A visual guide to the benefits of commonly used foods for weight loss: slimming secrets from winter melon and cucumber to deep-sea fish.

Winter melon: This product is the fruit of the winter melon plant, belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting diuresis and weight loss, and resolving phlegm and relieving cough. Medicinal diets include winter melon stewed with Job's tears, winter melon stewed with red beans, and winter melon stewed with fresh lotus root, etc.

Cucumber: This product is the fruit of the cucumber plant (Cucumis melo), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. It contains sugars, glycosides, amino acids, vitamins (A, B₂, C), calcium, phosphorus, and iron, among other components. It has the effects of clearing heat, quenching thirst, promoting urination, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include cucumber strips, cucumber salad with Job's tears, and cucumber drinks.

Potatoes: This product contains starch, protein, pectin, citric acid, lactic acid, and potassium salts. It has the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, and replenishing qi and harmonizing the middle jiao (digestive system). Medicinal dietary methods include stir-fried yam and potato shreds, and potato porridge.

Sweet potato: This product is the tuberous root of the sweet potato plant (Dioscorea opposita), a plant in the Convolvulaceae family. It has the effects of tonifying the middle and blood, replenishing qi and promoting body fluids, widening the intestines and stomach, relieving constipation, and aiding weight loss. Sweet potatoes are low in calories; compared to the same amount of rice (200 grams), they have 190 fewer calories while still maintaining a feeling of fullness for those trying to lose weight. They are also rich in dietary fiber. Medicinal dietary methods include sweet potato and potato porridge, sweet potato soup, etc.

Scallions: This product refers to the bulbs and leaves of the scallion plant, a herbaceous plant belonging to the lily family. It has the effects of releasing exterior pathogens, promoting yang energy, detoxifying, and flavoring. It can also consume body heat. Japanese scientists have conducted experiments showing that components in scallions stimulate the autonomic nervous system, causing changes in blood flow to the skin surface through hormones, thereby raising skin surface temperature and dissipating body heat. Medicinal dietary uses include scallion and ginger drink, stir-fried lean meat with scallions, and stir-fried bitter melon with scallions.

Pumpkin: This product is the fruit of the pumpkin plant (Cucurbita moschata), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. It contains trigonelline, cucurbitine, adenine, arginine, and aspartic acid, among other components. It has the effects of removing dampness and killing parasites, reducing fever and stopping diarrhea, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include pumpkin cooked with yam, pumpkin cooked with red beans, and pumpkin cooked with mung beans.

White radish: This product is the fresh root of the radish plant, a member of the cruciferous family. It contains vitamins (B and C), iodine, arginine, choline, amylase, and oxidase, among other components. It has the effects of strengthening the stomach, aiding digestion, relieving cough, resolving phlegm, promoting urination, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include radish stewed with Chinese yam, radish soup with wolfberry, and radish stewed with red beans.

Mushrooms: This product is the fruiting body of a plant in the Amanita phalloides family. It contains various components such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, crude fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins. It has the effects of stimulating appetite, resolving phlegm, detoxifying, fighting cancer, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stir-fried mushrooms with goji berries, stir-fried mushrooms with yam, and mushroom porridge.

Black fungus: This product is the fruiting body of the black fungus plant (Auricularia auricula-judae). It has the effects of cooling the blood, stopping bleeding, anti-cancer, and weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include double fungus soup, wolfberry and black fungus soup, and red date and black fungus soup.

Bitter melon: This product is the fruit of the bitter melon plant, belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. It has the effects of clearing heat and calming the mind, improving eyesight and detoxifying, lowering blood sugar, and aiding in weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stir-fried bitter melon with yam, stir-fried bitter melon with goji berries, and bitter melon porridge with red dates.

Loofah: This product refers to the fresh, tender fruit of the loofah or sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica), both belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. It has the effects of clearing heat and resolving phlegm, cooling the blood and detoxifying, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include yam and loofah soup, wolfberry and loofah soup, and stir-fried loofah with Polygonum multiflorum.

Lettuce: This product refers to the stems and leaves of the lettuce plant (Lactuca sativa), a member of the Asteraceae family. It is believed to benefit the five internal organs, clear the meridians, and aid in weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stir-fried lettuce with goji berries, stewed lettuce with Chinese yam, and lettuce salad with sesame oil.

Spinach: This product refers to the whole plant, including the roots, of the spinach plant (Spinach arvense), belonging to the Chenopodiaceae family. It has the effects of nourishing yin and moistening dryness, nourishing blood and stopping bleeding. Medicinal dietary methods include spinach and white fungus soup, spinach and yam soup, and spinach and wolfberry soup.

Carrot: This product is the root of the carrot plant, belonging to the Apiaceae family. It has the effects of improving eyesight, strengthening the spleen, and relieving stagnation. Medicinal dietary methods include stir-fried carrot with Chinese yam, stir-fried carrot with wolfberry, and carrot and wolfberry porridge.

Lotus root: This product is the enlarged rhizome of the lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera), a member of the Nymphaeaceae family. It has the effects of nourishing blood and promoting tissue regeneration, strengthening the spleen and stomach, stopping bleeding, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stir-fried lotus root with Chinese yam, stir-fried lotus root with goji berries, and stewed fresh lotus root with mung beans.

Laver: This product is the thallus of *Porphyra yezoensis*, a plant in the Rhododendron family. It has the effects of softening hardened masses and resolving phlegm, clearing heat and promoting diuresis, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include red date and laver soup, wolfberry and laver soup, and yam, wolfberry, and laver soup.

Celery: This product refers to the whole herb of *Apium commune*, a plant belonging to the Apiaceae family. It has the effects of calming the liver and clearing heat, dispelling wind and dampness, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stir-fried celery with wolfberries, stir-fried celery with walnuts, and stir-fried celery with Chinese yam.

River snails: This product refers to the whole body of the Chinese river snail (Viviparidae) or other animals of the same genus. It has the effects of clearing heat and promoting diuresis, reducing swelling and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stir-fried river snails with wolfberries, stewed river snails with yam, and stewed river snails with white fungus.

Turtle meat: This product is the meat of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle, an animal of the Trionychidae family. It has the effects of cooling the blood, stopping diarrhea, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include ginseng stewed turtle, wolfberry steamed turtle, and red date stewed turtle.

Clam meat: This product is the meat of the four-cornered clam or other types of clams. It has the effects of nourishing yin, promoting diuresis, resolving phlegm, softening hard masses, dispersing nodules, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stir-fried clams with ginseng, stir-fried clams with wolfberries, and stewed clams with yam.

Turtle meat: This product is the meat of the turtle, an animal of the Testudinidae family. It has the effects of nourishing yin and replenishing blood, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include ginseng stewed turtle meat, lily bulb stewed turtle meat, and eucommia and walnut stewed turtle meat, etc.

Cuttlefish meat: This product is the meat of the cuttlefish (Shad or Cuttlefish shad), a species of cuttlefish in the family Sepiidae. It has the effects of nourishing blood and yin, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stewed cuttlefish meat with Chinese yam, cuttlefish soup with peach kernels, and stewed cuttlefish meat with red dates.

Mussels: This product refers to the meat of the thick-shelled mussel (Mussel simonii) and other mussel species belonging to the Mylidae family. It is believed to have benefits such as nourishing the liver and kidneys, reducing goiter, and aiding in weight loss. Medicinal dietary recipes include wolfberry and mussel soup, Chinese yam and mussel soup, and cornelian cherry and mussel soup.

Snakehead fish: This product refers to the meat or whole body of the snakehead fish (Channa argus). It has the effects of benefiting the spleen, promoting diuresis, reducing swelling, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include snakehead fish stewed with lotus root, snakehead fish stewed with red beans, and snakehead fish stewed with wolfberries.

Quail: This product refers to the meat or whole body of the quail, an animal of the pheasant family. It has the effects of clearing heat, removing dampness, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stir-fried quail with ginseng, stewed quail with yam, and stewed quail with Ganoderma lucidum.

Mallard duck: This product is the meat of the mallard duck, an animal of the Anatidae family. It has the effects of promoting diuresis, reducing swelling, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stewing mallard duck with corn silk, stewing mallard duck with white lentils, and stewing mallard duck with kelp.

Silkie chicken: This product refers to the meat or the whole chicken (without internal organs) of the Silkie chicken species (Pheasantidae). It has the effects of nourishing yin and reducing fever, and aiding weight loss. Medicinal dietary methods include stewing Silkie chicken with Cornus officinalis, stewing Silkie chicken with Motherwort, stewing Silkie chicken with Ganoderma lucidum, and stewing Silkie chicken with Angelica sinensis.

Rabbit meat: This product is the meat of domestic rabbits, an animal of the Leporidae family. It has the effects of tonifying the middle energizer, replenishing qi, cooling the blood, and detoxifying. Medicinal dietary methods include rabbit meat soup with Chinese yam, stewed rabbit meat with motherwort seeds, and stewed rabbit meat with wolfberries.

Tofu: Tofu is a processed product made from soybean seeds. It has the effects of invigorating qi and harmonizing the stomach, clearing heat and detoxifying. Medicinal diets include tofu stewed with gastrodia elata and fish head, tofu stewed with wolfberries, and tofu braised with yam.