If you make a list of foods suitable for summer, "Winter Melon" will definitely be on the list: it not only helps clear away heat and relieve heat, diuretic and dehumidify , it is often called "The First Melon of Summer" . Even the sound of the name gives people a refreshing feeling.
As early as in the "Shen Nong's Materia Medica", there are records about winter melon, which are called "Shui Zhi" and " White Melon ". Its skin, meat, seeds and flesh all have medicinal value.
Winter melon obviously matures in summer, why is it not called "summer melon"?
This is because when the winter melon is ripe, there is a layer of white powder on the surface, which looks like hoarfrost in winter, so it is called winter melon.
Song Dynasty poet Zheng Qingzhi has a poem that goes: "After autumn, spring comes, and the frosty skin protects the body. If you are born abstract, you can't even think about it. Your belly can hold hundreds of people." It describes the white frost that protects the body after ripening. And the shape is huge.
Now, the southern region is experiencing the Meiyu period. There is a lot of rain and high temperatures, which means humidity and heat are combined together. Ancient Chinese medicine said it is called oil into the noodles, which means that the oil is poured into the noodles and cannot be separated. .
At this time, people who are more sensitive to climate, such as children, are prone to spleen, stomach problems and skin problems. These problems are not likely to occur in other seasons. They are caused by , dampness and heat, .
This is the right time to eat some winter melon. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that winter melon is sweet in taste and slightly cold in nature. It can clear away heat, remove heat, diuresis and reduce swelling.
According to " Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacology and Clinical Application" records: "Winter melon is cool in nature, sweet and non-toxic, clears away heat and diuresis. It is mainly used to treat summer heat, internal heat and difficulty in urination."
"Shen Nong's Materia Medica" says: "Winter melon has mild nature Cold, sweet and light in taste, non-toxic, enters the three meridians of the lungs, large and small intestines, and bladder. It can clear away lung heat and resolve phlegm, clear stomach heat, relieve irritability and quench thirst. It is sweet, light and exuding, removes dampness and relieves heat, and can also facilitate urination and eliminate diarrhea. Edema. "
Common people often use winter melon to treat lung heat cough, edema, summer heat boredom, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, asthma, diabetes, nephritis edema, and fish and crab poisoning.
Slimming effect: Winter melon is a famous "slimming melon". "Compendium of Materia Medica" contains: Winter melon can replenish qi and relieve troubles. "If you want to be thin, light and healthy, you can eat it regularly. If you want to be fat, don't eat it."
Winter melon itself has zero fat, and is rich in propanedioic acid , trigonelline, vitamin B1, which can effectively control the conversion of sugars in the body into fat, prevent fat accumulation in the body, and consume excess fat. , has good effects on the prevention and treatment of hypertension , atherosclerosis, weight loss and lipid lowering .
The skin, meat, flesh, seeds, leaves and vines of winter melon all have medicinal value:
Winter melon skin has the strongest ability to diuretic and reduce swelling . It can easily deal with thirst, swelling and fullness in summer heat, and short and red urine. " Southern Yunnan Materia Medica " states that it: quenches thirst, eliminates phlegm, facilitates urination, and cures stroke. "Compendium of Materia Medica": removes skin, removes dampness and chases wind, nourishes the spleen and relieves fire.
Modern research shows that winter melon rind has a strong diuretic effect, and decoction of winter melon rind in divided doses is very effective in treating heat coma, acute nephritis, edema, and acute urinary tract infections.
Winter melon seeds ( winter melon kernels ) has the effects of clearing the lungs, resolving phlegm, and draining pus. It is mainly used to treat cough due to lung heat and lung carbuncle intestinal carbuncle. It is clinically used for coughs caused by upper respiratory tract infection and pulmonary bronchial infection, and excessive sputum .Studies have shown that winter melon kernels contain linoleic acid, which can reduce cholesterol and glyceryl esters in the blood, and help prevent and treat coronary heart disease . Taking it regularly can keep your body healthy and play a certain role in anti-aging.
Winter melon pulp and winter melon seeds that everyone usually throws away, in the eyes of the ancients, they are the most ideal whitening and skin care products. "Compendium of Materia Medica" contains: Winter melon flesh is white and soft. Use it to wash your face and body to remove brown spots and make your skin soft, smooth and white. "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" records: Winter melon seeds can make people's faces "radiant". "Da Ming Materia Medica" says it can cure skin inflammation and make the complexion moist.
Winter melon seeds are a commonly used medicine in facial oils in ancient times. "Behind the Elbow" uses winter melon seeds as the main ingredient. . Take Fang Cundai after eating. If you want white, add melon seeds. If you want red, add peach blossoms. On the 30th day, the hands and feet will be white. Contains oleic acid . The citrulline in oleic acid has the activity of inhibiting melanin deposition in the body. The propanedioic acid and trigonelline in the flesh and pulp of winter melon are both good emollient and beauty ingredients, which can remove facial dark spots. Spots, moisturizing and smoothing the skin.
Winter melon vine decoction has a unique effect on prolapse of the anus. The fresh juice can be used for face washing and bathing. It can whiten the skin and make it shiny. It is a cheap natural beauty agent.
Note on consumption: Although winter melon is good, it is generally cold after all, so people with weak spleen and stomach , abdominal pain and diarrhea should not eat it, and women should also eat less during menstruation. If winter melon and crucian carp are eaten together, they are in conflict with each other and will cause increased urine output. If you are not suffering from edema, it is best not to eat them together.
Winter melon, barley, tangerine peel, and teal teal soup (serves 3 to 4 people)
Ingredients: One teal (or green-headed duck), half a catty of lean meat, 1.5 to 2 catties of winter melon, two slices of tangerine peel, barley, 10 grams, lentils 10 grams, Poria 10 grams, 1 corn, 3 slices of ginger.
Method: . Cut the duck into pieces first, remove the head and skin, cut the lean meat into pieces, add the two ingredients to the water and set aside; cut the corn into sections, and cut the winter melon into large pieces for later use. 2. Pour water into the soup pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add teal, lean meat, tangerine peel, barley, lentils, poria and ginger slices. After boiling, turn to low heat. During this period, you can scoop up the floating matter in soup noodles with a spoon and remove it. 3. Simmer for about an hour, put the corn and winter melon into the soup, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Efficacy: clears away heat and relieves summer heat, strengthens the spleen and removes dampness .
Three bean and winter melon soup (serves 2-4 people)
Ingredients: Adzuki beans 20 grams, White lentils 20 grams, 50 grams of mung beans, 500 grams of winter melon.
Cooking method: . Peel the winter melon, wash and slice it; 2. Boil the mung beans, adzuki beans and white lentils, add the winter melon, cook until the beans are cooked and the soup is thick, add a little salt to taste, and wait until it is warm to eat.
Efficacy: Adzuki beans have a sweet and sour taste, which can benefit dampness, detoxify and expel pus; white lentils have a sweet and flat taste, enter the spleen and stomach meridian, and have the effect of strengthening the spleen and reducing dampness; winter melon and mung beans clear away heat, detoxify and relieve summer heat.
Tips: This decoction is suitable for people with symptoms such as chickenpox accompanied by itching or yellowing of the vesicles, heavy limbs, anorexia less food, and thick and greasy tongue coating.
Content source: Daosheng Academy WeChat public account
Editing and editing: Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Nursing Journal
Correspondents: Sun Lei, Qin Shasha, Wang Jingjing, Dong Wei
