Cordyceps sinensis for tonifying deficiency and Ophiopogon japonicus for lowering blood sugar: A comprehensive TCM dietary therapy plan for hyperlipidemia and diabetes.

Angelica dahurica – promotes blood circulation, drains pus, promotes tissue regeneration, relieves pain, and lowers lipids: Modern pharmacology believes that Angelica dahurica has the effects of lowering blood lipids, promoting fat metabolism, protecting the cardiovascular system, and antibacterial properties. Symptomatic treatment: Suitable for hyperlipidemia of the wind-cold-dampness type, with symptoms such as headache, toothache, eyebrow pain, and chronic diarrhea. Its combination with other herbs is as follows: Combined with Salvia miltiorrhiza and Taxillus chinensis. Contraindications: Not suitable for those with blood deficiency or yin deficiency with yang excess. Recommended medicinal diet – Lamb and Yam Soup Ingredients: 300g each of yam chunks and lamb belly, appropriate amounts of scallions, ginger slices, and garlic. Seasoning: Salt to taste. Instructions: ① Wash the lamb belly, cut into chunks, blanch in boiling water, and remove. ② Place cloves, star anise, Angelica dahurica, and bay leaves in a gauze bag, seal, and set aside. ③ Heat oil in a wok, sauté scallions, ginger slices, and garlic until fragrant. Then add lamb belly chunks and stir-fry over medium heat until the moisture evaporates. Next, add cooking wine, stir-fry evenly, pour in an appropriate amount of water, add a gauze bag, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 45 minutes. ④ Add yam chunks and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the gauze bag, and finally season with salt. Other names: Sichuan Angelica dahurica, aromatic. Properties and channels: Warm in nature, pungent in taste, enters the spleen, stomach, and large intestine channels. Dosage and administration: Decocted in water, 3-10 grams.

Cordyceps sinensis – Nourishing, Healing, and Lipid-Lowering Effects: Modern pharmacology suggests that Cordyceps sinensis enhances immunity, improves cardiovascular function, and lowers serum cholesterol levels. Recommended Use: Suitable for hyperlipidemia accompanied by symptoms such as impotence, seminal emission, lower back and knee pain, chronic cough and wheezing, hemoptysis due to overwork, weakness due to prolonged illness, spontaneous sweating, and aversion to cold. The following combination is recommended: Combined with Achyranthes bidentata and black sesame seeds. Contraindications: Those with weak spleen and stomach should use with caution. Recommended Medicinal Diet Recipe – Cordyceps and Seahorse Chicken Soup Ingredients: 750g three-yellow chicken, 75g dried abalone, 10g each of Cordyceps sinensis, seahorse, and ham slices, appropriate amounts of scallions and ginger slices. Seasonings: Appropriate amounts of cooking wine, brown sugar, salt, and light soy sauce. Instructions: ① Clean the three-yellow chicken, blanch it, and remove blood. ② Soak the dried abalone in cold water for 10 hours, scrub clean, steam for 2 hours, remove, and set aside. ③ Place all ingredients and seasonings in a pot, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 2 hours. Other names: Cordyceps. Properties and channels: Warm in nature, sweet in taste, enters the kidney and lung channels. Dosage and administration: Decocted in water, 5-10 grams.

American ginseng – a mild tonic with lipid-lowering effects: American ginseng has the effects of inhibiting appetite and regulating metabolism. Experiments have shown that American ginseng can lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels, thereby reducing blood lipids. Suitable for: Hyperlipidemia due to spleen deficiency and qi stagnation, and blood stasis, with symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, chest tightness, loss of appetite, palpitations, and shortness of breath. Recommended combination: Combined with danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) and alisma plantago-aquatica. Contraindications: Those with heat-related symptoms should not take American ginseng. Recommended medicinal diet: American ginseng and red date porridge. Ingredients: 100g rice, 10g American ginseng, a small amount of red dates and goji berries. Seasoning: Salt (or white sugar) as needed. Instructions: ① Wash the American ginseng and soak it in water overnight; remove and chop it; wash the red dates; wash the rice and soak it for 1 hour. ② Add the American ginseng, red dates, goji berries, rice, and the water used to soak the ginseng to a clay pot. ③ Add some water, simmer over low heat for 60 minutes, then season with salt or sugar. Other names: American ginseng, Panax quinquefolius. Properties and channels: Cold in nature, bitter and slightly sweet in taste; enters the heart, lung, and kidney channels. Dosage and administration: Decoction, 3-10 grams, or in pills or powders.

Chrysanthemum – Soothes the liver and improves eyesight, relieves cough and pain, and lowers lipids: Modern pharmacology believes that chrysanthemum has the effects of lowering blood lipids, lowering blood pressure, dilating coronary arteries, increasing coronary blood flow, and improving myocardial blood supply. Suitable for hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. Combined with: Acanthopanax senticosus, kudzu root, etc. Contraindications: Those with internal heat should use with caution. Recommended medicinal diet – Goji Berry, Chrysanthemum, and Mung Bean Soup Ingredients: 100g goji berries, 30g mung beans, 15g chrysanthemum. Seasoning: Rock sugar to taste. Instructions: ① Wash the mung beans and soak them in water for about half an hour; wash the goji berries and chrysanthemum separately and set aside. ② Put the mung beans in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, heat over high heat until almost boiling, then pour in boiling water, cover, bring to a boil again, remove the mung bean skins, and simmer over low heat until the mung beans are cooked and tender. ③ Add the chrysanthemum and goji berries, and stir well. ④ Add rock sugar, bring to a boil, and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes. Other names: Shouke, Jinying, Huanghua, Qiuju, Taoju. Properties and channels: Slightly cold in nature, sweet and bitter in taste, enters the lung and liver channels. Dosage and administration: Decoction, 10-15 grams, or made into pills, powders, or steeped in tea; for external use, apply an appropriate amount, decocted in water for washing, or pounded and applied topically.

Bupleurum – Soothes the liver, relieves depression, disperses external heat, and lowers lipids: Modern pharmacology believes that Bupleurum has the effects of promoting cholesterol excretion, protecting the liver and gallbladder, and protecting the cardiovascular system. Symptomatic treatment: Suitable for hyperlipidemia of the Qi deficiency and sinking type, and liver Qi stagnation type. Its combination is as follows: combined with Leonurus japonicus, Citrus reticulata peel, etc. Contraindications: Not suitable for those with true Yin deficiency or liver Yang hyperactivity. Recommended medicinal diet recipe – Medicinal Pork Liver Ingredients: 10g Bupleurum, 15g each of Paeonia lactiflora and Angelica sinensis, 10g Rehmannia glutinosa, 50g pork liver, appropriate amounts of ginger shreds and spinach. Seasoning: Sesame oil as needed. Instructions: ① Add Bupleurum, Paeonia lactiflora, Angelica sinensis, and Rehmannia glutinosa to 500ml of water and simmer until reduced to about 300ml. ② Wash the pork liver and slice it; wash the spinach and set aside. ③ Heat oil in a wok, sauté the ginger shreds until fragrant, then add the pork liver slices and the medicinal broth and stir-fry until cooked. Finally, add the washed spinach and season with sesame oil. Other names: Di Xun, Ci Hu, Ru Cao, Shan Cai. Properties and channels: Neutral in nature, bitter in taste, enters the pericardium, liver, and gallbladder channels. Dosage and administration: Decocted in water, 3-10 grams.

Ophiopogon japonicus, a suitable Chinese herbal medicine for diabetes-nourishes Yin and promotes body fluid production, moistens the lungs and clears the heart, and lowers blood sugar: The polysaccharides contained in Ophiopogon japonicus can reduce the damaging effect of alloxan on pancreatic β-cells and have a very significant inhibitory effect on diabetes caused by glucose, adrenaline, and alloxan. Prescription: Suitable for diabetes. Combination: Combined with Scrophularia ningpoensis, Pinellia ternata, etc. Contraindications: Not suitable for those with wind-cold type colds, phlegm-damp cough, or spleen and stomach deficiency with diarrhea. Recommended medicinal diet: Spleen-strengthening lean pork soup. Ingredients: 400g lean pork chunks, 15g Ophiopogon japonicus, appropriate amount of red dates, 15g Codonopsis pilosula, 10g Rehmannia glutinosa. Seasoning: Salt to taste. Instructions: ① Wash Ophiopogon japonicus, Codonopsis pilosula, and Rehmannia glutinosa separately. ② Add appropriate amount of water to a pot, add all ingredients, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 1.5 hours. Finally, add salt to taste. Other names: Ophiopogon japonicus, Mai Men Dong. Properties and channels: Slightly cold in nature, sweet and slightly bitter in taste; enters the lung, heart, and stomach channels. Dosage and administration: 10-15 grams in decoction; or in pills or powders.

Anemarrhena asphodeloides – Nourishing Yin and reducing fire, moistening dryness and lubricating the intestines, and lowering blood sugar: Anemarrhena asphodeloides mainly contains anemarrhena saponins. Pharmacological tests show that it can promote the uptake of glucose by adipose tissue, reduce liver glycogen, and increase muscle glycogen. Indications: Suitable for alloxan-type diabetes. Combinations: Gypsum, Scutellaria baicalensis, etc. Contraindications: Not suitable for those with spleen deficiency and loose stools. Recommended medicinal diet – Shiitake Mushroom and Sailfish Soup Ingredients: 150g sliced ​​sailfish, 140g shiitake mushrooms, 75g broccoli, 15g Trichosanthes kirilowii root, 10g Anemarrhena asphodeloides, 1 cotton bag, appropriate amount of tender ginger shreds. Seasoning: Appropriate amount of salt. Instructions: ① Place Trichosanthes kirilowii root and Anemarrhena asphodeloides in a cotton bag; wash all ingredients, peel shiitake mushrooms and broccoli into small florets, set aside. ② Place a pot on the stove, pour in an appropriate amount of water, add the cotton bag and all ingredients except tender ginger shreds, and bring to a boil. ③ Remove the cotton bag, add shredded young ginger and salt to taste. Other names: Paper Mother, Lian Mother, Wild Polygonum, Ground Ginseng. Properties and Channels Entered: Cold in nature, bitter in taste, enters the Lung, Stomach, and Kidney channels. Dosage and Administration: Decoction, 6-12 grams, or in pills or powders.