Zoey Xinyi Gong is a professional Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner who specializes in plant based cuisine and holistic treatments. In this short journal, she eases the load and explores traditional wisdom to help us navigate this uncharted territory.
Zoey says: “With the COVID-19 pandemic going on around the world, taking care of our body and boosting our immune system becomes an urgent priority. Alongside some immunity boosting practices, I would like to introduce some Traditional Chinese Medicine diet recommendations for spring.
(To learn more about TCM, follow Zoey on Instagram or visit Zoey Xinyi Gong website. I would also like to extend a special thank you to Cassy Z, Zoey’s long time friend and photographer for allowing us to share the beauty she captures).
1. Zoey's recommended food and herbs for spring
- Rose hip
- Jasmine flower
- Plumeria flower 鸡蛋花
- Oat
- Azuki
- Chives
- Soybean sprouts
- Celtuce 莴苣
- Honey
- Lightly cooked spinach
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Ji Cai 荠菜
- Scallion
- Pea sprouts
- Plum
- Mulberry
- Cherry
- Spring bamboo 春笋 (not easy to get here, but such a farm-to-table delicacy in China)
- Papaya
- Chinese yam
- Xiang Chun 香椿
- Edamame
- Scallion
- Pea sprouts
- Plum
- Mulberry
- Cherry
- Spring bamboo 春笋 (not easy to get here, but such a farm-to-table delicacy in China)
- Chinese Mugwort 艾草
- and your seasonal, local produce (not many interesting ones for NYC unfortunately, maybe parsnip?)
2. Take care of the liver
The liver is still the key organ for this season. Please drink alcohol in moderation. Chrysanthemum, goji and honeysuckle tea is a very ideal beverage. Plus, two of these herbs are beneficial for flu prevention and lung care.
3. Balance is key
In summer, we can have some cooling or cold foods. In winter, we’ve been having warming or hot foods like ginger, cinnamon, and lamb. In spring, it is important to have more neutral foods or use the right combination to neutralize energetics. For example, fish and most seafood are cold/cooling, so it would be ideal to add ginger and scallion when cooking to balance it out. Making a fish stock is a great choice – be sure to use whole fish.
4. Go to bed early, wake up early
Get up early (5-7 am) and sleep early (before 11 pm). It is also a great time to go out and enjoy nature. However, due to COVID-19, this might be difficult. While some of us have to stay at home, we can light some Chinese mugwort incense to cleanse the space and bring in one or two indoor plants to help us feel connected to nature.
5. Go easy on the spices and oils
Please limit spicy, oily, and heavy foods! Once in a while is alright, but not every day, especially if you choose to dine out for these flavors. I even recommend some light fasting for this period of time.
5. Boost your immune system
For immunity, consuming a variety of fresh produce in different colors is very important. Also, I would recommend a probiotic supplement, as healthy gut is associated with stronger immunity.
If you have access to practitioners who do moxa (a heat therapy by burning dried mugwort wool near certain acupressure points to build stronger immunity or treat other conditions), it is a great time to do that. In Chinese is called 艾灸 .
Alternatively you can also purchase good quality dried mugwort leaves, and do a foot soak in the evenings. For that, take 60 grams of the dried leaves, add 1 – 1.5 litres of water and boil for 20 minutes to get a tea. Let it cool and use that ‘tea’ as your foot soak.
Zoey's recommended recipes:
Sweet fruit soup
This soup relieves coughing by clearing the lungs, encouraging digestion and removing phlegm.
2-3 servings
Ingredients:
2 gala or Fuji apples
2 Asian pears
4 – 5 slices of ginger
3 -4 cups of almond milk
Instructions:
Slice the fruits into 8 pieces each and bring everything to a boil. Turn down heat to low and stew for 45-60 minutes.
Herbal tea
Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbal Tea for flu protection
Sip through-out the day.
Ingredients:
Mai Dong – 3 grams
Mulberry Leaf – 3 grams
Chrysanthemum – 3 grams
Aged Tangerine Peel – 2 grams
Astragalus – 10 grams
Instructions:
Bring to boil with 2 cups of water and steep on low heat for 15 minutes.
Thank you so much Zoey for putting together this invaluable piece of advice, which I am certain a few of us will be appreciating for many springs to come.
