🌿 Folk Prescriptions

When we think of “drinking,” most people associate it only with tea or alcohol. Actually, the scope of “drinking” is broad—water, soups, porridge, beverages, etc. Therefore, we should study the science of drinking to ensure it is scientific, reasonable, nutritious, and healthy. Learn how to drink water, coffee, soup, cold drinks, mineral water, fruit juice, vegetable juice, health drinks, porridge, etc.
Drinking Water
Li Shizhen believed: “Diet is the lifeline of humans,” “Without water, the vital essence will be depleted.” This indicates that without water, the human body will wither.
Though water is essential, improper timing or method of drinking can cause illness and harm health. Thus, drinking water requires wisdom. First, never drink raw water—it contains various bacteria, harmful microorganisms, and minerals that can make you sick. Boiling kills bacteria and causes harmful substances to precipitate or lose toxicity. Second, don’t wait until thirsty to drink. By the time you feel thirsty, it’s already too late—the body’s water balance is disrupted, and some cells are dehydrated. Avoid drinking large amounts of water before, after, or during meals, as this dilutes saliva and gastric juices, weakening their functions and potentially causing indigestion, harming health. Drinking a glass of water upon waking is beneficial, especially for those with hypertension, cerebral hemorrhage, or constipation—morning water is particularly necessary. Also, avoid binge drinking—“excessive thirst leads to phlegm.”
Drinking Coffee
Coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages, rich in nutrients. Its greatest effect is to refresh and invigorate. Drinking a cup of coffee when tired boosts alertness; a post-meal coffee aids digestion; a cold coffee in summer quenches thirst and cools down. However, excessive coffee consumption is harmful. Experiments show that caffeine in three cups of coffee equals injecting a stimulant. Two hours after drinking, heart rate increases and blood pressure rises. Thus, those with hypertension or heart disease should avoid or minimize coffee intake. Those with stomach discomfort should refrain, especially strong black coffee, which triggers excessive gastric acid secretion—extra caution needed. People relying on coffee to stay alert and work hard age prematurely.
Drinking Soup
Drinking soup benefits health and can even prevent and treat illnesses. For example, after getting caught in the rain, drinking a bowl of ginger soup instantly brings relief and prevents catching a cold.
How to Drink Soup? There’s no universal standard. In terms of timing, Cantonese people prefer drinking soup before meals, while northerners favor after meals. Some like having soup with every meal, others prefer lunch or dinner. All depend on individual circumstances. As for soup contents, there’s no fixed rule. Simply put, if the dishes are rich, the soup can be simple; if the dishes are plain, the soup can be richer.
Drinking Cold Beverages
In hot weather, pores open and sweating increases, leading to frequent thirst. Moderate consumption of cold drinks helps dissipate body heat, replenishes lost water, salt, and vitamins, providing refreshing and cooling effects. However, physiologically, heat causes blood and qi to move outward, resulting in yang energy externally and yin internally. At this time, gastric juice secretion decreases and digestive function declines. Cold drinks must be chosen according to age, gender, occupation, and individual needs—personalized consumption. For instance, lily and mung bean soup suits those with internal heat due to yin deficiency; five-bean soup made from mung beans, red beans, black beans, yellow beans, and white beans is suitable for all ages; summer diarrhea or “summer fatigue” sufferers should drink plum soup, which generates body fluids, stimulates appetite, and stops diarrhea. Summer beverages are diverse, but cold drinks must not be overindulged. Moreover, avoid excessive cold drinks after heavy sweating, as they fail to promptly replenish lost salts and water, instead diluting gastric juices and reducing their sterilizing power, making it easier for pathogenic microorganisms to pass through the gastrointestinal tract and cause gastrointestinal diseases.
Drinking Mineral Water
In recent years, alcohol sales have declined steadily in Europe and America, while mineral water has become increasingly popular—standing out uniquely. This is due to global water pollution, making people increasingly distrustful of drinking water. China has over 100 suitable mineral water sources, developing rapidly in recent decades. Worldwide, cardiovascular disease mortality has surpassed cancer to become the leading cause of death. Evidence shows that softer water correlates with higher cardiovascular mortality. However, mineral water contains abundant essential macro- and trace elements and has no calories—making it an ideal source of minerals.
Drinking Fruit Juice
Nutritionists believe that regular consumption of fresh fruit juice not only replenishes various vitamins but can also treat certain common illnesses. However, this refers to freshly squeezed juice—not canned fruit drinks from stores.
Canned fruit juice undergoes high-temperature processing, destroying most vitamins and containing preservatives useless or harmful to the body. Thus, it is far less nutritious than fresh juice.
Drinking Vegetable Juice
Nutrition experts advocate eating plenty of vegetables with diverse varieties, avoiding monotony, since each vegetable offers unique benefits. However, vitamins in vegetables are partially lost when heated. The scientific approach is to eat them raw. After juicing fresh vegetables, mix with fresh fruit juice or other vegetable juices to reduce the distinct odor and suit different tastes. Add lemon juice or tomato juice to adjust acidity; honey or cantaloupe juice for sweetness. Drinking fresh vegetable juice avoids vitamin destruction from traditional cooking methods—what you drink is essentially concentrated nutrition. For home-made vegetable juice, use fresh vegetables, prepare and consume immediately. Wash thoroughly and peel before juicing. Use appropriate methods based on vegetable characteristics: for dense-textured vegetables like tomatoes, use sugar soaking—sugar’s strong osmotic force draws juice out of cells naturally. For fibrous vegetables like celery, radish, and carrot, chop finely first, then wrap in cloth and squeeze.
Drinking Beverages
The market offers numerous health drinks, impossible to list exhaustively. Here are just two traditional herbal drink recipes.
1. Two-Juice Drink: Equal parts fresh lotus root and pear, wash, juice separately, mix and drink. One serving per time, 2–3 times daily. Clears heat, cools blood, generates body fluids, quenches thirst. Suitable for dry mouth, internal heat.
2. Two-Red Decoction: 200 grams red radish, 12 jujubes, add 3 bowls of water, boil down to 1 bowl. Prepare one dose daily, drink freely. Regulates lung and spleen qi, stops cough, promotes health.
3. Three-Bean Drink: 100 grams each of red beans, mung beans, and black beans, boil in a clay pot until soft, add sugar, drink frequently. Clears heat, promotes urination. Healthy individuals can drink to strengthen the body and aid weight loss.
Drinking Porridge
Porridge is generally made from mixed grains and water, slowly boiled. Grains contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates, various vitamins, and mineral salts. After slow, long cooking, the texture becomes soft and mushy, mild and palatable, easily digested and absorbed—a convenient and ideal food. As Li Shizhen, the great physician, said: “Each morning, eat a large bowl of porridge… this is the ultimate wisdom in diet.” No wonder someone compares: “In the garden of traditional Chinese food therapy, porridge is a common yet unique flower.” Furthermore, porridge can treat diseases and has long been used for health preservation and longevity. Famous Qing dynasty physician Wang Shixiong wrote in *Sui Xi Ju Yin Shi Pu*: “Porridge is the number one nourishing food in the world… especially suitable for the sick and postpartum women.” Using porridge for health maintenance and disease treatment is China’s traditional “porridge therapy.” Many foods serve dual purposes as food and medicine—such as longan, yam, mulberry, hawthorn—hard to distinguish between edible and medicinal. Choosing herbs with tonic and strengthening properties to cook with rice forms porridge, which can nourish the body, enhance constitution, and contribute to longevity.