Description of the pattern

Damp-Heat is a combination of dampness and heat. In most cases, dampness is generated by a weakened Spleen function. The Spleen fails to transform food properly and creates pathological dampness. Heat can arise from the intake of "fiery" foods (spicy, pungent, fried, fatty, alcohol, etc.), or it is generated from excessive or suppressed emotions and stress.

When these two components combine, they create so-called Damp-Heat. We can imagine it as glue that sticks everything together. We could also call it inflammation, or rather chronic inflammation.

Symptoms of the pattern

Damp-Heat in the Liver and Gallbladder: The Liver and Gallbladder and their meridians are the organs where Damp-Heat manifests most frequently. A person may then have symptoms such as feelings of pressure and burning in the hypochondrium, a yellow greasy coating on the root of the tongue, irritability, excitability, a bitter taste in the mouth, various weeping skin inflammations, nausea, redness and swelling in the genital and groin area, conjunctivitis, foul-smelling sweating, jaundice, etc.

Invasion of the body surface: a dull and heavy feeling in the head, a feeling of a hot body without sweating, fatigue in the limbs, and even muscle pain. The main reason is weakened immunity, i.e., Wei Qi.

Invasion of the skin and muscles: eczema, rashes containing yellow fluid, inflamed sores between the fingers, etc. When wind is added, it all starts to itch unpleasantly. It depends on the part of the body that is affected, but among the organs, the Liver and Gallbladder, Spleen and Stomach are most involved in this.

Invasion of the joints: painful fixed swelling of the joints, tingling. A weakened Spleen becomes overwhelmed by dampness, the dampness descends, and the tingling is caused by a deficiency of Liver blood. The weakened Liver thus leaves space for internal or external wind. Internal wind is formed by unmanaged emotions. External wind enters the organism due to weakened Wei Qi immunity.

Invasion of the Spleen and Stomach: arises due to inappropriate diet (too much sugar, dairy products, fatty and spicy foods, alcohol), a feeling of pressure in the chest and stomach, a sticky feeling in the mouth, a feeling of a broken, tired and heavy body, mushy foul-smelling stools, nausea, foul-smelling sweating, yellow urine, itching or burning of the anus, itchy, burning discharge.

General dietary principles for the pattern

The principles do not differ much from those valid for menus focused on eliminating heat and drying dampness; it depends on the ratio of heat and dampness. The proportions of food components are similar to those concerning heat in general, only with a slightly lower representation of carbohydrates (20-30%) and more legume and soy proteins instead of animal ones. Whether raw foods are suitable depends on the degree of dampness present. Individual reactions will vary, and it is therefore necessary to experiment with different ratios of raw, cooked, and carbohydrate-rich foods. An important feature of the diet for treating Damp-Heat is the exclusion of certain foods that worsen Damp-Heat, especially alcohol, cheese, fried food, and fatty meat.

Eat less overall; light simple meals, a certain amount of raw foods and juices; plenty of lightly cooked leafy vegetables.

Preferred method of food preparation: quick stir-fry in a wok, stewing, blanching, long boiling.

Recommended foods

Millet, wheat, barley, adzuki beans, celery, carrots, spinach, chard (Roman spinach), eggplant, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, peas, cauliflower, asparagus, lemons, cranberries, watercress, arugula (rocket), lettuce, radish, white radish (daikon), legumes, mung bean and alfalfa sprouts, tofu, tempeh, green and black tea, water.

Rarely: olive oil, root vegetables.

Damp-Heat in the Liver and Gallbladder

Mung beans, mung bean and alfalfa sprouts, celery, seaweed, lettuce, tofu, leafy vegetables, Shiitake, peppermint tea, chrysanthemum tea, dandelion tea.

Damp-Heat in the Bladder

Adzuki beans, mung beans, malt tea, celery, asparagus, diluted lemon juice, cranberry juice, blueberries, watermelon, dandelion tea, green tea.

Avoid

Alcohol, fatty food, fried food, fatty meat, eggs, cheese, sugar, concentrated sweeteners, chocolate, fast food, nuts and seeds (especially peanuts), chilli, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, garlic, mustard, horseradish, coffee, vinegar, shrimp, mantis shrimp, excessive amounts of salt.

Clinical notes

It is necessary to avoid a diet that promotes dampness, but on the other hand, we must still be careful not to promote heat.

We strengthen the Spleen with meat, vegetable, and cereal broths, preferring cooked food, which we supplement with stewed or blanched vegetables. Do not be afraid to add slightly pungent spices that help to break up dampness (raw ginger, saffron, thyme, rosemary).

It is advisable to drink enough to support the function of the bladder and expel dampness. To cool down heat, we can afford vegetable juices in the afternoon, which are not chilled, and we dilute them with water. We drink them in the summer period to cool down heat, but we must not overdo it so as not to injure the Spleen even more. From vegetables, choose celery, parsley, beetroot; avoid cucumber juice, it is too cold, and if you crave it, have it at most once a week and add pepper or other warming spices to it to eliminate its extreme cold.

Recipes

To support the removal of Damp-Heat, you can prepare a cure from Job's tears. Use for a maximum of 1 month and then take a 3-month break.

JOB'S TEARS (Japanese Hatomugi, Chinese Yi Yi Ren) is one of the longest-cultivated cereals in the world. It was a staple of the diet in ancient Egypt, Palestine, or Greece. These seeds of wild grass, which are similar to barley, have strong cleansing effects and are used for detoxification of the organism.

Effects: detoxifying and diuretic, oedema, diarrhoea, digestive disorders, jaundice, dysuria, tumours, muscle and joint pain caused by dampness and wind, slows the growth of cancer cells, removes phlegm, treatment of bladder inflammation, acne, intestinal parasites.

Preparation of Job's tears

Pour the bag of Job's tears onto a dry hot pan and roast the grains until they start to smell. Let them cool and pour into a sealable jar.

Cook preferably twice a day or at least once a day. Pour 2 tablespoons of Job's tears into a glass teapot, add 4 slices of raw ginger, and boil with 400 ml of water. After bringing to a boil, turn down to a minimum and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and drink the broth.

Store the Job's tears in a cool place and make a second broth from them, which you boil for 30 minutes, strain, and drink.

Do not throw away the Job's tears; it is possible to use them as an addition to soup, as a side dish for risotto, etc. You can find more about Job's tears including recipes at www.hatomugi.cz.