Reducing Dampness with Nutrition

Now that you know which foods will increase damp stagnation in your body, you may be wondering, "What are some foods I can eat that will get rid of some of this dampness my acupuncturist is always talking about?"  Here we will give you some general suggestions and ways to think about balancing your diet to decrease damp stagnation in your body.  As always, TCM looks at each person individually, so talking to a licensed acupuncturist about your specific constitution is an important part of this process, especially if you are having heat or inflammation symptoms.

There are a few different components to addressing damp stagnation in the body:

1)  Support your body's natural ability to heal by supporting your digestive system.

Think of your digestive system as a fire that cooks your food to break it down into small bits your body can use.  This image helps you understand why Chinese medicine says that warm, cooked foods are easier to digest and better for you.  Cold foods or raw foods like salads strain your digestive fire because your body has to work that much harder to digest your food.  Your acupuncturist may have told you to avoid ice water and cold drinks for the same reason.  Warm water and tea are also much better to support your digestion than iced drinks or even cold water from the tap.  Occasionally a cold drink is ok, especially when the weather is warmer, but not as a general rule.

Similarly, eating a big meal also taxes your digestive fire, so eating less at each meal - even if it means eating more frequently, like 5-6 small meals throughout the day - is much better for supporting digestion than a big meal that leaves you stuffed to the gills.  If you're feeling sleepy after you eat, you probably ate too much!

Eating in a calm way and paying attention to your food also supports digestion.  Eating on the run or while working will leave you less satisfied and in TCM theory, stress taxes your ability to digest your food, leaving more dampness hanging around!

warming and aromatic spices

As for foods that support digestion, aromatic,warming spices (but not chili-spicy) are good for promoting digestion.  Spices such as caraway seed, fennel seed, mustard seed, saffron, and ginger and turmeric roots are all good for warming and aiding digestion gently.  Yellow and orange foods (cooked) like carrots, squash, parsnips and yam all support digestion as well, according to TCM.

Another way you can aid your digestion is to  soak, or even sprout, grains and legumes before cooking.  If you're cooking rice or another whole grain, soaking it first changes its chemical composition slightly to make it easier to digest.

2) Clear the dampness.

So you've cut out the damp-producing sugar, fried foods, dairy, and processed-flour foods, and you're eating smaller amounts of warming, cooked foods and soaking your grains before eating them.  Now what to do with that damp stagnation that just won't leave on its own?  Like that last guest at the party who just doesn't know it's time to go, damp stagnation can really stick around.  There are a few kinds of foods that can really help get rid of dampness

:Bitter foods:  TCM considers bitter-tasting foods to have a draining property.  Leafy green vegetables like kale, mustard greens, dandelion greens, parsley, and celery are good examples of bitter foods.  Also, citrus peels are bitter, so oranges eaten with the white inner peel, or lemon/orange peel zest added to meat dishes can help reduce dampness.   Turnips, radish, kohlrabi, asparagus, and broccoli are great as well.

Fiberous foods:  Foods with high fiber content will also help to clear dampness from the body.  A special bean for draining dampness is the Aduki bean (the red bean commonly used in desserts) which can easily be mixed in with a hot breakfast cereal of whole grains.  Speaking of whole grains, another special food for draining dampness is Job's Tears.  It is sometimes called Pearl Barley (not to be confused with pearled barley).  If you can't find Job's tears, Quinoa and Amaranth are grains that also have a slightly draining property.

3) Move the Stagnation.You knew it was coming.  There's only one way to really move stagnation.  It is free of charge and requires no appointments.  Exercise, even walking after dinner for 20 minutes each day, is an essential part of getting rid of damp stagnation.  This is not about weight loss - exercise moves your blood and qi, which helps your body cleanse itself, stokes your digestive fire, and gives you more energy.    There are a lot of ways to get more exercise (take the stairs, etc) that have been written about for eons and everybody has some kinds they prefer over others. Your exercise should get your heart rate up and be appropriate for your body's ability, but whatever type it is, exercise is a must.

Dampness? What IS that?

Dampness is a term that many people who have gone to an acupuncturist have heard about.  It is considered a pathogen in Chinese Medicine that enters the body and causes disease.  Some general symptoms of dampness include: sluggish digestion, having a hard time waking up in the morning, foggy thinking, fatigue, and a heavy feeling in your head or limbs.

Dampness can be a facet of diseases ranging from diabetes to arthritis to asthma to basic poor digestion and bloating.  Other diseases that may be partly due to damp stagnation include chronic yeast infections, chronic allergies, asthma, rhinitis, chronic inflammation, heart disease, and PCOS, to name a few.*  Dampness is the hardest pathogen to eliminate from the body once it's there, and the main entry point for dampness is your mouth - that is, the foods you eat.

To understand the concept of dampness, think of a musty, moldy basement.  Think of cholesterol-lined arteries.  Think of your sinuses when they're clogged.  Gross!  But we need these images because damp-producing foods taste sooo goooood. The Typical American Diet is replete with these damp-producing types of foods:

• Sugar - damp itself, and also feeds dampness-producing yeast and bacteria

• Alcohol - don't those symptoms listed above sound a bit like a hangover?

• Dairy - damp/phlegm-producing goodness

• Fried foods - and too many unhealthy fats in general

• Processed wheat flour products - remember elementary school science, when you made paste out of flour and water? Now think of your intestines.

Changing your diet to consume less damp-producing foods is a great step towards health.  We are not suggesting that you never ever eat any of these foods, but if you have a condition with a lot of dampness, it's a good idea to limit your intake and give your body a chance to heal.  We also recommend limiting your intake of nut butters and sticking to unsaturated-fat oils for cooking during that time.  Some people's bodies handle dampness better than others.  Depending on your body, if you're eating enough vegetables, beans, whole grains, and fruits, and getting regular exercise, a little damp once in a while isn't the end of the world.

We're not all about denial here in the land of TCM - There are many foods that you CAN eat to treat dampness.*  Sticking to a high fiber diet is a good way to start.  For more information, see our article on ways to reduce dampness with nutrition.

*As always with TCM, every body is different and requires different foods for balance.  Consult with a Chinese Medicine practitioner about diagnosis and food choices specific to your needs.