Stir-fried chicken eggs with chives, spinach soup with pig liver, ginseng and red date porridge, cordyceps mushroom dessert… can help alleviate fatigue, shortness of breath, and weakness in individuals recovering from Covid-19.
Collection of Nourishing Dishes After Covid-19 Recovery
The causes of fatigue and shortness of breath are due to the depletion of the body’s energy and vitality during the battle against the virus, which is insufficient for normal functional activities. The body needs to be replenished with a higher energy level by consuming a diverse diet, increasing animal protein intake, avoiding overeating while also not allowing prolonged hunger. Patients should divide their food intake into smaller portions and increase meal frequency to 5-6 times a day; prepare easily digestible dishes, preferably finely chopped and stewed until soft.
Additionally, individuals recovering from Covid-19 should incorporate herbs and foods such as ginseng, red dates, astragalus, codonopsis, Chinese yam, cordyceps mushrooms, angelica, lotus seeds, water lily, red beans, pumpkin, beef, goat meat, eggs, and blood clams into their diet.
Medicinal ingredients that help nourish energy and blood include American ginseng, licorice, angelica, and goji berries. (Photo: Mộc Nguyên).
Ginseng and Ginger Porridge
6g ginseng powder (or 15-20g codonopsis powder), 10g fresh ginger, 100g white rice. Rinse the rice, wash and slice the ginger. Cook the rice and ginger until soft to make porridge, add ginseng powder and boil for an additional 5 minutes, seasoning with salt or sugar to taste. Serve hot, 1-2 times a day, continuously for 7-10 days. This dish helps nourish energy and blood.
Ginseng and Red Date Porridge
10g codonopsis, 12g red dates, 100g glutinous rice, and sufficient white sugar. Wash the herbs, cut the red dates in half, remove the seeds, soak in water for 15 minutes, then boil to extract the juice, discarding the residue. Cook the glutinous rice until soft to make porridge, mix in the herbal juice and sugar; alternatively, you can add both the herbs and glutinous rice together to stew into porridge, adding sugar to taste, and serve hot. Consume 1-2 times a day for 5-7 consecutive days. This dish nourishes energy and blood, enhancing vitality.
Turtle Shell Porridge
20g astragalus root, 10g angelica, 100g white rice, and sugar. Wash the herbs, boil them to extract the juice, discarding the residue. Add the rice to the herbal water and cook until soft, adding sugar to taste, and serve hot. This dish helps nourish energy and blood, boosting immunity.
Angelica and Goat Meat Soup
150-200g goat loin or ribs, 10g angelica, 10g red dates, 10g longan, 5g goji berries, and 3 slices of ginger. Cut the goat meat into bite-sized pieces, briefly boil and discard the water. Halve the red dates, remove the seeds, and wash all the ingredients. Place all ingredients in a pot, cover with water, add a sufficient amount of salt, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stew until the ingredients are tender, season to taste, and serve hot with rice. This dish nourishes energy and blood, promotes body fluids, and calms the mind. Consume for 7-10 days per cycle, avoiding use for those with a hot constitution.
Stir-fried Chicken Eggs with Chives
100g fresh chives, two chicken eggs. Wash the chives, chop them finely, beat the eggs, add a little salt and oil, and mix well. Stir-fry until cooked, then turn off the heat and sprinkle with a little pepper. Serve hot with rice. This dish helps nourish energy, clear the airways, strengthen the lungs, and ease breathing.
Cordyceps Mushroom Dessert
Cultivated cordyceps mushrooms effectively nourish energy and enhance immunity. The flavor and aroma of the mushrooms are quite mild, making them easy to combine in various dishes. Incorporate mushrooms when cooking red bean dessert, mixed bean dessert, or ginseng soup. The recommended daily dose of dried mushrooms is 0.5-0.7g per person. Add the mushrooms about 5-10 minutes before finishing the dish. Avoid using cordyceps mushrooms for those experiencing heat symptoms, fever, or similar conditions.
Five-bean dessert with cordyceps mushrooms. (Photo: Mộc Nguyên)
Cordyceps Mushroom Soup
0.5-0.7g dried cordyceps mushrooms, 5g longan, 20g Chinese yam, 15g lotus seeds (or lotus root), 100-150g pork tenderloin. Wash the ingredients, place them in a pot (excluding the mushrooms), cover with water, add a little salt, and simmer on low heat until nearly tender. Add the mushrooms and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, turn off the heat, and season to taste. This dish nourishes energy and blood, increases vitality, boosts immunity, aids digestion, and warms the body.
Cordyceps Tea with Red Dates and Goji Berries
The daily dosage for one person is about 0.5-0.7g of dried cordyceps mushrooms, 12g of red dates, and 5-10g of goji berries. Wash the ingredients, cut the red dates into 3-4 pieces; place everything in a thermos, steep with boiling water, and drink throughout the day until the flavor is gone, eating the solids if desired. This dish can be consumed regularly. It helps nourish energy and blood, generate body fluids, enhance vitality, and boost immunity.
Spinach Soup with Pig Liver
100g pig liver, 30g spinach, ginger, onion, bone broth (if available), and seasonings. Clean the pig liver and slice it, cut the spinach into bite-sized pieces. Add onion and ginger to the bone broth, bring to a boil, add the pig liver, and cook until just done. Increase the heat to add the spinach, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and season to taste. This dish nourishes the blood and is suitable for those recovering from illness.
Ginseng dessert with cordyceps mushrooms. (Photo: Mộc Nguyên)
Some Combination Methods
Massage and Moxibustion
Gently massage the neck and shoulders daily to help reduce anxiety and tension, soothing the nerves. Ask family members to use their hands to gently rub and press or use a hairdryer to warm the upper back area between the shoulder blades.
Breathing and Movement
Practice deep breathing at least once a day for 10-15 minutes. Inhale deeply, expanding the chest and belly; exhale fully. Combine this with full-body movements starting at a light intensity and gradually increasing, listening to your body, and avoiding overexertion.
Medication
Supplement with some finished traditional herbal products such as syrups, tonics for lung health, prioritizing liquid forms; tonics for energy and immunity…
Listening to Music
Listening to uplifting and majestic music can help the body feel invigorated in a state of peace, reducing fatigue.
Traditional Medicine Practitioner Mộc Nguyên
Phu Nhuan District Traditional Medicine Association, Ho Chi Minh City
