Diabetes and Hypertension Management: A Selection of Dietary Therapy from Mixed Fruit Porridge to Sea Cucumber and Seaweed Soup

Mixed Fruit Soup [Ingredients] 100g each of apple, pineapple, pear, banana, and dried persimmon; 10 cherries; 30g each of lychee, hawthorn cake, and white sugar; appropriate amounts of raisins, lotus root starch, and osmanthus sugar. [Instructions] ① Wash the apple, pineapple, pear, banana, and lychee, peel and core them, and dice them. Dice the dried persimmon and hawthorn cake. ② Place a pot on the stove, add water and white sugar, bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then add the diced banana, dried persimmon, apple, pear, lychee, and pineapple, along with the raisins and osmanthus sugar. Simmer, thicken with lotus root starch, and pour into a soup bowl. Top with diced cherries and hawthorn cake. [Efficacy] Nourishing, lowering blood pressure, promoting body fluid production and quenching thirst. Suitable for hypertension of the liver and kidney yin deficiency type, especially suitable for those with chronic pharyngitis, chronic bronchitis, and chronic gastritis.

Brain-Clearing Soup [Ingredients] 10g each of white fungus and roasted eucommia bark, 50g rock sugar. [Instructions] ① Add 1000ml of water to the roasted eucommia bark and simmer for half an hour. Remove the dregs and obtain about 800ml of decoction. ② Soak the white fungus in warm water, remove the stems and impurities, wash it clean, and add it to the decoction along with the rock sugar. Simmer over low heat until the white fungus is tender. [Efficacy] Nourishes the liver and kidneys, replenishes qi and blood, lowers blood pressure and lipids. Suitable for patients with hypertension due to liver and kidney deficiency, and can also be used for those with arteriosclerosis. Contraindicated for those with hypertension and coronary heart disease.

Winter Melon and Red Bean Soup [Ingredients]500g winter melon, 50g red beans, 30g brown sugar, 30g lotus root starch. [Instructions] ① Wash the winter melon, remove the skin and seeds, chop it, and blend it into a puree using a food processor. ② Rinse the red beans and place them in a clay pot with enough water to cover. Simmer over medium heat until tender. Add brown sugar and stir well. Add the winter melon puree and simmer over low heat until boiling. Stir in the mixed lotus root starch while simmering until it thickens into a soup. [Efficacy]Promotes diuresis and eliminates phlegm, replenishes deficiency and lowers blood pressure. Suitable for hypertension caused by phlegm retention.

Silver Ear Fungus, Goji Berry, and Dried Scallop Soup [Ingredients]10g each of silver ear fungus and goji berries, 15g of dried scallops, appropriate amounts of broth and seasonings. [Instructions]Soak the silver ear fungus in water and wash it clean. Soak the dried scallops until fully rehydrated. Place the silver ear fungus, goji berries, and dried scallops in a pot, add broth and seasonings, and simmer until it becomes a soup. [Efficacy]Nourishes Yin and promotes blood circulation. Suitable for patients with hypertension.

Soups and porridges suitable for diabetics

Soup

Ginger, Scallion, and Egg Soup [Ingredients]50g pear, 15g each of ginger slices and scallion segments, 2 eggs. [Instructions]Place the pear, ginger slices, and scallion segments in a pot and cook together. Beat the eggs in a bowl. While the soup is still boiling, pour it over the beaten eggs. Drink while hot and cover yourself with a blanket to induce sweating. [Effects]Relieves exterior symptoms, dispels cold, and benefits the lungs. Suitable for gout complicated by diabetes.

Bamboo Shoot Soup [Ingredients]200g winter bamboo shoots, 100g seaweed, 100g radish sprouts, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp MSG, 1/2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce, a little fish sauce. [Instructions] ① Wash the winter bamboo shoots and slice them; wash the seaweed and radish sprouts separately. ② Add water to a pot, add the winter bamboo shoots and all seasonings, bring to a boil over high heat, then add the seaweed and radish sprouts. Once the water boils again, remove from heat. [Benefits]Suitable for diabetics.

Black Bean and Mulberry Soup [Ingredients]30g black beans, 30g mulberries. [Instructions]Wash the black beans and mulberries, put them in a pot with enough water, simmer over low heat for 1 hour, or until the beans are cooked. [Benefits]Nourishes the liver and kidneys, promotes body fluid production and quenches thirst. Suitable for diabetes with liver and kidney yin deficiency.

Fig and Almond Soup [Ingredients]Figs and lean pork, appropriate amounts. [Instructions]Wash the lean pork, cut it into chunks, and place it in a pot. Add all the above-mentioned ingredients and 6 bowls of water. Simmer for 2 hours. [Benefits]This soup is a health-preserving and gentle remedy. It can also be drunk for occasional colds, coughs, or excessive phlegm, as it helps to accelerate the healing process.

Red Bean and Winter Melon Soup [Ingredients]100g winter melon, 50g red beans, 3g salt, 1g MSG, 5g scallions, 2g ginger. [Instructions] ① Peel and wash the winter melon, then slice it. Wash the red beans and soak them in water for 4 hours. Cut the scallions into sections and peel and thinly slice the ginger. ② Put the red beans in a pot, add water and cook until half-cooked. Then add the scallion sections, ginger slices, and winter melon slices and cook until the red beans and winter melon are fully cooked. Add salt and MSG to taste. [Benefits]Suitable for diabetics.

Red Date and Lychee Soup [Ingredients]7 dried lychees, 7 red dates, appropriate amount of brown sugar. [Instructions]Peel the lychees and place them in a small pot with the red dates. Add water and simmer until it becomes a soup. Add brown sugar and simmer briefly. Drink the soup and eat the lychees. [Benefits]Lychees nourish the spleen and liver, improve complexion, and promote blood production and heart health. Red dates have a calming and invigorating effect. When cooked together in a soup, they complement each other, providing a blood-nourishing effect.

Two Winter Mushrooms Soup [Ingredients] 50g shiitake mushrooms, 100g winter bamboo shoots, vegetable oil, ginger, soy sauce, chicken broth, salt, sesame oil, and cornstarch (as needed). [Instructions] ② Heat a small amount of oil in a pot. Sauté ginger, then add salt, soy sauce, and chicken broth. Add shiitake mushrooms and winter bamboo shoots and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch slurry. Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame oil. [Efficacy] Tonifies the spleen and stomach, replenishes qi, promotes body fluid production, quenches thirst, clears heat, and promotes diuresis. It can be used as a healthy dietary therapy for spleen and stomach qi deficiency, stomach yin deficiency, edema, diabetes, nephritis, liver disease, and gastrointestinal ulcers. It can also be used as an adjunct treatment for cancer.

Sea Cucumber and Seaweed Soup [Ingredients]Sea cucumber, sliced ​​winter bamboo shoots, cooked ham, seaweed, trichosanthes root, vegetable oil, chopped green onion, chopped ginger, cooking wine, salt, MSG, and sesame oil (all in appropriate amounts). [Instructions] ① Wash the trichosanthes root, slice it, sun-dry or oven-dry it, and grind it into a very fine powder. Chop the winter bamboo shoots. Clean the seaweed, rinse it with water, drain it, and place it in a large bowl. ② Heat vegetable oil in a pot, sauté the chopped green onion and ginger until fragrant, pour in the broth, add the sea cucumber slices and chopped winter bamboo shoots, add cooking wine, bring to a boil over high heat, add the finely ground trichosanthes root, stir well, reduce heat to low and simmer until the sea cucumber is tender. Add the seaweed, simmer again until boiling, add salt, MSG, and five-spice powder, stir well, thicken with a thin cornstarch slurry, add the chopped cooked ham, bring to a boil, and drizzle with sesame oil. [Benefits]Nourishes the kidneys and heart, nourishes blood and beautifies the skin, enhances memory.

Seaweed and Radish Soup [Ingredients]300g white radish, 30g dried shrimp, 50g dried seaweed, 5g cooking wine, 5g scallions, 5g ginger, 3g salt, 1g MSG, 5g sesame oil, 15g vegetable oil. [Instructions] ① Wash and shred the white radish; soak the dried shrimp in warm water; tear the seaweed into pieces; wash and finely chop the scallions and ginger. ② Heat oil in a pot, add the dried shrimp, chopped scallions, and chopped ginger and sauté until fragrant. Add cooking wine and enough water to cover, bring to a boil, then add the shredded radish and continue cooking until tender. Add the seaweed and drizzle with sesame oil. [Benefits] Improves appetite, aids digestion, and promotes fetal bone growth.