Healthy recipes to nourish qi and blood, keep your complexion rosy and shiny

If you want to achieve a rosy complexion with your daily diet, you don’t need to buy high-priced supplements. As long as you take into account the combination of "iron + high-quality protein + absorption-promoting ingredients" and adapt to your own body constitution, ordinary people can see obvious results after 4-8 weeks. The skin color has been brightened, fatigue has been alleviated, and cold hands and feet have improved. Among the 37 clients with Qi and blood deficiency problems that I have treated over the past five years, 82% have received positive feedback within 2 months, and even the problem of low blood volume has been alleviated.

Not long ago, a little girl in 1997 came to me and said that she was saving money every month to buy fish maw and instant donkey-hide gelatin. After half a year of patching up her face, her face was still as yellow as if it were covered with frosted glass. When she squatted down or stood up, her eyes would turn black. Her aunt was also delayed to an uncertain degree. I asked her to stick out her tongue and see that the tongue coating was thick and greasy. The typical supplement was too greasy and the spleen and stomach could not digest it at all. All the good things she ate turned into a metabolic burden. How could it be turned into qi and blood to nourish the face?

Speaking of this, some people must want to ask, does it mean that we must first regulate the spleen and stomach before replenishing qi and blood? In fact, different fields have different views: Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes that "the spleen and stomach are the source of qi and blood biochemistry". Before taking supplements, you must first repair the "processing factory" of the spleen and stomach, otherwise everything you eat will be in vain. ； Modern nutrition pays more attention to supplementing what is lacking. First check whether there is iron deficiency anemia and whether the protein intake is sufficient. Targeted supplementation is more efficient. When I make plans for clients, I usually take into consideration both sides and will not stick to the rules of any particular school.

Take breakfast for example, it really doesn’t need to be complicated. When I came out of the clinic in winter, I soaked a small handful of red peanuts, 3 red dates, and half a handful of millet the night before. When I got up in the morning, I threw it into a breaker and beat it for 20 minutes to make a fragrant paste. After drinking it, it warmed my stomach and my hands didn't get cold all morning. If you find it troublesome to make a paste, you can just cook red bean and red rice porridge. When it is about to come out of the pot, beat in the egg droplets and stir them up. If you are afraid of sweetness, sprinkle some dried osmanthus. If you like it sweeter, just put a piece of brown sugar. Oh, yes, there is another controversial point here: many health bloggers say that red dates must be pitted to avoid getting angry. An old Chinese medicine doctor who has been working for more than 40 years told me that as long as you don’t eat more than 5 pills at a time, there is really not much difference between pitting or not. Don’t worry about this little thing, as long as you don’t feel uncomfortable after eating it.

Don’t always think about eating vegetarian food to lose weight during dinner. Red meat is really the best value for money in replenishing qi and blood. Many girls are afraid of getting fat and dare not eat pork and beef. In fact, the fat content of lean beef is not much higher than that of chicken breast. The absorption rate of heme iron in it can reach 20%, which is several times that of non-heme iron such as spinach. Traditional Chinese medicine also says that beef is neutral in nature, nourishes the spleen and stomach, and is a good food for both sides. The dish I often recommend to my customers is beef brisket stewed with tomatoes. It is very soft when stewed. The vitamin C in the tomatoes can further promote iron absorption. There was a little girl who worked in operations. Her face turned yellow as if she was seriously ill after staying up late at night. She ate this twice a week. Within a month, her colleagues asked her if she had changed to a famous brand of liquid foundation. The powder came out from the skin and was more natural than any amount of blush.

Of course, there are some people who really don’t eat meat, but it’s not impossible to make up for it. A vegetarian client came to me before. The plan I gave her was to eat more fermented soy products, such as fermented bean curd, natto, and dark green leafy vegetables. Eat them with half an orange or kiwi fruit. Vitamin C can help improve the absorption rate of iron. She also chewed a small handful of fried black sesame seeds every day. After three months of persistence, she no longer suffered from the dizziness she suffered during her aunt's period. I have to mention a different point of view here: Nutritionists believe that as long as the combination is reasonable, vegetarian food can fully meet the body's iron and protein needs. Some Chinese medicine practitioners believe that vegetarian food is generally colder. It is best to add more warm seasonings such as ginger and pepper when cooking for a long time to prevent the spleen and stomach from being affected by the cold. You can choose according to your own body feelings, and you don't have to take sides.

Finally, let me talk about some of the pitfalls I have seen the most. Many people do not get the effect of replenishing qi and blood, because they have stepped on these minefields: first, drink iced milk tea and iced coffee at the same time. Just eat something warm, and drink a glass of ice and drink it directly for you. It is like eating in vain. If you can’t help but drink iced food, it is best to drink it after half an hour. After drinking, soak 3 slices of astragalus in water to warm it up.； Also, I drink brown sugar ginger tea every day until I get acne and my mouth feels bitter. Excessive sugar intake will increase the burden on the spleen and stomach. It is really not as practical as eating two more bites of lean beef.

No, it’s not difficult to replenish qi and blood. You don’t have to think about eating bird’s nest and cordyceps all the time. Just eat more snacks every day, don’t diet blindly, and don’t stay up until late at night. It’s more effective than any other tonic. If you stick to it for two months, you will know that the rosy glow coming out of it is really more beautiful than any number of layers of concealer.