How to eat pumpkin

Here are five pumpkin recipes :

Pumpkin, also known as pumpkin, golden pumpkin, wheat melon and wax gourd, is the fruit of the Cucurbitaceae plant pumpkin and is cultivated all over the country.

According to Chinese medicine, pumpkin is sweet and warm in nature, and belongs to the spleen and stomach meridians. It has the functions of replenishing the middle qi, clearing away heat and detoxifying. It is suitable for spleen deficiency, weak qi, malnutrition, lung abscess, and burns caused by water or fire. "Compendium of Materia Medica" says that it "replenishes the middle qi". Pumpkin contains citrulline, arginine, ophiopogonin, vitamins A, B, C, pectin, cellulose, etc. The pectin in pumpkin can regulate the absorption rate of food in the stomach, slow down the absorption of sugars, and the soluble cellulose can delay the emptying of food in the stomach and control the rise in blood sugar after meals. Pectin can also combine with excess cholesterol in the body to reduce cholesterol absorption and reduce blood cholesterol concentration. Therefore, pumpkin is known as "a good product for lowering blood sugar and lipids". People with diabetes often take this product as a side dish, which can not only fill their stomachs, but also lower blood sugar and lipids, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone. Many people deal with computers all day, which inevitably causes visual fatigue. In addition to eye hygiene, eating more foods rich in vitamin A, such as pumpkin, can effectively protect the eyes to maintain eye health. Pumpkin seeds contain a lot of phosphorus, which can prevent minerals from accumulating in the body to form stones, and can maintain the toughness of the sclera. Therefore, eating fried pumpkin seeds regularly can prevent gallstones and myopia. German scientists have found that people who often chew pumpkin seeds rarely have prostate diseases. Therefore, after men enter middle age, eating pumpkin seeds regularly can also effectively prevent prostate hypertrophy.

However, pumpkin contains a lot of sugar, so it is not advisable to eat too much to avoid bloating. "Compendium of Materia Medica" says that "eating too much pumpkin can cause beriberi and jaundice". "Sui Xi Ju Diet" says that "all diseases such as malnutrition, malaria, jaundice, dysentery, beriberi, stuffiness, and postpartum acne should be avoided", so you should be careful when eating it. Here are a few dietary recipes for your selection.

Pumpkin porridge:

100g old pumpkin, 50g rice, and salt. Peel the pumpkin, wash and chop it into small pieces. Wash the rice, put it into a pot, add water and cook porridge. When it boils, add the pumpkin. When the porridge is cooked, add salt to taste and eat. Take it once a day. It can replenish qi, detoxify and kill insects. It is suitable for weak spleen and stomach, malnutrition, lung abscess, burns caused by water or fire, lower limb ulcers, etc.

Green Bean Pumpkin Soup:

50g mung bean, 500g old pumpkin, salt to taste. Peel and remove the pumpkin, wash and cut into pieces for later use; first cook the mung bean until it blooms, then add the pumpkin, cook until it is well cooked, and season with salt before serving. It can clear away heat and relieve summer heat, promote diuresis and relieve stranguria. It is suitable for summer heatstroke, thirst, fever, red urine, palpitations, chest tightness, etc. It is an ideal drink for diabetics in summer.

Pumpkin Cactus Soup:

250g pumpkin and cactus, salt and MSG. Wash and dice the pumpkin, peel and dice the cactus, boil water over high heat, add cactus and pumpkin to make soup, season with salt and MSG, drink the soup and eat the pumpkin and cactus. Eat once in the morning and evening for one month, it can reduce blood sugar and lipids, and is suitable for the diet therapy of diabetes and hyperlipidemia.

Pumpkin Rice:

Old pumpkin and rice in appropriate amounts. Peel the pumpkin, wash it, and cut it into pieces; rinse the rice, put it into the pot, add appropriate amount of water and cook until the rice is cooked, mix well and it is ready. Take it once a day to strengthen the spleen and replenish qi, and it is suitable for weak spleen and stomach, malnutrition, etc.

Pumpkin Pie:

An appropriate amount of old pumpkin. Peel the pumpkin, wash it, cut it into pieces, steam it, and then mash it evenly to make small cakes. Fry them in a hot oil pan until both sides are golden brown. Take it once a day to reduce blood lipids and blood sugar, and it is suitable for the diet therapy of people with dyslipidemia and diabetes.

The fruit of the vine pumpkin of the Cucurbitaceae family. Also known as pumpkin, squash, northern melon, golden winter melon, rice melon, etc. It is cultivated in various parts of my country. It is picked in summer and autumn. Cut it open, remove the seeds, and use it fresh.

[Properties] Sweet in taste, warm in nature. Can nourish the middle and replenish qi, resolve phlegm and discharge pus, and expel roundworms.

[Reference] Contains citrulline, arginine, asparagine, trigonelline, adenine, carotene, vitamins B and C, fat, starch, glucose, sucrose, pentosan, mannitol, calcium, iron and other ingredients.

[Use] Used for spleen deficiency, weak qi or malnutrition; lung abscess with purulent sputum; ascariasis.

[Usage] Steam or cook. It can be used as medicine or eaten raw.

[Note] Eating too much will cause qi stagnation and dampness, so it is not suitable for people with spleen deficiency, dampness blocking qi stagnation, and fullness and distension.

[Additional prescription]

1. Pumpkin rice: 500g of rice, rinse, add water and cook until 70% to 80% cooked, then strain; peel half of a large pumpkin, remove the flesh, cut into pieces, stir-fry with oil and salt, then pour the strained rice on the pumpkin and steam over low heat. Before steaming the rice, add a small amount of boiling water to prevent the pumpkin from burning; adding an appropriate amount of brown sugar will make it taste even better.

This rice is sweet and oily, and is a popular melon rice dish among the people. It has the effect of replenishing qi and improving nutrition.

2. Pumpkin and beef: Peel and clean 1 pumpkin, cut into small pieces, use 250g beef, clean and cut into small pieces, add water and cook together (without adding oil or salt). Eat in 2-3 portions.

Originated from Lingnan Herbal Medicine. This recipe uses pumpkin to moisten the lungs, dissipate phlegm and discharge pus, and beef to replenish the body. It is used as an auxiliary treatment for lung abscess.

3. Raw pumpkin: Cut pumpkin into slices, chew 500g for adults and 250g for children, and take laxatives 2 hours later. Take for 2 consecutive days.

This prescription has the effect of expelling ascarids. It is used for ascariasis.