Excessive dampness can make people feel extremely tired, heavy in the body, and often manifest as a thick and greasy tongue coating. Traditional Chinese medicine suggests adjusting diet by selecting foods with dampness-removing properties to regulate the body. Among them, the combination of “1 flower and 3 beans” is highly praised for its outstanding dampness-removing effect. Let’s delve deeper into the characteristics of these four types of foods and how they help alleviate the issues of excessive dampness and thick tongue coating.
Chrysanthemum not only has the efficacy of clearing heat and detoxifying, but also helps lower blood pressure, making it an optimal choice for both medicine and food. For people with excessive internal dampness, chrysanthemum can effectively clear damp heat, relieve symptoms like bitter taste in the mouth, bad breath, and thick yellow tongue coating. The flavonoids in it have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, boosting the body’s immune system to resist dampness invasion. Drinking chrysanthemum tea not only calms the mind and brightens the eyes but also helps regulate blood pressure, especially suitable for those with damp-heat constitution accompanied by hypertension. Mixing chrysanthemum with lotus leaf and hawthorn for brewing enhances the dampness-removing effect.
Adzuki beans, ranking as the top among the “3 beans,” can promote diuresis, reduce swelling, invigorate the spleen, and eliminate dampness, particularly suitable for body edema, obesity, and urinary obstruction caused by dampness. The abundant dietary fiber in adzuki beans can stimulate intestinal peristalsis, aiding in the elimination of excess dampness. Saponins and minerals in adzuki beans help enhance spleen and stomach function, addressing the root cause of excessive dampness. Adding a few adzuki beans when cooking congee, or boiling soup with coix seed and winter melon is not only delicious but also strengthens the dampness-removing effect.
Mung beans are ideal foods for removing dampness and heat in summer, as they have a cold nature, clear heat, detoxify, promote diuresis, reduce swelling, and alleviate symptoms like thirst, yellow urine, and irritability caused by damp-heat constitution. The polyphenols in mung bean skin play a positive role in improving skin issues related to damp-heat constitution. Boiling mung bean soup, making mung bean cake, and porridge are all effective ways to nourish and remove dampness in summer.
Black beans have a neutral nature, with dual effects of tonifying the kidneys and spleen, promoting diuresis, and eliminating dampness. Components like soy isoflavones and saponins in black beans help regulate endocrine function, alleviating menstrual irregularities and edema caused by dampness. Black beans are rich in dietary fiber and oligosaccharides that promote intestinal health, facilitating the expulsion of dampness. Making soy milk from black beans, or stewing soup with red dates, goji berries, etc., is not only tasty but also healthy.
In addition to dietary therapy, attention to the following points will enhance the dampness-removing effect: consume these foods in moderation, especially individuals with spleen and stomach weakness; incorporate moderate exercise like walking, yoga, tai chi to promote blood circulation; focus on a diet that is light and easy to digest, reduce intake of greasy, spicy, and raw-cold foods, and consume more vegetables and fruits; maintain a positive mindset because poor emotions can impact the spleen and stomach, leading to dampness accumulation.
By adjusting daily lifestyle, most people can effectively alleviate discomfort caused by dampness and restore body balance. However, if dampness issues persist severely, seek timely medical attention to obtain professional medical help.
