Several days ago
Beijing received
its first snowfall this winter. Though it didn't snow heavily,
temperatures have fallen sharply since then. Beijingers and other
northern Chinese have entered their coldest season of the year. The
weather gets colder with each snowfall. So it's a good idea to have
some foods that warm you up before it gets too cold. Here they are:
Foods to warm you up
1 Eat food that contains niacin. Niacin helps stabilize the
nervous system and boost the circulatory system. It plays a
significant role in expanding the capillaries, thus getting more
blood to warm up the hands and feet. Foods like milk, eggs and
cheese all contain a good quantity of niacin. Others abundant in
niacin include animal liver, sesame, coffee and peanuts, as well as
all-wheat products.
2 Vegetables and fruits. abundant in Vitamin C help people stay
healthy. And in the winter, vegetables and fruits can help keep the
winter chills away. Leeks, carrots and spinach are also good
vegetables to eat, while fruits like peaches, apricots and papaya
can keep you warm.
3 Spicy seasoning keeps cold temperatures away by boosting blood
circulation. So when eating fried noodles or fried rice, add some
spicy sauce; when eating soup, add pepper powder; when eating
dumplings, have a bowl of spicy sour soup together.
4 Have some tonic treats during this dry and cold season.
Ginseng tea, longan tea, ginger duck and sweet dumplings all help
to keep the body warm.
Three don'ts
For those who are particular sensitive to the cold, pay
attention to the following three don'ts:
1 Don't have cold drinks or icy dessert.
2 Don't eat raw foods.
3 Don't stay hungry. Keep some snacks with you in case that you
may be too busy to have full-portion meals.
Some secret recipes to warm you up
1 Eat more of bei-tofu and xue-tofu
Bei-tofu, or dried tofu commonly found in north China, is rich
in vitamin B2 which enhances people's resistance to coldness, and
helps make up for depleted energy. Xue-tofu, or smoked tofu made of
pig’s blood and tofu, provides good relief for people who are
afraid of coldness, are easily fatigued and have a bad countenance.
This kind of tofu can also enrich the blood with iron. The easiest
way to prepare bei-tofu and xue-tofu is to fry them together.
2 Stewed mushrooms and sweet potatoes
The best mushrooms to have during this time of year are the ones
from northeast China. These mushrooms typically have sturdy roots
and are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin B and some microelements.
Meanwhile, sweet potatoes contain top quality protein and starch,
which can be quickly transformed into energy.
**A way to prepare them:
1 Clean the mushrooms and soak them in water. Wash and peel
sweet potatoes and then cut them into cubes.
2 Put sweet potatoes into boiling water until cooked.
3 Fry mushrooms and add water to further soften the mushrooms as
well as soy sauce and sugar.
4 Stew them until the water boils. Turn down the heat and cook
for another 10 more minutes.
5 Add sweet potatoes in the soup and add salt and starch for
seasoning.
3 For those who have cold hands and feet all the time, this
method works well. Bathe cold feet and hands in cold water for a
while and then dry them. Wear socks and gloves, and the hands and
the feet will warm up soon.
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(China Daily December 26, 2007)
