Food custom: Why do you eat litchi on the solstice in summer?

Summer solstice is one of the 24 solar terms, and it is also the earliest established solar term. On this day, there is also a special festival "Summer Solstice Festival". In ancient times, emperors also held ceremonies for the arrival of the summer solstice. People have colorful summer solstice customs, among which the custom of eating litchi from summer solstice is circulating in Lingnan. Let's go and see why.

Litchi contains a lot of natural glucose, protein carbohydrates and vitamins, which can nourish the brain, keep fit and improve intelligence. However, eating too much and getting angry will cause disorder of glucose metabolism in the body, resulting in "litchi disease" (hypoglycemia), which is manifested as nausea, sweating, thirst, fatigue, dizziness and coma. Eating lychee properly can strengthen the body and will not lead to obesity.

Don't eat a lot of litchi continuously. Drink a little salt water or herbal tea before and after eating litchi. Mung bean water, melon water and Radix Rehmanniae soup also have good curative effects. For children, litchi is the same as mango, longan and other fruits. Children with heavy internal fire had better not eat, and normal children should eat as little as possible. For the elderly, elderly people with constipation should try not to eat; Especially patients with liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes and gastrointestinal diseases should be more cautious.

Litchi is warm and dry, and it is best to eat less (preferably at 0. Within 25 kg). If you are suffering from acne, sores, colds or acute inflammation, you are not suitable to eat litchi, otherwise it will aggravate your condition, but if you are weak and have a cold stomach, you are suitable to eat more.

Some people praise the health care effect of litchi: eating it can cool the five internal organs, relieve lung qi, nourish true yin and rejuvenate children. However, some people think that litchi is a "tonic" fruit, and eating too much will make it "dry". If the body and mind are hot and dry, it is not suitable for eating.

Litchi's theory of "tonifying fire" may be because litchi contains a lot of natural glucose, which has special effects on enriching blood and strengthening lung, and has special promotion effect on blood circulation and heat production. Therefore, the infirm who are always "hyperactive in liver fire" and "prone to overheating" eat more lychees, which may cause irritability.

However, most drugs or foods with the function of "tonifying fire" have the function of nourishing and strengthening the body, so litchi can be used as a dietetic product to nourish the body. For people with weak heart and lungs, eating litchi has the function of strengthening the heart and lungs. Generally, people with insufficient body temperature and anemia may wish to use it as a tonic to strengthen the body.