Has your acupuncturist ever recommended you try congee to nourish your spleen? Congee is so easy to make and it’s so gentle on the stomach. It’s great at nourishing a deficient spleen because it is easy to digest and it’s a little sweet, which the spleen loves. Congee helps to gently nourish qi and blood, calms the stomach, and relieves diarrhea. It’s considered neutral in temperature, in terms of how it affects the body, so it won’t aggravate any symptoms of heat or cold in the body. It’s a well-balanced staple dish in TCM and is easily modified to suit your taste! Give it a try!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of white rice
5 cups of water
Directions:
Rinse rice until water runs clear.
Combine water and rice in a pot on the stove.
Turn heat to the lowest setting and allow it to cook on low for 2-4 hours. The longer it cooks the more nutritious it is considered to be!
Stir congee periodically and feel free to add more water to get the consistency you prefer.
I love plain congee with just a little butter and salt. For more flavor or to give other parts of your body support, try these different additions:
Fresh ginger and green onion to combat initial cold symptoms.
Mung bean for extra help with gas, bloating, and loose stools.
Spinach to tonify blood.
Chestnut and black sesame seeds to nourish kidney qi.
Chicken or cook in chicken stock for additional flavor and to tonify more qi.
Sources:
Leggett, D. (2014). Recipes for self-healing.