Phlegm Dampness (Part 3)

As per my previous posts on digestion, anything that impairs the Spleen and Stomach can contribute to the formation of phlegm and dampness. If the digestion and metabolism process is impaired due to the Spleen / Stomach being too cold, too weak, or too overloaded (think: having an overly large meal or putting the “wrong” types of foods into it - foods that are inherently very rich or hard to digest) then a very common side effect of this is the overproduction of dampness and phlegm.

So what about particular foods to be avoided if you are experiencing symptoms of excessive phlegm? Here are the top culprits:

Dairy products

All of them (except goat’s milk, cheese and yogurt), but especially richer cheeses and creams. And of course, the “triumvirate of evil” of TCM dampness production - ice cream. It’s cold, it’s dairy, and it’s sugar.

Sugar

Ahhh, sugar. So sweet. So sticky. So cloying for the Spleen. Sweetness is actually the flavour that corresponds to the Spleen, and a small amount does nourish it. But the kind of sweetness the Spleen wants is yams, carrots, grains, fruit (sparingly). The sugar WE want? Choooocolate. Sorry, just because you crave it doesn’t mean it’s a secret message from your body telling you you need it.

Excess wheat

Fu Xiao Mai (unripened wheat grains) is a medicinal herb in Chinese Medicine. It is a wonderful herb for nourishing the Heart - calming insomnia, irritability and palpitations. It can also help with bed wetting and night sweats. Neither wheat nor gluten are considered problematic foods in Chinese Medicine. What IS problematic is our Western tendency to over consume them, and often in an over processed way and in a form that has been genetically altered and chemically affected to the point that perhaps our bodies shouldn’t recognize it as real nutrition anymore. But if you are eating good quality and reasonable amounts, food sensitivities indicates that we should work on strengthening the system so that it CAN digest a wide range of foods. (With the exception of anaphylactic allergies and Celiac disease, when improvement may be possible but is never expected or tested for).

Excess / rich meat

Small amounts, infrequent, high quality and lower fat. However if you ARE going to indulge in that fried pork chop or greasy burger, that is the time to pair it with a nice hot cup of green tea (which helps to digest phlegm), not a nice cold pint of

Beer

or, as my teacher calls it, a “glass of phlegm”. But if THAT doesn’t turn you off, and you MUST have a beer, have the most bitter beer on tap, as the flavour of bitterness helps somewhat to counteract dampness production.

Cold foods

Cold food and drinks cool, slow down, and impair the digestive process, making it more likely to produce dampness.

Raw foods

Raw vegetables are harder, have stronger fibres / cell walls, and are often eaten colder than cooked veggies. The extra digestive energy it takes to break them down and extract the nutrients, especially if your digestive system is already weak, can lead to the production of dampness. I still remember a client who scoffed at my suggestion that her daily salad lunches were causing her phlegm, until she came back the next week, after paying attention to what happened to her sinuses and throat after lunch, and exclaimed “You were RIGHT!!! It WAS the salads!!!”

Roasted peanuts

So, cut down on the peanut butter wheat bread sandwiches topped with:

Bananas

Yes, also cold and damp. Possibly appropriate for equatorial climates and peoples, much less so for Northern Winter morning smoothies with a handful of frozen fruit thrown in. Avocados and raw and dried tropical fruits are also on this list, sadly. And no, bananas are not the only source of potassium, or even the highest!

Concentrated juices

Especially orange and tomato.

Processed soy products

Tofu, soy milk and tempeh

Eggs

Eggs are awesome and nutritious, but are a problem if they contribute to your dampness.

Now, I want to end by being clear that NONE of the above foods are “bad” for everyone. It depends entirely on your current underlying state of health. If you are very dry or weak or are recovering from illness some of the above foods are not only not restricted, they are actually recommended. Additionally, it’s not totally uncommon to have both symptoms and signs of dryness / deficiency AND dampness / excess in the body, in different areas or systems or manifesting in different ways! I will write another post to clarify the various warning signs of dampness, but one fairly straightforward way that you can start to check it in yourself is just to pay attention. Now that you know the main problematic foods pay attention after meals to see how you feel, and let your body’s responses guide you.

"Flight of Beer @ Yaletown Pub" by Skye Chilton is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Copyright 2020 - Anni Elliston R.TCMP.