Traditional Dietary Beauty Aids

WENG WEIJIAN

SINCE ancient times the quest for beauty and the secret of prolonging youth have commanded man's attention. A vast array of beauty aids have been developed throughout the world. An ancient Chinese work, Shan Hai Jing (Canon of Seas and Mountains), mentions bathing in medicinal herbs, while Shennong Bencao Jing (Shennong Materia Medica ), an early medical text, lists dozens of foods and herbs used to im­prove appearance.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the condition of the skin and the smell of the breath are reliable indicators of a person's general health. A poor complexion is believed to be caused by an imbalance in the body's fluids. It is essential for good health to restore this balance by improving the functioning of the internal organs. This in turn leads to a healthy, clear complexion.

The following are some of the more common types of poor complexion or skin tone. Each is followed by a simple remedy.

Pallor

Extreme pallor may indicate that the patient is suffering from anemia, general weakness after childbirth, blood loss, fatigue, shortness of breath, poor appetite, insomnia, edema (swelling) of the legs, diarrhea, or other more serious condi­tions. Atonic made of honey, Chinese dates, and peanuts may be beneficial. Take 100 grams of Chinese dates and 100 grams of peanuts and soak in warm water. Simmer until soft. Add 200 grams of honey and simmer further until liquid is reduced. Taken frequently this tonic will increase vitality and improve the complexion.

Dull complexion

Those with grayish, lackluster skin may be suffering from some form of wasting disease, a low-grade fever, aching back and legs, or sexual problems. Traditionally, these conditions are associated with malfunctioning of the kidneys. A tonic made from chestnuts and cabbage is beneficial for the kidneys, and can help increase vitality.
Take 200 grams of raw, shelled chestnuts, and slice in half. Boil in 500 ml of duck broth until soft. Add 200 grams of cabbage, salt and monosodium glutamate (MSG) to taste. When the cabbage is cooked, pour in a little cornstarch mixed with water. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.

Rough skin
People with rough and wizened skin are believed to gener­ate excessive body heat or they may be in the later stages of a high fever. They may also suffer from a dry throat, thirst, restlessness, and constipation. All these can be caused by a re­duced blood volume or excessive body heat.

Bamboo shoots help to reduce body temperature, while sea cucumber assists in blood formation. Take 200 grams of sea cucumber and 100 grams of bamboo shoots, slice, and soak in water. Boil in 500 ml of lean meat broth. Add salt, sugar, soy, yellow wine and a little cornstarch. Stir until the soup be­comes smooth. This soup may help bring back smoothness and luster to dry skin.

Wrinkles
Disorders of the spleen or the kidneys are believed to cause premature wrinkling of the forehead, and around the eyes and neck. They can also cause the skin of the whole body to become slack, making the patient look much older than his or her years. The patient may also tire easily and suffer from backache and weakness in the legs,

Chinese yams have for generations had the reputation of prolonging life. They also help correct imbalances in the spleen and the kidneys. Walnut kernels are good for the kidneys and the brain, and Chinese dates fortify the blood. Haws and green plums benefit the spleen and the stomach by stimulating ap­petite and aiding digestion.

Take 500 grams of freshly skinned Chinese yams. Boil un­til soft and mash. Form into a round flat cake. Place walnut pieces, Chinese dates, haws and green plums on the surface of the cake and steam. Serve with hot honey.

Puffiness of the face

Defective kidneys often cause puffiness of the face and swelling in the legs. Sufferers may often appear pale, and ex­perience shivering, backaches, and urinary frequency.
The leaves of the rapeseed plant (colza) act as a diuretic when made into a soup with shrimp and chicken. They pro­mote health and help reduce swelling.

Swollen neck or double chin

Haws improve circulation of the blood and can help to eliminate fatty tissue. Honey contains plenty of fructose which is more easily metabolized than ordinary sugar, and so less likely to lead to the formation of fat deposits.

Take 500 grams of raw haws, wash, discard stems and kernels. Boil with water until the haws are soft and almost all the liquid has evaporated. Pour in 200 grams of honey and sim­mer until slightly reduced.

Swollen eyelids

Swollen eyelids is believed to be caused by lessened blood volume and vital energy, stagnation of humidity and poor cir­culation of the blood. These conditions are always associated with fatigue, insomnia and swelling of the legs.

A tonic made of an edible fungus, mushrooms and eggplant may be beneficial. Use 200 grams of eggplant, 20 grams of soaked edible fungus and fresh mushrooms. Deep-fry diced eggplant first. Boil in chicken soup together with fungus and mushrooms. Add soy sauce, sugar, salt, and a bit of cornstarch. Stir until the soup becomes smooth.

Dark orbits

These are associated with palpitation, insomnia, backache and fatigue.
A tonic made of Chinese wolfberry and yellow croaker is held to be beneficial. Take a 1-kilogram yellow croaker, scale, gut and remove the bones, head and tail. Dip the fish in flour paste and fry until it becomes yellow. Put on a tray. Pour some oil into a frying pan and heat, add soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, yellow wine, 50 grams of wolfberry, diced cucumbers, pota­toes and a bit of cornstarch. Stir until it thickens. Pour this on the fish.

Sebaceous dermatitis

Most such patients are strong young and middle-aged peo­ple who have halitosis, hydrochor hydria, stomach upset and heated blood.

Balsam pears are believed to be good for reducing fever and thus good for this condition. Use 250 grams of pears, wash, remove seeds and cut into slivers. Fry in vegetable oil with a few carrot slivers. Add salt and a bit of cornstarch. Go with rice or bread.

Freckles
People with freckles are mostly women with fair complex­ions. The cause is considered to be disorders of the liver and kidneys, and the rise of weakness heat, and is associated with dry throat, thirst, backache and low fever.

A tonic made of soft-shelled turtle and artemisia

(Artemisia apiacea) is beneficial. Take a soft-shelled turtle (1 kilogram), remove head, legs and organs, and dice. Add 20 grams of prepared artemisia in small pieces ready for decoction, plus salt, water and yellow wine. Simmer gently.

Skin spots

Skin spots occur mostly in women, especially pregnant women with rib pain, diarrhea and weakness of the spleen. Sometimes these are associated with dysmenorrhea, amenor­rhea and vomiting during pregnancy.

A tonic made of fingered citron and tender tips of bamboo shoots may be good for the liver and spleen. Use fresh tips of bamboo shoots, 20 grams of prepared fingered citron in small pieces ready for decoration, and 20 grams of ginger. Slice and boil in an earthenware pot until they are cooked. Remove from fire, add salt and steep for 24 hours. Take frequently.
Acne

This occurs mostly in young people who may also suffer from disorder of the kidneys, stomach heat and the accumula­tion of bodily humidity.

Considered beneficial for this are three dishes made with Chinese toon, beancurd and eggs. (The toon leaves may be fresh or salted.)

  1. Fried leaves of Chinese toon. Cut the toon leaves up and mix with flour paste. Add salt and fry in vegetable oil.
  2. Mixed leaves of toon and beancurd. Steam beancurd first. Mix it with toon leaves, add salt and sesame oil.

Steamed toon leaves and eggs. Cut up toon leaves, beat eggs and mix with leaves. Add salt and fry in vegetable oil.

Acne rosacea

This is always associated with halitosis and yellow urine. Patients are fond of cold drinks. The cause is mainly humidity and heat of the lungs and stomach.
A tonic made of the rinds of watermelon, wax gourd an cucumber is beneficial for the lungs and stomach. Use 200 grams of watermelon rind, 300 grams of wax gourd rind and 400 grams of cucumber rind. Wash and boil separately. Let cool and slice. Put them in a container then add salt. Soak for 12 hours.

Aged marks

People with aged marks are suffering from blood loss, shortness of breath or sexual problems. These conditions are associated with body weakness, thinness, easy fatigue, dry and itching skin, and constipation.

A tonic made of quail eggs and tremella helps. It requires 50 grams of tremella that has been soaked in water, and 8 cooked quail eggs. Put in a pot, add chicken soup, salt, and yellow wine. Simmer until soft. This is especially good for old people