A person who spends a lot of time in the rain, lives in a damp environment, or sleeps on the ground may be susceptible to external dampness. Similarly, a person who eats large amounts of ice cream, cold foods and drinks, greasy foods, and sweets is prone to imbalances of internal dampness.
What is damp food?
Why does the damp exist?
How to clear damp?
Why is it so hard to get yin?
What is considered cooling food?
Does Kapha burn off damp?
What is the best way to clear Damp?
See 2 more
What can I eat to reduce dampness?
Foods to incorporate to decrease dampness:Lightly cooked vegetables.Whole grains (brown rice, barley, rye, oats)Bitter, sweet, pungent and aromatic spices. ... Legumes (kidney beans, pinto, red lentils)Meat, poultry and fish in small quantities.Small amount of whole fruits and lemons.Sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.More items...•
How can I reduce damp in my body?
To balance moisture in the body, focus on avoiding damp foods (including dairy and wheat products, greasy foods and fatty meats), eating foods that can balance dampness (like warming spices, soups, stews and steamed vegetables), engaging in daily exercise, tongue scraping and reducing stress.
Are eggs a damp food?
Damp foods and drinks include: Sugar and sweeteners. Eggs and meat. Soy products.
What fruits help with damp?
Foods to resolve dampness include;Grains. Corn, barley, basmati rice. Vegetables. ... Asparagus, celery, Chinese cabbage. Fruit. Blueberry, cranberry. ... Button mushroom, olive mushroom, watercress. Nuts. Almonds, walnuts. ... Seaweed, radish, water chestnut. Fruit. ... Mustard leaf, onion, scallion. Herbs and spices.
How do I know if I have dampness in my body?
Dampness can be thought of as the condition of “high humidity” inside the body. Symptoms can include a feeling of heaviness, swelling or water retention, distended abdomen, phlegm discharge, nodular masses, loose bowels and turbidity of fluids.
What are the two major reasons for dampness?
Penetrating Damp. Causes. Penetrating damp is caused by water leaking through the walls. ... Rising Damp. Causes. Rising damp is caused by water from the ground moving up and rising into the house as a result of capillary action. ... Condensation. Causes. Condensation damp is caused by moist air condensing on walls.
Does coffee cause dampness?
The problem with coffee is that it also adds heat to the body, and while it can drain dampness, it also drains the beneficial yin fluids in your body at the same time.
Is oatmeal good for dampness?
Oats are traditionally said to be soothing and restorative to the nervous and reproductive systems. They supplement Qi and Blood, strengthen nerves, muscles, and sinews, and dispel dampness. This makes oats suitable for pretty much everyone.
Is ginger good for dampness?
Ginger is also incredibly useful in drying dampness (Water) during the winter months as it helps the body to dispel cold. Traditional Chinese Medicine considers ginger to have warm characteristics that help to improve the spleen and digestive systems to increase Spleen Qi and yang.
Can dampness be cured?
Rising dampness can be treated by creating a new damp-proof course by stripping the damaged old plaster and drilling holes into each brick. A damp-proofing chemical is injected into these holes under high pressure to create a water-repellent barrier. The wall is then re-plastered, followed by application of wall paint.
Is Avocado a damp food?
Typical smoothie ingredients are also fairly cooling and damp, such as banana, avocado, coconut, protein powders, dairy, and nut butters.
What causes damp heat in body?
The occurrence of damp-heat is based on water and wetness, which may come from outside or may be caused by internal damage. The water and wetness can change into heat if they are stored in the body for a long period, and the combination of water and wetness and heat may cause damp-heat syndrome.
What causes damp in health?
Yes, if you have damp and mould in your home you're more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies or asthma. Damp and mould can also affect the immune system.
Can dampness be cured?
Rising dampness can be treated by creating a new damp-proof course by stripping the damaged old plaster and drilling holes into each brick. A damp-proofing chemical is injected into these holes under high pressure to create a water-repellent barrier. The wall is then re-plastered, followed by application of wall paint.
What are the 3 types of damp?
Rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation are the three most common damp problems in houses. Each needs to be treated in different ways, and damp removal and damp repair costs can vary dramatically, so it's important to know what type of damp is affecting your home before you try to get it fixed.
Why does my body feel damp?
Living in high humidity conditions. Dampness in the body can also be caused by internal factors such as the following: Poor diet: According to Chinese medicine, eating greasy, sugary, or chilled foods can contribute to internal dampness.
How to reduce dampness in body?
Changing up your dietary choices is a good way to reduce dampness in the body, as many foods are associated with either yin or yang properties in Chinese medicine.
What Exactly is Dampness in the Body?
In Chinese medicine, dampness is one of the six pernicious influences or external factors that provoke correlating conditions within the body.
Why do I get headaches when I'm Chinese?
Headaches: Headaches attributed to internal dampness in Chinese medicine are caused by excess phlegm and blood that become congested in the head (along with chi ), causing migraines and sinus pressure related headaches.
What is chronic dampness?
Chronic dampness in the body is a more pervasive illness associated with a damp internal condition. This condition can present itself from mild symptoms like excess saliva or feeling cold all the time all the way up to water retention in the organs and kidney damage.
What are the two types of dampness?
Types of Dampness. There are two types of dampness addressed in Chinese medicine: chronic dampness that affects the stomach, urinary, and kidneys, or acute dampness that presents with symptoms of headache, fever, and swollen glands.
What is dampness in medicine?
Dampness is the factor associated with excessive amounts of water. Internal dampness can be caused by a variety of factors, both internal and external. Here are some of the external factors of dampness:
What Is Dampness in the Body?
Dampness is a moist state in the body. Think of dampness as the buildup of humidity and moisture in the body. It’s a heavy, sticky and uncomfortable state for the body, and it can affect many aspects of overall health.
Dampness vs. Dryness
The goal is to find a balance between dampness and dryness to find homeostasis. Too much of either one disrupts that balance. Here’s a breakdown of how each body state is different:
Damp Foods to Stop Eating
For starters, one of the main culprits in dampness is overeating. When you consume too much, your body has trouble digesting all of the food, which can affect bodily functions and lead to an imbalance of moisture in the body.
Supplements to Help
Turmeric is a warming spice. Our Turmeric Capsules are made with an organic blend of turmeric root, black pepper, ashwagandha and other herbs to maximize the beneficial effects.
Other Considerations
You should always consult your health care professional before starting any new dietary or lifestyle regimen, including using dietary supplements. Always follow label directions and suggested use guidelines.
What are some foods that are damp?
Bananas and egg yolks are really damp.". A ccording to Dr. Axe, the list of damp-inducing foods includes a nything made with refined sugars or sugar substitutes, wheat products, baked goods and cereals, dairy products (especially milk, cream, and cheese), processed foods, and fatty meats.
Why do some people become dry?
As with dampness, some people have a higher propensity to become dry than others —based on factors such as genetics and the climate where you live—but it's something anyone can become. "It's rare for Americans to suffer from dryness. But it becomes more common as we get older," says Dr. Blakeway.
What is the goal of dampness and dryness?
Ultimately, when it comes to dampness and dryness, the goal is to be neither. Or as Blakeway says, “In middle is good health and balance”.
How do you know if something is dry?
Usually, you can guess if a food is damp or dry by thinking about the food's consistency , she says. "For example: Cheese is damp. Chips are greasy and damp. Bananas and egg yolks are really damp."
What to eat if you have dryness?
For dryness, Dan says you'll likely be recommended to eat foods like pears, apples, mushroom, honey, eggs, bean sprouts, and millet. You'll likely also be told to avoid low calorie diets, eat foods that are lightly cooked or steamed, and drink lots of water, says Dr. Blakeway.
What to eat when you have a dry stomach?
Blakeway. For dryness, Dan says you'll likely be recommended to eat foods like pears, apples, mushroom, honey, eggs, bean sprouts, and millet. You'll likely also be told to avoid low calorie diets, eat foods that are lightly cooked or steamed, and drink lots of water, says Dr. Blakeway.
What is considered dry food?
On the other end of the spectrum, traditionally "dry" foods include whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal, beans and lentils, animal meat, roasted vegetables, nuts and seeds, as well as anything spicy, says Dr. Axe.
Why do some people get damp?
It needs the transformative power of the body’s yang to stop it accumulating. Eating in ways which inhibit our spleen function or which injure the yang will increase our tendency towards dampness.
Why do I get dampness in my stomach?
Dampness is often the result of overeating or overnutrition. It may also result from jamming the digestive system with poorly combined foods. All the advice on supporting the spleen (Qi toning) is important in avoiding the overaccumulation of dampness.
What does dampness do to the body?
As the word suggests, dampness can make us feel heavy and tired. It can make us swell up and it can obstruct our body’s functioning. Some people are more prone to dampness than others.
How to treat dampness in kidneys?
All dampness is treated by strengthening the spleen and may also need tonification of the kidney, the lung, and the yang. Dampness is often the result of overeating or overnutrition. It may also result from jamming the digestive system with poorly combined foods. All the advice on supporting the spleen (Qi toning) is important in avoiding the overaccumulation of dampness.
Why is dairy so damp?
Dairy foods are damp in nature because they tend to produce phlegm. So if you are suffering from a very sore, dry, burning throat, cold ice-cream might be the perfect food: too much of it, however, will give you phlegm, which might become infected by passing bacteria giving you symptoms of Damp-Heat! More on Yogurt.
What foods help Damp-Heat? ie help your body clear Damp-Heat?
More important than the following is AVOIDING damp heat foods ie those that produce Damp-Heat, see above.
Why is Damp Heat bad for you?
First read Damp-Heat. You’ll discover that Damp Heat leads to swelling and pain, pus, cough, painful joints, tiredness, even chronic fatigue, and various illnesses with those symptoms.
What foods warm you up?
Sweets , Candies and the like. Sweets and candies .These are in this list of damp heat foods mainly because of the sugar, (but many cakes, for example, are very rich, making them heating as well). This weakens your Spleen energy and tends to make you put on fat. Eating sugar also warms you up, temporarily.
Why is alcohol in damp heat foods?
Well, here’s the answer! Alcohol is basically sugar, but to break the alcohol down takes work by your body, creating heat.
Does alcohol make you fat?
Alcohol is basically sugar, but to break the alcohol down takes work by your body, creating heat. This sugar is a real challenge to your Spleen energy and the Heat is hard to get rid of unless you take a lot of exercise. So you end up with more Heat and then, unless you can burn it off, the sugar gets turned into fat.
Is modern medicine better at heat or damp?
Modern medicine is even better at dealing with Heat than with Damp. But your body has been genetically programmed over hundreds of thousands of years to produce Heat symptoms in response to many challenges that nature throws at it.
Why is my body so damp?
Causes of excess dampness include environment, diet or internal organ imbalance.
Why do Chinese people eat damp?
Eating to Eliminate Dampness. In Chinese medicine dampness is a pathological factor that can either invade us from the outside or arise from an internal imbalance. Dampness is an overly wet or moist condition. A little bit of dampness or mucus in the body is normal to moisten the digestive tract and mucous membranes.
What are some examples of dampness?
Some examples of dampness are more obvious, such as excess mucus in the form of nasal discharge or phlegm. While other examples dampness manifestations are less obvious to those unfamiliar with Chinese Medicine.
What is internal dampness?
Internal dampness is often generated when the Spleen, the digestive organ in Chinese Medicine, is not functioning ideally. This creates an excess of fluid that can accumulate in different areas in the body. Since dampness is a product of an imbalanced Spleen, diet is key in its formation. Some examples of dampness are more obvious, ...
Can you eat cold food with a weak spleen?
Foods that are raw or cold are also harder for the Spleen to digest. These foods might not cause problems in someone without dampness or digestive disorders. But in those with a weak Spleen, it is best to eat more foods that are warm and cooked.
What beans are good for damp?
More beans, especially aduki beans and mung beans, which are powerful at clearing damp. And check out these recipes for kicharee, one of my favorite, easy-to-make, balanced meals that is good for all seasons!
Is acupuncture good for dampness?
Acupuncture is great for treating dampness, but it’s equally important to modify your diet if you want good results. WAIT, DON’T RUN! I promise that I’m not going to launch into an extreme dietary diatribe.
Does sugar affect the spleen?
Sugar, especially foods with a high content of white sugar, as they can overwhelm the Spleen, which can cause/exacerbate damp conditions. The sweet flavor, however, in small amounts, is beneficial to the Spleen. What do I mean by ‘small amounts?’ A sweet potato baked or mashed with a pat of butter and a pinch of brown sugar – great! A Halloween-sized bag of Jolly Ranchers under your desk that you pick from when your boss makes you angry? Well, that has the potential to leave you feeling swampy and fuzzed out.
Is goat milk damp?
Excess cow’s milk, with the exception of unsweetened yogurt or kefir (from a quality source). Goat and sheep milk is less dampening than cow milk, so if the thought of spending time apart from your beloved cheese plate makes you want to curl up in a fetal position and hide under the bed, then experiment with sheep and goat products. Also, if you can find a quality source for raw cow’s milk and pasture butter, go for it, as this kind of milk/butter is less dampening.
What is damp food?
Damp Foods: Foods That Cause and Clear Damp. Damp foods are foods that often make Damp problems worse in your body. If your Damp problem is severe, avoiding what I call damp foods will help even if it doesn’t cure all the Damp in your body. This page will make little sense unless you know what we mean by Damp!
Why does the damp exist?
In practice, I would say that often the Damp exists because the body’s qi has been too weak to clear it. So by increasing qi you equip the body with the energy it needs to transform the Damp.
How to clear damp?
If you’re alive, you probably think you know how to breathe. You may not! Singers spend years learning how to breathe and various techniques have been developed to help different conditions (eg Buteyko for asthma.) For calming yourself, learn diaphragmatic breathing but to clear damp you need to harness other parts of your lungs too. There are many yogic techniques. I suggest you investigate ‘breathing well’ on the internet! Your Lung acupuncture channel starts in your stomach! The action of your lungs enormously enhances the action of your stomach and digestion. Remember too that good posture aids good breathing – so sit up straight!
Why is it so hard to get yin?
A. This can be difficult because with yin deficiency you have a lack of fluids and a tendency to feel a little warm, but easily tired. This is because your body’s yin energy, its cooling energy, is weakened (perhaps from overwork or a serious depleting disease.) With yin deficiency you may have yang deficiency too, albeit concealed by yin deficiency symptoms.
What is considered cooling food?
These include foods eaten chilled or cold, raw, or uncooked and not warmed before eating. But many foods are classified as cooling, even if eaten warm. Make sense of this by reading the cold-foods page. 5. Foods that evoke a moisturising response by your body. For example, in some people.
Does Kapha burn off damp?
Some constitutions easily burn off damp in the body, others struggle. If you are familiar with Ayurvedic medicine, you’ll know that the Kapha body though potentially very strong, easily stores Damp, unlike the Pitta and Vata types. It is easy for Pitta bodies to warm up and clear Damp, not so the Kapha!
What is the best way to clear Damp?
Live and work somewhere warm and dry. It seems obvious, but many of us overlook this! Sun and fresh warm air help clear Damp.
