SiShen Tang 四神汤

四神汤

简介

四神汤有健脾开胃、稳血糖、祛湿气、美容等功效。四神汤是坊间经常吃到的佳品，同时也是道温和的药膳，具有健脾开胃、调肝固肾、祛湿清热、补中益气等功效。“四神” 都有补益脾阴、加强肠胃功能效果，可以治疗消化不良、容易拉肚子，能吃不长肉、长不胖的人，且价格大众，是瘦人增肥食疗佳品。

四神汤药材含有大量淀粉，单独炖煮的话口感较涩，适合添加蛋白质增加润滑感，荤食者可用各种肉类配四神，而素食者，可加豆类制品一起煮粥或汤，比较容易消化，很适合成长中的孩童与青少年，老年人及病后体虚等年龄层人士，可谓寓治疗与饮食之中，一举两得。另外，薏仁有健脾利水的作用，可改善脾虚湿盛引起的水肿、小便不利及频尿。雨天时容易出现头痛、四肢关节挛急者可加薏仁。

此汤非常适于日常膳食，是笔者非常推崇的一道药膳组合。如果觉得味道过于寡淡，可适量加入大枣、枸杞，丰富味道的层次之余，也为饮食添加更丰富的营养。

主要食材

四神汤由四味药材组成：莲子、茯苓、山药和芡实，主要功效是健脾益胃、补肾、祛湿、提升元气。

 茯苓

健脾利湿，可帮助身体排水分和湿气，也可补肾。小便不顺者，或久坐的上班族容易有下肢水肿问题，通过食用茯苓和多运动，可改善循环、利小便、消水肿。

芡实

具有益肾固精，补脾止泻，除湿止带之功效。如果民众有拉肚子、尿失禁、气血不足、腰骨疼痛、湿气重等症状，都可用芡实。

莲子

具有补脾止泻，止带，益肾涩精，养心安神之功效。因此，若是女性的白带较多、男性容易梦遗、失禁，或是腰膝酸软、水肿等情况，可使用莲子。

山药

山药可补脾胃，对脾胃虚弱者尤其有益。例如身体较瘦、肌肉较少、消化不良的人，可用山药补脾胃，增加脾胃的吸收能力及肌肉的力量。

食用功效

1. 四神汤能延年益寿

四神汤对脾胃有很好的保健作用。脾胃为后天之本，把先天之本顾好，体质随之改善，自然能延年益寿。其中的茯苓，补脾胃之余，还能安心神，让人精神变好，从而长久保持健康。

2. 四神汤可稳定血糖

对于血糖过高的人，用四神汤代饭可帮助降低血糖，并逐渐恢复体力。

3. 四神汤能排湿气、美容

四神汤有良好的排湿气效果。坊间认为四神汤可美容，也是针对体内湿气重导致的皮肤问题，如湿盛引起的水肿、长斑、长湿疹和青春痘等。同时，因四神汤有补脾胃效果，还可促进身体吸收蛋白质和脂肪，这有益于脸部肌肤得到营养，变得有光泽。

4. 四神汤能增胖、可减肥

对于体质较虚和肠胃虚弱的人来说，四神汤补脾、补肾的效果可使消化吸收变好，肌肉筋骨长得快，胃口也变好，进而增胖。而脾虚湿盛体质的人，如有易疲倦、水肿、出黏汗、胃口不好、大小便不顺等症状，借助四神汤补脾、利水的效果有助于减肥。

药材辨认

茯苓/茯神

茯苓是真菌类药材，不含有淀粉，一般不会发生霉变。但是，掺杂淀粉后经压制切片所得的茯苓则会出现霉变的现象。伪品茯苓一般切成茯苓丁，仔细观察，可见表面色泽略有不均匀，偶见霉斑，气微，入口尝略有甜味。正品茯苓一般较伪品茯苓断面更加细腻，嚼之味淡。

山药

2. 看边缘。山药的皮很薄，削片前都会被削干净。而木薯皮比山药皮厚许多。一些拇指般大的木薯，因为太小，剥皮困难，所以，削成干片后，边上就会存留着厚皮。凡有厚皮者，必是假山药。

3. 手摸辨别真假。山药干片含淀粉很多，用手摸时，感觉比较细腻，会有较多的淀粉粘在手上。木薯虽然含淀粉量也很大，但它的粗纤维比山药多，手摸感觉比山药粗糙，留在手上的淀粉也比较少。

4. 煮后辨别法。山药一般容易煮烂，而木薯很难煮烂。煮后的山药有一种烂、粉的口感，而木薯的口感比较硬。

Introduction

Sishen Tang has the functions of invigorating the spleen and appetizing, stabilizing blood sugar, removing dampness, and beautifying. Sishen is a mild medicated diet.  The “Sishen”(Four Gods) means the four types of herbal. This formula has the effect of nourishing spleen and yin, strengthening gastrointestinal function, can treat indigestion, diarrhoea, promote the growing of muscle, and reversibly promote the weight loss. Therefore, this formula is suitable for both those who need to gain or lose weight.

The medicinal herbs of Sishen soup contain a lot of starch. For a simply cooked, the taste will be plain and bitter. It is suitable for adding protein to increase the lubricating. For nonvegan, various meats can be used with this soup, while vegetarians can add soy products. This soup helps in digestion, it is very suitable for growing children and teenagers, the elderly and those who are in rehabilitee after illness. It can be said that treatment and diet together in the soup. In addition, barley has the effect of invigorating the spleen and diuretic effect, which can improve edema, dysuria and frequent urination caused by spleen deficiency and dampness. People who are prone to headaches and contractures of limbs and joints can add barley especially during a rainy day.

This soup is very suitable for daily meals and is a combination of herbal diets that are highly recommends. If you feel that the taste is too plain, you can add red dates and wolfberry in an appropriate amount to enrich the taste and add more nutrients to the diet.

Composition : lotus seeds, Poria, Chinese yam and Gorgon

Overall function : Strengthen the digestive system, Remove dampness, Improve body energy level

1. Poria cocos

Invigorating the spleen and removing dampness, it can help the body to drain moisture and dampness, and it can also invigorate the kidneys. For the people who have a urinating issue, or office workers are prone to lower extremity edema. eating Poria and exercising can improve circulation, facilitate urination, and reduce edema.

2. Gorgon

It has the effects of invigorating the kidney, invigorating the spleen and stopping diarrhea, and dehumidifying to eliminate the leucorrhea. This herbal is suitable for the people with symptoms such as diarrhea, urinary incontinence, lack of qi and blood, lower back pain.

3. Lotus seeds

It has the effects of invigorating the spleen and stopping diarrhea, stopping the belt, nourishing the kidney, nourishing the heart and stabilise the emotion, Therefore, lotus seeds are suitable for women who have leucorrhea, men are prone nocturnal emission, incontinence, people who prone to have a knee and lower back pain and edema.

4. Yam

Chinese yam can nourish the spleen and improve function of stomach. For example, people with thinner body, less muscle and indigestion can use yam to nourish the spleen and stomach to increase the absorption of nutrients and to strengthen the muscles.

Edible effect

1. Prolong life

Sishen Decoction has a health care effect on the spleen and stomach. The spleen and stomach are the foundation of body, when spleen be in a good condition, the physique will be improved accordingly, which will naturally prolong life. Among them, Poria, in addition to nourishing the spleen and stomach, it can also promote spiritual health, to maintain health.

2. Stabilize blood sugar

For people with high blood sugar, replacing rice with Sishen formula can help lower blood sugar and gradually restore physical strength.

3. Remove moisture and beautify

Sishen soup has a good dehumidification effect. It is believed that Sishen Decoction can be used for beauty, and it is also aimed at skin problems caused by heavy dampness in the body, such as edema, spots, eczema and acne caused by dampness. At the same time, it can also promote the body to absorb protein and fat, which is beneficial to the nourishment of the facial skin and make it shiny.

4. Promote weight gain and weight lose

For people with weak body and digestive system, the effects Sishen can improve digestion and absorption, speed up the growth of muscles and bones, and have a better appetite, thereby gaining weight. For people with spleen deficiency and dampness, if they are prone to fatigue, edema, sticky sweating, poor appetite, and bowel and bladder issue, the effects of Sishen can help to lose weight.

Identification of Herbal

Poria

Poria is a fungal medicinal that does not contain starch and generally does not get mouldy. However, the Poria cocos obtained by pressing and slicing after mixing with starch will appear mouldy. The fake Poria cocos is generally cut into Poria cubes. Careful observation shows that the surface color is slightly uneven, mould spots are occasionally seen, the tastes slightly sweet. The real Poria cocos is generally more delicate in section than the fake Poria cocos, and the taste is lighter.

Chinese Yam

1. There are no roots in the yam slices, but there are roots in the cassava slices. Although the roots are very small, it can be seen as long as you carefully observe it.

2. Touch to distinguish real from fake. Dried yam flakes contain a lot of starch. When we touch it with hands, it feels more delicate, and there will be more starch sticking to our hands. Although cassava contains a lot of starch, it has more crude fiber than yam, feels rougher than yam to the touch, and leaves less starch on the hand.

3. Identification method after cooking. Yam is generally easy to become soft, while cassava is difficult to soften. Boiled yam has a rotten, powdery texture, while tapioca has a harder texture.