Herbs for the Heart - Chai Hu （柴胡）

Chai Hu is sweet and slightly acrid in nature. It helps to ease fever, strengthens the lungs and improves the Qi circulation in the liver. It is also able to treat stuffiness in the chest, fever with intermittent chills, malaria, menoxenia, dizziness and uterine prolapse.

Chai Hu Soup （补中益气汤）

Ingredients:
2g of Chai Hu
12g of Bei Qi
2g of Sheng Ma
4g of Dang Shen
8g of Bai Zhu
1/2 piece of dried tangarine peel
3 slices of fresh ginger
4 large dates
1 duck

Instructions:
1. Gut and skin duck. Remove fat from duck. Scald duck and rinse.
2. Place all ingredients into a pot. Add water. Boil over high heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Reduce to low heat and cook for 2 hours. Season with salt and serve.

Benefits:
1. It benefits the spleen and stomach; strengthens the Yang energy and Qi. It's good for poor Qi circulation in the internal organs, rectal or uterine prolapse due to Qi-asthenia, prolonged illnesses like malaria and dysenteny.

Other Cooking Practices:
1. People with flu and fever. In addition, add Kudzu Root （葛根）， Huang Ling (黄苓） and Shi Gao（石膏）

2. People with chest pain and poor Qi circulation in liver. In addition, add Chuan Xiong and Xiang Fu (香附）

3. People with insufficient Qi in internal organs, fatigue and rectal prolapse due to prolonged diarrhoea. In addition, add ginseng (人参), Bai Shu (白术), Huang Qi (黄芪） and Sheng Ma（升麻）

4. For people with malaria, cold and fever. In addition, add Huang Ling (黄苓）and Cao Guo （草果）

Warning:
People who just recuperated from an illness (poor Qi) should not drink this soup.