🌿 Folk Prescriptions

As the dates for mid-term and final exams approach, some parents attempt to boost their children’s nutrition by altering their normal diet habits. They not only give supplements but also arrange meals with fish and meat every day to increase nutrition. Although well-intentioned, some children end up losing appetite and experiencing gastrointestinal discomfort. So how can we ensure students eat nutritiously and stay healthy?
Dr. Liu Yinghua from the Nutrition Department of PLA General Hospital suggests that carbohydrates are an economical and practical source of energy for mental workers. Students should consume moderate amounts of staple foods (rice, noodles) at each meal. Breakfast could include biscuits, pastries, porridge, or noodles; lunch and dinner should feature rice, noodles, or other grain-based dishes. Protein and fat intake must also be sufficient. Insufficient protein intake reduces brain protein levels, leading to memory decline. Thus, students need ample protein and essential amino acids. Include milk, eggs, soy milk, tofu pudding, or buns at breakfast; at lunch and dinner, include steamed fish, braised beef, mushrooms stewed chicken, crispy tofu, etc. Breakfast should ideally include one egg—boiled or steamed egg custard.
During exam preparation, parents should avoid blindly giving children supplements or feeding them large amounts of meat and fish. Sudden changes in diet may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, even diarrhea or constipation. Dr. Liu recommends the “Eight Daily Items” dietary plan: 1–2 glasses of milk, one egg, 100g of lean meat, one serving of fish, 100g of soy products, one pound of vegetables, one liter of light tea, and one pound of staple food.
Additionally, overeating and strict vegetarianism are detrimental to intellectual development. Dr. Liu points out that eating to fullness three times a day causes blood to accumulate excessively in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, hindering brain cell development and resulting in mental dullness, memory loss, and sluggish thinking. On the other hand, prolonged vegetarianism leads to insufficient fat intake. Fat is crucial for brain function, equally important as protein. Therefore, a balanced diet with both animal and plant foods, combining coarse and fine grains, meets students’ nutritional needs. Snacks can include seasonal fruits, but avoid excessive junk food, especially fried snacks like chips and fries.
Professor Feng Lida from the Naval General Hospital believes that if parents have time, they should frequently prepare porridge for their children. Drinking porridge ensures nutrition while offering varied benefits depending on the type. For instance, jujube porridge nourishes blood and strengthens the spleen; sour jujube porridge calms the mind and soothes the spirit; walnut porridge enhances brain function; mung bean porridge clears heat and detoxifies, quenches thirst, and relieves summer heat; lotus seed porridge clears heat, reduces fire, and enhances intelligence; white kidney bean porridge eliminates summer heat, removes dampness, and detoxifies; lotus root porridge clears heat and brings joy. Additionally, regular rice porridge and millet porridge protect the gastric mucosa, tonify qi, and nourish blood.
Professor Feng emphasizes that porridge differs from thin gruel. When making porridge, start with high heat to bring it to a rapid boil, then switch to low heat to simmer slowly until soft and mushy, with a mild, pleasant taste. Consume porridge warm, not cold.