Eliminate edema in 3 parts and eat the right color to make you look thinner

Are you troubled by edema-type obesity? In order to make themselves look "smaller", many beauty-conscious women follow the footsteps of female stars and drink red bean water and coix seed water to help reduce edema. Others take the diuretic method of drinking coffee or strong tea. However, do you know? Depending on the location of the edema, the type of food selected should also be different, and matching colors can double the effect of reducing swelling and losing weight.

The different parts of the body where edema appears represent different physical conditions, and you need to eat the right foods to double the effect of reducing swelling and losing weight.

There are 3 types of edema constitutions. Eat wisely to reduce edema

Chinese medicine practitioner Huang Huijuan said that the manifestation sites of edema represent different physical conditions, and the treatment and diet therapy methods need to be adjusted according to the situation in order to achieve the desired edema-reducing and diuretic effects. Generally speaking, the causes of edema can be divided into "lung qi stagnation", "spleen qi weakness" and "kidney qi weakness", and the sites of edema are concentrated in the face, lower abdomen and lower limbs respectively.

1. Lung Qi Stagnation: White food can eliminate facial edema

People with lung qi stagnation constitution tend to have swollen faces when they wake up in the morning, and are prone to respiratory symptoms such as coughs, colds and allergies, and are prone to sweating. Clinical treatment often uses Chinese medicinal materials such as ephedra, coix seed, astragalus and licorice, using the "sweating method" and the medicinal properties of entering the lungs, replenishing qi and promoting diuresis to promote qi and blood circulation in the upper body and reduce water accumulation that causes facial edema. Drugs that adjust lung function should be taken after meals. In terms of dietary therapy, white foods such as radish and winter melon are the most effective, but they are cool in nature, so it is recommended to cook them before eating.

2. Weak spleen: Say goodbye to abdominal bloating with earthy foods

For those with weak spleen constitution, edema usually occurs in the lower abdomen, where there is a feeling of swelling. People with this constitution usually don't eat much, but are prone to puffiness and diarrhea. They want to eat fruits and melons to help with diuresis, but the more they eat, the more swollen they become. Chinese medicine practitioner Huang Huijuan said that the most common treatment prescription for spleen dysfunction is Si Shen Decoction, while diet therapy with earth (yellow) colored foods is more effective in protecting the spleen and stomach, such as yam, white lentils and corn silk, which are neutral ingredients and can be eaten on an empty stomach.

Black beans enter the kidneys and have the effect of replenishing kidney qi, which can improve edema in the lower body. (Photography by Hong Yuqi)

3. Weak kidney qi: black food can help get rid of leg swelling

Edema caused by weak kidney qi often occurs in the legs, and is often accompanied by symptoms of difficulty urinating and nocturia, especially in the elderly. In clinical treatment, it is advisable to use warm-natured medicinal materials to replenish qi, such as cooked rehmannia, cornus, cinnamon, aconite, etc. For kidney-tonifying diet therapy, black beans and black fungus are better. Yam also has the effect of tonifying the kidney. Kidney-tonifying Chinese medicine and food can be consumed on an empty stomach under the evaluation of a Chinese medicine practitioner.

【Health Tips】:

Chinese medicine practitioner Huang Huijuan reminds that before using Chinese medicine to reduce edema, it is recommended to first consult a Chinese medicine practitioner to assess whether it is suitable for one’s physical condition, and that general food intake should also be avoided in excess to avoid affecting one’s health. In addition, according to the theory of meridian operation in traditional Chinese medicine, 5pm to 7pm is the main operating time of the kidneys. People should try not to take lung- or spleen-tonifying anti-edema drugs and foods beyond this period. Kidney-tonifying medicines should also not be taken too late, so as not to affect the kidneys' secretion of antidiuretic hormone at night, increase the frequency of nocturia, and interfere with sleep.