Dampness and Phlegm are created when digestion and fluid metabolism are not functioning properly.
For optimum digestion, it is best to consume fresh foods that are slightly cooked.
Food that is lightly prepared helps to ensures that nutrients are preserved and are more readily digested and absorbed.
General dietary recommendations include eating smaller meals more frequently, enjoying meals by sitting down to relax while you eat and chewing thoroughly to savor flavors.
Pungent flavours including:
- onion,
- garlic,
- turnip,
- ginger,
- mint and
- basil
are beneficial in dispersing congested fluids.
Overly rich, oily or heavy foods should be avoided because they can overwhelm the digestive system.
Cold foods such as
- raw fruits and vegetables,
- tofu, and
- ice cream
should also be avoided since they will slow down the digestion process and make the body work harder.
Wherever possible choose organically grown foods.
Specific foods for Dampness and Phlegm
- Cooked whole grains – esp. rice, toasted oats, barley, rye, millet, sourdough breads
- Asparagus, cucumber, celery, pumpkin, squash, carrots, corn, parsnips, peas,
- Onions, shallots, leeks, garlic, turnip, radish, mustard greens, water chestnuts, mushrooms including oyster & shitake
- Adzuki beans, chick peas, black beans, kidney beans, fava beans.
- Chicken, lean meats.
- Mackerel, tuna, anchovy
- Black pepper, fresh ginger, mustard, nutmeg, cloves, cardamon, nutmeg, thyme,basil, fennel, horseradish, chili peppers, jasmine, rose
- Rice syrup, barley malt,
- Dates, figs, sugar cane, stewed fruit- esp. pears, persimmons, kumquats, grapefruit, cherries
Foods to restrict or avoid
- Salads, raw fruits, citrus, wheat, sprouts, raw vegetables, avocados
- Tofu, dairy (except for goat milk products), nut butters, and other fatty foods, eggs, soy milk
- Overly sweet foods, refined sugars, high doses of vitamin C
- Chocolate
- Cold foods like ice cream or smoothies, iced drinks including ice water
