Should those who are prone to 'heatiness' actually nourish themselves? This seemingly paradoxical statement makes sense because the 'heatiness' that afflicts such individuals is often 'false fire'!
In nature, fire is only likely to ignite when there is insufficient rain and the weather is dry. The human body is the same. The only reason one is prone to 'heatiness' is a lack of fluids, or 'yin deficiency', which causes false fire to flare up.
These individuals who are particularly prone to 'heatiness' may develop mouth sores, acne, a dry mouth, a sore throat, swollen gums, red and swollen eyes, nosebleeds, and even high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, irritability, and insomnia. Yet, they are often very sensitive to cold. Or, even if they don't have an obvious aversion to cold, there are no clear triggers for their 'heatiness'. I once saw a severe case in a woman who not only dared not eat any 'heat-inducing' fried, grilled, or roasted foods but would even avoid roadside barbecue stalls. Just smelling the barbecue smoke would immediately cause her throat to hurt, triggering a bout of chronic pharyngitis.
The reason for frequent 'false fire' is a deficiency of true yin. The *Huangdi Neijing* (The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) states: "Yin resides within, serving as the foundation for Yang; Yang resides without, acting as the messenger of Yin." It is clear that Yin is the foundation of Yang; Yin and Yang are mutually rooted and restraining. When Yin is deficient, Yang becomes excessive, and this excess Yang is what manifests as fire.
There is a special "Fire-Gathering Decoction" for this condition, created by the renowned Ming Dynasty physician Chen Shiduo. It uses only four herbs: 30g of Rehmannia root (Shu Di Huang), 12g of Cornus fruit (Shan Zhu Yu), 9g of Poria (Fu Ling), and 3g of Cinnamon bark (Rou Gui). Rehmannia root and Cornus fruit are used to nourish the kidney yin; these are also key herbs in the famous "Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill" (Liu Wei Di Huang Wan). The very warming Cinnamon bark is used to guide the fire back to its source.
There was once a singer whose chronic pharyngitis was so severe she could barely perform. Before seeing a TCM doctor, she had been drinking various herbal teas to soothe her throat, mainly things like Malva nut (Pang Da Hai) and myrobalan (Zhi Qing Guo), but they were always ineffective. Although she constantly showed symptoms of 'heatiness' in her throat, she was more sensitive to cold than anyone else. After coming off stage, regardless of the season, her assistant had to hand her a cotton coat immediately.
The TCM doctor who treated her prescribed a simple herbal tea: 10g of Ophiopogon root (Mai Dong) and 3g of Cinnamon bark (Rou Gui) steeped in water. Miraculously, after drinking it for two days, her throat felt much better. Gradually, even the Ophiopogon root, commonly used for throat conditions, was no longer needed. She drank tea with just 3g of Cinnamon bark and, with this simple remedy, she was able to return to the stage. This formula is inspired by Chen Shiduo's "Fire-Gathering Decoction." In TCM, the Kidney Meridian passes through the throat. A classic symptom of kidney yin deficiency is a sore throat. This includes the now-prevalent chronic pharyngitis, which is related to kidney yin deficiency—a state where water fails to control fire.
Beyond these unexpected warming and nourishing herbs that can treat various types of 'false fire', there is another method: massaging the 'Gushing Spring' acupoint (Yong Quan) on the sole of the foot. 'Gushing Spring' is located on the sole and is the 'Well' point of the Kidney Meridian. A 'Well' point signifies the source of the body's yin. Therefore, whether through acupuncture or massage, stimulating 'Gushing Spring' has the same effect as taking yin-nourishing herbs, similar to the Rehmannia root and Cornus fruit in the "Fire-Gathering Decoction."
Moreover, it is best to rub the center of the sole with the palm of the hand. The palm center is the 'Well' point of the Pericardium Meridian, called 'Labor Palace' (Lao Gong), which is a heat-accentuated point. Using the heat of 'Labor Palace' to contact the coolness of 'Gushing Spring' is analogous to the combination of Cinnamon bark with Rehmannia root and Cornus fruit. The aim is to guide the fire back to its source and lower the 'false fire' by nourishing yin.