A series of porridge recipes suitable for people with high blood pressure (Part 5): From rabbit meat porridge to motherwort seed porridge – heart-strengthening and blood-stasis-removing formulas.

Rabbit Meat Porridge [Ingredients]Appropriate amounts of japonica rice, rabbit meat, water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, and ginger. [Preparation]Cook porridge using standard methods. [Benefits]Shiitake mushrooms contain various vitamins and minerals, which greatly promote metabolism and improve the body's adaptability; they also have therapeutic effects on diabetes, tuberculosis, infectious hepatitis, and neuritis, and can be used for indigestion and constipation.

Solomon's Seal and Oatmeal Porridge [Ingredients]100g rolled oats, 15g Solomon's Seal. [Instructions] ① Soak the Solomon's Seal in cold water, boil for 20 minutes, then drain the liquid. Add fresh water to the Solomon's Seal and boil for another 20 minutes. Combine the two liquids. ② Pour the liquid and oatmeal into a pot and simmer over low heat until it becomes porridge. Add honey to taste. Eat for breakfast daily. [Benefits]Solomon's Seal and Oatmeal Porridge nourishes Yin and clears heat, benefits the spleen and heart. Suitable for arteriosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and rheumatic heart disease.

Sophora japonica flower porridge [Ingredients] 30g fresh sophora japonica flowers, 60g japonica rice, appropriate amount of brown sugar. [Instructions] Simmer the fresh sophora japonica flowers in water to obtain about 1000ml of juice, then cook the juice with the japonica rice and brown sugar into porridge. [Efficacy] Clears heat and cools the blood.

Hawthorn, Chrysanthemum, and Honeysuckle Porridge [Ingredients]100g white rice, 1 tablespoon each of hawthorn sauce, chrysanthemum crystals, and honeysuckle dew. [Instructions]First, put the white rice in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and cook until the porridge is done. Then add the hawthorn sauce, chrysanthemum crystals, and honeysuckle dew to the rice porridge and stir well. [Efficacy]Promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, clears heat, and calms the liver. Mainly treats coronary heart disease of the qi stagnation and blood stasis type.

Shepherd's Purse and Black Bean Porridge [Ingredients]250g shepherd's purse, 60g black beans, 15g japonica rice. [Instructions] ① Pick out any impurities from the fresh shepherd's purse, wash it thoroughly with clean water, and chop it finely; soak the black beans in warm water for about 4 hours, then wash them thoroughly with clean water. ② Wash the japonica rice, put it in a pot with the black beans, pour in an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and continue cooking until the rice and beans are about 80% cooked. Add the shepherd's purse, and cook until the rice grains have opened up and the beans are tender and soft. [Benefits]Strengthens the spleen and promotes diuresis.

Sesame and Mulberry Porridge [Ingredients]60g each of mulberries and black sesame seeds, 30g of rice, 10g of white sugar. [Instructions] ① Wash the mulberries, black sesame seeds, and rice separately and mash them together in a porcelain jar. ② Put 1000ml of water in a clay pot and bring to a boil. Add the white sugar, and once the water boils again, slowly add the mashed mulberries to the boiling water, stirring constantly, and cook until it becomes a porridge-like consistency. [Efficacy]Nourishes Yin, clears heat, and lowers blood lipids; suitable for hyperlipidemia.

Black Bean, Hawthorn, and Goji Berry Porridge [Ingredients]50g black beans, 100g hawthorn, 30g goji berries, 20g brown sugar. [Instructions] ① Wash the hawthorn and goji berries. Chop the hawthorn and remove the pits. Place the hawthorn, goji berries, and washed black beans in a clay pot, add enough water, and soak for 1 hour. ② Once the black beans are fully soaked, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 1 hour, until the black beans are tender. Add brown sugar and mix well. [Benefits]Nourishes the liver and kidneys, relieves fatigue and lowers lipids. Suitable for patients with hypertension and fatty liver due to liver and kidney yin deficiency.

Kiwi Porridge [Ingredients]120g kiwi, 100g rice, 30g white sugar. [Instructions] ① Peel the kiwi and cut it into small pieces; rinse the rice and set aside. ② Add an appropriate amount of water to a pot, add the rice and cook into porridge. When the porridge is about 80% cooked, add the kiwi pieces and cook until the porridge is fully cooked. Add white sugar to taste. Take 1-2 times daily for 7-10 days. [Effects]Relieves irritability and heat, promotes body fluid production and moistens dryness, regulates the middle and lower qi, and harmonizes the stomach and relieves nausea. It can be used to treat spleen and stomach qi deficiency, indigestion, irritability, and thirst.

Safflower and Peach Kernel Porridge [Ingredients]10-15g peach kernels, 6-10g safflower, 50-100g japonica rice, appropriate amount of brown sugar. [Preparation]First, crush the peach kernels into a paste, then decoct them together with the safflower. Discard the residue and keep the liquid. Then cook the rice with the safflower into a thin porridge, and add brown sugar to taste. Take 1-2 times daily, warm. [Effects]Invigorates blood circulation, promotes menstruation, removes blood stasis, and relieves pain. Suitable for qi stagnation and blood stasis, amenorrhea, irregular menstruation, coronary heart disease, hypertension, angina pectoris, etc.

Leonurus japonicus seed porridge [Ingredients] 10g Leonurus japonicus seeds, 15g goji berries, 50g japonica rice. [Instructions] Wash the Leonurus japonicus seeds and goji berries, put them in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, decoct to extract the juice, then add the washed japonica rice and cook into porridge. [Effects] Calms the liver and subdues yang, clears heat and extinguishes wind.