Phlegm-damp constitution (Tan Shi)
On this page
- Overview
- Recognising the pattern
- Dietary approach
- Foods to favour
- Foods to limit
- Lifestyle
- Related pages
1. Overview
Phlegm-damp (Tan Shi) is the constitution of pathological fluid accumulation, very common in modern populations with overconsumption of dairy, sugar, processed and greasy foods. The Spleen fails to transform fluids, which gather as damp; thickened damp becomes phlegm, leading to weight gain, heavy limbs, fullness and chronic conditions including PCOS, metabolic syndrome and chronic catarrh.
2. Recognising the pattern
- Overweight, particularly around the abdomen
- Soft, puffy flesh; feeling of heaviness
- Oily skin and hair, prone to acne and seborrhoeic dermatitis
- Sluggish digestion; bloating; loose stools
- Catarrh, chest fullness, productive cough, sinus problems
- Sleepy after meals; foggy thinking
- Tongue: swollen, pale, with a thick, greasy coating
- Pulse: slippery, often forceful
3. Dietary approach
The damp-clearing diet is light, dry and warming. Reduce or eliminate dairy, sugar, refined carbohydrates, fried food and alcohol (all dampening). Increase damp-resolving foods: barley, adzuki bean, mung bean, raw radish, mushroom and gentle warming spices.
4. Foods to favour
- Job's tears (yi yi ren), barley, adzuki bean
- Mung beans (cooked), kidney beans
- White radish, daikon, cucumber, lettuce, celery
- Mushrooms (shiitake, button, oyster)
- Seaweed, kelp
- Lean protein: chicken (skinless), white fish, egg whites
- Warming spices: ginger, cardamom, cumin, fennel, turmeric
- Green tea, pu-erh tea, oolong tea (after meals)
5. Foods to limit
- Dairy products, especially cheese, cream, ice cream, milk
- Sugar, refined carbohydrates, sweet desserts
- Wheat in excess, refined flour
- Fried, greasy food, takeaway food
- Alcohol, particularly beer
- Excess fruit juice and sweet smoothies
- Bananas in excess (very damp), nuts in excess
- Eating large meals, eating late at night, snacking constantly
6. Lifestyle
Daily aerobic exercise to disperse damp through sweat. Eat light meals, avoid late suppers. Damp-prone climates (low-lying, humid) aggravate; sun and movement disperse damp.
