The holidays are here, time to celebrate!
The parties, the cookies, the eggnog, the pie! By all means enjoy, but this post is intended to help you feel good while navigating this festive time. Cause let’s face it, all that indulgence can take a toll on your body, cue the collective hangover that spurns the need for cleanses starting January 1 st.
In traditional Chinese medicine we have a term for this gross, heavy feeling that often follows periods of indulgence, and it’s a pretty appropriate description: dampness.
Dampness is caused by an excess of all the good stuff, so sugar, spice, alcohol, greasy foods and dairy. Excess dampness can also be aggravated by external factors, like humid weather, but for the purpose of this email we are going to focus on dietary causes as the holidays are ripe for that.
Certain people are more prone to dampness than others, but overall it’s incredibly common. Dampness manifests in the body as a heavy, sluggish feeling, foggy head, water retention, bloating, excess weight, loose bowel movements, fatigue, and phlegm.
Dampness is a sign that your digestive system needs some support.
5 ways to help keep dampness at bay
1- Embrace warm beverages
Warm drinks help keep your digestive fire strong. From the viewpoint of traditional Chinese medicine, cold causes things to constrict and congeal, which can also make phlegm worse.
Try ginger and mint hot tea. Both help to calm digestion upset and bloating and mint can also help with a headache.
2- Radishes are your friend
Radishes are rich in Vitamin C and help to improve respiratory health. Daikon radishes in particular have antibacterial, antiviral and expectorant properties. They help to dissolve mucus and phlegm, a manifestation of damp, along with a slew of other health benefits. Snack on them with butter and sea salt, or add as a topping to your avocado toast.
3 - Dairy is not your friend
I realize, eggnog and all the elaborate cheese plates! But if you must, sheep and goat products are less dampening.
4- Massage this acupressure point, Spleen 9
It's synonymous with helping the body eliminate dampness.
