How to eat小米for better stomach health

There are several effective ways to consume millet for better stomach nourishment, including simmering millet porridge, drinking millet congee oil, cooking millet with Chinese yam, preparing millet-pumpkin porridge, and making millet mixed-grain rice. Detailed explanations are as follows:

1. Simmered Millet Porridge: After thoroughly rinsing millet, add sufficient water and slowly simmer for over 30 minutes until the porridge becomes thick and the grains soft and mushy. This form is easily digested and absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, reduces the burden on the spleen and stomach, gently nourishes these organs, and is suitable for daily consumption by individuals with weak digestive function.

2. Drinking Millet Congee Oil: A thick layer of congee oil forms on the surface after prolonged simmering of millet porridge. Consuming this oily layer alone allows for easier absorption of nutrients, rapidly replenishes energy, and helps nourish the gastrointestinal mucosa. It is especially suitable for individuals with spleen-stomach deficiency accompanied by poor appetite.

3. Millet Cooked with Chinese Yam: Cooking millet together with Chinese yam enhances stomach-nourishing effects. Chinese yam strengthens the spleen, boosts qi, dries dampness, and promotes diuresis. The synergistic effect improves digestive function, alleviates dull stomach pain, loose stools, and other related symptoms.

4. Millet-Pumpkin Porridge: Combining millet and pumpkin in a cooked porridge takes advantage of pumpkin’s warm nature and sweet taste, which tonifies the middle-jiao and benefits qi while protecting the gastrointestinal lining. The resulting porridge is sweet, fragrant, and soft, minimizing irritation to the stomach and intestines. It also provides vitamins and dietary fiber, offering both nutritional value and gastric protection.

5. Millet Mixed-Grain Rice: Mix millet with small amounts of brown rice, oats, or other whole grains and steam them into rice. Whole grains increase dietary fiber intake, promote gastrointestinal motility, and when combined with millet, help achieve balanced nutrition, avoiding the limitations of single-ingredient diets. This option is ideal for individuals with relatively healthy spleen and stomach function as a regular staple food.

Individuals with cold deficiency in the stomach and intestines should avoid consuming excessive amounts of cold millet porridge; ingredients paired with millet should be mild and easy to digest, avoiding spicy or greasy combinations. Regular consumption along with a balanced diet is more beneficial for regulating spleen and stomach health.