After the dog days of summer, autumn is the perfect time for nourishing tonics: eat the first meat, first vegetable, and first fruit in full

As the saying goes, "A summer without illness still leaves one three parts weak." During the dog days, the body sweats heavily and consumes a great deal of inner energy, so once the dog days pass, autumn fatigue sets in easily.

At this time, the most important thing is to replenish. With the right nourishment, the previous depletion is restored, and all those annoying little ailments after autumn naturally disappear~

The 7 "autumn firsts" below are the most suitable for nourishing the body at this time. Save them well and eat more of them~

First tonic: Chinese yam

Food of the immortals, nourishes the five internal organs

Chinese yam is a well-known food that is both medicinal and edible, and enjoys the reputation of being the "food of the immortals."

Chinese yam contains substances such as amylase and polyphenol oxidase, making it an excellent choice for nourishing the five internal organs;

Chinese yam contains a large amount of mucin protein, vitamins and trace elements, which can effectively prevent blood lipids from depositing on blood vessel walls, prevent cardiovascular disease, and have the effect of prolonging life.

Best way to eat

Steaming, making soup, or stir-frying are all fine. Steaming causes the least nutrient loss.

Best pairing

If not eating Chinese yam alone, it can be paired with goji berries to make goji berry and Chinese yam porridge, which better brings out the nourishing effect.

First vegetable: lotus root

Nourishes yin and clears heat, nourishes and prolongs life

When the weather is dry, eating some lotus root can nourish yin and clear heat, moisten dryness and quench thirst, and calm the heart and soothe the nerves.

In addition to containing a large amount of carbohydrates, fresh lotus root is also rich in protein, various vitamins and minerals, and is also rich in dietary fiber, which is very beneficial for treating constipation and promoting the elimination of harmful substances.

Best way to eat

Seven-hole lotus root has a higher starch content and less moisture, is starchy rather than crisp, and is suitable for making soup; nine-hole lotus root has a higher moisture content, is crisp and tender with plenty of juice, and is most suitable for cold dressing or plain stir-frying.

Best pairing

Pairing with white fungus can nourish lung yin, while pairing with black fungus can nourish kidney yin.

First nut: peanut

Nourishes both qi and blood, clears the throat and stops cough

Traditional Chinese medicine holds that peanuts are neutral in nature and sweet in taste, and enter the spleen and lung meridians. They can invigorate the spleen and harmonize the stomach, moisten the lungs and resolve phlegm, nourish and regulate qi, and clear the throat and stop cough.

They mainly treat conditions such as malnutrition, poor appetite and weakness, dry cough with little phlegm, hemoptysis, purpura, insufficient lactation in postpartum women, and dry bound stools.

Best way to eat

Fresh peanuts are best boiled and eaten with the shell on. Once cooked, peanuts are not only easy to digest and absorb, but the medicinal and health benefits of the peanut shell and the inner red skin can also be fully utilized.

The red skin of peanuts can inhibit the dissolution of fibrin, promote the regeneration of platelets, and can treat thrombocytopenia and prevent and treat bleeding disorders; the peanut shell has the effect of lowering blood pressure and regulating cholesterol.

Best pairing

Pairing with red dates can tonify the spleen and enrich the blood, and stop bleeding. It has a certain therapeutic effect on spleen deficiency with insufficient blood and anemia, and is especially beneficial for women.

First drink: yellow rice wine

Activates meridians and unblocks collaterals, warms the body and prevents cold

Yellow rice wine is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world. It contains relatively high levels of functional oligosaccharides, which can improve immunity and disease resistance, something wine and beer cannot compare with.

Traditional Chinese medicine holds that yellow rice wine is hot in nature and sweet-bitter in taste, and has therapeutic effects such as unblocking meridians, promoting blood circulation, warming the spleen and stomach, moistening the skin, and dispersing dampness. It is most suitable for activating meridians and unblocking collaterals and warming the body and preventing cold in autumn and winter.

Best way to eat

Yellow rice wine is best drunk warm, to warm the stomach and drive away cold. A temperature of 35°C to 45°C is best.

Best pairing

Autumn emphasizes a diet based on "gathering," and pairing with dark plum precisely conforms to the concept of "gathering," with effects of nourishing yin and promoting fluid production, and moistening the lungs and protecting the liver.

First porridge: lily porridge

Nourishes the lungs and stops cough, calms the heart and soothes the nerves

Lily bulb is sweet with a slight bitterness, and neutral in nature. It is rich in nutrients and has effects such as moistening the lungs and stopping cough and calming the heart and soothing the nerves, making it a superior food for autumn.

Best way to eat

Make porridge. Lily bulb can be eaten as a dish, such as stir-fried lily bulb with celery or stir-fried beef with lily bulb; it can also be made into porridge, such as lily porridge made with lily bulb and glutinous rice. Adding a little rock sugar not only makes it tasty but also calms the nerves and helps with sleep.

Best pairing

Apricot kernels have the effects of moistening the lungs and stopping cough and calming the heart and soothing the nerves. Paired with lily bulb to make porridge, it is suitable for patients who are weak after illness or have dry cough.

First meat: cuttlefish

High-quality deep-sea protein, low-cholesterol nourishment

When it comes to eating meat, there has long been a folk saying that "four-legged is not as good as two-legged, and two-legged is not as good as legless."

Cuttlefish is rich in nutrients. Every 100 grams of meat contains 13 grams of protein and only 0.7 grams of fat. It also contains carbohydrates, vitamin A, B-group vitamins, and calcium, phosphorus, iron and other substances essential to the human body, making it a high-protein, low-fat nourishing food.

Best way to eat

Braised, stir-fried over high heat, quick-fried, stewed, cold-dressed, or made into soup are all fine, but to prevent autumn dryness, making cuttlefish into soup is more suitable.

Best pairing

Tofu also belongs to foods that nourish yin and promote fluid production, and eating them together can also play a role in protein complementation.

First fruit: pear

Foremost of a hundred fruits, first for moistening dryness

The fruits of nature correspond to the seasons. In summer, heart fire easily arises, so bitter melon is there to extinguish it; in autumn, lung dryness easily arises, so pears are there to moisten dryness.

Because pears are fresh, tender and juicy, containing 85% water, sweet and sour to the right degree, and rich in vitamins and trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and iodine, they are called "natural mineral water" and have been honored as the "foremost of a hundred fruits" since ancient times.

In autumn the air is dry and moisture is scarce. If you persist in eating a certain amount of pears every day, it can relieve autumn dryness and promote fluid production and moisten the lungs.

Best way to eat

Eating raw pears can noticeably relieve symptoms in patients with upper respiratory tract infections such as dry, itchy, painful throat, hoarse voice, as well as constipation and dark urine;

Cooking or steaming pears before eating, such as steaming pears with rock sugar, can nourish yin and moisten the lungs and stop cough and expel phlegm. It has preventive and therapeutic effects on gout, rheumatism and arthritis, and is even better at treating lung-heat cough and sore throat.

Best pairing

The world-famous pear syrup candy is made by simmering pears with honey, and has a noticeable therapeutic effect on patients with prolonged lung-heat cough.

After the beginning of autumn, the weather starts to turn cold, and it often alternates hot and cold unpredictably. Whether you have always been weak or have rarely been ill, this "autumn first" dietary nourishment method is suitable for you. Remember to tell more friends around you. These 7 things must all be eaten in full~