During the dog days of summer, it is hot and rainy, and Yang Qi is released. The human body sweats more, depletes body fluids, and causes symptoms such as thirst, poor appetite, fatigue and weakness. Experts say that in summer, the body's skin is prone to inflammation, and cold evil can easily invade and cause diseases. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) advocates avoiding being greedy for cold. However, sour plum soup has the effects of strengthening the stomach, digesting food, promoting qi and activating blood circulation. In the hot summer season, drinking a cup of refreshing sour plum soup can not only relieve heat and cough, but also stimulate the appetite. It is really a good drink to relieve summer heat.

The main ingredient in sour plum soup is black plum, which is the dry and nearly mature fruit of the rose family plant plum. Black plum has a neutral nature and a sour taste. It enters the liver, spleen, lungs, and large intestine meridians. It has the effects of astringing the lungs and relieving cough, puckering the intestines and relieving diarrhea, promoting fluid production and quenching thirst, and relieving Ascaris and relieving pain. Black plums are rich in citric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, and multiple vitamins, among which vitamin B2 content is extremely high. Therefore, sour plum soup also contains more acidic substances, which can promote the secretion of saliva and gastric juice. The allusion of "looking at plum blossoms to quench thirst" is to use the sour taste of black plums to form a conditioned reflex to promote the secretion of saliva and gastric juice, achieving the effect of producing body fluids and quenching thirst. Therefore, drinking a cup of sour plum soup in midsummer can not only prevent heatstroke and quench thirst, but also whet your appetite and replenish water.

In addition, summer is the peak season for barbecues. If you drink too much, you can drink a cup of sour plum soup, which has a good sobering effect and protects the liver. If you eat too much meat such as skewers, sour plum soup can help digestion. , reduce the absorption of fat by the gastrointestinal tract; sour plum soup is also a good choice when you have symptoms such as deficiency of heat, thirst, lack of appetite, achlorhydria, indigestion and other symptoms.

So, how can you drink delicious sour plum soup? Of course, instead of buying it, making it at home will be more delicious and effective.

The first is the selection of raw materials. Choose ebony plums, hawthorns, tangerine peels, and licorice with good quality, no decay, and no insect infestation as raw materials, and remove impurities such as branches, leaves, and fruit stems.

Secondly, soak the selected black plum, hawthorn, tangerine peel, and licorice in salt water for 10 minutes to remove microorganisms in the raw materials, then rinse with clean water until there is no salt, and control the moisture.

Again, take 500 grams of black plum, 300 grams of hawthorn, 100 grams of licorice, and 150 grams of tangerine peel, put them into a pot, add 5L of water and soak for 2 to 3 hours, bring to a boil over high heat, and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Strain the cooked concentrated juice through a sieve and set aside. If there is no sieve, you can wrap the black plum, hawthorn, tangerine peel, and licorice with gauze in advance.

Finally, add an appropriate amount of rock sugar according to your own taste, simmer for a while to dissolve, and stir evenly. If you have osmanthus, add a little to add color and fragrance, let it cool and put it in the refrigerator to drink at any time.

Experts remind that although sour plum soup is refreshing and refreshing, not everyone can take it. Patients with peptic ulcer, hyperacidity and colds should not take it. In addition, children should not drink large amounts of sour plum soup for a long time. Of course, in addition to drinking sour plum soup in summer, you should also maintain health in the following aspects: eat a light diet, eat more fruits such as watermelon, drink more water, and not eat too much greasy food; pay attention to rest, regular life, adapt to the season, night Lie down and get up early, take a proper rest at noon; exercise appropriately. The amount of exercise in summer should not be too large or too strenuous. You can choose to do health exercises, yoga, etc. in the morning or evening; in terms of heatstroke prevention and cooling, you must not be greedy for coolness, and the air conditioning temperature should not be too low. Generally, the temperature is 27°C. Do not stay in an air-conditioned room for a long time.