People often experience "internal heat" symptoms such as red, swollen, and painful eyes, a sore throat, swollen gums, painful mouth ulcers, and a sore, eroded tongue tip. "Internal heat" can be regulated through diet, and "food therapy" has unique effects.
I. Drink lotus seed soup to clear heart fire
Manifestations: Divided into deficiency and excess types. Deficiency fire presents as low-grade fever, night sweats, vexation, and dry mouth. Excess fire presents as recurrent mouth ulcers, dry mouth, scanty and dark urine, and irritability.
Food therapy: 30g of lotus seeds (with the heart remaining), 15g of gardenia fruit (wrapped in gauze), and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Decoct in water, then eat the lotus seeds and drink the soup.
II. Eat pork liver to clear lung fire
Manifestations: Dry cough with little or no phlegm, tidal fever and night sweats, heat in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, insomnia, and a red tongue.
Food therapy: 1 set of pork liver, 30g of chrysanthemum flowers (wrapped in gauze). Boil together until the liver is cooked, then eat the liver and drink the soup.
III. Drink mung bean congee to clear stomach fire
Manifestations: Divided into deficiency and excess types. Deficiency fire presents as a slight cough, reduced appetite, constipation, abdominal bloating, a red tongue with little coating. Excess fire presents as discomfort in the upper abdomen, dry mouth with a bitter taste, and hard, dry stools.
Food therapy: 30g of gypsum powder, an appropriate amount of japonica rice and mung beans. First, decoct the gypsum in water, then filter out the dregs. Use the clear liquid to cook the japonica rice and mung beans into a congee.
IV. Drink pear water to clear liver fire
Manifestations: Headache, dizziness, tinnitus, dry eyes, a bitter taste and bad breath, and pain in the hypochondriac region.
Food therapy: 10g of Fritillaria bulb, crushed into powder. 2 pears, peeled and cut into pieces. Add an appropriate amount of rock sugar and water, and stew to be consumed.
V. Eat pork kidneys to clear kidney fire
Manifestations: Dizziness and vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss, soreness and weakness of the lower back, tidal fever and night sweats, vexation with heat in the five centers (palms, soles, chest, abdomen).
Food therapy: 2 pork kidneys, 15g each of wolfberry fruit and Cornus officinalis. Place all ingredients in a clay pot and cook until the kidneys are done. Eat the kidneys and drink the soup.