Men Eat Ginger, Women Eat Sugar
According to TCM theory, ginger is a yang-promoting substance. It contains volatile compounds like gingerol and shogaol, which have functions including promoting blood circulation, dispelling cold, removing dampness, inducing sweating, stimulating bile secretion, improving digestion, stopping vomiting, eliminating foul odors, and reducing edema. When combined with honey, it benefits liver health recovery. Proverbs such as “Keep a small piece of ginger at home—minor illnesses won’t scare you,” “Eat ginger regularly in summer—long life and good health,” “Eat radish in winter, ginger in summer—no need to see a doctor,” “Eat ginger all year round—every illness disappears,” and “Eat three slices of ginger in the morning—better than ginseng soup” all reflect the health benefits of ginger.
Women should not go without sugar (referring to brown sugar) for more than 100 days. TCM nutrition holds that warm brown sugar works through “warming to supplement, warming to circulate, warming to disperse” to achieve blood-nourishing effects. Nutritional research shows that brown sugar contains abundant trace elements, some of which strongly stimulate hematopoiesis (blood cell production).