Summer has just passed, but the midsummer heat has not dissipated, and the moisture in the human body is still a bit heavy. Especially in the hot and dry autumn, regulating moisture is actually more troublesome. So, how does Chinese medicine treat excessive moisture?
1. Symptoms of heavy moisture
(1) Often feel sleepy, dizzy, and heavy.
(2) Loose stools, the toilet is not easy to flush, and there is a feeling of incomplete defecation.
(3) There are teeth marks on the edge of the tongue and thick tongue coating.
(4) Hair and face are prone to oiliness.
(5) Eyelids and limbs are easily swollen.
(6) The skin is prone to eczema.
(7) Poor appetite, prone to stomach bloating when eating.
(8) Fat body with protruding belly.
If more than 2 items are met, it means there is moisture in the body.
2. Reasons for heavy moisture
The generation of moisture is divided into exogenous dampness and endogenous dampness.
(1) Exogenous dampness is caused by the moisture in the external environment. For example, it is very humid during summer or the rainy season in the south. External dampness invades the human body and causes disease.
(2) Endogenous dampness can be caused by external dampness invading the human body, trapping the spleen with dampness, and affecting the physiological functions of the spleen. The spleen may also be injured due to improper diet, such as craving for greasy or cold food. Tiredness and thoughts can also damage the spleen, or it can be caused by weak spleen yang caused by weak kidney yang. Because the spleen controls transportation and transformation, it is closely related to the metabolism of water and liquid in the human body. If the spleen is damaged, water and liquid in the human body will accumulate to form phlegm and dampness.
3. The harm of heavy moisture
(1) The nature of dampness is sticky and lingering, which is difficult to heal. Therefore, there is an old saying: "A thousand colds are easy to get rid of, but a dampness is difficult to get rid of." .
(2) Dampness can be combined with other evils to cause disease. It can be combined with cold to become cold-dampness, combined with heat to become damp-heat, combined with wind to become rheumatism, etc. These diseases are not only difficult to cure, but also very painful. Moreover, many chronic diseases and even cancer are related to dampness evil.
(3) If the dampness evil is not eliminated, no matter how many supplements and medicines you take, it will be like scratching the itch and beating the cow from across the mountain.
4. Key points of traditional Chinese medicine conditioning
(1) If you want to have a better effect of removing dampness, you must do the following:
Diuretic and dampness, strengthening the spleen and kidneys Manage temperature-friendly food
(2) People with heavy moisture should first use water to absorb moisture and expel excess moisture from the body.
However, people with heavy dampness generally have poor spleen function. Many dietary treatments, such as red beans and barley, tend to be cold and will damage the spleen and stomach. The spleen transports water and dampness, so if you want to regulate phlegm and dampness, you must strengthen the spleen. When the spleen is healed, its ability to transport water and dampness becomes stronger, and the dampness can be discharged by its own ability.
Just replenishing the spleen is not enough, because the kidney is the "innate foundation" and the spleen and stomach are the "acquired foundation". The kidneys and the spleen and stomach support and depend on each other. If the kidneys are good, the spleen will be better. , so while strengthening the spleen, the kidneys must be nourished.
(3) Another point is that people with heavy dampness will have qi and blood blocked due to phlegm-dampness blockage. There is a theory in traditional Chinese medicine that "treating dampness without regulating qi is not a cure." If you want to remove dampness, you must regulate qi, otherwise the dampness will not be removed. Therefore, regulating dampness requires regulating qi and activating blood circulation, which is more conducive to removing dampness.
(4) In addition, it is particularly important to use warm ingredients in diet therapy. Zhang Zhongjing has a famous saying, "Those who are sick with phlegm and drink water should use warm medicine to calm it down." That is to say, people with heavy moisture should add some warm products when regulating moisture, which will help the moisture rise and speed up the moisture dispersion. Moisture is like a pot of water. If you don't light a fire, it will be difficult for the water to evaporate completely. This warm ingredient is what ignites the fire. Moreover, when combined in this way, the overall nature of the diet is neutral and mild, and it can be consumed for a long time for prevention and health care.
According to the above ideas, you can prepare a dietary therapy by yourself. This dietary formula is Poria cocos, black beans, coix seed, red beans, longan, mung beans, and red dates.
If it is inconvenient to cook porridge, you can use cooked powder. Longan is dried longan meat, and red dates are red date slices.
In order to make the taste more delicate and smooth, taste better, and increase dietary fiber intake, you can add konjac and crystallized fructose. Crystallized fructose is low GI, has a refreshing taste, and does not make you fat. It is a healthy sugar recommended by diabetics and people who want to lose weight. When combined like this, it tastes surprisingly delicious! It can also be used for breakfast or dinner, which makes you feel full.
People with heavy moisture can buy it and mix it themselves to regulate the moisture. Because it contains coix seed, pregnant women should not eat it.
5. Press the acupoints heavily with moisture
(1) Armpits
The Jiquan point in the armpit is an important acupuncture point on the heart meridian, which can remove the stagnation of the heart. Toxins should be massaged frequently to clear this well.
(2) Cubital fossa
When you have problems such as sore throat, yellow phlegm, wheezing, coughing and hemoptysis, upset and hot heart, oral ulcers, insomnia and dreaminess, you can place it in the cubital fossa. If you tap continuously for 5 to 10 minutes, toxin reactants of different colors such as green, red, purple, and black will appear. Once every one to two weeks can keep this sewage well clear and remove toxins from the heart and lungs.
(3) Knee fossa
The knee fossa is also called the knee fossa. At the center of the fossa, there is an important acupoint called Weizhong point, which runs along the bladder meridian. The bladder meridian is the largest detoxification and dehumidification channel in the human body, and the Weizhong point is the sewage outlet on this channel. If it is not smooth and the moisture cannot be discharged, it may lead to arthritis. Therefore, you can usually tap this area for 5 to 10 minutes until the bruises and bruises appear, and tap once every one to two weeks.
(4) Yinlingquan
It is the joint point of the spleen meridian. The spleen meridian qi starting from the toes goes deep here, which can strengthen the spleen and remove dampness. It is located below the knee, along the inner bone of the calf, and the depression when it turns inward is where the Yinling Spring is located. Use your fingers to massage this area every day, at any time, whenever you have free time, but make sure it lasts for more than 10 minutes a day. If you have spleen dampness in your body, it will hurt when you press it, but if you keep rubbing it, you will find that the pain gradually lessens, which means your spleen dampness is getting better.
(5) Zusanli
It is the first point for treating the spleen and strengthening the stomach, and it is of course indispensable for dehumidification. This point is an important point for removing dampness, and high moisture in the human body can easily breed bacteria, causing edema and various inflammations, including dermatitis, rash, etc.
In addition, the spleen is the source of phlegm and controls moisture. If there is too much moisture that cannot be transported and transformed, it will turn into phlegm. Therefore, to fundamentally solve the problem of phlegm production, we must strengthen the spleen, and just keep rubbing the Yinlingquan point more every day. Operation method: Massage Yinlingquan when you are free, and make sure it lasts for 10 minutes a day.
(6) Chengshan Point
It is the most effective point for removing moisture from the human body. Its effect is similar to that of red bean and barley porridge. Because Chengshan point is on the bladder meridian of Foot and Taiyang, and the bladder meridian controls the body's yang energy, stimulating it can discharge moisture from the human body by invigorating the yang energy of the bladder meridian.
Most people will feel obvious soreness and pain as long as their Chengshan point is pressed lightly. This is because of the moisture in the body; but after pressing and rubbing Chengshan point for a period of time, We will feel a slight fever on our body, which means that the Yang Qi of the bladder meridian is at work, and the dampness evil in the body is dispersing outward with the rising Yang Qi. Therefore, people with damp-heat constitution must pay attention to remember this important health point and use it reasonably in their daily life.
(7) Fenglong Point
Massaging Fenglong Point in conjunction with Zusanli can remove dampness and reduce phlegm, causing Fenglong, onomatopoeia, and thunderous effects. Long-term massage can expel the turbid dampness in the spleen and stomach like thunder and rain. Find the two points of the knee eye and lateral ankle from the outside of the leg and connect them into a line. Then take the midpoint of this line and then find the tibia on the leg. It is 1.5 inches outside the front edge of the tibia, which is about the width of two of your fingers. , which is level with the midpoint just now, and press it nearby. The place where you feel the most soreness, heaviness or pain is the Fenglong point. Press it for about 3 minutes every day.
6. Prevent moisture invasion
(1) To deal with body dampness, you can choose to eat more foods that strengthen the spleen and diuresis
such as amaranth, lentils, and winter melon , barley, mung beans, watermelon and so on. Amaranth stems are cool in nature and sweet in taste. They are rich in calcium that is easily absorbed by the human body. They also have the functions of detoxifying, clearing away heat, promoting urination, and replenishing blood and stopping bleeding.
Lentils have the effects of nourishing and strengthening the body, tonifying the spleen and replenishing qi, relieving heat and reducing dampness, and diluting water and reducing swelling.
Coix is ??not only high in protein, but also rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron, dietary fiber, etc. It is a nutritionally balanced cereal. Because it is easily digested and absorbed, it can promote metabolism and reduce gastrointestinal burden. It can strengthen the spleen, remove dampness, and enhance kidney function.
In addition, winter melon and watermelon are also foods that are cold in nature, sweet in taste, clear away heat and promote fluid production. Eating more winter melon and watermelon in hot and humid weather has a good diuretic effect.
(2) Maintain air circulation in the house
If the humidity in the room is very high, it is recommended to maintain more air circulation to allow the air to take away the moisture. If the floor gets wet, mop it dry immediately to avoid moisture retention. If there is a lot of moisture outside, you can turn on fans and air conditioners and use these appliances to maintain air convection.
(3) Eat less sweet and greasy food
Don’t eat food that hurts the spleen and stomach in such a humid environment. For example, cold food and cold drinks. People who like to eat sweets should also refrain from eating sweets, because "sweetness turns to dampness".
(4) Avoid raw and cold foods
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that raw and cold foods, ice products or cold fruits and vegetables will stagnate the digestion and absorption function of the gastrointestinal tract, making it difficult to eat in unlimited amounts. For example, lettuce salad, watermelon, Chinese cabbage, bitter melon, etc., it is best to add onions and ginger during cooking to reduce the cold nature of vegetables.
(5) Pay attention to two points when washing your hair
When washing your hair outside, do not massage your hair with wet hair after using shampoo. This will cause moisture to enter the scalp (requires Blow dry your hair before massaging). After taking a shower (head), dry your body thoroughly.
(7) Keep clothes dry
Do not wear damp clothes or cover yourself with damp quilts. The quilts (wadding) should be dried frequently.
(8) Don’t sleep on the floor in the summer
Try not to live in a basement (high humidity), and don’t sleep directly on the floor in hot weather. The moisture in the air will drop and the floor will be heavy, which can easily invade the body and cause soreness in the limbs. It is best to sleep on a bed that is some distance from the floor.
(9) Reduce going out on wet and rainy days
Also avoid being exposed to rain and wading, and do not let moisture wrap around your body (change into dry clothes promptly after being exposed to rain) ).
(10) Drink less alcohol
Alcohol helps dampness, so it is better to drink less alcohol.