Insomnia Cure – Lotus Seeds, Longan Fruit and Egg Yolk
By Vicky Chan of NourishU
Insomnia can be caused by many psychiatric and medical conditions and has become a very common health challenge to many people in modern societies. To fix insomnia, finding the exact cause is very important in winning the battle.
In Chinese Medicine, insomnia can be due to unsettled gut, unsettled liver or unsettled mind. To deal with unsettled gut, one has to fix digestive issues first, and then eat a healthy and easy to digest diet and adhere to healthy eating habits. To balance liver energy, it is important to promote liver yin and lower liver heat. To calm an unsettled mind, Chinese Medicine believes that by enforcing kidney functions, it can keep the over excited mind energy in check.
Personally, I have found much success using lotus seeds, longan fruit and egg yolk to calm the over active mind at night. There is substantial evidence proving that egg yolk is not harmful but healthy for us. Egg yolks are home to tons of essential but hard-to-get nutrients, including choline, which is linked to lower rates of breast cancer (one yolk supplies 25% of your daily need) and antioxidants that may help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. The belief that egg yolks cause high cholesterol is now found to be untrue. Chinese Medicine finds egg yolks to be great for promoting blood and yin; lotus seeds for strengthening spleen, benefiting the kidney to preserve essence, and keeping the heart-fire and the kidney water in balance; and longan fruit for invigorating the heart and spleen, nourishing blood and calming the mind.
The following is the recipe. It is a very delicious dessert recipe with no adverse side effect and can be taken by people with no problem sleeping. I will strongly recommend anyone who has problems with shutting their eyes at night to give this recipe a try. It is very inexpensive and easy to make. For convenience, you can cook a batch together to be served for a few days. Please explore our website www.noursihu.com for recipes treating other causes of insomnia.
Lotus Seed, Dried Longan Fruit and Egg Yolk Dessert
Symptoms
Insomnia due to imbalance of kidney and heart energy.
Therapeutic Effects
Keeps heart fire and kidney water in balance, nourishes heart and tranquilizes the mind, nourishes blood, and tonifies yin.
Ingredients
- Lotus seeds (lien zi) 蓮子 - 20 (best to use lotus seeds with red membrane and green centre still not removed)
- Dried longan fruit (long yan rou) 龍眼肉 - 10
- Egg yolk – one
- Sugar or honey – to taste
Directions
1. Soak lotus seeds for one hour and rinse.
2. Rinse longan fruit and put the two ingredients to cook with 3 to 4 cups of water over medium heat for about 45 minutes to about 1 cup of water left and lotus seeds are soft to eat.
3. Put egg yolk in a serving bowl, pour the hot liquid in and stir to cook the yolk. Then mix in longan fruit and lotus seeds, and add honey/sugar to serve.
Usage
Eat one hour before bed. Take continuously for 7 days as one course of treatment.
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