The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is the "Laba Festival". A bowl of steaming Laba Congee not only embodies the simple vision of bumper grain, but also contains a long history of dietetic wisdom and health care. "The Laba Festival is at the coldest time of the year, when the 'cold evil' is in order, it is easy to hurt the yang. Eat a bowl of warm Laba Congee according to the season, and scientifically match the ingredients, which will help to strengthen the yang and recuperate the body in winter. ”Professor Guo Bin from the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Ningxia Medical University said. Experts said that the ingredients of Laba Congee can be personalized according to the health needs of different people to better play its health value. For those with spleen and stomach deficiency and coldness, the focus should be on ingredients with a sweet and warm taste that are easy to digest. The base of Congee can be millet, rice, glutinous rice, with red beans, lentil isothermal beans, to avoid cold food materials such as mung beans, and also with Chinese yam, pumpkin, Euryale fruit and other food materials for strengthening the spleen and stomach. When cooking, 1 to 2 slices of ginger or a few red dates can be added to help warm and dispel coldness, and harmonize the spleen and stomach. For people with diabetes who need to control blood sugar, the core is to select ingredients with low glycemic index, strictly limit the addition of sugar and control the total intake of carbohydrates. Xia Yuhan, Deputy Director of the Nutrition Department at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, suggests that this group of people can choose whole grains such as brown rice, oat rice, and quinoa as their staple food base, and low GI beans such as chickpeas and beans are recommended for mixed beans. It is recommended to pair it with sufficient vegetables, as well as high-quality protein foods such as eggs, lean meat, and soy products, which can help further delay postprandial blood sugar rise, "said Xia Yuhan. Children's gastrointestinal function is not yet developed, and their digestive ability is weak. Laba Congee should follow the principle of easy digestion, light taste, and appropriate amount. It is recommended to use more starch rich ingredients such as yam, pumpkin, sweet potato, and so on, which are soft and glutinous in taste. Pay attention to reducing the proportion of sweet and greasy ingredients such as longan and red dates appropriately to prevent indigestion or affect the appetite for meals, "said Guo Bin. The gastrointestinal function of elderly people has declined, and their digestive and absorption abilities have decreased. According to their specific digestion situation, the proportion of difficult to digest beans and coarse grains can be appropriately reduced, and the proportion of easily digestible grains such as rice and millet can be increased. The ingredients should be fully boiled until soft and tender for chewing and digestion. Experts remind that for pregnant and lactating women, attention should be paid to the intake of high-quality nutrients such as protein, iron, and folate. Xia Yuhan suggested that red beans, peanuts, walnuts and other ingredients can be paired with Congee to supplement vegetable protein and minerals, or red dates and longans can be added to supplement iron. (New Society)