Addressing the issues of constitution, food therapy is superior to medicinal therapy.
Medicinal therapy is like cooking with high heat, emphasizing speed and quick results; food therapy, on the other hand, is like simmering soup over low heat, emphasizing slow and meticulous work. This is especially true for phlegm-dampness, which is a rather stubborn constitution. Often, haste makes waste, and it is more suitable to use food therapy to gradually resolve and thoroughly eliminate it.
Strange illnesses are often caused by phlegm, and phlegm-dampness can make a person appear very “greasy.” Oily skin on the face, prone to acne and pimples, frequent phlegm production, always feeling lethargic and unmotivated, preferring to lie down, phlegm-dampness is also synonymous with obesity. Nowadays, stubborn obesity, especially with a big belly, is often due to a phlegm-damp constitution.
Phlegm-dampness is very stubborn and difficult to deal with, but don’t panic. In response to the increasing number of people with phlegm-damp constitutions, today I will share a recipe suitable for daily health maintenance, a food therapy recipe specifically for resolving phlegm and eliminating dampness.
Phlegm-Resolving and Damp-Eliminating Porridge: Appropriate amount of millet, 20 grams of Huai Shan (Chinese yam), 15 grams of Fu Ling (Poria), 15 grams of lotus seeds, 10 grams of roasted Yi Yi Ren (Job’s tears), and 10 grams of Chen Pi (dried tangerine peel), cook together to make porridge.
All forms of dampness and swelling belong to the spleen. To regulate a phlegm-damp constitution, one must focus on resolving phlegm and eliminating dampness, and secondly on strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach.
Fu Ling, one of the nine great herbs, is a spirit that grows under ancient pine trees. It is very gentle and pure, and is a secret weapon for eliminating dampness. It can directly remove damp evil from the body, improve fatigue and drowsiness caused by excessive dampness, and it also has the effect of strengthening the spleen and calming the mind.
Yi Yi Ren, originally slightly cold, becomes milder after roasting, and is the key herb for eliminating dampness, enhancing the overall damp-eliminating effect, expelling dampness through urination, and preventing diarrhea caused by excessive damp evil.
Chen Pi is used to regulate qi, strengthen the spleen, dry dampness, and resolve phlegm. Phlegm is actually a form of dampness and is the most stubborn type. Chen Pi is warm and can disperse lung qi, regulate the flow of qi, eliminate phlegm-dampness, and enhance the digestive function of the spleen and stomach. Additionally, the aromatic nature of Chen Pi can awaken the spleen and stimulate appetite, improving loss of appetite caused by excessive phlegm-dampness.
Lotus seeds, known as the “ginseng of the water,” can nourish the spleen and benefit the kidneys. Nourishing the spleen can accelerate the transformation of water and dampness, preventing the formation of phlegm-dampness. The kidneys govern the two excretions, and benefiting the kidneys can open the gates, speeding up the expulsion of water and damp phlegm through the lower jiao. Moreover, lotus seeds also have the effect of calming the heart and mind, which can help regulate insomnia and vivid dreams caused by excessive phlegm-dampness.
Huai Shan is the first choice for strengthening the spleen. Traditional Chinese medicine states: All forms of dampness and swelling belong to the spleen, and the spleen is the source of phlegm-dampness. Resolving phlegm and eliminating dampness without strengthening the spleen is futile. Huai Shan can simultaneously nourish both spleen yin and spleen yang, strengthen the righteous qi of the spleen and stomach, comprehensively activate the digestive functions of the spleen and stomach, and improve the source of qi and blood production, preventing the generation of phlegm-dampness from the root.
Millet, the basic ingredient of the entire recipe, is easy to digest and is the best for strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach, benefiting qi and harmonizing the middle. For those with a phlegm-damp constitution and weak spleen and stomach, it is the best health food.
So, this is the phlegm-resolving and damp-eliminating porridge I want to share with everyone today. The entire food therapy recipe addresses the symptoms by resolving dampness and phlegm while treating the root cause by strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach, effectively correcting the phlegm-damp constitution. It is suitable for those with oily hair, oily skin, frequent phlegm production, lack of energy, easy fatigue, stubborn obesity, big bellies, sticky stools, and thick greasy tongues for daily health maintenance and improving constitution.
