Bitter melon, water chestnuts, potatoes, and strawberries: Green and healthy options for obese individuals to enjoy on their tables.

(3) Bitter melon - a good friend and companion for dieters

Bitter melon originated in India and has been cultivated in southern my country for hundreds of years. There are many varieties of bitter melon; when young, the peel is either pure white like jade, slightly bluish-white, or emerald green. However, because its surface is covered with many bumps, giving it an uneven appearance, it is popularly known as "toad melon" (癞瓜). When ripe, the skin turns yellow or red, especially the inner flesh, which is a vibrant, eye-catching red like cinnabar, making it very appealing. In some regions, it is called "brocade lychee" (锦荔枝). Because bitter melon is a great summer salad, it is also sometimes called "cooling melon" (凉瓜).

Bitter melon is cool in nature and bitter in taste. It can clear heat and detoxify, promote weight loss and remove fat, resolve phlegm and heat, cleanse the intestines, and eliminate toxins through bowel movements, making it a truly good companion for obese people. It can also treat heat-related hemorrhoids, prickly heat, and boils in those trying to lose weight. Bitter melon seeds are bitter and sweet, and can invigorate qi and strengthen yang; bitter melon flowers can treat stomach aches; bitter melon leaves can treat all kinds of erysipelas and heat toxins. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that bitterness can clear heat, lower body temperature, detoxify, and promote digestion, so it's true that bitter melon is a great dish for those trying to lose weight and remove fat. People dislike its bitterness because they don't know the sweetness within the bitterness. Once you get used to it, you won't feel the bitterness at all. On a hot day, a few bites of chilled bitter melon salad with sesame oil are truly a bittersweet experience.

Bitter melon is eaten as a vegetable when it's young, and as a fruit when it's ripe. Young bitter melon is highly nutritious, containing a significant amount of protein, dietary fiber, minerals, and abundant vitamins and amino acids. Its vitamin C content is the highest among all melon vegetables, and it's relatively resistant to pests and diseases, making it an ideal green food for those seeking weight loss and beauty benefits. As the fruit ripens, the content of various nutrients decreases, so eating the young melon yields the best nutritional value.

Despite its bitterness, bitter melon is beloved by people in southern China, a staple dish in provinces like Guangdong, Yunnan, and Guangxi. They prepare a wide variety of home-style bitter melon dishes, such as stir-fried bitter melon with beef strips, stuffed bitter melon, bitter melon and egg soup, stir-fried bitter melon with beef tripe and tofu skin, and bitter melon with bamboo shoots. There are hundreds of delicious ways to enjoy bitter melon, offering a delightful experience for those trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle. While the first bite of bitter melon may be overwhelmingly bitter, the second and third bites reveal a refreshing and slightly wild flavor. Especially when cooked with fish or meat, the bitterness doesn't affect the other ingredients but rather enhances the flavor of the meat, making it less greasy and more delicious. This is why bitter melon is sometimes called the "gentleman's vegetable." In recent years, researchers have also extracted effective substances from bitter melon for preventing diabetes and fighting cancer, making it a rising star among gourds.

(4) Water chestnuts, an underground pear, are a top choice for weight loss and fitness.

Water chestnuts are plants of the Cyperaceae family, native to China, and have been cultivated for over two thousand years.

Water chestnuts are renowned for their rich nutrition, juiciness, and sweetness, earning them the ancient reputation of "underground snow pear." Northerners consider them "ginseng of the south." Analysis shows that water chestnuts contain 2.2% protein, 2.1% carbohydrates, 0.2% fat, as well as starch, carotene, vitamins, nicotinic acid, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron.

Raw water chestnuts have a tender, white flesh that is crisp, refreshing, and has a sweet, fragrant taste. Cooked water chestnuts can be made into a variety of delicious dishes, suitable for both meat and vegetarian culinary uses. Meat dishes include water chestnut slices and water chestnut chicken; vegetarian dishes include sweet and sour water chestnuts and winter bamboo shoots with water chestnuts, all of which are delicious and flavorful. Water chestnuts can also be used alone in dishes, such as "Frosty Water Chestnuts," which are considered a delicacy.

Water chestnuts are not only a delicious vegetable and fruit, but also a valuable medicinal herb. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that water chestnuts are sweet, slightly cold, slippery, and non-toxic, possessing properties such as clearing heat and quenching thirst, warming the middle and replenishing qi, promoting digestion and eliminating phlegm, and clearing wind and detoxifying. They can be used to treat measles in children, sore throat, cough due to lung heat, yin deficiency with internal heat, fever with thirst, and constipation. They can also be used to prevent meningitis. The *Diannan Materia Medica* states that water chestnuts "treat heat phlegm in the abdomen and blood in the large intestine." The *Benjing Fengyuan* states that water chestnuts "treat damp-heat in the lungs and stomach of alcoholics, causing unclear voice." The *Bencao Zaixin* believes that water chestnuts can "clear the heart and reduce fire, nourish the lungs and cool the liver, promote digestion and eliminate phlegm, break up stagnation, and promote the elimination of pus and blood." In recent years, medical experts have discovered that water chestnuts contain an antibacterial substance called "water chestnut pear," which has a good inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It can also relieve heat toxicity in the lower abdomen and clear excess heat in the chest, making it a heat-clearing, diuretic, and blood pressure-lowering medicine. A senior traditional Chinese medicine doctor told me about a patient whose ultrasound showed diffuse chronic cirrhosis of the liver and abnormal liver function. He also suffered from stomach heat and bad breath. Following a traditional folk remedy, he ate about 500 grams of peeled raw water chestnuts daily. After half a month, the internal heat subsided, and the bad breath disappeared. A year later, a follow-up ultrasound showed that his liver had softened, the texture had become finer, and his liver function had returned to normal. This demonstrates that water chestnuts, also known as "underground snow pears," do indeed have the functions of clearing internal heat in the three jiaos (upper, middle, and lower burners), promoting weight loss, detoxifying, protecting the liver and stomach, aiding digestion and resolving phlegm, and promoting slimming and youthful appearance.

(5) Potatoes – please don't forget them.

Potatoes: Promote weight loss and prevent stroke. Eating potatoes doesn't require worrying about excess fat, as they contain only a fraction of a percent fat, far less than any other filling food. Eating more potatoes daily can reduce fat intake and gradually metabolize excess fat, making potatoes a globally recognized weight-loss food. A research report indicates that potatoes, like other potassium-rich foods such as bananas, almonds, and peach kernels, can reduce the risk of stroke without any side effects. Eating 1-3 potatoes daily can achieve this goal. Recently, Japanese medical researchers reported that fresh potatoes, boiled with the skin on, have anti-cancer effects. Note that cooking time should not be too long, and frying, steaming, or baking should be avoided; it's best to boil them in water for a few minutes before eating. Here are some weight-loss cooking methods:

① Mashed Potatoes: Wash two fresh potatoes, peel and shred them, pour them into boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove them, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, stir and serve.

② Baked Potato Pancakes: Wash the potatoes, but do not peel them. Simmer them in water until softened. Then, use the handle of a knife to flatten them into round pancakes on a cutting board. Lightly coat them with vegetable oil and bake them in a pan for 2 minutes before serving.

③ Honey mashed potatoes: Peel fresh potatoes, boil them in water until cooked, mash them into powder, mix in 2 tablespoons of honey, stir until it becomes a paste, and it is ready to eat.

(6) The Queen of Fruits – Strawberry, the "Beauty Queen" for Slimming and Beauty

Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province, is the hometown of Xi Shi, a beauty from the Wu-Yue Kingdom era. The villagers of this city were the first in China to cultivate strawberries, which are sold in nearby Hangzhou and Shanghai, and even as far away as Guangzhou. The bright red strawberries, ripe for the market, adorn the streets, heralding the arrival of spring. Their beauty rivals that of Xi Shi, and they are loved by all.

Strawberries are excellent for weight loss, beauty, and cancer prevention. Every 100 grams of strawberry pulp contains 5-8 grams of sugar, 1 gram of protein, 0.1-0.4 grams of fat, 0.02 mg of vitamin B₁, 0.03 mg of vitamin B₂, 35-60 mg of vitamin C, 15-35 mg of calcium, 22-68 mg of phosphorus, and 5-22 mg of iron. The vitamin C content is 7-10 times higher than that of pears, apples, and grapes, and the essential minerals such as phosphorus and iron are 3-5 times higher. Strawberries are a nutritious, brain-boosting, and beauty-enhancing fruit for infants, the elderly, the weak, and especially for obese individuals and those with cardiovascular diseases. Not only are they beautiful in appearance, but every part of them is a treasure trove of nourishing, beautifying, and brain-boosting nutrients. Their greatest advantage is that there are no contraindications for consumption; eating more will not cause coldness or heatiness.

Furthermore, strawberries also possess certain medicinal value. Sweet, cool in nature, and non-toxic, strawberries can moisten the lungs, promote saliva production, stop diarrhea, relieve fever, clear summer heat, strengthen the spleen, and promote urination. They have good therapeutic effects on gastrointestinal diseases and anemia, and help prevent and treat arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cerebral hemorrhage, fatty liver, obesity, and hypertension. An American medical scientist believes that the tannic acid in strawberries can fight cancer. An Italian medical scientist points out that fresh strawberries contain a chemical substance that can inhibit the formation of cancer cells.

If you experience indigestion, bloating, and poor appetite, eating 50-60 grams of strawberries before each meal can be very effective. Women who are dieting to achieve a slim figure may try halving 100 grams of fresh strawberries with a knife, then mixing them with 200 ml of fresh milk for a healthy breakfast. Men can increase the amount and add two slices of black oat bread for a weight-loss and brain-boosting breakfast.

In addition, for patients experiencing painful urination and dark yellow urine, fresh strawberries can be mashed and taken with cold boiled water. In short, strawberries are a treasure trove of benefits; hopefully, farmers worldwide will use less chemical fertilizer and pesticides to preserve the pure beauty of the Yue Garden's Xi Shi (a legendary beauty).

(7) Job's tears - beautifies skin, promotes weight loss, prevents aging, and fights cancer.

Job's tears (Coix seed) is sweet, bland, and slightly cold in nature. It enters the spleen, stomach, and lung meridians. It has the functions of promoting diuresis and eliminating dampness, strengthening the spleen, relieving numbness, and clearing heat and draining pus. The *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica) was the first to introduce Job's tears, listing it as a superior herb for treating muscle spasms and joint stiffness caused by dampness. It also states that "long-term use will lighten the body and invigorate qi." Because it contains a relatively high amount of carbohydrates and protein, as well as fat, inorganic salts, and vitamins, it is a top choice for weight loss and fitness enthusiasts, a superior natural food, and a traditional Chinese medicine for health and weight loss. Domestic and international pharmacological experiments have confirmed that Job's tears has a special relieving effect on swelling of the hands and feet in the later stages of tumors, polyps, and lymphoma.

For obese individuals with Qi deficiency and spleen dampness, characterized by a white, greasy tongue coating, loose stools, unexplained lower limb edema, and symptoms such as lower abdominal itching, leukorrhea, and acne and scar removal in women, this product is effective. Therefore, for obese individuals, this product offers the following benefits: ① Diuretic and bowel-regulating effects. Consuming Job's tears daily for breakfast can help with cloudy or difficult urination and lower limb edema. This product can regulate the osmotic pressure of human cell membranes, maintain sodium-potassium balance, and promote the elimination of intracellular and extracellular fluid in obese individuals, thus eliminating edema through osmotic pressure balance and preventing electrolyte deficiency or imbalance. ② Abdominal strengthening and diarrhea relief. Regular consumption of this product by obese individuals can remove damp-heat stagnation in the spleen and stomach. For those with Yang deficiency constitution experiencing loose stools, Qi deficiency, fatigue, and chronic fatigue syndrome, this product can regulate the spleen Yang in the middle Jiao, stimulate Qi circulation, strengthen the acquired constitution, and promote the digestive function of the spleen and stomach. ③ Reduce skeletal muscle contractures and promote the elimination of large joint swelling. ④According to pharmacological reports from China and abroad, Job's tears have significant anti-cancer functions.

The following are simple dietary combinations for those who want to lose weight and improve their physique:

① Take 30 grams of Job's tears, 12 grams each of Chinese yam, poria cocos, fox nut, and lotus seed, 7 red dates, and 3 grams of ginger. Simmer in a clay pot over low heat and serve as breakfast. This is for those with weak spleen and stomach, loose stools, white tongue coating, and teeth marks.

② 30g Job's tears, 10g jujubes, 20g chicken blood glutinous rice; cook as above. Suitable for all normal people for health, beauty, longevity, and cognitive enhancement.

③ 30 grams of Job's tears, 20 grams of mung beans, and one fresh lotus leaf (added later), cooked as above. This dish helps to relieve summer heat and dampness, detoxify, maintain health, and promote weight loss.

④ 30g of Job's tears, 10g each of fox nuts, Chinese yam, lotus seeds, poria cocos, white hyacinth bean, codonopsis root, and atractylodes macrocephala, 6g of dried tangerine peel, and 20g of glutinous rice. Cook as above. Treats fatigue syndrome, weakness due to qi deficiency, obesity with insufficient energy at work, insufficient semen in men, leukorrhea in women, and sexual dysfunction.

Job's tears (coix seed) from Fujian province are considered the best, followed by those from Thailand. This delicious and affordable fruit offers numerous health benefits, including weight loss and overall well-being. It helps you achieve beauty, giving you a radiant glow, promoting gradual fat loss, leaving you feeling light and agile, and giving you strength in your legs.

(8) Soybeans – the eternal messenger of weight loss and health maintenance

American researchers have pointed out that consuming soy protein as a substitute for animal protein can significantly lower blood cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that consuming soy protein can reduce cholesterol levels in the human body by an average of 9.3%, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20% to 30%. Regular consumption of this plant-based protein can also reduce the risk of cancer, especially colon cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. Because soybeans can be cooked into a variety of foods, they have preventive and therapeutic effects on chronic diseases, heart disease, endocrine disorders, nephritis, high blood pressure, and cancer. Since the mid-1980s, researchers around the world have paid close attention to China's soy-based dietary culture.

A Canadian researcher believes that replacing animal meat with soy products and fresh fruits and vegetables can significantly lower blood cholesterol levels, eliminate excess fat buildup, and reduce the concentration of "harmful" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in young and middle-aged men and women-an excellent way to lose weight and improve cognitive function. The method involved replacing meat in the usual diet with soy products, vegetables, and beans for a month. David Jenkins, a nutritionist at the University of Toronto, believes their understanding of the enormous potential of soy in health, weight loss, and cognitive enhancement is only just beginning. Jenkins' research team prepared numerous soy-based cold dishes for the participants, along with oats, barley flakes, lentils, and broad beans, and instructed them not to change their exercise habits. The other half of the experimental group followed a popular cholesterol-lowering diet, which still included some meat. The final survey of the control group showed that the overall blood cholesterol concentration in the soy-consuming group decreased by an average of 6%, with LDL concentration decreasing by 6.7%, exceeding the decrease in any blood indicators observed in currently popular low-fat diets.

The idea that soy products can help with weight loss, fitness, and disease prevention is now recognized by Europeans and Americans.

(9) Lotus seeds – a top-quality food for health, weight loss and beauty since ancient times

Pharmacological studies have shown that lotus seed alkaloids and isoliensin contained in lotus seeds have significant cardiotonic effects and hypotensive effects, making them effective in treating hypertension and obesity. Lotus seed porridge is a superior tonic, made by first stewing lotus seeds until cooked, then cooking them with glutinous rice. Regular consumption of lotus seed porridge can protect internal organs, stabilize emotions, boost energy, and improve eyesight and hearing. It is especially beneficial for strengthening the body and bones, and has long been favored by those knowledgeable in health preservation. Drinking a soup made with lotus seeds and lotus root is beneficial for women's beauty and can treat leukorrhea and endometritis. Adding raw Job's tears, jujubes, and a small amount of black glutinous rice, and eating it every morning, can not only nourish the skin and prolong life, but also aid in weight loss and beauty, and has anti-cancer and disease-preventing effects. Middle-aged overweight women who regularly consume this recipe can develop a delicate complexion and remove acne and freckles. Those who are physically weak, have poor digestion, and often suffer from diarrhea, according to traditional Chinese medicine, should frequently consume this lotus seed soup if they have spleen and kidney yang deficiency.

For those with weak constitution, anemia, chest tightness, and palpitations, boil lotus root in water and add honey to make a juice for drinking. Stewing lotus seeds with honey in water and drinking it twice a day can treat neurasthenia and premature ejaculation in men. Steeping 4.5 grams of lotus heart in boiling water as a tea can treat high blood pressure, headaches, palpitations, and insomnia.

Why does the humble lotus seed possess such great efficacy? This is based on traditional Chinese medicine theory: As early as 200 BC, during the Warring States period, the *Shennong Bencao Jing* (Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica) stated that lotus seeds are sweet, astringent, and neutral in nature, and enter the spleen, kidney, and heart meridians. Its effects include: tonifying the spleen and stopping diarrhea, benefiting the kidneys and securing essence, nourishing the heart and calming the mind. When used with ginseng, atractylodes macrocephala, poria cocos, and yam, it can treat chronic diarrhea and loss of appetite in obese individuals due to spleen deficiency, as its astringent nature helps to astringe. When used with astragalus complanatus, dragon bone, oyster shell, and lotus stamens, it can treat seminal emission and spermatorrhea. When used with ophiopogon japonicus, poria cocos, and cypress seed, it can clear the heart and calm the mind, and can also be used for metrorrhagia and excessive leukorrhea in women. The *Compendium of Materia Medica* and other pharmacopoeias consider this product to tonify the middle jiao, nourish the spirit, and replenish qi, promoting black hair and longevity. It also harmonizes the heart and kidneys, strengthens the intestines and stomach, secures essence and qi, strengthens muscles and bones, and replenishes deficiencies; it quenches thirst, treats diarrhea and dysentery, stops leukorrhea, and clears the heart and relieves heat. From lotus leaves and stems to lotus roots, lotus seeds, and lotus stamens, the lotus emerges from the mud unsullied, standing tall and graceful. Every part of it is a treasure for health, beauty, and longevity. For obese individuals, it truly is a case of: "Regular consumption of lotus seeds can lighten the body and reduce muscle mass. It can also clear the triple burner, preventing obesity even in old age." This is a conclusion drawn by an experienced traditional Chinese medicine doctor from his long-term clinical practice.

(10) Oatmeal – a good dietary supplement for dieters, with almost perfect nutrition.

Oats, also known as naked oats or corn, are a traditional food in some regions of northern and western my country. Because of their comprehensive and balanced nutritional composition, oats are considered a perfect nutritional supplement and should be consumed in moderation as part of a daily diet for those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or who are overweight.

Most grains are not very high in protein and lack lysine, while oats contain up to 15% protein and are rich in lysine. Most grains are low in fat and do not provide sufficient satiety, while oats contain 7%–8% fat, thus keeping one feeling full for a longer period. The fat in oats contains a large amount of linoleic acid, which is easily absorbed and has high nutritional value. Oats contain more than 100 mg of calcium per 100 grams; the levels of magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc, and other minerals are also several times higher than in most grains.

Oats also contain about 5% dietary fiber. This dietary fiber has many health benefits, such as lowering blood lipids, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Therefore, obese individuals with cardiovascular disease and diabetes should eat more oats. It's important to remind those trying to lose weight that they should eat coarsely processed oatmeal, preferably darker varieties. Avoid highly processed instant oatmeal, and especially avoid those fancy, brightly colored, and heavily processed oatmeal products with added sugar, flavorings, and colorings. Excessive processing significantly reduces their nutritional value.

When buying oats, pay attention to the origin. Oats from cold regions are best, as the cold climate and slow growth result in oats rich in various trace elements, plump grains, a pleasant texture, and a chewy, sticky consistency with a natural aroma. Oats from Inner Mongolia, Northwest China, and Shanxi are considered the finest.

(11) Corn – a food that helps you lose weight, stay fit, and live longer

Modern medical research indicates that corn is highly nutritious, containing 73 grams of carbohydrates, 8.5 grams of protein, and 4.3 grams of fat per 100 grams. It contains various nutrients essential for the human body, with higher protein and fat content than refined rice and flour. In particular, over 50% of the fat in corn oil is linoleic acid, and it also contains lecithin and vitamins A and E. Linoleic acid helps maintain normal blood cholesterol levels and prevents cholesterol from depositing on blood vessel walls, playing a positive role in preventing hypertension and coronary heart disease. Experiments have shown that the protein utilization rate of rice is only 58%, but if 2/3 rice is mixed with 1/3 corn, the utilization rate increases to 71%, demonstrating the complementary effect of proteins. Furthermore, corn germ contains abundant vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids, which enhance metabolism and regulate the nervous system. However, it is worth noting that mature corn contains more starch and less protein, and its nutritional value is not as high as that of young corn that is only six or seven tenths mature. In response, some experts have called tender corn "golden value corn" or "placental-like corn." If you choose to eat 2-3 fresh, tender corn cobs daily during the harvest season (with husks and silks), you will reap greater benefits in weight loss, fitness, and longevity. Of course, it's best to cook the husks and silks together, and the cooking time should be short. Avoid using a pressure cooker, as the high boiling temperature can destroy the nutrients.