Introduction: Asthma is one of the common diseases to prevent in spring. Based on the principle of syndrome differentiation and treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), asthma is classified into different types: Spleen-Lung Qi Deficiency type, Phlegm-Fluid Obstruction and Counterflow type, and Kidney-Failure-to-Accept-Qi type. Different medicinal diet recipes are provided for different types of asthma. Below are the medicinal diets recommended by TCM for preventing asthma in spring.
I. Spleen-Lung Qi Deficiency type: Main symptoms include shortness of breath, low and weak voice, aggravated dyspnea on exertion, lusterless complexion, spontaneous sweating, pale tongue with tooth marks, and a thready and weak pulse. The treatment principle is to strengthen the spleen and benefit the lung. The following medicinal diets can be selected:
Lily Porridge: 20g lily bulb, 50g rice. Cook into a porridge and consume regularly.
II. Phlegm-Fluid Obstruction and Counterflow type: Main symptoms include coughing and wheezing, rattling sound of phlegm in the throat, chest tightness and epigastric fullness, thick and greasy tongue coating, and a wiry and slippery pulse. The treatment principle is to ventilate the lung, calm wheezing, transform phlegm, and lower counterflow. The following medicinal diets can be selected:
Cochlearia Porridge: 50g Job's tears, 50g rice. First cook the Job's tears until soft, then add rice and cook together to eat.
III. Kidney-Failure-to-Accept-Qi type: Main symptoms include prolonged, intractable wheezing that varies in severity, more exhalation than inhalation, opening the mouth and raising the shoulders, and even an inability to lie flat. The treatment principle is to tonify the kidney and guide qi downward. The following medicinal diets can be selected:
Cordyceps Duck Stew: 250g duck meat, 10g Cordyceps sinensis, 4 red dates. Wash the Cordyceps sinensis, remove the pits from the red dates and wash them. Slaughter and clean the duck, cut into pieces. Place all ingredients in a stew pot, add an appropriate amount of boiling water, and stew over low heat for 3 hours. Season to taste and eat.
Note: When using the above medicinal diets for treatment, the diet should be light. Avoid greasy, rich, roasted, raw, cold, pungent, overly sweet, and overly salty foods. Normally, avoid "trigger foods" that can cause allergic reactions, such as shrimp, crab, seafood, and peanuts.