When it comes to removing dampness, many veteran TCM doctors recommend the excellent remedy of "coix seed and red bean soup," but people often ask why it doesn't work after they've taken it?
I want to say, the formula is not wrong, but most people simply don't understand the correct way to use coix seed and red beans. You think it's as simple as just boiling coix seed and red beans with water? No wonder it's not effective! Look over here, in fact, there are at least 5 mistakes!
◆ 5 Major Mistakes in Coix Seed and Red Bean Soup ◆
You've probably made all of them
1. The red beans are wrong
In TCM, "red beans" refer to adzuki beans. In terms of efficacy, red beans nourish the heart, while adzuki beans remove dampness. In terms of shape, red beans are rounder, while adzuki beans are long and thin. Don't get them confused anymore.
2. The coix seed is wrong
Although coix seed is great for removing dampness, it's nature is cold. Eating it directly after boiling can damage the spleen. The spleen is responsible for transporting and transforming dampness. If the spleen is damaged, dampness becomes even harder to expel. The more you try to remove it, the worse it gets.
Therefore, before cooking, you can first stir-fry the coix seeds over high heat, which has the effect of drying dampness.
Coix Seed and Red Bean Soup
3. The cooking method is wrong
Adzuki beans and coix seeds are very difficult to cook until tender. It's best to soak them in warm water for two hours before boiling, otherwise the nutrients are hard to release. If you don't have time to soak, you can just simmer it for half an hour longer.
4. Adding rice is wrong
This soup is not congee, so never add rice! Because rice grows in water, it is damp and sticky!
Red beans and coix seed themselves are not damp, so no matter how you cook them, the soup won't be thick; it will be clear. TCM utilizes this "clear" nature to remove dampness.
Once you add rice, you are adding dampness. The whole thing turns into congee. It might taste better, but for health preservation, that handful of rice ruins all the effects of the red beans and coix seed. The efficacy is completely lost.
5. "Only removing dampness without strengthening the spleen" is wrong
The "Huangdi Neijing" (The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) states that the spleen and dampness are like good friends because "the spleen governs transportation and transformation." When the spleen is deficient, dampness worsens, and heavy dampness in turn leads to a deficient spleen. To remove dampness, you must also strengthen the spleen.
Therefore, coix seed and red bean soup is not that simple. It is only the best remedy for dampness when the preparation and method are completely correct.
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