium succinate helps to prevent arteriosclerosis and lower cholesterol and blood pressure; Folic acid can reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease.
It should be noted that carotene is a fat-soluble substance and needs oil as a "carrier" to be fully absorbed and utilized by the human body. Therefore, carrots are best cooked in oil before use, and do not add vinegar when cooking, otherwise it will destroy carotene.
Cabbage head: strong body and sufficient blood.
Cabbage head is commonly known as beetroot. Sweet, flat and slightly cool. Has the effects of invigorating stomach, promoting digestion, relieving cough, eliminating phlegm and regulating qi. It is especially suitable for people with anemia, dark complexion, chloasma and infirmity to take tonic in summer.
The root of cabbage contains nitrate, which can increase the concentration of nitric oxide in blood, thus promoting vasodilation and lowering blood pressure. It contains a lot of natural red vitamin B group and iron, which can help the human body to replenish blood quickly in a short time.
Because of the unique taste and taste of cabbage head, it can be squeezed with a variety of fruits and vegetables for drinking, with better taste and more comprehensive nutrition. You can also make soup with other vegetables, and then add red meat, which becomes a nourishing and delicious home-cooked dish.