Kampo Pharmacist Ai Okubo's Cell-Revitalizing "Food and Medicine Recipes" for April
[April 2024]
Asparagus Recipes to Prevent Eye and Brain Fatigue
In traditional Chinese medicine, spring is said to be the season when the "liver" takes a hit, especially for perfectionists, leading to an increase in discomfort. In April, with new beginnings and increased exposure to information, we tend to overuse our vision to process all this information, leading to increased stress, fatigue in the brain and eyes, redness, facial flushing and itching, headaches, stiff shoulders, insomnia, and hot flashes. This condition is described as "liver fire flaring upwards."
As a food remedy, consume highly antioxidant ingredients such as fragrant herbs, citrus fruits, and vitamin A.
◆This Month's Key Ingredient
Asparagus
Asparagus is recommended for April, when a strong spirit and perseverance are needed. It is rich in aspartic acid, which is also found in energy drinks, and helps boost energy and metabolism.
It also has detoxifying and diuretic properties, making it a vegetable to incorporate when you are concerned about skin problems or swelling for beauty purposes.
◆Recipe Introduction
Clear Your Head! Reset Fatigue
Asparagus Gapao Style
On busy days, reset your fatigue with a simple dish made from a few ingredients that are rich in nutrients. This easy Asian recipe combines chicken, which helps improve eye and brain fatigue, with eggs, which foster spirit and perseverance.
Ingredients (for 2 servings)
Ground chicken 200g
Garlic 2 cloves
Asparagus 5 stalks
Eggs 2
Vinegar 1 tablespoon
Fish sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons
Chili pepper, black pepper to taste
Olive oil appropriate amount
Rice 2 servings
Instructions
①Sauté ground chicken and sliced garlic in olive oil.
②Add asparagus cut into 3 cm pieces, vinegar, fish sauce, chili pepper, and black pepper to ① and sauté until cooked through.
③Make two fried eggs.
④Serve rice on a plate, top with ② and fried eggs, sprinkle with black pepper, and it's done.
Point
*Add basil or lemon to taste.
For Beautiful Skin & Anemia Prevention
Grilled Asparagus and Orange
This refreshing grilled salad is recommended for days when you're feeling exhausted from mental fatigue. This recipe with fragrant dill and oranges, which contain vitamin C and folic acid, helps relieve stress and counter fluctuating moods.
Ingredients
Asparagus 5 stalks
Orange 1
Garlic 1 clove
Olive oil appropriate amount
Vinegar 1 teaspoon
Salt, black pepper to taste
Dill to taste
Instructions
①Cut asparagus into 3 cm pieces, slice garlic, and peel and segment the orange.
②Sauté the ingredients from ① in olive oil.
③Add salt and vinegar, and once the asparagus is tender, arrange on a plate.
④Finish by generously topping with dill and black pepper.
Point
*The pith of the orange is rich in nutrients, so eat it as is.
Profile
Ai Okubo
Pharmacist, Kampo Counselor. Studied Kampo, medicinal cuisine, and Eastern beauty at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, becoming the first Japanese person to obtain an International Certified Traditional Chinese Medicine Beauty Specialist qualification. After managing Kampo pharmacies, dispensing pharmacies, and aesthetic salons, she is now involved in product development, writing, and corporate consulting as a specialist in medicine and beauty, focusing on Kampo and medicinal cuisine.
Official Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/aivonne85/
Official Twitter:https://twitter.com/Ai_loveflower
