Chen Peijing, a senior physician at Yikang Traditional Chinese Medicine, says eating more foods like white radish, yam, and lily bulbs that nourish the spleen and stomach, eliminate phlegm and dampness, and clear the lungs and moisten dryness can help reduce phlegm production.
To reduce phlegm, Dr. Chen Peijing suggested the following in an interview with "Live Well":
■Diet: It's recommended to eat a light diet and eat more foods that are easily digestible, nourish the spleen and stomach, eliminate phlegm and dampness, or clear the lungs and moisten dryness.
Expectorant and dampness-removing foods: white radish, winter melon, celery, loofah, and kelp are suitable for those with hot coughs and yellow, sticky phlegm.
Spleen-tonifying and dampness-removing foods: coix seed, lentils, yam, and tangerine peel are suitable for those with weak spleen and stomach, chest tightness, abdominal distension, and fatigue.
Lung-clearing and moisturizing foods: lily bulbs, loquat, and honey are suitable for those with dry mouth, itchy throat, and sticky phlegm in the throat.
■Lifestyle adjustments:
Exercise more and sweat more frequently to enhance your body's metabolic capacity and relieve stress. Avoid staying up late for long periods of time. Lack of sleep can weaken your immune system and impair your body's function.
Drinking plenty of water helps dilute phlegm, making it easier to pass and moistening your throat.
■Acupoint Massage:
Massaging the Fenglong point (on the anterolateral side of the lower leg, 8 inches above the tip of the outer ankle and 2 finger widths from the front edge of the tibia) daily for 3 to 5 minutes can help strengthen the spleen, resolve phlegm, and eliminate dampness and swelling.
