Do you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror, and see a puffy face and swollen limbs, with a dull complexion? Does your hair get greasy just two days after washing? Is your tongue coated with a thick, white, sticky layer and marked with teeth imprints? Do you feel sticky and unclean all over...
Even though you don’t eat much, your "elephant legs" and belly keep growing bigger—jiggling when you pinch them. Your stool sticks to the toilet... No matter how you try to hide it, that stubborn belly just won’t go away. What should you do?
TCM warns: You may not actually be fat—it could be excessive dampness wreaking havoc in your body!
The rainy season + "toxic May" is here, and the 40-day-long Dog Days of summer aren't far away! With the double assault of high temperatures and dampness—external humidity oppressive and internal dampness thriving—"dampness evil" can easily invade the body.
It's called the "root of all evils," striking regardless of season, constitution, or gender, seizing any opportunity to attack:
The whole family is at risk:
For men: Excess dampness leads to big bellies, foot odor, and bad breath.
For children: Food stagnation, indigestion, and frequent colds.
For women: Cold hands and feet, menstrual pain, and if left untreated, even gynecological diseases!
▲ Seek medical attention promptly for the following spleen/stomach conditions:
Diarrhea lasting more than 3 days.
Persistent bloating, acid reflux, vomiting, or loss of appetite.
High fever (≥38.5°C).
Worsening or recurrence of chronic conditions like skin diseases or arthritis.
As the saying goes, "A thousand colds are easy to dispel, but dampness is hard to remove." So how can we properly eliminate dampness?
Dr. Que Poh Yuen Albert, a TCM expert from Singapore's Kong Fong Tong TCM, explains that dampness is not uniform—TCM classifies it into damp-heat and cold-dampness, which differ in causes, symptoms, and treatment methods. Proper diagnosis is essential!
Besides external therapies like moxibustion and exercise, incorporating dampness-expelling foods into your daily diet can help detoxify the body.
Recommended Herbal Tea:
Dandelion (3g) + Lotus leaf (3g) + Red adzuki beans (10g), boiled as tea.
Patent Medicines:
Long Dan Xie Gan Wan (for liver/gallbladder damp-heat)
Huo Xiang Qing Wei Wan (for spleen/stomach damp-heat)
Recommended Herbal Tea:
Dried tangerine peel (5g) + Poria (10g) + Dried ginger (2 slices), boiled as tea.
Patent Medicines:
Fu Zi Li Zhong Wan (for spleen/stomach cold deficiency)
Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San (for externally contracted cold-dampness)
Recommended Foods:
Winter melon, mung beans, bitter gourd, celery, roasted barley, red adzuki beans
Avoid:
Lamb, chili peppers, lychee, durian, fried foods
Classic Remedies:
Winter melon & barley duck soup
Lotus leaf & bamboo leaf tea
Recommended Foods:
Ginger, red dates, Chinese yam, poria, fox nut, dried tangerine peel, cinnamon
Avoid:
Icy drinks, watermelon, crab, sashimi, cold salads
Classic Remedies:
Ginger & red date tea (3 slices ginger + 5 red dates, boiled)
Poria & white atractylodes congee
Additionally, Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang (Poria, Cinnamon Twig, Atractylodes, and Licorice Decoction) is a classical TCM formula from "Jin Gui Yao Lue." It consists of:
Poria (12g)
Cinnamon twig (peeled, 9g)
White atractylodes (6g)
Roasted licorice (6g)
This formula warms yang, resolves fluid retention, strengthens the spleen, and promotes urination. Poria and atractylodes are a classic pair for spleen-strengthening and dampness removal, while cinnamon twig helps warm yang and support spleen function. It is effective for symptoms like phlegm, cough, yang deficiency, and damp stagnation.
Spleen deficiency with damp-heat often results from poor diet, irregular lifestyle, or chronic illness. To strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness:
Avoid raw, cold foods
Don’t overindulge in cooling habits in summer (to prevent damp accumulation)
Maintain regular sleep and moderate exercise to support spleen function and promote sweating for dampness removal.
