Weight Loss and Health-Preserving Soups: A Guide to Nutritious Soup Combinations for People with High Blood Pressure, High Blood Sugar, and High Cholesterol

Scallop and Spinach Soup

Ingredients: 25g dried scallops, 5 jujubes, 5g goji berries, 100g spinach, appropriate amounts of scallions, salt, and vegetable oil.

Preparation: Wash the dried scallops and slice them; wash the jujubes, remove the pits, and slice them; remove impurities from the goji berries and wash them; chop the scallions; wash the spinach and cut it into sections. Heat an appropriate amount of vegetable oil in a pot until it reaches 60% of its smoking point. Add the chopped scallions and sauté until fragrant. Add 1000mL of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the dried scallops, spinach, jujubes, goji berries, and salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes and it's ready to serve.

Efficacy: Nourishes Yin and moistens dryness, invigorates Qi and nourishes blood. Dried scallops have the functions of nourishing Yin and tonifying the kidneys, harmonizing the stomach and regulating the middle Jiao. They can treat dizziness, dry throat and thirst, consumptive cough with blood, and weakness of the spleen and stomach. Regular consumption helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and is beneficial for health. Spinach has the effects of nourishing Yin and moistening dryness, nourishing Yin and calming the liver, and aiding digestion. Suitable for hypertension caused by liver and kidney Yin deficiency and liver Yang hyperactivity.

Tea Tree Mushroom and Pork Rib Soup

Ingredients: 200g pork ribs, 80g tea tree mushrooms, 12 red dates, ginger (to taste), salt (to taste).

Preparation: Soak tea tree mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes, then wash, remove roots, and cut into small pieces. Wash pork ribs, cut into sections, blanch, skim off any foam, then add tea tree mushrooms and ginger slices. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to low, add red dates, and simmer for another 40 minutes. Finally, season with salt.

Benefits: Promotes diuresis and eliminates dampness, replenishes qi and strengthens the spleen. Tea tree mushrooms have kidney-tonifying, diuretic, dampness-eliminating, spleen-strengthening, and diarrhea-stopping effects, making them an ideal food for patients with hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Pork ribs replenish qi and nourish the spleen and stomach. Suitable for patients with hypertension.

Hawthorn and Lean Pork Soup

Ingredients: 8g hawthorn, 100g lean pork, 500mL chicken broth, vegetable oil, ginger, scallions, salt (to taste).

Preparation: Wash the hawthorn berries and slice them; wash the lean pork, remove blood, and cut into 4cm long and 2cm wide pieces; crush the ginger and cut the scallions into sections. Heat vegetable oil in a pot until it reaches 60% of its smoking point, then add the ginger and scallions and sauté until fragrant. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil over high heat, then add the lean pork, hawthorn berries, and salt. Bring to a boil again, skim off any foam, then simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

Efficacy: Strengthens the spleen and aids digestion, nourishes the liver and kidneys. Hawthorn berries have the effects of stimulating appetite and digestion, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. They can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, soften blood vessels, and have diuretic and sedative effects. Suitable for those with hypertension and hyperlipidemia due to phlegm-dampness retention.

Tomato and Potato Soup
Ingredients: 300g tomatoes, 300g potatoes, a small amount of white sugar, a small amount of MSG, appropriate amount of scallions, 1 teaspoon of rice wine, appropriate amount of oil and salt.

Preparation: First, wash the tomatoes, remove the stems, halve them, and slice them. Then, wash the potatoes, peel them, and cut them into strips. Heat a wok over high heat, add cooking oil and heat until it reaches 80% of its smoking point. Add the tomatoes and stir-fry, then add cooking wine, salt, and sugar. Stir-fry until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add an appropriate amount of broth, then add the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are tender. Add MSG, sprinkle with chopped green onions, and serve in a soup bowl.

Efficacy: Promotes digestion, cools the blood, and calms the liver. Tomatoes quench thirst, promote digestion, cool the blood, calm the liver, and clear heat and detoxify. They have a good auxiliary therapeutic effect on patients with hypertension and kidney disease. Potatoes strengthen the spleen and stomach, replenish qi, and regulate the middle jiao (digestive system). Potatoes are also high in potassium, which helps control blood pressure. Suitable for patients with hypertension.

Kelp and Tofu Soup
Ingredients: 300g kelp, 200g tofu, 4 cloves of garlic, oil and salt to taste. Preparation: First, rinse the kelp thoroughly and slice it. Cut the tofu into cubes and mince the garlic. Heat oil in a pan, add a little minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the kelp and stir-fry. Pour in half a pot of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over medium-low heat until the kelp is soft. Add the tofu cubes and cook for a while longer. Season with salt, stir well, and serve.

Efficacy: Diuretic and swelling-reducing, replenishes qi and blood. Kelp clears the lungs and resolves phlegm, promotes urination and reduces swelling, and also has the function of lowering lipids and blood pressure. Because it is rich in fucoidan, it can also lower blood sugar. Tofu replenishes qi and blood, promotes body fluid production and quenches thirst, and is cholesterol-free, making it an excellent medicinal food for patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Suitable for patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia.

Mushroom and Three Delicacies Soup
Ingredients: 150g mushrooms, 80g bamboo shoots, 50g bean sprouts, 200g pork, a small amount of chicken essence, oil and salt to taste. Preparation: First, wash the bamboo shoots, remove sand, drain, and cut into rectangular pieces. Wash the mushrooms and slice them. Wash the bean sprouts and shred the pork. Heat oil in a pot, stir-fry the mushrooms first, then add the shredded pork and stir-fry together. Add broth, and once boiling, add the bamboo shoots and bean sprouts. Before serving, add salt and chicken bouillon.

Efficacy: Clears heat and dampness, replenishes qi and blood. Mushrooms invigorate qi and stimulate appetite, suitable for those who are weak due to prolonged illness, the elderly, and children. They also have the effect of lowering blood sugar and anti-cancer properties. Bamboo shoots strengthen the spleen and stomach, relieve chest congestion, and promote bowel movements. They also have the function of lowering blood lipids and blood sugar. Bean sprouts clear heat, improve eyesight, replenish qi and blood. Suitable for patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia.

Vegetarian Borscht
Ingredients: 150g vegetarian ham, 100g carrot, 50g tomato, 50g potato, appropriate amount of scallions, appropriate amount of salt, a small amount of rice wine.

Preparation: First, wash the carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. Cut the ham, carrots, and potatoes into small pieces, and slice the tomatoes into wedges. Pour water into a pot and bring to a boil. Add the ham, and after 1 minute, add the carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes. Once boiling again, add salt and rice wine, then simmer over low heat for 40 minutes.

Efficacy: Strengthens the spleen and aids digestion, nourishes qi and yin. This vegetarian ham is made with bean curd sheets, yam, and eggs. It nourishes qi and yin, strengthens the spleen, lungs, and kidneys, and also has the effects of lowering blood sugar and blood lipids, preventing arteriosclerosis, preventing cardiovascular disease, and protecting the heart. Carrots can also lower blood lipids, promote the synthesis of adrenaline, and have a blood pressure-lowering and cardiotonic effect. Potatoes strengthen the spleen and stomach, and nourish qi and regulate the middle jiao (digestive system). Tomatoes have the effects of quenching thirst, strengthening the stomach and aiding digestion, cooling the blood and calming the liver, clearing heat and detoxifying, and lowering blood pressure. They have a good auxiliary therapeutic effect on patients with hypertension and kidney disease. Suitable for patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

Radish and Plum Soup

Ingredients: 250g radish, 2 plums, salt to taste.

Preparation: Wash the radish and slice it thinly. Place it in a pot with the pickled plums, add 3 bowls of water, and simmer until reduced to 1.5 bowls. Season with salt before serving.

Efficacy: Diuretic and reduces swelling, aids digestion. White radish aids digestion, improves appetite and strengthens the spleen, and can also lower blood lipids, soften blood vessels, and stabilize blood pressure; pickled plums benefit the liver and stomach, and quench thirst. Suitable for patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia due to phlegm-dampness retention.

Winter Melon and Pork Rib Soup

Ingredients: 250g winter melon, 150g pork ribs, appropriate amounts of scallions, ginger, pepper, sesame oil, salt, and MSG.

Preparation: Peel and wash the winter melon, then cut it into chunks; wash the pork ribs and chop them into pieces; wash the scallions and cut them into sections; wash the ginger and slice it. Place pork ribs in a pot, add enough water to cover, bring to a boil, skim off any foam, and simmer until the ribs are tender. Add winter melon, scallions, and ginger, and cook until the winter melon is tender. Add salt and MSG, stir well, add pepper, and drizzle with sesame oil before serving.

Benefits: Diuretic and reduces swelling, invigorates qi and strengthens the spleen. Winter melon is diuretic, reduces swelling, clears heat and relieves summer heat. It is also a typical high-potassium, low-sodium food, which helps control high blood pressure. Furthermore, the malonic acid and dietary fiber in winter melon can effectively lower cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis. Pork ribs can invigorate qi and nourish the spleen and stomach. Suitable for patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

Mushroom and Amaranth Soup
Ingredients: 100g mushrooms, 250g amaranth, 1 scallion, ginger (to taste), a pinch of pepper, a pinch of sesame oil, MSG (to taste), salt (to taste). Preparation: First, remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms, wash them, and soak them in warm water until fully hydrated. Place them in a soup bowl. Next, wash the scallions and cut them into sections. Wash the ginger and slice it. Then, add the shiitake mushrooms to 500mL of vegetable broth, followed by the scallion sections, ginger slices, salt, pepper, and MSG. Steam for about 1 hour. Remove from the steamer. Wash the tender tips of the amaranth, blanch them in boiling water, drain, squeeze dry, and sprinkle them over the mushroom soup. Drizzle with sesame oil.

Efficacy: Clears heat and cools the blood, promotes bowel movement. Shiitake mushrooms are sweet and cool in nature, and can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, preventing arteriosclerosis. Amaranth clears heat and improves eyesight, cools the blood and stops bleeding, promotes bowel movement, and is rich in iron and calcium, which can help maintain normal myocardial activity and assist in hematopoiesis. However, patients with weak spleen and stomach or loose stools should not eat too much. Suitable for patients with hypertension and hyperlipidemia.