Characteristics of Phlegm-Damp Constitution
The physical characteristics of phlegm-damp constitution include: a plump body shape, a soft and full abdomen. Common manifestations include: excessive facial oiliness, profuse and sticky sweating, chest tightness, excessive phlegm, a sticky or sweet mouth, a preference for rich, sweet, and sticky foods, a greasy tongue coating, and a slippery pulse.
Overall characteristics: Phlegm-damp accumulation, primarily characterized by a plump body shape, a full abdomen, and a sticky tongue coating.
Physical characteristics: Plump body shape, soft and full abdomen.
Common manifestations: Excessive facial oiliness, profuse and sticky sweating, chest tightness, excessive phlegm, a sticky or sweet mouth, a preference for rich, sweet, and sticky foods, a greasy tongue coating, and a slippery pulse.
Psychological characteristics: Generally mild-mannered and steady, often patient.
Tendency to develop diseases: Prone to diabetes, stroke, and chest obstruction.
Adaptability to external environments: Poor adaptability to the plum rain season and humid environments.
Diseases Commonly Associated with Phlegm-Damp Constitution
Phlegm-damp constitution, due to congenital factors and excessive consumption of rich foods combined with lack of exercise, leads to the stagnation of fluids, with the spleen unable to transform and transport, resulting in phlegm accumulation. This phlegm-damp mixture obstructs the functions of various organs, leading to various discomforts and diseases.
When phlegm-damp accumulates in the lungs, it obstructs the lung qi, causing symptoms such as cough with phlegm, phlegm rattling in the throat, snoring, and shortness of breath, which can lead to chronic bronchitis, chronic bronchial asthma, and cough.
Phlegm-heat can cloud the clear orifices, leading to symptoms such as confusion, chest tightness, mental fatigue, forgetfulness, and decreased responsiveness, making the elderly prone to dementia, stroke, and chest obstruction.
Phlegm-damp obstructing the spleen and stomach can lead to symptoms such as excessive phlegm, poor appetite, abdominal obesity, easy fatigue, drooling, abdominal distension, and sticky stools, making one prone to simple obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and fatty liver.
Phlegm-damp in the lower jiao can lead to symptoms such as cloudy urine, lower back soreness and fatigue, weakness in the lower limbs, and dampness in the genital area, making one prone to lower limb edema, prostate enlargement in men, and excessive vaginal discharge in women.
Health Maintenance for Individuals with Phlegm-Damp Constitution
Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution often have significant internal dampness, which obstructs the spleen qi, commonly manifesting as drowsiness, easy fatigue, and a tendency to be quiet, especially after meals when dampness can further burden the spleen, leading to increased drowsiness. Therefore, it is advisable to develop a habit of going to bed early and rising early, and to avoid lying down after meals; engaging in moderate household chores or walking is recommended.
Living spaces should ideally face the sun, maintaining a dry environment, frequently changing undergarments, and taking hot showers to help disperse yang qi and promote qi flow.
Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution can often tolerate cold but are intolerant of heat. During seasonal transitions or significant temperature differences between day and night, it is important to adjust clothing accordingly to prevent unnoticed exposure to cold, which can exacerbate internal dampness.
Clothing should be loose-fitting, made from breathable natural fibers such as cotton, linen, or silk, which facilitate sweat evaporation and help eliminate internal dampness. In humid and cold weather, outdoor activities should be minimized to avoid exposure to cold rain.
Dietary Recommendations for Phlegm-Damp Constitution (Part 1)
Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution should maintain a light diet, focusing on foods that can clear the lungs, transform phlegm, strengthen the spleen, and promote water metabolism.
Foods that can strengthen the spleen, transform phlegm, and promote dampness elimination include: japonica rice, glutinous rice, oats, buckwheat, sorghum, millet, corn, coix seed, red adzuki beans, mung beans, mung bean sprouts, fava beans, lentils, soybeans, tofu, soybean sprouts, green leafy vegetables, ginger, radish, winter melon, bitter melon, cucumber, various wild vegetables, mushrooms, lean meat, shrimp, freshwater fish, milk, and eggs.
Those with a plump phlegm-damp constitution should especially avoid rich, greasy, and overly sweet foods, as well as sour, bitter, and cold items, such as fatty meat, turtle, bird’s nest, tremella, walnuts, bananas, apples, pears, vinegar, pastries, and candies. Instead, they can consume some filling foods that are low in calories, such as whole grains, wild vegetables, seasonal fresh vegetables, and freshwater fish.
Here are some medicinal dishes that can help adjust phlegm-damp constitution for your reference:
Recommended Medicinal Dishes
1. Carp Soup
Ingredients: 1 carp (about 1000 grams), 50 grams red adzuki beans, 6 grams dried tangerine peel, 6 grams grass fruit, 3 grams fritillaria, appropriate amounts of vegetable oil, ginger slices, green onion segments, and salt.
Preparation: Clean the carp, remove the gills and internal organs, and wash thoroughly; heat vegetable oil in a pot, stir-fry ginger slices and green onion segments until fragrant, then briefly fry the carp. Soak the red adzuki beans, fritillaria, grass fruit, and dried tangerine peel in cold water for one hour, then stuff them into the carp’s belly. Boil water in a clay pot, add the carp, season with salt, and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes.
Effect: Clears the lungs, transforms phlegm, strengthens the spleen, and promotes dampness elimination.
2. Four-Nut Lentil Porridge
Ingredients: 20 grams coix seed, 20 grams red adzuki beans, 15 grams white lentils, 5 grams bitter apricot kernels, 5 grams white cardamom, and 150 grams japonica rice.
Preparation: Wash all ingredients thoroughly and soak in cold water for 1 hour; pour the soaked ingredients into a clay pot, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and cook until the porridge thickens and the beans are soft.
Effect: Strengthens the spleen, promotes dampness elimination, transforms phlegm, and moistens the intestines for smooth bowel movements.
3. Steamed Carp with Coix Seed
Ingredients: 1 carp, 100 grams coix seed, 10 grams dried tangerine peel, 10 grams ginger slices, 5 grams grass fruit, and appropriate amounts of salt, monosodium glutamate, and fresh broth.
Preparation: Shell the grass fruit and wash it; rinse the dried tangerine peel with warm water, cut into strips, and soak in water for 10 minutes; soak the coix seed in water for 2 hours; clean the carp, remove scales, gills, and internal organs, and stuff the carp’s belly with grass fruit, tangerine peel strips, and coix seed. Place the carp in a large bowl, add ginger slices, salt, monosodium glutamate, and fresh broth, and steam for about 90 minutes. Remove from the steamer and discard the ginger, grass fruit, tangerine peel strips, and coix seed.
Effect: Treats damp-heat type liver cancer with edema, diarrhea, and food stagnation.
4. Coix Seed and Winter Melon Seed Tea
Ingredients: 30 grams coix seed, 30 grams winter melon seeds, and appropriate amounts of rock sugar.
Preparation: Wash the coix seed and soak in cold water for half an hour; wash the winter melon seeds and drain; boil water in a pot, add coix seed and winter melon seeds, and when the coix seed is soft, add rock sugar and simmer for a while, then strain and drink.
Effect: This tea has effects of lowering blood pressure, reducing blood sugar, eliminating edema, and promoting diuresis. Long-term consumption can improve rough skin, making it soft and tender, making it a natural skincare expert for women.
5. Stir-fried Lotus Root with Lotus Leaf and Bean Sprouts
Ingredients: 200 grams fresh or dried lotus leaves, 50 grams soaked lotus seeds, 100 grams shredded lotus root, 150 grams mung bean sprouts, and appropriate amounts of vegetable oil and salt.
Preparation: Boil lotus seeds and lotus leaves in water to make a broth; heat vegetable oil in a pan, stir-fry shredded lotus root until 70% cooked, then add lotus seeds, mung bean sprouts, and lotus leaf broth, and season with salt, cooking until everything is tender.
Effect: Nourishes the spleen and kidneys, promotes dampness elimination, and reduces obesity.
6. Plantago and Mung Bean Tea
Ingredients: 60 grams mung beans, 30 grams plantago.
Preparation: Soak mung beans in water for 2 hours, wash and drain; rinse plantago. Place mung beans and plantago in a pot, add water and boil, then simmer until the tea reduces to half, strain and drink.
Effect: This tea clears heat and detoxifies, reduces fire and promotes diuresis, and has effects of improving vision, transforming phlegm, and soothing the throat.
Dietary Recommendations for Phlegm-Damp Constitution (Part 2)
Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution should avoid excessive supplementation, as nourishing meats, bones, animal organs, ginseng, deer antler, donkey-hide gelatin, jujube, fermented grains, cooked rehmannia, pear syrup, rich soups, walnuts, and sesame are generally unsuitable for phlegm-damp constitution.
Foods that can strengthen the spleen, transform phlegm, and promote dampness elimination include: japonica rice, glutinous rice, oats, buckwheat, sorghum, millet, corn, coix seed, red adzuki beans, mung beans, mung bean sprouts, fava beans, lentils, soybeans, tofu, soybean sprouts, green leafy vegetables, ginger, radish, winter melon, bitter melon, cucumber, various wild vegetables, mushrooms, lean meat, shrimp, freshwater fish, milk, and eggs.
Those with a plump phlegm-damp constitution should especially avoid rich, greasy, and overly sweet foods, as well as sour, bitter, and cold items, such as fatty meat, turtle, bird’s nest, tremella, walnuts, bananas, apples, pears, vinegar, pastries, and candies. Instead, they can consume some filling foods that are low in calories, such as whole grains, wild vegetables, seasonal fresh vegetables, and freshwater fish.
Japonica rice: Neutral in nature, sweet in flavor, enters the spleen and stomach meridians; it has the effects of tonifying the middle, benefiting qi, harmonizing the five organs, stopping vexation and diarrhea, strengthening bones, promoting blood circulation, and benefiting essence and will. It is indicated for diarrhea, dysentery, insufficient stomach qi, thirst, vomiting, and various deficiencies. It is especially suitable for individuals with phlegm-damp constitution.
Coix seed: Slightly cold in nature, sweet and bland in flavor; it promotes diuresis and reduces swelling, strengthens the spleen and dispels dampness, relaxes tendons and alleviates pain, and clears heat and drains pus. It is a commonly used diuretic and dampness-eliminating herb. Coix seed is also a beauty food, regular consumption can maintain skin luster and delicacy, eliminate acne, freckles, age spots, and melasma, and is effective for dry skin, acne, chapped skin, and rough skin. It has the effects of strengthening the spleen, dispelling dampness, stopping diarrhea, and draining pus. Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution should consume more.
Oats: Neutral in nature, sweet in flavor, enters the liver, spleen, and stomach meridians; it has the effects of benefiting the liver and stomach, and is used for food aversion, poor appetite, and constipation caused by liver and stomach disharmony. It is suitable for individuals with phlegm-damp constitution.
Millet: Cool in nature, sweet and salty in flavor; it has the effects of harmonizing the middle, benefiting the kidneys, clearing heat, and detoxifying. Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution can consume more.
Winter melon: Sweet and bland in flavor, slightly cold in nature; it has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting diuresis and transforming phlegm, relieving vexation and thirst, and has beautifying effects. Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution should consume more.
Mung beans: Sweet in flavor, slightly cold in nature; they enter the heart and stomach meridians. Regular consumption of mung beans has good auxiliary therapeutic effects for hypertension, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and nephritis. Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution should consume them regularly.
Special Recipe
Astragalus, Yam, and Coix Seed Porridge
Ingredients: 20 grams astragalus, 20 grams yam, 20 grams ophiopogon, 20 grams coix seed, and 50 grams japonica rice, with appropriate amounts of sugar.
Preparation: First, slice the yam and soak it with astragalus, ophiopogon, and bamboo mushrooms, then add all ingredients, add water, bring to a boil, and then simmer until it becomes porridge.
Effect:
Benefits qi, nourishes yin, strengthens the spleen, transforms phlegm, and calms the heart.
Acorus and Coix Seed Porridge
Ingredients: 15 grams acorus, 10 grams dried tangerine peel, 30 grams poria, 60 grams coix seed, 100 grams japonica rice, and appropriate amounts of rock sugar.
Preparation: Wash the coix seed and japonica rice, soak the dried tangerine peel, acorus, and poria in a clean cloth bag, cook the porridge, and when cooked, add rock sugar and mix well before serving. This is also a health porridge that can be eaten regularly.
Effect:
Clears heat, transforms disease, dispels dampness, and relieves summer heat.
Four-Nut Lentil Porridge
Ingredients: 20 grams coix seed, 20 grams red adzuki beans, 15 grams winter melon seeds, 15 grams white lentils, 5 grams bitter apricot kernels, 5 grams white cardamom, and 150 grams japonica rice.
Preparation: First, wash all the ingredients thoroughly and soak in cold water for 1 hour. Then pour the soaked rice into a clay pot, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and cook until the porridge thickens and the beans are soft.
Effect:
Strengthens the spleen, promotes dampness elimination, transforms phlegm, and moistens the intestines for smooth bowel movements.
Phlegm-Damp Constitution and Medicinal Health
Individuals with this constitution should regularly check their blood sugar, blood lipids, and blood pressure, paying attention to their health indices. Those living in humid environments are prone to phlegm-damp obstruction of the spleen and stomach, leading to internal phlegm-damp accumulation.
The occurrence of obesity is closely related to the gradual decline of kidney qi after middle age, spleen and kidney yang deficiency, spleen deficiency with damp stagnation, and phlegm formation. Treatment should focus on strengthening the spleen, promoting dampness elimination, moistening the intestines, and warming and tonifying kidney yang.
Medicinal herbs with the effects of aromatic transformation, strengthening the spleen, and promoting dampness elimination include: poria, poria peel, coix seed, winter melon peel, alisma, polyporus, corn silk, gourd peel, shepherd’s purse, fragrant angelica, patchouli, perilla, atractylodes, magnolia bark, sand ginger, cardamom, and others.
Herbs that can dispel phlegm and transform phlegm include: pinellia, white mustard seed, xuanfu flower, fritillaria, zhejiang fritillaria, trichosanthes, bamboo shavings, bamboo juice, balloon flower, qianhu, fat sea, seaweed, kelp, clam shell, and others.
Regularly choosing a few easily obtainable medicinal herbs as dietary seasonings or brewing them in boiling water can also alleviate some symptoms. For example, for itchy throat and excessive phlegm, one can use 3 grams of fritillaria, 6 grams of balloon flower, and 3 grams of licorice brewed in boiling water, which can benefit qi, calm cough, and transform phlegm, and can be consumed daily as tea.
If experiencing cloudy urine, mental fatigue, and a tendency to be quiet, one can use 3 grams of ginseng, 6 grams of rhizoma dioscoreae, and 3 grams of licorice, brewed in boiling water and consumed daily as tea, which can clarify and transform turbidity, benefit qi, and invigorate the spirit; for those with “three highs,” one can use 3 grams of mulberry leaves, 3 grams of chrysanthemum, 6 grams of bitter lettuce flower, and 6 grams of astragalus, brewed in boiling water and consumed frequently, which can help reduce fat and lower blood pressure with long-term consumption.
When consuming foods and herbs with nourishing properties, it is easy to cause abdominal distension and decreased appetite; at this time, combining some herbs that strengthen the spleen and promote dampness elimination can reduce the occurrence of these discomforts.
Formulas that can improve phlegm-damp constitution include Shenling Baizhu Wan, which can strengthen the spleen, benefit qi, transform dampness, and harmonize the middle. If individuals with phlegm-damp constitution experience fatigue, poor appetite, and loose stools, they can take it for a long time.
Additionally, phlegm-transforming formulas such as Erchen Decoction and Wen Dan Decoction can also be taken as needed.
Meridian Health for Phlegm-Damp Constitution
Meridian health for phlegm-damp constitution is based on strengthening the spleen, benefiting qi, and promoting dampness elimination. Acupuncture points that can strengthen the spleen and benefit qi include: Spleen Shu (脾俞), Lu Shu (肺俞), Zusanli (足三里), and Qihai (气海). Acupuncture points that can promote dampness elimination and transform phlegm include: Zhongwan (中脘), Zusanli (足三里), and Fenglong (丰隆). These points can be massaged, needled, or moxibusted.
For individuals with a plump phlegm-damp constitution, acupuncture points such as Zhongwan, Tianshu (天枢), Daheng (大横), Quchi (曲池), Zhigou (支沟), Neiting (内庭), Fenglong, Shangjuxu (上巨虚), and Yinlingquan (阴陵泉) can be needled; for those who are drowsy, add Zhaohai (照海) and Shenmai (申脉); for those who are quiet and lethargic, add Taibai (太白) and Qihai; for those with chest tightness, add Shanzhong (膻中) and Neiguan (内关); for those with palpitations, add Shenmen (神门) and Xinshu (心俞).
Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution can also massage their abdomen with their palms, using a steady and deep breathing rhythm, repeatedly massaging until the lower abdomen feels slightly warm. Additionally, moxibustion or ginger moxibustion can be applied to Zusanli and Qihai, achieving the effects of strengthening the spleen and benefiting qi, with each session lasting 15 minutes, performed every other day for best results.
Mental Health for Phlegm-Damp Constitution
Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution often have mild, steady, humble, and harmonious personalities, and are good at being patient. They should increase social interactions, participate in collective public welfare activities, communicate more with others, cultivate their own opinions, views, and judgments, enhance their leadership skills within groups, and develop a wide range of interests and knowledge to broaden their horizons.
“Excessive thinking harms the spleen,” so they should avoid overthinking, reasonably arrange leisure and vacation activities to soothe emotions, regulate qi, improve constitution, and enhance health.
Exercise Health for Phlegm-Damp Constitution
Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution often have stagnant phlegm and dampness in their bodies, leading to obesity and fatigue. Consistent moderate exercise is key to improving the adverse state of phlegm-damp constitution.
Exercise should be gradual, focusing on the duration of each session rather than intensity. Depending on their physical condition and endurance, older individuals with phlegm-damp constitution can engage in gentle and sustainable activities such as walking, brisk walking, hiking, tai chi, tai chi sword, and fitness exercises, while younger individuals can participate in more vigorous activities such as ball sports, cycling, swimming, running, and martial arts, aiming for at least 40 minutes of exercise each session.
During exercise, ensure adequate hydration to prevent dehydration from excessive sweating; develop a habit of regularly monitoring body weight, striving to maintain it at a satisfactory level, as consistent exercise will yield better results.
Seasonal Health for Phlegm-Damp Constitution
Individuals with phlegm-damp constitution generally adapt well to their environment and can maintain their healthy lifestyle habits throughout the four seasons.
In spring, as everything revives and the weather warms, individuals with phlegm-damp constitution should focus on regulating their emotions and maintaining a positive mindset, attempting to lead and organize outdoor activities to cultivate their leadership skills. Spring has significant temperature differences between day and night, so it is important to keep warm and avoid catching a cold; clothing should be layered, with lighter clothing on top and heavier on the bottom, and masks should be worn in windy weather to prevent infections. In spring, it is advisable to consume more green vegetables and appropriately reduce weight.
In summer, individuals with phlegm-damp constitution often struggle with heat; when sweating excessively, they should pay attention to hydration and avoid excessive cooling that can harm the spleen and stomach; be cautious with air conditioning to prevent excessive sweating from causing internal heat stagnation; consuming seasonal fruits and maintaining a light diet is recommended, while avoiding cold foods; engaging in indoor exercises, sweating, and drinking plenty of water is encouraged, while avoiding prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
During the transition from summer to autumn, humidity is often high, making individuals with phlegm-damp constitution prone to gastrointestinal diseases; maintaining a clean and regular diet is essential, avoiding leftover foods, and refraining from consuming cold and greasy items. Medicinal dishes or porridge can be used to nourish the spleen and stomach.
In autumn, as the weather cools and dries, individuals with phlegm-damp constitution should take advantage of the season to strengthen the spleen and nourish the stomach, benefit qi, and transform dampness, using various methods such as exercise, diet, and medicinal support.
In winter, individuals with phlegm-damp constitution can generally tolerate cold, but their diet should be warm to protect the spleen and stomach and preserve yang qi; even when not feeling cold, they should pay attention to warmth, maintain regular routines, and continue indoor and outdoor exercises to lay a good foundation for physical fitness in the coming year.
