Phlegm-Dampness: Often Cultivated Through Diet

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Written by | Zeng Yuanjing

Source | Yang Baba Asthma Public Course

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We often mention many terms related to diseases: cough, allergies, asthma, eczema, rhinitis… These conditions may manifest in the respiratory tract, on the skin, or anywhere in the body, but they are all more or less related to “phlegm-dampness”.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) emphasizes that the spleen and stomach are the foundation of postnatal health. Ideally, all food and water consumed should be transformed into qi (vital energy), blood, and bodily fluids by the spleen and stomach. However, if one eats excessively, consumes too many cold or raw foods, or if the spleen and stomach are too weak, some food may not be properly transformed, leading to phlegm-dampness accumulating in the body, which can result in various diseases. During critical growth periods, if children have phlegm-dampness and weak spleen and stomach, they may exhibit symptoms that worry parents, such as poor appetite, restless sleep, stunted growth, and lack of weight gain.

Today, we will discuss how to avoid the generation of phlegm-dampness in daily life and protect the vulnerable spleen and stomach.

Pregnancy: Excessive fruits and supplements can generate phlegm-dampness

During preconception and pregnancy, it is crucial for prospective parents to maintain good health.

Clinically, I sometimes see parents who are so frail that a gust of wind could knock them over, yet they complain about their child not eating as much or growing as robustly as other children. This can be viewed from another perspective: the condition of the parents often reflects the condition of the child.

Therefore, it is recommended that parents preparing for conception regularly engage in physical exercise rather than leading a sedentary lifestyle. When qi and blood do not circulate well, the body can accumulate blockages, which can affect the baby’s health.

During pregnancy, it is advisable to limit fruit and supplement intake.

Many families believe that fruits are highly nutritious and should be consumed in abundance, leading many pregnant women to overindulge in fruits. The recommended daily intake of fruit is about 200g, roughly the size of one apple; consuming more can lead to phlegm-dampness. Additionally, supplements like bird’s nest can have the same effect. I have encountered many pregnant women who consume bird’s nest daily, which, like excessive fruit intake, can generate phlegm-dampness. If a pregnant woman accumulates too much phlegm-dampness, how can the baby not be of a phlegm-damp constitution?

Feeding: Focus on suitability for the child’s digestive capacity, not quantity

The nutrients required for human growth, development, and metabolism come from the digestion and absorption of food by the spleen and stomach. I want to emphasize: nutrition is not about how much is consumed, but how much is transformed and absorbed by the spleen and stomach. When the spleen and stomach are strong, children receive adequate nutrition; when they are weak, children may lack nutrition, regardless of the quantity or variety of food consumed.

Many parents, especially grandparents, fear that their baby is lacking in nutrition and tend to overfeed them, even when the baby shows no appetite. They insist on feeding fruits, ice cream, various dairy products, meats, chocolates, etc.

Firstly, if a baby eats too much, they may not be able to digest it, which can damage the spleen and stomach function.Secondly, frequently consuming cold foods like fruits and ice cream can also harm the baby’s delicate spleen and stomach function. Parents should remind themselves and their families that babies are not refugees; they live in an era of abundant material resources and do not need excessive nutrition. Undigested excess nutrition will remain in the body, manifesting as phlegm-dampness and leading to various symptoms.

As for how much is reasonable for a baby to eat, there is no fixed standard.

A few days ago, I met a new mother who complained that her baby was not sleeping at night and had very foul-smelling stools, to the point that she needed to wear a mask to change diapers, and there were many milk curds. I told her that her baby was likely overfed and should reduce the milk intake.

The mother found this hard to accept, saying, “My baby only drinks XX milliliters of milk a day, which is far below the standard.”

We can consider that some adults feel full after one bowl of rice, while others may eat four bowls and still feel hungry; children are the same, with varying appetites. There is no need to compare or force them to meet a so-called standard.

Let me share an example of a little boy, about three or four years old, who has always had poor health and did not like to eat meat. However, his mother’s feeding approach was excellent; she did not force him to eat meat but respected his body’s responses. Whenever he fell ill, she would seek my help for TCM treatment. Previously, this little boy was prone to colds, fevers, and coughs, but recently his mother told me that his spleen and stomach function had gradually improved, he started to enjoy eating meat, and he gained several pounds in the past month, looking increasingly robust.

The previous example illustrates that when a child is not ready to accept certain high-nutrition foods, forcing them to eat will not necessarily provide the needed nutrition. Now, I want to address another group of parents who swing to the opposite extreme.

This group of parents believes their child has a particularly weak spleen and stomach and thinks that meat, eggs, and dairy can generate phlegm-dampness, so they decide to eliminate all these foods, feeding only porridge and vegetables.However, proteins and fats are essential nutrients for the human body, especially for children in their growth phase.

Overeating beyond a child’s digestive capacity is not acceptable, but completely avoiding food can lead to malnutrition.Therefore, it is important to provide a suitable diet based on the child’s digestive capacity.

If a child is relatively thin and short but receives proper postnatal care and their spleen and stomach function is normalized, they will gradually grow up healthy; this is beyond doubt.

What constitutes a healthy and reasonable feeding method?

First, the diet should be balanced and responsive.

Meat, eggs, dairy, and fruits can all be included, but attention must be paid to quantity. Humans are omnivores with a wide-ranging diet, and one should not be picky. Parents should learn to observe their babies; if they notice any irregularities in appetite, stool, or sleep, they should consider whether the food is appropriate and make adjustments as needed.

Secondly, avoid certain foods when sick.

As mentioned in “Dream of the Red Chamber”, when the young ladies in the Jia family fell ill, they would “fast for two days to recover.” This is enlightening for modern people, as our lifestyle resembles that of the Jia family, with abundant nutrition and little physical activity. Therefore, when we fall ill, we should reduce nutrient intake to allow the digestive system to rest adequately.

After a few critical days of illness, if the baby starts to show appetite, one can gradually reintroduce food. At this time, it is important to monitor quantity; foods that are hard to digest should be limited, and if the baby does not want to eat, they should not be forced.

For example, if a baby usually eats three meatballs, they should start with half a meatball, observe for any abnormalities the next day, such as whether symptoms recur, if there is bad breath, thick tongue coating, or unusual stool or sleep. If everything is normal, the next day, one can increase to one meatball, and continue to observe for another day, gradually increasing to the usual amount. During this period, the baby’s appetite is a crucial reference; if they do not want to eat, do not increase the amount.

Exercise: Active children are less likely to accumulate food

Overall, people today are severely lacking in exercise while consuming highly nutritious foods, making it easy for phlegm-dampness to accumulate in the body, leading to various unusual diseases.

Parents should take their children out to play on weekends if they have time; let them run around instead of staying home playing on their phones. It is not the children’s fault that they prefer to stay home; they have not found other interesting activities to engage in.

Therefore, parents should arrange more outdoor activities to enrich their children’s lives. When enrolling children in extracurricular classes, do not only focus on art or music; include sports as well.

A child with a high level of physical activity is less likely to accumulate food, and their spleen and stomach function is usually stronger.

By improving the parents’ constitution, daily feeding practices, and exercise habits, we can significantly reduce the generation of phlegm-dampness, protect the child’s spleen and stomach, and fundamentally prevent many diseases.

Author Bio: Zeng Yuanjing, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, straightforward and genuine 80s practitioner. Also a mother. Born into a family of TCM practitioners, with five generations of medical practice, I have been immersed in medicine since childhood. I studied under renowned professors in TCM, integrating family traditions with various schools of thought.

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