Everyone loves a bowl of warm and delicious chicken soup, but add in some TCM herbs and you’ve got an even more flavourful and nourishing soup for the whole family. This particular recipe strengthens your kidneys and liver, and replenishes your Qi (vital energy) and blood to encourage darker hair, better complexion and a stronger body.
Beauty and health benefits
Strengthen Kidneys and Liver, Strengthen Spleen, Replenish Qi, Replenish Blood,
Darken hair, moisturise skin, improve complexion, anti-aging
Applications
Premature greying of hair, fatigue, low energy, heart palpitations, insomnia, weak and sore knees and waist
Recipe
Ingredients (serves 3-4 people)
Whole black chicken (1)
Salt (to taste)
何首乌 Hé Shǒu Wū (15g)
当归 Dāng Guī (10g)
党参 Dǎng Shēn (10g)
北芪 Běi Qí (10g)
枸杞子 Gǒu Qǐ Zi (10g)
玉竹 Yù Zhú (10g)
熟地 Shú Dì (10g)
大枣 Dà Zǎo (8)
Equipment
3L slow cooker
Directions
Wash and skin the black chicken, and season with salt
Wash the herbs
Place the herbs and chicken into the slow cooker
Pour in hot water till it covers the ingredients (about 1.5L of water)
Cook at high heat for 2.5 hours
Cooking tip: Use an electrical timer to control the cooking while you are out at work. Set the 1st timing to turn the slow cooker off after 2.5hrs of cooking, then set a 2nd timing to turn the slow cooker on 30min before you reach home to warm the soup up, so you can have a fuss-free hot dinner when you return home from work.
This particular recipe strengthens your kidneys and liver, and replenishes your Qi (vital energy) and blood to encourage darker hair, better complexion and a stronger body.
Explanation
The relationship between hair, kidneys and blood
In TCM, the quality of our hair is closely related to our Kidneys and our Blood. TCM describes hair as being “a reflection of the health of our kidneys” and that it is nourished by the blood. In other words, strong kidneys and sufficient blood are required for healthy hair.
This recipe improves the condition of your hair by both strengthening your kidneys and replenishing your blood using herbs such as 何首乌 (Hé Shǒu Wū) and 熟地 (Shú Dì).
Furthermore, nourishing the kidneys can strengthen the knees and waist. Replenishing blood can address the problems of heart palpitations and insomnia due to blood insufficiency too.
Replenish Qi
The Qi replenishing herbs in this recipe are: 黄芪 (Huáng Qí), 党参 (Dǎng Shēn), 大枣 (Dà Zǎo) These herbs can strengthen your body in general and provide more energy. They also strengthen the Spleen, which helps in digestion and absorption of nutrients to produce more Qi and Blood. Chicken is also a Qi replenishing food item.
Improve complexion
Some of the herbs in this recipe including 当归(Dāng Guī), 何首乌(Hé Shǒu Wū), 玉竹 (Yù Zhú), 大枣 (Dà Zǎo), 党参 (Dǎng Shēn) and 黄芪 (Huáng Qí) can help to improve complexion.
Anti-aging effects
党参 (Dǎng Shēn), 黄芪 (Huáng Qí) and 玉竹 (Yù Zhú) are known to have anti-aging effects.
美味的鸡汤若加入养生的中药材，则能使汤汁更可口香甜，营养更丰富，也是全家人的最佳滋补汤。此食谱能补肝肾，益气补血，乌发，润肤及强身。
养生及美容功效
滋补肝肾，益气健脾，补气养血
乌发，润肤，养颜，延缓衰老
主治
须发早白，疲乏无力，心悸失眠，腰膝酸软
食谱
材料 (3-4人份)
乌鸡（1只）
盐（少许）
何首乌（15克)
当归（10克)
党参（10克)
北芪（10克)
枸杞子（10克)
玉竹（10克)
熟地（10克)
大枣（8梅)
器具
3公升电炖锅
做法
乌鸡洗净去皮，腌些少盐
将各药材洗净
将药材与乌鸡放入电炖锅内
在电炖锅内加入热水，盖过材料为适（约1.5公升）
开高温炖2.5小时
烹饪建议：上班人士可使用定时器控制电炖锅的开关制。首先设置定时器第一段两个半小时后自动关的时限，再设置另一个用餐前半个小时自动开的时限。如此，下班回家后，即时能轻轻松松地享受一顿丰富营养的晚餐。
方解
须发赖于肾及血
须发之生长脱落及润泽枯槁能反映肾的盛衰。发的生长也赖于血之濡养。若肾精充足，血也有余，那毛发则润泽而粗壮。
此汤以何首乌，熟地等药物补肾及养血来乌发。
此外，补肾将可强壮腰膝。补血也能治血虚引起的心悸失眠。
补气
此方之补气药包括黄芪，党参，大枣。鸡肉也能补气。
补气药除了能补充体力以外，也能健脾，以加强脾脏吸收消化营养的功能，而促进气血之生化。
美肤
当归，何首乌，玉竹，大枣，党参，黄芪都有美肤的作用。
延缓衰老
党参，黄芪及玉竹都有延缓衰老之功效。
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