top of page
Search
serenawhitridge
Mar 21, 20203 min read

Dietary Recommendations Amidst COVID19

Updated: Mar 24, 2020

Dampness


In Chinese Medicine, dampness arises from the external environment or the climate. Damp living conditions, wet clothes, sitting on the damp ground, and damp basements are indicative of dampness. Internal dampness is a result of eating greasy foods, dairy, sugar, alcohol consumption, lack of movement, irregular eating habits, cold and raw foods. Dampness is an overly wet or moist condition. Obsessive thought patterns and emotions can lead to lethargy and dampness. Dampness is a pathological factor that leads to imbalance.





Dampness tends to be sticky, difficult to get rid of, heavy, slow, and lingering. The digestive system needs to be able to transport and transform. When it is not there is stagnation and dampness that leads to phlegm. It is important for our body to be able to transform.


COVID19 is categorized as an epidemic pestilence (wenyi), which is damp in nature. Dampness is created in this disease, which can lead to phlegm and fluid in the Lung. In some patients there can also be heat. COVID19 Take care of your digestion during COVID19. The earth elements in Chinese Medicine are the Spleen and Stomach. Movement helps transform dampness as does diet, which nourishes Earth, the center, and avoids dampness. COVID19 presents as a pneumonia, which attacks the lungs. The pneumonia is extremely sticky, which creates stagnation in the chest (ie shortness of breath). Conditions that impact the Lungs also impact digestion in Chinese Medicine.





Dietary recommendations:


· Add herbal teas to your regimen—a simple one to increase digestive fire, nice in the morning, is lemon, honey, ginger (finely grated)

· Drink water or tea in the morning when you wake up

· Add warm porridge, broths, soup, and stew to your diet

· Add spices to your cooking: cardamom, cumin, coriander, ginger, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn, and mustard seed.

· Spices keep the spleen and stomach dry and transforming and transporting

· Herbs and spices help the body digest food, clear phlegm and create vital health.

· Avoid sticky foods: sugar, dairy, breads, bananas, alcohol

· Incorporate whole grains into your diet (millet, buckwheat, amaranth, barley, corn, rice, rye)

· Avoid cold foods and drinks

· Avoid foods that might over stimulate heat in the stomach. COVID19 includes fever and a dry cough. Hot foods include: hot peppers, alcohol, garlic, onions, friend foods, and greasy foods.

· Garlic does help boost immunity, but prolonged use can be hot and dry

· Add colorful vegetables to your diet; include carrots, radishes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, mustard greens, radicchio, endive, arugula, dandelion greens, and herbs (rosemary, parsley cilantro, dill, oregano, chives, etc.)

· Add legumes to your diet. Think lentils, black beans, adzuki, black-eyed peas, mung beans, etc. Sprouts (you can grow your own) are also great.

· Meat, poultry, fish, and seafood can included, but try to reduce amounts, as red meat is hot in the body.


Other behaviors

1. WASH YOUR HANDS

2. Stop touching your face

3. Breathe, practice deep belly breathing or square breathing. Focus on grounding down through your breath.

4. Stay home, this helps immunocompromised and elderly people. Flattening the curve is our goal as a country right now.

5. Sleep-- boosting your immune system can be as simple as getting adequate sleep. Take naps if you can. Avoid stress when you can or self-soothe by practicing distressing.

6. Take walks, incorporate movement into your day (yoga, tai-chi, qigong)

7. Stay hydrated-- lemon water, herbal teas, non-sugary juice

8. Be creative-- draw, sew, plant seeds

9. Connect to your loved ones: friends and family

10. Consider doing a tele-medicine call to get prescribed herbs by a Chinese medicine practitioner to stay healthy or a Naturopathic doctor. There are medical professionals to support you!


75 views0 comments

Comments

bottom of page