Nourishing Soups: A TCM Approach to Post-Surgery Healing
Key Takeaways:
- Nutrition is Crucial: Post-surgery healing significantly benefits from a balanced diet, particularly nourishing soups.
- TCM Insights: Understanding TCM principles, such as Yin and Yang, can guide dietary choices that enhance recovery.
- Healing Ingredients: Specific herbs and nutritious ingredients in soups can support energy restoration and overall health.
- Practical Recipes: Easy-to-follow recipes combine traditional wisdom with modern cooking methods for effective healing.
- Customization is Key: Tailoring soup recipes to individual health needs can maximize recovery benefits.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Post-surgery healing presents numerous challenges. Patients often face physical limitations, stress, and a need for enhanced nutrition.
Effective nutrition plays a pivotal role in post-surgery recovery, aiding the body in rebuilding tissues, managing inflammation, and avoiding infections.
Within this context, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a holistic approach that emphasizes the healing potential of food, particularly through nourishing soups.
Understanding TCM Principles
1. Key Concepts in TCM
TCM is founded on the holistic balance of Yin and Yang, representing complementary forces. In the context of healing, maintaining this balance is crucial for recovery.
This balance is not only a fundamental principle of TCM but also a critical aspect of achieving optimal health and well-being. In the context of healing, maintaining the equilibrium of Yin (passive energy) and Yang (active energy) is essential, as imbalances can lead to health issues and hinder recovery.
TCM also emphasizes the role of Qi, the vital energy, and blood, both of which are seen as essential for healing and regeneration.
Practitioners of TCM employ a variety of techniques, including herbal medicine, acupuncture, and dietary therapies, to restore and maintain the balance of Yin and Yang, as well as regulate the flow of Qi and blood.
By focusing on these elements, TCM offers a holistic approach to health care that supports the body’s natural healing processes and promotes long-term wellness.
2. TCM Dietary Recommendations
Foods in TCM are chosen for their energetic qualities and ability to enhance healing. Specific foods are recommended to support the restoration of energy and promote balance within the body.
Among these, soups play a prominent role due to their hydrating and easily digestible nature. Some prominent examples of TCM-based dietary soups recommended by all include:
- Polygonum & White Peony with Pork Rib Soup 首乌，白芍排骨汤 (解毒，降低高血压) – This is a highly recommended TCM soup known for its detoxifying and blood pressure-lowering effects. Additionally, pork ribs provide essential protein for muscle and tissue recovery.
- Dioscorea & Poria Cocos with Black Chicken Soup 山药，茯苓补心乌鸡汤 (滋阴养心，补心安神) – It is believe to have a restorative function such as, maintaining the balance and health in body, reducing stress, source of proteins, vitamin and minerals and lastly boosting overall immunity.
The Role of Soups in Recovery after Post-Surgery
1. Benefits of Soups for Post-Surgery Healing
Soups offer several benefits for post-surgery healing. They provide essential hydration, which is vital for recovery. The nutrients in soups are also absorbed more efficiently, leading to quicker nutrient assimilation and digestion.
This is particularly important post-surgery when the patient’s digestive capacity may be compromised due to anaesthesia, medications, physical stress, inflammation, etc.
Additionally, soups can be enriched with various herbs and spices that possess anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, further aiding the healing process.
The warmth of soup not only promotes blood circulation but also provides soothing comfort during recovery.
- Essential Hydration: Soups provide vital hydration necessary for recovery.
- Efficient Nutrient Absorption: Nutrients are absorbed more efficiently, enhancing nutrient assimilation and digestion.
- Digestive Support: Easily digestible, especially important when digestive capacity is compromised post-surgery.
- Healing Ingredients: Enriched with herbs and spices possessing anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties aiding healing.
- Enhanced Blood Circulation: The warmth of soup promotes blood circulation.
- Soothing Comfort: Offers soothing comfort during the recovery process.
2. TCM Ingredients for Nourishing Soups After Surgery
Common ingredients in TCM soups include specific herbs and spices known for their healing properties. Additionally, broths, vegetables, and proteins commonly serve as a base, contributing to the nutritional richness and healing potential of the soup.
If you’re keen to prepare your own TCM-based meal at home, imagine the satisfaction of crafting a healing potion right in your kitchen, tailored to your wellness needs.
With each simmering pot, you’ll be harnessing the ancient wisdom of TCM that empowers you with vibrant health and vitality. These not only infuse your meals with rich flavours but also promote balance and rejuvenation.
Here’s Your Guide to Simple and Nourishing Soup Recipes
Recipe 1: Chinese Chicken Healing Herbal Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 small free-range chicken or Cornish hen, whole or cut into 4-8 pieces
- 8 (~ 15 gram) dried red dates/jujube fruit (Chinese: hong zao)
- 2 tablespoon (~10 gram) goji berries (Chinese: gou qi)
- 3 slices (~ 5 gram) angelica root (Chinese: dang gui)
- 1 slice (~ 5 gram) astragalus root (Chinese: huang qi)
- 10 pieces (~ 15 gram) codonopsis root (Chinese: dang shen)
- 8 slices (~ 10 gram) Sichuan lovage rhizome (Chinese: chuan xiong)
- 1/2 tablespoon (~ 5 gram) American (yellow) ginseng
- 1/4 tablespoon (~ 3 gram) Korean (red/panax) ginseng
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 liter water
Preparation:
- Rinse and drain all the dried herbs to remove dust and dirt.
- Place all ingredients in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is tender and fully cooked. Remove from heat and serve warm.
Recipe inspired from: dailycookingquest.com
Recipe 2: Chinese Six Herbs Pork Rib Soup
Ingredients
- Chinese dried ingredients
- 4 pieces (20 gram) Chinese yam (Chinese: 怀(淮)山 – huai shan)
- 4 tablespoon (35 gram) lotus seeds (Chinese: 莲子 – lian zi)
- 4 tablespoon (25 gram) lily bulbs (Chinese: 百合 – bai he)
- 4 tablespoon (40 gram) fox nuts (Chinese: 芡实 – qian shi)
- 4 tablespoon (15 gram) Solomon seal rhizome (Chinese: 玉竹 – yu zhu)
- 4 tablespoon (30 gram) dried longan (Chinese: 桂圓/龙眼 – gui yuan/long yan)
- Option 1: Six herbs pork ribs soup (savory version)
- 450 gram (1 lb.) pork ribs, cut into bite sizes
- 1 1/2 liter (6 cup) water
- 2 teaspoon salt
- Option 2: Six herbs sweet soup (sweet/dessert version)
- 1 1/2 liter (6 cup) water
- 75-100 gram rock sugar, or to taste
Preparation
- Rinse and soak dried herbs in separate bowls for 1 hour or overnight.
- Blanch pork ribs in boiling water for 5 minutes, then rinse with cold water (optional for a clear broth).
- Combine all ingredients in a pot, boil, then simmer covered for 2 hours.
- Serve hot.
Recipe inspired from: dailycookingquest.com
Practical Tips for Creating Healing Soups
Cooking Techniques that Preserve Nutrients
- Retain Nutrients: Use slow simmering and gentle heat to preserve ingredient nutrition and enhance health benefits.
- Prevent Degradation: Avoid high temperatures that can break down valuable vitamins and minerals in foods.
- Enhance Flavor: Allow flavors to develop through slower cooking, resulting in a richer taste.
- Support Health: Ensure nutrients are transferred to the broth, promoting overall wellness.
When preparing soups, it is vital to employ techniques that preserve the nutritional integrity of the ingredients to maximize their health benefits. Slow simmering and the use of gentle heat are advised methods. These techniques are more effective than high-heat cooking at maintaining the delicate flavors and essential nutrients found in vegetables, meats, and herbs.
High temperatures can lead to the degradation of valuable vitamins and minerals, which reduces the nutritional value of the soup. By choosing slower cooking methods, you allow flavors to fully mature, resulting in a richer and more satisfying taste.
Moreover, this approach ensures that the nutritional components of each ingredient are effectively transferred into the broth, thereby supporting overall health and wellness.
Customising Soups to Individual Needs
Each individual’s recovery journey is unique. Soup recipes can be adjusted based on specific health conditions or dietary preferences, making them versatile for various needs. You can refer more about it here:
- Individualized Recovery: Recognize that recovery is a personalized process, influenced by unique health conditions and dietary needs.
- Recipe Versatility: Adjust soup recipes to meet specific health conditions or dietary preferences, ensuring they cater to individual requirements.
- Tailored Nutrition: Select ingredients that provide necessary nutrients to enhance therapeutic benefits and aid in healing.
- Accommodate Preferences: Customize soups to suit individual tastes and dietary restrictions, optimizing both health benefits and enjoyment.
Conclusion
Soup, within the TCM framework, offers numerous benefits for post-surgery recovery, marrying tradition with modern dietary practices. These easily digestible foods are nutrient-rich, promote hydration, and support the body’s natural healing processes.
Encouraging exploration and experimentation with recipes can ensure the incorporation of healing soups tailored to individual needs, enhancing recovery outcomes effectively.
For TCM-meal consultation, contact 83212688 and we will provide you with personalized dietary advice tailored to your specific health needs.
We hope this article is useful for you in understanding the benefits of tailored nutritional plans and how they can assist in achieving optimal health through Modern Traditional Chinese Medicine practices.
Additional Resources
For those interested in exploring further, numerous resources focus on TCM and nutrition, offering insights into the balance of diet and health post-surgery. These resources can provide greater depth into the world of TCM and its applications in modern recovery practices.