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.
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.
It is mostly caused by a humid climate, exposure to the rain, working near the water, or living in humid places for a prolonged period of time. Meanwhile, internal dampness is mostly a pathological state caused by dysfunctioning of the spleen and stomach as well as stagnation of moisture in the body.
Occupants of damp or mouldy buildings are at increased risk of experiencing health problems such as respiratory symptoms, respiratory infections, allergic rhinitis and asthma. Some people are more sensitive to mould than others, and some groups are especially vulnerable.
Green tea: Eliminate dampness–help break down fats
Green tea also has an astringent flavor that according to Chinese medicine helps eliminate what we call dampness. Damp conditions are heavy and slow and sticky.
Eggs in general, due to their moisturizing properties, are damp. If you tend to have nasal congestion, ear congestion, a heavy feeling in the limbs and/or edema, you may tend towards dampness, which means eggs would not be your best choice. Instead, try an egg substitute or bean recipes like this one.
Other damp foods include peanut butter, bananas, animal products high in saturated fat, and fried foods. Sugars, sweeteners, and refined carbohydrates, especially wheat four, also contribute to the development of dampness [3].
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.
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.
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.
Coffee & The Mind
On the flipside, the stimulating nature of coffee helps to reduce brain fog and lethargy – typically symptoms of 'damp' as discussed above. For people who are 'hot headed' or tend to 'run a little hot' coffee can aggravate their symptoms.
Typical smoothie ingredients are also fairly cooling and damp, such as banana, avocado, coconut, protein powders, dairy, and nut butters.
How do you fix rising damp? The only way to treat rising damp is to create a new damp-proofing course to prevent moisture movement through the structure. Historically, walls were cut into and masonry removed to install a new physical damp-proofing course along the masonry line.
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.
"For example: Cheese is damp. Chips are greasy and damp. Bananas and egg yolks are really damp."
Therefore Chinese medicine identifies a number of especially dampening foods. These include sweet and sour foods such as citrus fruits and juices, and tomatoes; concentrated sweets such as sugar, molasses, and honey, and wheat, dairy products, nuts, oils and fats.
Drying foods and drinks include:
Starchy grains including bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and couscous. Beans, lentils and legumes.
Certain foods easily cause dampness directly, such as dairy, sugar, and glutinous grains (wheat, primarily). We can call these sticky foods.
Causes of excess dampness include environment, diet or internal organ imbalance. 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.
A spoonful of honey can be used to counteract overeating salty, rich foods, hangovers and exhaustion. For those with arthritis that is worsened by damp cold days, raw honey is great for attacking the dampness that has accumulated in the body.
Foods known to cause dampness include: milk products (except yogurt), sugar and sweets, white-wheat flour, refined starch and highly processed starch products, excess raw fruits (sugar) and raw vegetables (mould from the soil), excess mushrooms and fungi, peppers, cold beverages (which immobilize immune cells on the ...
Cupping is able to aid in such medical conditions due to its ability to: Expel cold-dampness. Remove blood stasis.
If left untreated, damp could lead to mould growth and depending on the type of damp, even structural damage. Acting fast to the problem and taking action will save you time, money and safeguard your health.