Chiyang Daoren, Eastern Taoism
1. Lotus Seeds
Lotus seeds are highly nourishing. The ancients said they “partake of a pure fragrance and gain the flavor of the harvest; they are the fruit of the spleen.” Eaten in autumn, they nourish the heart and calm the spirit, strengthen the spleen and tonify the kidneys, and stop diarrhea and secure the essence. Besides helping to ease insomnia and similar problems, lotus seeds can also, for people prone to lung ailments such as coughs and asthma, boost immunity by tonifying the kidneys and so moisten the lungs.
The lotus seeds on the market come in red and white varieties. Red lotus seeds are harder in texture but better at tonifying the kidneys and the blood. White lotus seeds are fragrant and soft, and stronger at strengthening the spleen. Besides lotus seed congee, traditional ways of eating them include red date, white fungus, and lotus seed soup and white fungus and lotus seed sweet soup. Tea made from the lotus plumule (the green germ of the seed) is even better at clearing heart fire, while lotus seeds steeped in liquor have a more marked effect in securing the kidneys.
2. Fox Nuts
Fox nuts (Euryale seeds) are the dried ripe kernels of Euryale ferox, a plant of the water lily family, also called “chicken-head rice” or “chicken head,” and are fairly common in southern China. Chinese medicine holds that fox nuts are sweet, astringent, and neutral in nature and enter the spleen and kidney channels; they strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness, secure the kidneys and stop diarrhea, and have the advantage of being “tonifying without being harsh” and “guarding against dryness without being cloying.” Their kidney-tonifying effect is stronger than that of Chinese yam, their dampness-dispelling effect better than that of adzuki beans, and their calming effect stronger than that of lotus seeds—one could call them an overlooked tonic of the first rank.
Fresh fox nuts, or dried ones soaked in water, can be chewed directly, cooked into congee or soup, or eaten together with lotus seeds, Chinese yam, white hyacinth beans, and similar foods.
Fox nuts steamed with bird's nest are very good for the complexion and give a better color.
In addition, fresh fox nuts can be peeled and frozen in the refrigerator to keep for a long time, and their kidney-tonifying effect is even better.
3. Chestnuts
Chestnuts are rich in nutrients, including carbohydrates, protein, fat, and a range of vitamins and minerals. Chinese medicine holds that chestnuts are sweet and warm in nature and nourish the stomach, strengthen the spleen, tonify the kidneys, and strengthen the sinews.
Chestnuts can be eaten raw, roasted, or boiled. Of all the ways to eat them, eating them raw—chewing slowly and swallowing gradually—gives the best kidney-tonifying effect.
4. Peanuts
The peanut is a high-protein oil crop that has long enjoyed the name “fruit of longevity.” The Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) records that “peanuts gladden the spleen and harmonize the stomach, moisten the lungs and transform phlegm, nourish and replenish qi, and clear the throat and stop itching.” They suit people who are thin from spleen deficiency, who eat little and lack strength, or who have a dry cough with little phlegm.
Note that the red skin of the peanut (the peanut's inner coat) is even stronger at replenishing qi and stopping bleeding, so people who need to build up their blood can choose small peanuts with more red skin, while large peanuts can be chosen for congee or peanut milk. In addition, peanut kernels soaked in vinegar, and water boiled with raw peanut shells, have a certain blood-pressure-lowering effect.