Many people may have encountered situations where they want to seriously diet and lose weight, but instead of losing weight, their weight increases. They feel incredibly fatigued and weak all over, go to bed early and have sufficient sleep, yet still wake up feeling tired and lackluster in the morning. Just after washing their hair and putting on beautiful makeup in the morning, by the afternoon, their hair becomes oily, and their face shines with oil, completely ruining the exquisite makeup.
Friends may have been troubled by these situations to varying degrees but do not know what to do. These issues are actually caused by excessive dampness in our bodies. Traditional Chinese medicine considers “dampness to be the source of all diseases.” If dampness is not eliminated in a timely manner, it can accumulate within the body, obstructing the flow of vital energy and blood, leading to blocked meridians and various diseases.
Symptoms of excessive internal dampness
1. White, greasy, and thick tongue coating
If our body is suffering from various diseases, it will reflect on our tongue. If there is excessive dampness in the body, the tongue coating will appear white, greasy, and thick. This is actually due to the heavy dampness in the body affecting the spleen and stomach’s functioning, resulting in water not being expelled in a timely manner, causing it to rise and change the tongue coating. Additionally, due to the accumulation of dampness, the tongue may become swollen and enlarged, and many people may experience a condition known as a scalloped tongue.
2. Loss of appetite
Sometimes, one can see delicious food, and it’s mealtime, and they may feel very hungry, yet their appetite is poor, making it hard to eat. This is also due to too much dampness in the body, causing the spleen and stomach to function improperly, leading to a lack of appetite despite feeling very hungry.
3. Difficulty in bowel movements
Frequent urges to have a bowel movement but finding it difficult to go, often experiencing constipation. The stool may also be sticky and unformed, adhering to the toilet and hard to flush away. This is also caused by excessive dampness in the body, making the intestinal peristalsis and shaping function weak, making it difficult to expel stool.
4. Dizziness, feeling swollen in the head, and fatigue throughout the body
Sometimes going to bed early and having adequate sleep still leaves one feeling unrested in the morning, with a heavy and fatigued body, unable to feel energetic at work or study. The body’s exposure to dampness can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, lethargy, weakness in the limbs, and a heavy sensation throughout the body.
How to properly eliminate dampness from the body
1. Moderate exercise to sweat and expel dampness
People with excessive internal dampness often engage in little exercise, sitting for long periods without moving, and have irregular eating habits, leading to binge eating, and may continue to sit for a long time after eating without exercising. Therefore, we should increase physical activity to promote metabolism, enhance the circulation of vital energy and blood within the body, which can help expel dampness, improve our constitution, and make our bodies healthier.
2. Reduce the intake of overly oily foods
We all know that fried and greasy foods are bad for our health, yet we still enjoy these foods. Such foods are difficult to digest and can increase the burden on our spleen and stomach. If the spleen and stomach function poorly, dampness will accumulate. So, it is important to change unhealthy eating habits, eat healthily, consume more fresh fruits and vegetables, and reduce or avoid overly rich or fatty foods.
3. To eliminate dampness, drink more tea
Don’t think that having excessive dampness in the body means you should drink less water; in fact, excess dampness is often related to a weak spleen and stomach. To eliminate dampness, we should start with dietary therapy to regulate our spleen and stomach. When the spleen and stomach are healthy and functioning normally, dampness will be expelled naturally, leading to better health.
Here, I recommend a convenient tea for daily consumption to expel dampness—red bean, coix seed, and job’s tears tea.
This includes eight natural herbs effective for expelling dampness and strengthening the spleen: red beans, coix seeds, job’s tears, poria, tangerine peel, barley, lotus leaves, and bitter buckwheat, which can achieve the dual effect of hydrating and expelling dampness when consumed regularly.
Red beans: Can strengthen the spleen and benefit the qi, expelling dampness and draining water.
Coix seeds: Can strengthen the spleen, expel dampness, and clear heat and reduce swelling.
