Wheat Congee

While rice is the cornerstone of the diet in the East. In the West, wheat grains are considered the staff of life. However, by this, we typically mean wheat bread and other baked products. Overconsumption is at least partly responsible for the western obesity epidemy.

Compared to rice, wheat is more difficult to digest. Negative aspects of wheat are more obvious when eaten as refined flour. We should therefore only consume it in the form of whole grains. However, a person with weak spleen function and a tendency to dampness should avoid even that.

Wheat in TCM

Of course, even wheat has its use in Chinese medicine and has its own Chinese medical properties. According to TCM, wheat is sweet in flavour and cool in nature. It enters the meridians of the spleen, heart and kidneys. It clears the pathological heat, nourishes the heart and calm the spirit and supplement the kidneys. Wheat is used in TCM to treat insomnia, spontaneous and night sweating, neurasthenia and night wetting in children or menopausal problems.

Menopause is often accompanied by emotional problems and stress. Wheat congee, when eaten on a regular basis, helps women in these cases calm down and open themselves up for further treatment. Wheat congee can be prepared in the same way as rice congee. A basic recipe you will find here. If you have a crockpot, it’s great. You can also add other ingredients to the wheat according to your patient’s needs. In the photo, wheat is prepared in a sweet way, with walnuts and a little honey.

Young Wheat

For completeness, fresh wheat is warmer in nature than aged wheat. Currently, it is modern to consume young wheat also in the form of dietary supplements. However, I would rather recommend eating it in combination with rice or the aforementioned wheat congee. Especially for better digestibility. However, if you have little time, even these supplements may be beneficial.

More recipes with wheat can be found here.

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