Reply To: Chinese Medicine Dietary Therapy
Hi Aerin!
Here are some foods that might exacerbate damp heat: deep fried, oily foods, alcohol, highly processed sweet foods, excess spice (think cayenne). Anything super rich, congesting, or heating foods are recommended to limit. Think dairy (cheese, ice cream, milk), fatty meats, peanuts.
It is best to eat small, simply prepared meals, with an emphasis on cooked food. To cool the heat (especially in the summer), small amounts of raw veggies can be added, as well as fresh herbs (think cilantro, basil, mint, parsley).
Here are some specific foods that help resolve damp heat:
Whole grains:rice, rye, millet, wheat, barley
Vegetables: celery, carrots, spinach, swiss chard, eggplant, cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, peas, cauliflower, asparagus, watercress, arugula, lettuce, radish, daikon radish, alfalfa sprouts, shitake mushrooms, chrysanthemum, bamboo shoots, amaranth leaves purslane, kelp, lemon, cranberries, watermelon, persimmon
Protein:mung beans, adzuki beans, tofu, tempeh
green tea, chrysanthemum tea (unsweetened), peppermint tea, water
I hope this helps! It might be best to talk to a certified Acupuncturist or TCM Doctor to get more specifics, as you can have damp heat in different regions of the body.
Riley