Follow these tips to help you defeat dampness

"Why do I always feel sleepy?", "Why do I feel heavy and lack energy all day long?" If these symptoms occur frequently, it may be a sign of excessive dampness in the body. In addition to humid environments such as the return of the south wind, improper daily routines can also cause dampness to accumulate. Registered Chinese medicine practitioner Xu Zechang pointed out that improving dampness problems requires starting fromRegulate the spleen and stomachFunction, and provide practical diet and soup suggestions.

Common symptoms of excessive moisture

The symptoms of dampness accumulation are mostly manifested in the physical sense, and common ones include: overall fatigue and heaviness, mental depression, loss of appetite, stomach bloating or abdominal discomfort, and women may also experience an abnormal increase in vaginal discharge.

[Mechanism of moisture formation]

The generation of dampness is influenced by both the external environment and the functioning of the body's internal organs. While we cannot change natural factors like seasonal humidity, we can improve dampness by regulating internal functions. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory holds that the spleen governs water and moisture metabolism, regulating the normal flow of water in the body. When spleen and stomach function weakens, water cannot be metabolized and excreted promptly, leading to stagnant dampness and excess dampness.

【Eating habits to avoid】

To reduce dampness accumulation, the first priority is to protect the spleen and stomach. Specific things to note:

1. Avoid cold drinks: Cold drinks can easily damage the Yang Qi of the spleen and stomach, weakening their ability to transport and transform water and dampness.

2.Eat regularly: Frequently ignoring breakfast, fasting for a long time, or overeating leading to excessive load on the spleen and stomach will reducedigestive function.

3. Limiting hard-to-digest foods: Excessive intake of greasy, high-fat and large amounts of meat and other difficult-to-digest foods will increase the burden on the spleen and stomach and hinder water metabolism.

【Recommended spleen-strengthening ingredients】

In your daily diet, you should give priority to foods that have the effect of strengthening the spleen and replenishing qi:

Staple foods: Starchy foods such as rice, potatoes, and sweet potatoes not only provide energy, but also help the spleen and stomach maintain normal function. Many people worry that consuming carbohydrates will cause weight gain and reduce staple foods, which may weakenSpleen and stomach function, which increases the risk of dampness accumulation, so it is recommended to consume in moderation.

Food and medicine ingredients：Traditional spleen-strengthening ingredients such as yam and coix seed can effectively enhance spleen and stomach function and promote water metabolism.

In addition, moderate exercise can stimulate the yang energy in the body, which has the function of promoting the transportation of water and moisture. The sweating process during exercise can directly help expel moisture from the body.

[Three Recipes for Dehumidifying Soups]

1. Chinese Yam and Job's Tears Soup (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients: 1 liang of Chinese yam, 1 liang of Job's tears, 1 jin of lean meat

Instructions: Wash the ingredients and blanch the lean meat. Add all ingredients to water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Efficacy: Strengthens spleen and stomach functions and promotes moisture metabolism.

2.Corn Silk, Atractylodes Macrocephala, and Lean Pork Soup (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients: 1 jin of pork, 2 liang of corn silk, 1 liang of white atractylodes

Instructions: Trim excess fat from the lean meat and blanch. Wash and bundle the corn silk. Add all ingredients to a pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Efficacy: Nourishes the spleen and stomach while promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, improving water retention.

3.Codonopsis, Red Bean and Pork Ribs (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients: 1 tael of Codonopsis pilosula, 1 tael of red beans, 2 pieces of dried tangerine peel, 1 catty of pork ribs, 3 honeyed dates.

Instructions: Blanch the pork ribs. Wash the red beans, tangerine peel, and candied dates and set aside. Add all ingredients to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Efficacy: Nourishes Qi and blood and removes dampness, suitable for conditioning those with weak constitution and heavy dampness.

By adjusting eating habits, maintaining a regular pace of life, and combining moderate exercise with herbal diet, you can effectively improve the problem of excessive dampness and regain a light and energetic body.