Internal dampness is considered the root of ten thousand diseases. The method to remove it is very simple, requiring only two "medicines." These two can be drunk as tea, eaten as a meal, and can solve major problems. They are Job's tears and red beans. Eating these two foods together keeps all diseases at bay.
These two ingredients do not need to be in any specific proportion. Just grab a handful of each each time. Wash them, place them in a pot with water, and simmer. What you get is a superb remedy for removing dampness and strengthening the spleen—Job's tears and red bean congee.
Job's tears and red bean congee has one benefit: it never becomes sticky or thick no matter how long it simmers. At the bottom are the simmered-to-tenderness red beans and Job's tears, and on top is a light-red soup. Most of the effective components of the Job's tears and red beans are in the soup. When you make the congee, use more water, and this soup will be enough to drink for half a day, perfect for drinking as tea.
Job's Tears, Red Bean, and Lily Bulb Congee
As for its effects, they are truly remarkable.
In Chinese medicine, Job's tears is called "Yi Yi Ren" and was listed as a superior herb in the "Shennong Ben Cao Jing." It can treat dampness impediment, benefit the intestines, reduce edema, strengthen the spleen and benefit the stomach. Long-term consumption makes the body light and benefits Qi. Red beans, in Chinese medicine, are known as "Chi Xiao Dou," and also have significant effects of promoting urination, reducing swelling, and strengthening the spleen and stomach. Because they are red, and red corresponds to the heart in the Five Elements theory, they can also nourish the heart. Modern people suffer from great mental stress, deficient heart Qi, irregular diets, and lack of exercise, leading to spleen deficiency and excessive dampness. To remove dampness, nourish the heart, and strengthen the spleen and stomach, nothing is better than Job's tears and red beans. Cooking them into a congee is intended to allow their active ingredients to be fully absorbed by the body without placing any burden on the spleen and stomach.
The "swelling-reducing" effect of Job's tears and red beans is also interesting. We must not mistake swelling for just edema. Look at people today—at least five or six out of ten are overweight. This is also a type of swelling, called a bloated physique. In the view of Traditional Chinese Medicine, whether it is obesity or edema, it signifies dampness in the body. Fluids cannot flow with Qi and blood, stagnating between the body's cells and causing the body to swell rapidly. This is true for edema, and it is also true for obesity, the only difference being the degree. Substances with strong dampness-removing properties can expel these stagnant fluids, thus reducing swelling. Therefore, red beans are essential for treating edema, and practice has shown that Job's tears and red bean congee has excellent weight-loss effects. It can reduce weight without harming the body, and is especially effective for middle-aged and elderly obese individuals.
Dampness is the root cause of various modern chronic and stubborn diseases, and Job's tears and red bean soup is the best medicine for treating it. You can simmer Job's tears and red beans into congee to serve as the staple for dinner.
Some people add a handful of rice when making Job's tears and red bean congee, and the congee becomes thick. In fact, you must never add rice, because rice grows in water and contains dampness itself. The nature of dampness is sticky, so rice becomes thick when cooked. Job's tears and red beans are both dampness-removing and do not contain dampness themselves, which is why they never become thick, and the soup remains clear. Traditional Chinese Medicine utilizes this clear quality to remove dampness from the body. Once you add rice, it's like adding dampness, so the entire congee becomes thick. Although the taste might be better, it is not good for health preservation. Because of that one handful of rice, all the effects of the Job's tears and red beans are wasted.
In addition to Job's tears and red bean congee, you can learn more about the nature and flavor of various foods, draw inferences from one case to another, and make your own adjustments to create more dietary prescriptions suitable for your constitution. This way, food can truly become a treasure for health preservation.
Dull complexion, lack of energy, even palpitations, drowsiness, and a feeling of emptiness in the heart: Job's tears and red beans with longan. Irritability, insomnia, or red rashes, acne on the face: Job's tears and red beans with lily bulbs and lotus seeds. Stomach pain from cold, poor appetite, aversion to cold: Job's tears and red beans with ginger. Kidney deficiency: Job's tears and red beans with black soybeans. Athlete's foot: Job's tears and red beans with yellow soybeans. Cough: Job's tears and red beans with pear. Poor appetite, weak body: Job's tears and red beans with Chinese yam. Diarrhea, abdominal pain, diabetes: Job's tears and red beans with pumpkin. Body weakness, premature ejaculation, spermatorrhea, excessive urination at night: Job's tears and red beans with Euryale ferox seeds. Pregnant women: reduce Job's tears, add a small amount of Astragalus and Codonopsis root. Postpartum women: reduce Job's tears, add red dates, millet, and jujubes.
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