小暑膳食
小暑是夏季的第五个节气，热风拂面，昆虫避暑，雷雨多发。《月令七十二候集解》说：“暑，热也，就热之中分为大小，月初为小，月中为大。”此时气温持续升高，地表蒸腾加速，湿度增大，渐渐形成“上蒸下煮”的桑拿天，因此膳食养生重在把握"热"与"湿"的调理。阳胜则热，汗出较多，气会随汗而脱，故饮食应以清补生津、淡渗利湿为法，重视消暑健脾、养阴生津。我们可以多摄入应时且味甘淡、性质平凉的食物，并兼顾护阳，为三伏养生奠定基础。
小暑暑湿之邪互结为害，人体易出现浑身乏力、头身困重、食欲不佳等不适。脾为人体后天之本、气血生化之源，健运则利于营养吸收，使人精力充沛；脾同时主司运化饮食及水湿，喜燥恶湿，易受暑湿邪气的侵扰；因此小暑时节健脾依旧重要。
人体阴阳状态
o 阳气外浮：体表阳气旺盛而内里虚寒，易出现"夏月伏阴"，脾胃功能减弱。
o 心火偏亢：暑热通于心，易致心烦失眠、口舌生疮。
o 湿邪困脾：湿热交蒸，阻滞气机，导致头身困重、食欲不振。
养生原则
o 清补为主：忌滋腻大补，宜甘淡利湿（如山药、莲子）。
o 护阳防寒：避免过度贪凉饮冷，损伤脾阳。
o 宁心敛神：顺应"夏长"之气，适当午睡养心。
鞭笋鳝段煲
原料：净鞭笋、净黄鳝各250g，净咸肉75g。姜丝、香菜段、鲜汤、精盐、料酒、胡椒粉各适量。
做法：鳝段洗净汆水，去除表面白膜；春笋切片，用盐水煮过去涩备用；起油锅，入葱姜蒜煸出香味后入笋片煸炒；入鳝段，同时加入黄酒半碗，加盖焖3分钟后，加一碗水，红烧酱油，冰糖，炖煮1小时；汤汁快要收干时，转入煲中，翻匀酱汁，使鳝鱼充分入味后即可出锅。
功效：本方具有温肾散寒、强筋壮骨、养阴清热的作用。适用于小暑时节中老年人的滋补，以及夏季体虚乏力、受凉感冒、关节痹痛等病证的辅助食疗。
小暑时节，黄鳝体壮而肥，肉嫩鲜美，营养丰富，滋补作用最强，故我国民间有“小暑黄鳝赛人参”之说。鳝鱼味甘性温，有温阳补虚、祛风除湿的功效，又与中医“春夏养阳”的养生思想一致，蕴涵着“冬病夏治”的理念。
三豆苡仁粥
原料：绿豆、赤小豆、黑豆、薏苡仁各10g。
做法：上4味淘洗干净后置锅中，加清水600mL左右，用小火煮20～30分钟即可。晾凉，直接食用。
功效：清暑利水、健脾渗湿，适用于小暑至伏末“疰夏”的防治。
药膳专著《饮膳正要》便有“夏宜食菽”的说法，“菽”即为豆类。方中绿豆味甘性寒，能清心降火、消暑解毒。赤小豆味甘酸，性平，能利水消肿、清热解毒。黑豆味甘性平，最得“肾谷”之美称，能健脾益肾、利水活血。薏苡仁味甘淡，性微寒，能利湿健脾、除痹清热。现代研究表明，方中的豆类蛋白质含量较高，脂类含量却很低，且氨基酸组成接近人体需要，能在蛋白质方面提供人体较为全面的营养支持，其中绿豆有较为明显的降血脂作用，红豆含钾元素较高，能起利水作用，黑豆含铁元素比一般豆类都高，对于缺铁性贫血患者有较好的补充作用。本方源于民间，各地都有使用，其中豆类可灵活增减变换。方中豆类各有所长，绿豆偏于清暑；红豆、黑豆偏于利水；搭配健脾渗湿的薏苡仁，分消清利，故使暑热湿邪有消泄之路。此外黑豆还能较好地补益脾肾，起到益中存阴的作用。
食用注意：绿豆、红豆、黑豆属于豇豆类，是中等嘌呤食物，痛风患者急性发作期宜慎食。
解暑酱包兔
原料：兔肉200g，佩兰叶6g，鸡蛋1枚，甜面酱15g。葱、姜、精盐、酱油、白糖、味精、黄酒、生淀粉、白汤、植物油、香油适量。
做法：兔肉切成长6cm、宽3cm的薄片，佩兰叶加水煎煮10分钟取汁，鸡蛋打破搅匀。肉片放入碗内，加生淀粉、精盐拌匀，再加佩兰汁，搅拌至肉片吸足水分，加鸡蛋汁搅拌，使蛋汁均匀地黏附在兔肉片上。先起油锅，放植物油，烧至五成热时放入挂芡的肉片，用筷子迅速搅散，避免粘连，至肉片断红时，取出沥去油。再把锅烧热，放植物油，烧至五成热时，放甜面酱、葱、姜，炒至酱细腻无颗粒、起香味时放黄酒、白糖、味精、酱油与白汤炒拌成糊状，然后放肉片拌匀，沿锅边淋上少许香油，翻炒至甜面酱包牢兔肉，出锅装盘即成。佐餐食用。
功效：清暑化湿、醒脾开胃。适于小暑前后，暑湿所伤、气阴两虚所致烦热口渴、头晕头重、胸闷腹胀、食欲不振、神疲乏力、大便黏结等不适的调补。
兔肉味甘性凉，入肝、脾、大肠经，有补中益气健脾、养阴生津止渴、清热解毒疗疮的功效。李时珍《本草纲目》称其能“凉血，解热毒，利大肠。”主治口渴欲饮、舌坚缄语、烦热易怒、皮肤瘙痒、肠热便秘等病证。兔肉属于高蛋白质、低脂肪、低胆固醇的肉类，其蛋白质含量高达70%，比一般肉类都高，且脂肪和胆固醇含量低于大多数的肉类，故对它有“荤中之素”的说法。兔肉富含卵磷脂，因此对于脑功能与身体膜结构的稳定有重要作用。佩兰味辛性平，为喜阴生于溪畔泽边的香草，芳香辛散，具有化浊辟秽的作用。小暑正值初伏，空气闷热潮湿，暑湿邪气相恋；湿邪重浊，受暑而腐，易藏污纳秽；而佩兰生于水湿之境却能气清香远，故可食之以芳香化浊、醒脾开胃、发表解暑。屈原在《九歌》中便有“浴兰汤兮沐芳华”的记述。
栗子龙眼粥
原料：栗子10个，龙眼肉15g，粳米50g。白糖适量。
功效：本方具有滋补强身、养血安神、温肾暖脾的功效。适用于身体羸弱之人夏至至小暑期间，劳心过度，脾肾虚弱，心肾不交，所致大便稀溏、脘腹胀满、失眠健忘、心悸烦闷等不适的调养。
苦瓜黄豆排骨汤
原料：苦瓜1根、黄豆50g、猪排骨300g、生姜3片
做法：黄豆浸泡2小时，苦瓜去瓤切块焯水； 排骨焯水后与黄豆、姜片同煲1小时，加苦瓜再煮20分钟。
功效：清热解暑、滋阴生津，缓解暑热心烦、口渴尿黄。
古籍：《千金要方》载："苦菜（苦瓜）主五脏邪气，厌谷胃痹。"
现代研究：苦瓜皂苷具有类胰岛素作用，辅助控血糖（Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2021）；黄豆异黄酮调节雌激素，富含植物蛋白（Nutrients, 2019）。
姜丝炒嫩藕
原料：鲜藕300g、生姜15g、米醋1匙、枸杞10粒
做法：藕切片清水浸泡防氧化，生姜切细丝；热油爆香姜丝，急火快炒藕片，淋醋撒枸杞。
功效：健脾开胃、生津止渴，中和寒凉，预防"空调病"。
古籍：《随息居饮食谱》载："藕甘平，健脾开胃，养血生肌。"
现代研究：藕含黏液蛋白促进脂质代谢，维生素C含量是苹果6倍（Food Science & Nutrition, 2020）；生姜姜辣素抗炎抑菌，缓解胃肠痉挛（Molecules, 2020）。
Health Preservation in Solar Terms — Xiaoshu Dietary Guide in the 24 Solar Terms
Xiaoshu, the fifth solar term of summer, brings hot winds, insects seeking shade, and frequent thunderstorms. The Collection of the Seventy-Two Pentads states: "Shu (暑) means heat, divided into 'minor' (Xiaoshu) and 'major' (Dashu)." Rising temperatures and humidity create a "steaming and boiling" sauna-like environment. Dietary health during this period focuses on balancing heat and dampness. Excessive yang energy leads to sweating and qi depletion, so meals should emphasize light nourishment, fluid generation, and dampness drainage. Prioritize cooling, mildly sweet foods to clear summer heat, strengthen the spleen, and preserve yin fluids, laying a foundation for Sanfu (dog days) health practices.
During Xiaoshu, the combination of summer heat and dampness can cause fatigue, heaviness, and poor appetite. The spleen, responsible for nutrient absorption and water metabolism, is vulnerable to damp-heat pathogens. Strengthening the spleen remains critical.
Human Yin-Yang Status
· Yang Energy Floating Outward: Strong external yang but internal coldness, leading to weakened spleen-stomach function ("hidden yin in summer").
· Excessive Heart Fire: Summer heat affects the heart, causing insomnia, irritability, or mouth ulcers.
· Dampness Trapping the Spleen: Damp-heat obstructs qi flow, resulting in lethargy and indigestion.
Principles of Health Preservation
· Light Nourishment: Avoid greasy foods; opt for mildly sweet and dampness-draining ingredients (e.g., Chinese yam, lotus seeds).
· Protect Yang, Avoid Cold: Minimize excessive cold drinks to prevent spleen yang damage.
· Calm the Mind: Align with summer’s growth energy; take midday naps to nourish the heart.
Braised Eel with Bamboo Shoots Hotpot
· Ingredients:
o 250g bamboo shoots, 250g eel (cleaned), 75g salted pork
o Ginger strips, cilantro, broth, salt, cooking wine, pepper
· Method:
1. Blanch eel to remove membrane. Boil bamboo shoots in salted water.
2. Sauté ginger, garlic, and bamboo shoots. Add eel, cooking wine, and simmer.
3. Add soy sauce, rock sugar, and braise for 1 hour. Reduce sauce and serve.
·Benefits: Warms kidneys, dispels cold, strengthens tendons, and clears heat. Ideal for summer fatigue, joint pain, or mild colds.
Cultural Insight: Eel, known as "summer ginseng" in Chinese folklore, is rich in nutrients. Its sweet-warm nature aligns with TCM’s "nourish yang in spring and summer" principle, embodying "winter diseases treated in summer."
Three Beans and Barley Congee
· Ingredients:
o 10g each of mung beans, red beans, black beans, barley
· Method:
1. Rinse ingredients. Simmer in 600mL water for 20–30 minutes. Cool and serve.
· Benefits: Clears summer heat, drains dampness, and strengthens the spleen. Prevents "summer lethargy" (疰夏).
Nutritional Notes:
· Mung beans: Clear heat, detoxify.
· Red beans: Diuretic, reduce swelling.
· Black beans: Boost kidneys, enrich blood.
· Barley: Drain dampness, relieve stiffness.
Caution: Moderate purine content; avoid during gout flare-ups.
Summer-Cooling Rabbit with Sweet Sauce
· Ingredients:
o 200g rabbit meat, 6g佩兰 (pattra leaves), 1 egg, sweet bean sauce
o Seasonings: scallions, ginger, salt, sugar, starch, oil
· Method:
1. Marinate rabbit slices with pattra broth and egg. Fry until tender.
2. Sauté sauce ingredients, combine with meat, and glaze.
· Benefits: Clears heat, resolves dampness, and awakens the spleen. Addresses summer-induced fatigue, thirst, and poor appetite.
Science Spotlight:
· Rabbit meat: High protein (70%), low fat/cholesterol; rich in lecithin for brain health.
· Pattra leaves: Aromatic herbs dispel dampness and refresh the mind.
Chestnut and Longan Congee
· Ingredients:
o 10 chestnuts, 15g longan, 50g rice, sugar
· Benefits: Nourishes blood, calms the mind, warms spleen and kidneys. Ideal for weakness, insomnia, or digestive issues.
Bitter Melon, Soybean, and Pork Rib Soup
· Ingredients:
o 1 bitter melon, 50g soybeans, 300g pork ribs, ginger
· Method:
1. Soak soybeans. Blanch bitter melon and ribs. Simmer for 1 hour.
· Benefits: Clears heat, generates fluids. Relieves summer thirst and irritability.
· Ancient Text: Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold notes bitter melon’s detoxifying properties.
· Modern Research: Bitter melon saponins mimic insulin (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2021); soy isoflavones balance hormones (Nutrients, 2019).
Stir-Fried Lotus Root with Ginger
· Ingredients:
o 300g lotus root, 15g ginger, vinegar, goji berries
· Method:
1. Stir-fry lotus root with ginger; add vinegar and goji.
· Benefits: Strengthens spleen, boosts appetite, prevents "aircon sickness."
· Ancient Text: Suixi Ju Diet Manual praises lotus root for nourishing blood and muscles.
· Modern Research: Lotus root’s mucoprotein aids lipid metabolism; 6x more vitamin C than apples (Food Science & Nutrition, 2020).
