June 19, 2019
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【苦盡甘來】苦過後更加清
苦味食物清心火
夏天暑熱容易令人煩躁不安，心火旺盛，易有失眠、健忘等症狀，因此夏季養生重點為「養心」。由於苦味入心，因此帶苦的食物多有清心涼血、健脾利尿以及緩解暑熱的功效，尤其適合在炎熱濕氣重的夏季進食。覺得自己近來特別易上火及忟憎？不妨自製一碟簡易的涼拌苦瓜或萵筍。雖然吃的時候會有點苦澀，但帶來的涼意可為這個煩躁季節消消暑氣。
苦瓜 – 一般我們吃到的綠皮苦瓜為生苦瓜，性寒，有袪暑解熱、清心明目的功效，適合在夏日食用，可紓緩咽喉腫痛、目赤等偏熱症狀，糖尿病人同樣合適，脾胃虛寒者不宜多吃。
芹菜 – 性涼，有清熱平肝、健胃利水，更有降血壓及血脂的功效。尤其適合肝火旺盛的人士食用，症狀包括面紅目赤、口苦、頭暈等。由於有利水的作用，小便不利及渾濁人士同樣適宜，另外有更年期不適的女士也可適量食用。要注意芹菜性涼，脾胃虛寒者不易多吃。
萵筍 – 又稱為萵苣，性涼，可消水腫、通乳及助發育。適合小便不暢、水腫者及心血管患者食用，產後母乳不足或乳腺不通皆可適量食用。由於萵筍性涼，脾胃虛寒者少吃，痛風人士亦不宜多吃。
-》簡易清火涼拌小碟：
把灼熟苦瓜、芹菜、萵筍及紅蘿蔔切幼條或切絲後過冷河，口感更爽脆。
將冷卻的蔬菜絲加入少許生抽、醋、糖及麻油拌勻即成。
小貼士：想減低苦瓜的苦澀味？注意瓜瓤白膜要刮清，切絲後加少許鹽拌勻，待其出水後洗走苦水就可以！
Bitter ingredients can clear heart fire
Summer heat can make people irritable, have excessive heart fire, experience insomnia, become forgetful. The focus of summer healthy living is “mind calming”. As bitter ingredients can clear the heart, cool blood, strengthen spleen, promote diuresis and relieve summer heat, they are especially suitable to consume during the hot and humid summer. Do you feel that you are prone to heat symptoms and feel irritable recently? Make a simple cold side dish with bitter gourd or lettuce. Although it is bitter in taste, the coolness can clear the heat of this irritating season.
Bitter gourd – The most common green skin bitter gourd we eat is raw bitter gourd. It is cold in nature. It can clear summer heat, clear the heart and improve eyesight. It is suitable for eating in the summer. It can relieve the heat-related symptoms such as sore throat and redness in eyes. It is suitable for those with diabetes. Those with asthenic spleen and stomach should not have too much.
Celery – Cold in nature. It can clear heat, calm the liver, strengthen the stomach and promote diuresis. Celery lowers blood pressure and blood lipids. It is especially suitable for people with strong liver fire with symptoms such as red flushed face, eye redness, bitterness in taste, and dizziness. Due to the beneficial effect of promoting diuresis, those with difficulty urinating can also have celery. Women with menopausal discomfort can also appropriately consume it. As it is cold in nature, it is not suitable for those with asthenic spleen and stomach.
Lettuce – Cold in nature. It can relieve edema, open up breast ducts and stimulate growth. It is suitable for those with difficulty urinating, edema and cardiovascular illnesses. Those with insufficient breast milk or clogged breast ducts can appropriately consume it. As it is cold in nature, it is not suitable for those with asthenic spleen and stomach. Those with gout should eat less.
-》Simple cold side dish to clear fire
Cut boiled bitter gourd, celery, lettuce and carrots into strips or shreds then rinse with cold water to make it more crispy.
Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil then mix well to taste.
Tips: Want to reduce the bitter taste of bitter gourd? Remove pulp and scrape white inner skin. Add a little salt after shredding and mix well. After the juice is released, wash it away!
