A thousand hardships are easy to come by, yet it is difficult to rid oneself of dampness.
In traditional Chinese medicine, dampness is considered a harmful evil. The impact of damp evil on the human body is extremely powerful, severely damaging health. Those with heavy dampness in their bodies are mostly weak in the spleen and stomach. When the spleen function to transform water dampness is impaired, stagnation of dampness occurs due to spleen deficiency.
In the summer, with increased rainfall, many people are prone to having excessive dampness in their bodies. According to research, improper diet can easily exacerbate internal dampness, increasing the risk of illness.
In the summer, what fruits can worsen the internal “dampness”?
1: Watermelon
There are many watermelons available in the market now, and watermelon is known as the “heat-relieving godsend” in summer. Eating watermelon can replenish the body with fluids, improve thirst issues, and aid in the faster excretion of urine. However, watermelon can worsen dampness.
Watermelon itself is a cool and moist food with high water content. Consuming a moderate amount is beneficial for health. However, excessive intake can increase the metabolic burden on the body and even raise the risk of illness.
Many people enjoy chilled watermelon in summer, feeling cooler. However, dampness in the body will also increase. It is advisable to control intake and not compromise on health.
2: Bananas
Bananas are not only plentiful in summer but can be consumed throughout the year. Eating bananas in moderation can help accelerate gastrointestinal movement to expel toxins and waste from the body. However, bananas can also worsen internal dampness.
Bananas are a cool and moist fruit and are not recommended for excessive consumption, especially for individuals with heavy internal dampness. Overconsumption of bananas can compromise the constitution and even disrupt the body’s immune environment.
3: Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit has a sweet taste, is convenient to eat, and is favored by women during weight loss. Consuming dragon fruit can accelerate gastrointestinal movements, supplement vitamins, and aid in slimming.
Dragon fruit is a cool and moist fruit, which can easily worsen internal dampness and lead to increased body ailments. Therefore, excessive consumption of dragon fruit can exacerbate internal dampness. It is advisable to control intake.
4: Jackfruit
Jackfruit is a popular fruit with a rich nutrient content, although its flavor may not be appealing to some people. Jackfruit is crispy and nutritious. Although it belongs to tropical fruits, consuming jackfruit in excess can also worsen internal dampness, leading to serious issues such as obesity and bad breath.
5: Mango
Many people nowadays enjoy eating mangoes due to their sweet taste. However, mangoes are cool in nature, and excessive consumption of this fruit can worsen dampness in the body.
Female friends should avoid mangoes during menstruation as they can potentially worsen health conditions. If craving mango, it is best to wait until the body has recovered before consumption.
For people with heavy dampness, avoid these three activities:
1. Going to sleep with wet hair
In hot summers, people sweat more, and the frequency of hair washing increases. Some individuals go to sleep without drying their hair, especially female friends, after washing it. This can inadvertently allow dampness to invade the body, leading to headaches and fatigue, mainly because evaporation of moisture from the scalp continuously takes away heat from the brain, allowing cold air to enter the body.
Therefore, to prevent excessive internal dampness, it’s best to dry your hair before sleeping. Avoid taking showers or washing your hair after 9 pm to minimize dampness invasion.
2. Sitting for prolonged periods in damp places
With the high summer temperatures, many people prefer sitting on cool floors. However, staying seated in damp environments for prolonged periods can allow cold and dampness to invade, increasing the risk of illness.
Sitting in a damp environment can affect blood circulation, increase dampness, especially for office workers in air-conditioned environments. It’s advisable not to stay indoors in air-conditioned rooms for long periods, provide ventilation to reduce residual dampness, which is beneficial for overall health.
3. Staying up late frequently
In hot weather, sleep can be disrupted, leading to prolonged late nights and inadequate sleep, resulting in weakened immunity. This makes it easier for dampness, cold evil, or heat evil to invade the body, damaging health.
While preventing heatstroke, ensure sufficient sleep to give the body proper rest and resist external evils. It is recommended not to overindulge in seeking cold during summer, get into deep sleep before 11 pm, make sure to have 7-8 hours of rest, resulting in a stronger physique.
Recommendation: Drink more dandelion and hawthorn tea to invigorate the spleen and dispel dampness
After entering the summer, the temperature quickly rises, the rainfall increases, and there is a mix of humid and hot weather. Damp evil is most likely to invade the body, posing health risks. It is beneficial to drink a cup of tea that invigorates the spleen and dispels dampness daily, helping in detoxification and disease prevention.
Dandelion can clear heat and dampness, improve issues caused by damp heat such as nausea, yellow-coated tongue, effective in enhancing skin complexion; Hawthorn is used for eliminating dampness constrained in the middle burner and dispelling stagnated spleen-qi. It promotes dampness transformation and is a good medicine for reinvigorating the spleen and stomach.
Poria cocos can invigorate the spleen and stomach, promote diuresis and eliminate dampness; Coix seed can invigorate the spleen and stomach, nourish the lung, clear heat, expel wind, and conquer dampness; Gardenia can clear heat and dampness, promote diuresis and eliminate dampness, invigorate the spleen, and stop diarrhea.
By properly combining the above ingredients and drinking them as tea, it can significantly benefit the body. When drinking water, remember to sip slowly, frequently, and ensure proper absorption of fluids.
Excessive dampness can easily cause various discomforts. It is important to develop good lifestyle and dietary habits to maintain the stability of the internal body environment, which helps in safeguarding health.
