Men's Health: The therapeutic effects of stir-fried scallops with eggs and spinach with pork liver

Scallop and Egg Stir-fry

Ingredients and Functions: Dried scallops, also known as "Jiangyao ju," are the adductor meat of the Jiangyao scallop.

They are rich in protein and contain a small amount of iodine, similar in composition to seaweed and kelp.

They can regulate the stomach and relieve coughs, and also nourish yin.

Eggs are widely recognized as a nourishing food, considered ideal by patients, pregnant women, postpartum women, infants, and the elderly. Their nutritional value is very high. A fertilized egg, under suitable temperature and humidity conditions, can hatch into a chick without any external nutrients, demonstrating the high nutritional value of eggs.

Eggs contain abundant protein, fat, lecithin, lutein, vitamins A, B₂, Bg, and D, as well as minerals such as iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and silicon. The edible portion of an egg, accounting for 16%, is fat, present in an emulsified state in the yolk. Therefore, like milk, it is easily digested and absorbed by the body. More than half of its composition consists of lecithin, cholesterol, and lutein, which are highly beneficial for the nervous system and physical development, making them essential for the growth of infants and adolescents.

The protein in eggs is among the best of all foods, accounting for 12% of the protein content. It mainly consists of ovalbumin and ovoglobulin, which are essential for the growth of infants and young children. Nutritionists believe that eating eggs with soybeans, vegetables, and milk can greatly enhance their nutritional value, making them more nutritionally complete.

Reports indicate that some studies have shown that egg yolks are rich in lecithin, a fortifying emulsion that reduces the size of cholesterol and fat particles and keeps them in suspension. This facilitates the passage of lipids through blood vessel walls and their utilization by tissues, significantly reducing blood lipid levels. Some nutritionists believe that cholesterol combines with protein to form lipoprotein, which can be classified into ultra-low concentration lipoprotein, low concentration lipoprotein, and high concentration lipoprotein based on particle size. The first two types can deposit on blood vessel walls, while the latter helps to remove cholesterol from these walls. The components of eggs can counteract or neutralize each other, so generally anyone can eat eggs to utilize their nourishing properties. However, for those with cardiovascular disease or dyslipidemia with elevated cholesterol, it is advisable to consume no more than two eggs per meal.

Eggs have been considered a medicinal ingredient since ancient times, with the folk belief that "eggs can cure all diseases." Traditional Chinese medicine has always considered the entire egg to be medicinal. The egg white, yolk, shell, and the inner membrane all have different uses.

Egg white, also called egg white, has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing inflammation, and protecting mucous membranes. It is often used to treat drug poisoning, sore throat, hoarseness, and otitis media. Egg yolk can warm the stomach, calm the nerves, and detoxify. Oil extracted from egg yolk can treat cracked nipples, milk rash, and lower limb ulcers. According to literature, egg yolks are rich in lecithin, a major source of choline. After digestion, lecithin helps synthesize acetylcholine in the brain. Bile enters the bloodstream and quickly reaches the brain, enhancing memory. Therefore, to maintain good memory, simply eat eggs in moderation. Eggshells contain calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium phosphate, and organic matter, possessing antacid and analgesic effects. When taken internally as a powder, it can treat gastric ulcers, gastritis, stomach pain, and rickets in children, and can also assist in the treatment of tuberculosis. Externally, it can treat wounds. The thin white membrane inside the eggshell has lung-moistening, cough-relieving, and hemostatic effects. It contains protein and gastric hormones, suitable for chronic cough, shortness of breath, aphonia, and tongue bleeding.

Eggs are an ideal nutritional supplement, edible daily, and closely related to human health. A normal person can obtain sufficient nutrition by eating two eggs daily. However, raw eggs have extremely low digestibility, and eating them raw has two drawbacks: firstly, it can easily cause indigestion in people with weak stomachs or chronic gastrointestinal diseases; secondly, the fishy smell of raw eggs can easily cause vomiting. Therefore, it is best to cook them thoroughly, ideally to about 80% done. Eggs can be cooked in countless ways, with endless variations in preparation. Whether steamed, boiled, fried, pan-fried, stewed, or added to dough, each method produces a different flavor.

Ingredients: 3 eggs, 25g dried scallops, 75g lard, 10g Shaoxing wine, a little green peas and salt, 5g wood ear mushrooms, 100g chicken broth, appropriate amount of cornstarch, bamboo shoot slices.

Preparation Method: Place the dried scallops in a shallow soup bowl and add Shaoxing wine. Steam until cooked through. After steaming, shred them along the grain and set aside. Heat a wok, coat it with oil, then add 40g of lard and heat until it's about 50% cooked. Pour in the beaten eggs and immediately stir with a ladle. Once slightly set, stir again and remove from the wok to a bowl. In the same wok, add 50g of chicken broth, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, salt, rice wine, sugar, and MSG. Simmer until the bamboo shoots are cooked (change color). Add the eggs, 25g of lard, and stir. Remove from the wok and set aside. In the same wok, add chicken broth, salt, rice wine, MSG, and dried scallops. Bring to a boil, thicken with cornstarch slurry to make a thickening sauce, add green peas and 10g of lard, stir, and pour over the eggs.

Dosage: Take once daily, can be taken continuously.

Efficacy: Nourishes Yin deficiency, promotes body fluid production and relieves cough, lowers blood pressure, replenishes blood, and improves brain function. Suitable for young men and women, especially those with insufficient body fluids, dark red lips, thick tongue coating, as well as those with arteriosclerosis, hypertension, lymph node tuberculosis, and chronic pharyngitis.

A Nourishing Tonic, the King of Stews

Ingredients and Their Uses: Pork liver is rich in Vitamin A, as well as Vitamins B and D, and minerals such as iron. It can be used as a tonic for people with anemia. It is especially beneficial for postpartum women suffering from anemia, as they can regularly eat pork liver to replenish blood. Pork liver can improve eyesight because it is extremely high in Vitamin A, which can prevent night blindness. For those with dry eyes and blurred vision at night, regularly eating pork liver has a significant effect on improving eyesight.

Spinach, also known as Persian vegetable, spinach, and red-rooted vegetable, is very nutritious. It contains a relatively high amount of protein, various vitamins, and minerals. 500 grams of spinach contains 12.5 grams of protein, equivalent to the amount in two eggs; 17.22 mg of carotene, slightly higher than carrots, which can be converted into Vitamin A in the body; and twice the Vitamin C content of cabbage, at 174 mg per 500 grams. According to reports, foreign scholars believe that spinach is particularly suitable for the diets of children and patients, and no other vegetable can replace it. This is because spinach contains protein, carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, sucrose), and vitamins A, B₁, B₂, C, D, K, and I. The enzymes in spinach play a beneficial role in the secretory functions of the stomach and pancreas. People with high blood pressure, anemia, gastrointestinal disorders, and respiratory and lung diseases will greatly benefit from eating spinach. Foreign sources suggest that these patients can take a spinach water extract (method: wash 200 grams of spinach, put it in a bowl, add 200 ml of water, boil for 10 minutes. After cooling for one hour, filter the water and take it twice a day, morning and evening). Spinach also contains a relatively high amount of iron and calcium, but the human body only absorbs about 50% of it.

Nutritionists have confirmed that spinach contains oxalic acid, which not only has an astringent taste but can also combine with calcium to form calcium oxalate precipitate, easily leading to urinary tract stones. Therefore, when eating spinach, it's best to blanch or boil it briefly in water first, allowing 80% of the oxalic acid to remain in the water. Then, stir-fry or make soup, preserving its nutritional components.

Spinach has been used medicinally in my country since ancient times. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that spinach nourishes yin and moistens dryness, replenishes blood and stops bleeding, clears heat and regulates qi, and promotes bowel movement. It is suitable for anemia, hematochezia, insufficient body fluids, thirst, and constipation.

Modern medicine believes that spinach is rich in nutrients and beneficial for malnourished and anemic patients. It can promote pancreatic secretion, aid digestion, and can be used for habitual constipation and chronic constipation. Because it contains vitamin A and carotene, it can be used as a dietary therapy for night blindness.

Because spinach is cooling in nature and has a laxative effect, it should be avoided by those with weak spleen and stomach, or diarrhea.

Spinach's components should be considered top-tier among vegetables. Besides being a nutritious food, it can also be used as a blood-replenishing and blood-circulating medicine.

Ingredients: 100g pork liver, 150g spinach, 50g vegetable oil, a little vinegar and MSG, chopped green onions, cornstarch, Sichuan peppercorn water, and soy sauce as needed.

Preparation Method: Wash the pork liver and cut it into thin slices. Wash the spinach and cut it into 5cm long sections. Heat the oil in a wok, add the pork liver and green onions and stir-fry briefly. Add soy sauce, vinegar, MSG, and Sichuan peppercorn water. Then add the raw spinach and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Thicken with a little cornstarch slurry, and drizzle with sesame oil before serving.

Serving Suggestion: Can be eaten as a side dish with meals and can be consumed continuously.

Efficacy: Nourishes the liver and improves eyesight, replenishes qi and blood, and strengthens the body. Suitable for blurred vision and night blindness caused by liver yin and blood deficiency, and sallow complexion and edema caused by insufficient qi and blood. It is often used as a side dish for early-stage anemia, and the symptoms will disappear without notice. Stir-fried pork liver and spinach has great benefits.