Before starting this article, I would like to ask you: What is the origin of medicine and food? Some friends were immediately unhappy after hearing this. After all, they have been fans of Dr. Luo for many years. How could they not even know about this issue? Isn’t it an ingredient that can be used as both medicine and food? You are right to say that, but there is a deeper knowledge in the origin of medicine and food.
We should first know that not only "medicine and food have the same origin", but also "medicine and food have the same origin".
"Medicine and food are the same" probably means that many foods are medicines, and medicines are food. There is no absolute dividing line between them. Ancient medical scientists applied the "four properties" and "five flavors" theories of traditional Chinese medicine not only to medicines, but also to food, believing that each food also has "four properties" , "Five Flavors".
"Medicine and food have the same origin" means that traditional Chinese medicine and food originated at the same time. "Huainanzi Xiuwu Xun" states: "Shennong tasted the taste of hundreds of herbs and the sweetness and bitterness of water springs, so that the people knew what to avoid. At this time , encounter seventy poisons in one day." It can be seen that in Shennong's time, medicine and food were not distinguished. Non-poisonous ones could be used, while poisonous ones should be avoided.
Some people may be impatient. What do you want to say in this long and eloquent paragraph? What we actually want to say is that we introduced ingredients that have the same origin as medicine and food at the beginning. We only introduced them to you because these ingredients are easy to purchase, easy to operate, and do no harm to the body. But later, we gradually discovered that a certain type of food has a good effect on a certain organ, such as whole grains.
Grains nourish the spleen! This is why the focus of our articles has gradually shifted to foods like black beans and barley. Why should we nourish the spleen? This is mainly due to clinical findings that modern people have poor digestive systems. According to statistics, 80% of outpatient visits in traditional Chinese medicine hospitals are for gastroenterology. From another perspective, a poor spleen and stomach is the best breeding ground for chronic diseases. Too much food comes in and little food comes out. Over time, your body becomes a super garbage dump with a stench that rises to the sky. Can you avoid serious illness? So why do modern people have imbalances in their spleen and stomach functions? The reason is that the non-staple food is mistaken for the staple food, and the spleen and stomach are weak due to the lack of grains.
Of course, this is only from the perspective of big data. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen is the foundation of acquired life and the source of qi and blood biochemistry. We have to eat and drink every day, and the food entering the body all depends on the transportation and transformation function of the spleen to transform qi into subtle substances to nourish the whole body. In other words, the spleen is the fundamental guarantee of life, and the spleen must not be deficient.
For example, people with a phlegm-damp constitution have spleen deficiency. If the spleen is deficient, the transformation of Qi will be weakened, and the Yang Qi cannot be transported and transformed, so the metabolites will easily accumulate and turn into phlegm and dampness. Phlegm and dampness are everywhere, and various strange diseases arise from it. As the saying goes, strange diseases are mostly caused by phlegm. We all know that the kidneys cannot be deficient, as deficiencies will lead to aging, but we do not know that the spleen cannot be deficient, as deficiencies will lead to numerous diseases.
Let’s go back to grains. Why do we only recommend grains as the “family doctor” of the spleen among so many foods? If you want to know this question, you must first understand which grains the grains are.
"Five grains" had many different meanings in ancient times, the most important of which were two: one refers to rice, millet, millet, wheat, and bean sprouts; the other refers to hemp, millet, millet, millet, wheat, and bean sprouts. The difference between the two is: the former has rice but no hemp, and the latter has hemp but no rice. Although there are many opinions about grains, the mainstream ones are rice (commonly known as rice, rice), broomcorn millet (shǔ, commonly known as yellow rice), Ji (jì, also known as millet, commonly known as millet), wheat (commonly known as wheat, used for making flour), Shu (commonly known as soybean). Because the climate in some places is arid, which is not conducive to the cultivation of rice, so hemp (commonly known as hemp) is used instead of rice as one of the five grains.
Although it is said to be a grain, its connotation has actually been extended a lot through the unremitting research of medical ancestors.
●Japonica rice, also known as rice. It is sweet in taste and neutral in nature. It can strengthen the spleen and stomach, strengthen qi and strength, and strengthen muscles. Used for spleen deficiency, depression, diarrhea, weight loss, and diarrhea.
●Corn, also known as corn. Sweet in taste and neutral in nature. It has the effects of nourishing the spleen, removing dampness and diuresis. It can be used for diarrhea, dysentery and other diseases.
●Corn, also known as millet. It tastes sweet and salty, and is slightly cold in nature. It has the functions of nourishing the middle and replenishing qi, strengthening the spleen and kidneys. It is used for poor appetite, polydipsia, nausea and vomiting and frailty after illness caused by spleen and kidney deficiency.
●Sorghum is sweet in taste and neutral in nature. It has the effect of strengthening the spleen and benefiting the middle, expelling dampness and stopping dysentery. It is used for children with indigestion, vomiting and diarrhea due to damp heat, etc.
Although the extension of "five grains" is much larger than "five", no matter how it changes, the "five grains for nourishment" stated in the "Huangdi Neijing" is still an unbreakable truth.
The Number One Scholar in Medical Forest and Five Grains
Talking on paper is not our style. Having said that, who has been the best at using "grains" since ancient times? This has to mention our "number one medical doctor" - Gong Tingxian.
Gong Tingxian, courtesy name Zicai and Yunlin, was a native of Jinxi, Jiangxi Province. He lived from the first year of Jiajing to the forty-seventh year of Wanli (1522-1619 AD) in the Ming Dynasty. He was a famous medical scientist in the Ming Dynasty. Gong Tingxian was born in a family of world-famous doctors. He once worked in the imperial hospital and cured Princess Lu of the Ming Dynasty from severe bloating. King Lu called her a "national expert" and awarded her a plaque with the inscription "The number one scholar in the medical field", which is enough to show her. Superb medical skills.
Speaking of the plaque "Medical Forest No. 1", we have to tell the story of that year. In Gong Tingxian's medical career, the most eye-catching thing is that he cured Princess Lu's incurable disease. At that time, Princess Lu suffered from "bloating". After the illness, Princess Lu's abdomen was as big as a drum, there was a lump in her left rib and pain, she was restless in sitting and lying, could not eat and drink, and her bowel movements were astringent and stagnant. After many treatments by imperial doctors, none of them worked, and his life was in danger. The King of Lu summoned Gong Tingxian for diagnosis and treatment. He examined the pulse and tongue, explored the root cause, and believed that the cause of the disease was excessive attack, deficiency of all five internal organs, and excessive dampness and heat. Therefore, he proposed the method of "tonifying the spleen with earth, nourishing the lungs with gold, nourishing the kidneys with water, and generating heart blood." The treatment method is to calm liver wood, clear away dampness and heat, and increase vitality, and adopt a staged and step-by-step treatment plan. Take Buzhong Yiqi Decoction first, then Ruilian Pills, White Ice Cream and Taihe Pills, etc. to take more than 100 doses. After treatment, the princess's symptoms were all cured. After another half year of recuperation, he finally recovered. For this reason, King Lu was overjoyed and was praised as "the leader of medicine in the world" and presented him with a plaque titled "The Number One Doctor in the Medical Forest".
Just by looking at this recipe, you can tell that this gentleman loves to use grains. Needless to say, Buzhong Yiqi Decoction. Just three kinds of white ice cream, Ruilian Pills, and Taihe Pills are enough for us to "drink a pot" Yes. White ice cream: The main ingredients of white ice cream are dried yam, ginseng, poria, lotus meat, Gorgon fruit, divine song (fried), malt (fried), rice, glutinous rice, and white sugar. This noodle can strengthen the spleen and qi, nourish the kidney and consolidate essence. Taihe Pills: Mainly used for those with insufficient vitality, spleen and stomach deficiency, and inability to eat. Its main ingredients contain white Poria, tangerine peel, Shenqu, malt, and other common cereals and grains. Of course, the same goes for Ruilian Pills, so I won’t go into details here.
You see, ancient doctors highly praised whole grains. Let’s not be timid. Let’s learn some practical information.
Millet is the first of the five grains and the most nutritious among the five grains. Millet is slightly cold in nature, and its most important function is to nourish the spleen and stomach. The spleen and stomach are acquired foundations and the source of Qi and blood biochemistry. If the spleen and stomach are not nourished, Qi and blood cannot be transformed smoothly. To nourish the internal organs, nourish the spleen first. To nourish the spleen, you can often eat millet porridge. Regular consumption of millet porridge can help replenish vital energy and prolong life, especially for people with disharmony between the spleen and stomach. The elderly and pregnant women should eat it regularly. Li Shizhen also said in "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Corn (millet) smells salty, is slightly cold, and is non-toxic. It is mainly used to nourish kidney qi and remove heat in the spleen and stomach. It nourishes qi and is bitter and cold, cures stomach heat, quenches thirst, and facilitates urination. "
Don't think that Yuan Li is just perfunctory here. This small bowl of porridge also has a lot of tricks in it. Everyone has had millet porridge. After the porridge is cooked, put it into a container and let it cool down. You will find a layer of thick liquid floating on the surface of the porridge, which is porridge oil. Wang Shixiong also specifically mentioned porridge oil in "Suixiju Diet", to the effect: "Porridge oil is rich in nutrients, and different porridge oils have different effects. It is the first choice supplementary food for gastrointestinal discomfort and other diseases. If consumed for a long time, it can be relieved. It can also be used as an auxiliary treatment for stomach problems, etc., and it is the first choice food for patients with certain diseases."
This stuff is good, but if you drink millet porridge every day, won’t your eyes turn green? You are a bit limited. Millet porridge is very tolerant. You can add some longan, yam, or even Codonopsis pilosula. You can add or subtract according to your actual situation.
Today’s article has no other meaning. I just hope to draw your attention to the spleen. After all, the Spring Festival is approaching, and many people’s spleen and stomach will suffer again. I think it is better for everyone to take care of it in advance. Of course, we will always introduce you to the knowledge about cereals and grains, so stay tuned.
