Kampo pharmacist Ai Okubo's "Food as Medicine Recipes" for a Cell-Rejuvenating November

[November 2023]
"Apple Recipes" to moisturize skin and mucous membranes and enhance barrier function

We're starting to feel the crisp autumn breeze, aren't we? The upcoming weather will dry out mucous membranes in the eyes, mouth, and nose, reducing saliva secretion.
Mucous membranes contain an immune substance called "IgA," which provides protection for the body, but it is vulnerable to dryness. The state of IgA also affects the gut environment, so when you feel incomplete bowel emptying, it's important to be aware of dryness in the intestines as well.
Therefore, this month, we will introduce "food and medicine recipes" using apples, a seasonal fruit, to aid in "moisturizing + frequent hydration + gut health aiming for smooth bowel movements."

◆This Month's Key Ingredient

Apple

As the English proverb "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" suggests, apples are a fruit with expected power against aging and ailments. They contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, which helps prevent intestinal dryness and regulate the gut environment. Furthermore, apples contain highly antioxidant apple polyphenols and malic acid, which is essential for energy production, thus supporting cell vitality.

◆Recipe Introduction

Apple and Pumpkin Sauté
to enhance barrier function and moisturize the intestines

Pumpkin is rich in β-carotene, which enhances the barrier function of the skin and mucous membranes. It's also packed with dietary fiber, which is expected to have a moisturizing effect on the intestines.

→Check out how to make it in this video

Ingredients
Apple 1/2
Pumpkin 1/4
Olive oil as needed
Mirin, lemon juice 1 tbsp each
Cream cheese (optional)

Instructions
① Slice the apple and pumpkin, and heat them in a 600W microwave for about 2 and a half minutes.
② Put olive oil, the ingredients from ①, and seasonings into a frying pan, and sauté while coating them.
③ Once they have a good glaze, serve them on a plate, add cream cheese, and it's done.

Point
*You can use coconut oil instead of olive oil, and vinegar instead of lemon juice.
*You can also sprinkle cinnamon if you like.
*If you substitute cream cheese with yogurt or ice cream, it becomes a dessert.

Pork Belly Wrapped Apples
When you feel an imbalance in your gut environment and fatigue

When the gut environment is disrupted, the absorption of minerals and vitamin B, necessary for metabolism, decreases, leading to easy fatigue. Let's regain vitality by combining pork, rich in minerals and B vitamins, with apples, a friend to your intestines.

→Check out how to make it in this video

Ingredients
Apple 1/2
Pork belly 150g
Soy sauce, mirin 2 tbsp each

Instructions
① Cut the apple into thin wedges and heat in a 600W microwave for about 1 and a half minutes.
② Wrap the warmed apple from ① with pork belly.
③ Heat olive oil in a frying pan and grill both sides.
④ Once browned, add seasonings and coat the entire dish. It's done.

Point
*You can also slice the apple. Adjust the heating time according to the thickness.
*It's also delicious with shichimi pepper if you like.

Profile

Ai Okubo

Pharmacist, Kampo counselor. Studied Kampo, medicinal cuisine, and Eastern beauty at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, becoming the first Japanese to obtain international certification as a Chinese Medical Aesthetician. After managing Kampo pharmacies, dispensing pharmacies, and esthetic salons, she is now involved in product development, writing, and corporate consulting as an expert in medicine and beauty, including Kampo and medicinal cuisine.

Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aivonne85/

Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ai_loveflower