Recently, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine held a special press conference on "Traditional Chinese Medicine Protects the Health of the Elderly" to promote the health of traditional Chinese medicine in China. The conference introduced traditional Chinese medicine prevention, regulation, and health care methods for common and frequently occurring diseases in the elderly, as well as prevention and treatment methods for respiratory infectious diseases in autumn and winter. At the meeting, a reporter asked if there are any methods to invigorate the spleen and stimulate appetite for elderly people who often suffer from loss of appetite and weakened digestive function. Yang Ge, chief physician of the Department of Geriatrics at Guang'anmen Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, stated that the healthy functioning of the spleen and stomach is the cornerstone of the health and longevity of the elderly. The key to dietary therapy lies in "warmth, softness, and lightness". The spleen and stomach of elderly people are like a machine that has been used for a long time and lacks power, so food should be chosen that is easy to "start" and "process". In this regard, Yang Ge recommended the classic diet and massage method: yam coix seed Congee. The formula uses fresh yam or dried mountain pills with coix seed, jujube, and rice. Method: Soak coix seed for 2 hours in advance, cook Congee with rice and torn jujube, add chopped yam when Congee is about to mature, and cook for 15 minutes at the same time. Add brown sugar or salt in moderation for seasoning. Principle: Yam is a model of "medicine and food sharing the same origin". It has a mild nature and a sweet taste, and can nourish the lungs, spleen, and kidneys, achieving the effects of strengthening the spleen, nourishing qi, nourishing yin, and removing dampness. The effect of Coix seed on strengthening the spleen and promoting dampness can help eliminate "dampness" from the body and reduce the burden on the spleen and stomach. This Congee is mild in nature, nourishing but not greasy, and is very suitable for daily staple food. Hawthorn malt tea. The recipe is stir fried hawthorn, stir fried malt, and dried tangerine peel. Method: Put an appropriate amount of the three medicinal herbs into a teapot, brew with boiling water, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Drink contemporary tea and brew repeatedly until the taste is light. The principle is that hawthorn is good at eliminating meat stagnation, malt is good at eliminating rice and flour accumulation, tangerine peel regulates qi, strengthens the spleen, dries dampness and resolves phlegm. For elderly people who feel bloated after eating too much and do not want to eat, drinking a cup after a meal can effectively promote digestion and relieve bloating in the epigastric region. But elderly people with excessive stomach acid should pay attention to using hawthorn less. Rub the Zusanli acupoint. The positioning is that there is a depression (outer knee eye) on the outer side of the knee, measuring four horizontal fingers downwards (about the width of the four fingers of my palm when they are together), and the horizontal finger on the outer side of the tibia is about three miles from the foot. The method of pressing is to use the thumb or middle finger to press the acupoint with moderate force, feeling the degree of sourness, numbness, and swelling. Press for 5-10 minutes each time, once in the morning and once in the evening, alternating between the two sides. Long term adherence to massage can significantly enhance spleen and stomach function and strengthen the body. Massage technique. The method is to rub your palms hot one hour before bedtime or after meals, with your belly button as the center. Gently massage your abdomen clockwise with your palms, starting from small to large, with a gentle and penetrating force. Massage for 5-10 minutes each time. In principle, massaging the abdomen can directly promote intestinal peristalsis, streamline the internal air flow, and have a direct effect on improving bloating, constipation, and loss of appetite. Clockwise rubbing of the abdomen has a laxative function, while counterclockwise rubbing of the abdomen has a laxative function, but generally speaking, it can be done clockwise for health care. (New Society)