The “Huangdi Neijing” is China's earliest medical classic, often referred to as the “ancestor of medicine.” It encapsulates the health-preserving wisdom of our ancestors and serves as an encyclopedia of life. It has immeasurable guiding significance in terms of nourishing the mind, spirit, and body. Today, we are launching a special section exploring the treasures of health preservation within the “Huangdi Neijing,” guiding you through its wisdom and helping you find specific methods for health preservation to solve common health challenges, thus achieving disease prevention and health maintenance. Follow along with us on this journey of health preservation.
### The “Words” of Health Preservation in the “Huangdi Neijing”
The “Huangdi Neijing – Suwen” suggests: Grains nourish, fruits assist, meats benefit, and vegetables complement. Combining flavors and essences in your diet helps replenish vital energy and essence.
We have invited:
– Professor Wang Qingqi, an expert on interpreting the “Huangdi Neijing,” a renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in Shanghai, and a lifetime professor at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
– Professor Hu Chunfu, a professor at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.
### The “Path” of Health Preservation
1. **”Grains Nourish”** – What are the five grains?
– Rice
– Peas
– Wheat
– Soybeans
– Millet
According to historical interpretations, which vary, Professor Wang Qingqi follows the interpretation by the Tang Dynasty medical scholar Wang Bing, identifying the five grains as rice, peas, wheat, soybeans, and millet.
2. **”Grains Nourish”** – What exactly do they nourish?
Grains are not only our most economical and direct source of energy but also help maintain the health of our spleen, stomach, and organs. The “Huangdi Neijing” mentions that “grains nourish, fruits assist, meats benefit, and vegetables complement.”
3. **What Diseases Can Result from an Unbalanced Diet?**
An unbalanced diet can lead to various diseases, with phlegm turbidity being one of the most common. Phlegm turbidity is a common pattern seen in clinical TCM practice, characterized by: a round belly, oily skin, heavy limbs, thick tongue coating, snoring during sleep, frequent coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, nausea, poor appetite, and dizziness. These symptoms indicate disrupted qi flow. From a Western medical perspective, people with high cholesterol levels often exhibit these characteristics, so it is important to follow a light and balanced diet.
### Practical Applications of Health Preservation
1. **How to Prevent and Alleviate Phlegm Turbidity?**
The “Adult Hyperlipidemia Guidelines” 2023 edition released by the Office of the National Health Commission includes a healthy dietary plan to prevent and alleviate phlegm turbidity. If you have a phlegm turbidity constitution, consider the following meal plan:
**Breakfast**
1. Whole wheat bread (30g whole wheat flour, 60g high-gluten flour)
2. Boiled egg (50g)
3. Skim milk (300ml)
4. Seaweed salad (50g seaweed)
**Tea**
Hawthorn chrysanthemum cassia tea (9g hawthorn, 6g chrysanthemum, 9g fried cassia seed)
**Lunch**
1. Red adzuki bean rice (10g red adzuki beans, 10g millet, 70g rice)
2. Shiitake mushroom and celery stir-fry (200g celery, 20g shiitake mushrooms, 5g starch)
3. Onion, tomato, and beef stew (20g onion, 80g beef, 50g potato, 100g tomato)
4. Seaweed and black fungus soup (30g seaweed, 50g black fungus)
**Snack**
Orange (200g), sweet apricot kernels (10g)
**Dinner**
1. Mixed grain rice (10g black rice, 25g brown rice, 10g millet, 10g sorghum)
2. Asparagus and tofu stir-fry (100g asparagus, 30g tofu, 10g oyster mushrooms)
3. Carrot and water spinach stir-fry (150g carrot, 150g water spinach, 20g red bell pepper)
4. Citrus peel jellyfish duck meat soup (5g citrus peel, 3g jujube, 30g duck meat, 10g jellyfish, 100g winter melon)
**Oil and Salt**
Total daily amount: 20g vegetable oil, 5g salt.