Do’s in Summer Recipes
White Lentils, Mung Beans, pear, watermelon, dark plum, sugar cane, strawberries, mulberries, grapes, coconut milk, lemon, watermelon peel, persimmons, pineapples, water chestnuts, bitter melon, winter melon, hairy gourd, sweetpotato, snake melon, cucumber, tomato, Chinese spinach, straw mushrooms, lotus root, Chinese wolfberry leaves.
Don’ts in Summer Recipes
Lamb, longan, dried longan, Chinese chive, onion, kale, Sichuan peppercorns, cinammon, stir fried peanuts, stir fried cucumber, cold rice crackers, cold congee, cold rice
Watermelon (Xi Gua)
In ancient Egypt, watermelon juice and its seeds were traditionally offered to quench the thirst of travelers. If you are looking for a healthy choice to quench your thirst this summer, make it a delicious and refreshing watermelon!
Chinese Medicine uses the fruit (Xi Gua) and the seeds (Xi Gua Ren) for dehydration and summer heat symptoms, which include thirst without desire to drink, a band-like headache, nausea, irritability, low appetite, heavy, weighted body sensation, low motivation, sluggish digestion, increased body temperature and sticky sweat.
Because of watermelon’s cooling nature it is often recommended to reduce your body’s inflammatory response. Research indicated that the effects of chronic, low-grade inflammation can contribute to conditions such as arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes and certain forms of cancer.
Watermelon is also an excellent source of vitamins C, A, B6, B1, magnesium, thiamine and potassium.