Hello, everyone,
Greetings, I am Mu Xiaotong, a TCM practitioner learning from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for nine generations. I focus daily on the health and nurturing of individuals with a phlegm-damp constitution.
My master often says that food therapy is better than medicine, and many people with a phlegm-damp constitution are most suited for food therapy.
By following my meal plan, phlegm-damp will gradually disappear, and you will soon become healthy.
“ Today’s Five Movements and Six Qi:• In 2025 (Year of the Wood Snake), the central movement is Lesser Metal, presiding over the heavens is Yangming Dry Metal, and in the springs is Lesser Yin Fire. • March 15th belongs to the initial qi (from the Great Cold to the Spring Equinox), the main qi is Jueyin Wind Wood, and the guest qi is Taiyin Damp Earth, with a mixed climate of dampness and cold, which easily leads to phlegm-damp obstruction and poor qi flow. Seasonal Characteristics: The end of the Insects Awaken (before the Spring Equinox), Yang energy gradually rises, but the damp earth is in season, requiring prevention of Liver Qi Stagnation affecting the Spleen which exacerbates phlegm-damp. Today’s Health Principle: Strengthen the Spleen, resolve phlegm, soothe the Liver, and promote dampness elimination, while also lightly dispersing Lung qi (to prevent Dry Metal from harming the Lungs).
Breakfast Recommendations
1. Job’s Tears, Dried Tangerine Peel, and Poria Cereal• Ingredients: Job’s Tears 30g (roasted), Poria 15g, Dried Tangerine Peel 5g, Japonica Rice 50g.• Effects: Job’s Tears promotes dampness elimination and strengthens the Spleen, Dried Tangerine Peel regulates qi and resolves phlegm, Poria drains dampness and calms the mind, Japonica Rice protects the stomach.• Reason for Selection: Roasted Job’s Tears are warm in nature, avoiding cold damage to the Spleen; Dried Tangerine Peel resolves phlegm-damp obstruction, aligning with the seasonal damp earth.• Contraindications: Pregnant women should use Job’s Tears with caution, and can substitute with Chinese Yam.
2. Rose Buckwheat Steamed Buns• Ingredients: Buckwheat Flour 50g, Wheat Flour 50g, Dried Rose Petals 3g (powdered and kneaded into the dough).• Effects: Buckwheat reduces fat and clears turbidity, Rose Petals soothe the Liver and relieve depression, alleviating the phlegm-damp constitution and Liver Qi stagnation.• Reason for Selection: In spring, soothing the Liver is essential; Rose Petals align with the Wind Wood qi, and Buckwheat aids the Spleen and Stomach in transforming phlegm-damp.
Beverage: Corn Silk and Hawthorn Tea• Ingredients: Corn Silk 10g, Dried Hawthorn 5g, Ginger 1 slice.• Effects: Corn Silk promotes urination and reduces swelling, Hawthorn aids digestion and relieves stagnation, Ginger warms the middle and transforms fluids, together they eliminate phlegm-damp.• Contraindications: Reduce Hawthorn quantity for those with excessive stomach acid.
Lunch Recommendations
1. Winter Melon and Red Bean Stewed Pork Ribs• Ingredients: Winter Melon 200g (with skin), Red Beans 20g, Pork Ribs 150g, Ginger 5 slices.• Effects: Winter Melon skin promotes urination and reduces swelling, Red Beans strengthen the Spleen and eliminate dampness, Pork Ribs nourish without being greasy, Ginger neutralizes cold properties.• Reason for Selection: Keeping the skin on the Winter Melon enhances dampness elimination, aligning with the “Metal Movement” of the Year of the Wood Snake which requires moistening dryness.• Contraindications: Those with Yang deficiency and cold sensitivity can add pepper to warm Yang.
2. Stir-fried Bamboo Shoots with Black Fungus• Ingredients: Bamboo Shoots 150g (blanched), Black Fungus 50g, Small Chili Peppers 2 (seeded).• Effects: Bamboo Shoots clear heat and resolve phlegm, promote bowel movements, Black Fungus invigorates blood and eliminates turbidity, Small Chili Peppers mildly disperse dampness.• Reason for Selection: Bamboo Shoots are seasonal vegetables for the Insects Awaken, helping to promote Yang energy, while Black Fungus resolves phlegm and blood stasis.
Staple: Er Chen Tang Brown Rice• Preparation: 100g of brown rice cooked with 5g of Dried Tangerine Peel and 10g of Poria (remove after cooking).• Effects: A simplified version of the classic phlegm-resolving formula “Er Chen Tang,” brown rice strengthens the Spleen and promotes bowel movements, avoiding phlegm from refined rice.
Dinner Recommendations
1. White Radish, Kelp, and Crucian Carp Soup• Ingredients: White Radish 150g, Kelp 50g, Crucian Carp 1, Green Onion 3 segments.• Effects: White Radish aids digestion and resolves phlegm, Kelp softens hardness and disperses masses, Crucian Carp strengthens the Spleen and promotes dampness elimination, Green Onion promotes Yang and transforms turbidity.• Reason for Selection: Kelp resolves phlegm-damp accumulation, White Radish regulates qi, addressing the “phlegm-congealed qi-stagnation” issue of the phlegm-damp constitution.• Contraindications: Those with thyroid dysfunction should use Kelp with caution.
2. Stir-fried Shepherd’s Purse and Lotus Root Strips• Ingredients: Shepherd’s Purse 100g, Lotus Root 150g, Garlic 5g (minced).• Effects: Shepherd’s Purse benefits the Liver and harmonizes the middle, Lotus Root strengthens the Spleen and clears heat, Garlic warms and transforms cold phlegm.• Reason for Selection: Shepherd’s Purse is a wild vegetable in spring, clearing Liver heat and preventing Wood from overcoming Earth; Lotus Root generates fluids and moistens dryness, balancing the dryness of the Metal Qi presiding over the heavens.
Soup: Three Bean Drink (Improved Version)• Ingredients: Red Beans 15g, White Broad Beans 15g, Black Beans 15g, Dried Tangerine Peel 3g.• Effects: The three beans strengthen the Spleen and promote dampness elimination, while Dried Tangerine Peel regulates qi, reducing the source of phlegm-damp generation.
Snack Recommendations
1. Baked Oranges• Preparation: 1 orange (with skin) wrapped in aluminum foil, baked at 180°C for 10 minutes.• Effects: Baked orange peel resolves phlegm and stops cough, while the flesh generates fluids, suitable for those with phlegm-damp and lung dryness.
2. Poria and Chinese Yam Cake• Ingredients: Poria Powder 20g, Chinese Yam Powder 50g, Glutinous Rice Flour 30g, steamed into a cake.• Effects: Poria strengthens the Spleen and drains dampness, Chinese Yam nourishes the Lung, Spleen, and Kidney, and the cake is soft and easy to digest.
Today’s Dietary Contraindications
- Avoid Rich and Greasy Foods: Such as braised pork and cheesecake, which easily generate phlegm and promote dampness.
- Avoid Cold and Damp-Generating Foods: Such as iced drinks and bananas, especially avoid consuming them at dinner.
- Be Cautious with Allergic Foods: Such as mangoes and durians, which can exacerbate phlegm-damp and heat.
Key Points for Seasonal Nourishment Based on Five Movements and Six Qi
• Presiding Yangming Dry Metal: Individuals with a phlegm-damp constitution are prone to lung dryness, so the diet should moisten without promoting dampness (such as Lotus Root and White Radish).• Guest Qi Taiyin Damp Earth: Focus on strengthening the Spleen’s transformation function, avoiding excessive sweetness (such as honey and desserts).• End of Insects Awaken: Moderate consumption of sprouts (such as bean sprouts) can help Yang energy rise, but those with heavy phlegm-damp should pair with warming and pungent ingredients (such as ginger and green onion).
Warm Reminder
Today’s meal plan focuses on “resolving phlegm, soothing the Liver, and strengthening the Spleen.” Fans with a phlegm-damp constitution can also practice tapping the Spleen Meridian (San Yin Jiao, Yin Ling Quan) and Gallbladder Meridian (Feng Shi Point), to promote smooth qi flow. If phlegm is thick and yellow, with a greasy tongue coating (phlegm-heat), you can replace the Winter Melon and Red Bean Soup with Houttuynia and Lean Meat Soup (15g of Houttuynia).
After tomorrow’s Spring Equinox, the meal plan will adjust its focus, and feedback on changes in constitution is welcome! 🌱