Dampness according to tcm

Dampness - if you work with me, you’ve probably heard this term in exhaustion. I apologize (lightly) if my voice is in your head when you reach for those damp foods. I know, I know, they are comforting. Before you close the tab, please don’t sweat it; these dietary changes are temporary. In fact, my clinical goal is to get your body to a place where you can have all foods in moderation. We do this by utilizing periods (often acute phases) of abstinence from damp forming foods to help you with the symptoms associated with the sludgy, dragging your heels, lethargic feelings systemic dampness often brings on.

Why is it important that we work on dampness? To achieve optimal flow in the body and rid of symptoms like, chronic fatigue, heaviness in the body, foggy brain, nausea, general gastrointestinal symptoms, swelling and aching joints, seasonal allergies, and the list goes on. Like many things in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) anything that is too much or too little in the body is a starting place for disease. Dampness in TCM is classified as an “excess” condition and like I’ve explained in clinic, sometimes we need to drain what is too much.

This is a working list and I’ve attempted to make this as simple as possible by using four categories: Foods To Avoid, what to do if you are experiencing an acute phase of dampness (Foods To Reduce), eat until your heart is content (The Go List), and How To Prepare Your Food.