Introduction: Removing dampness from the body is very simple, requiring only two "medicines." These two can be drunk as tea or eaten as a meal, and they can solve major problems. They are Job's tears and red beans.
For these two ingredients, you don't need to follow any specific ratio. Just grab a handful of each each time. After washing them, put them in a pot with water and simmer them. The result is the perfect 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: no matter how long you simmer it, it never becomes sticky or thick. The bottom is always the simmered, soft red beans and Job's tears, with a light red soup on top. Most of the effective components of the Job's tears and red beans are in the soup. When you make the congee, add more water, and this soup will be enough for you to drink for half a day, perfect for drinking as tea.
Job's Tears and Red Bean Drink
As for its efficacy, it is truly remarkable. Job's tears, known as "Yi Yi Ren" in traditional Chinese medicine, is 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 use makes the body light and boosts vital energy. Red beans, known as "Chi Xiao Dou" in TCM, 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-element theory, they can also nourish the heart. Modern people suffer from high stress, weak heart energy, irregular diets, and lack of exercise, leading to a deficient spleen and excess dampness. To remove dampness, nourish the heart, and strengthen the spleen and stomach, nothing is better than Job's tears and red beans. Simmering them into a congee allows 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 very interesting. We must not mistake "swelling" for only edema. Look at people today; at least five or six out of ten are overweight, which is also a form of swelling, known as a bloated body type. In the view of TCM, whether it is obesity or edema, it indicates dampness in the body. Body fluids cannot flow with qi and blood, stagnating between cells and causing the body to swell rapidly. This is true for both edema and obesity, the only difference being the degree. Substances with strong dampness-removing properties can eliminate 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 a good weight-loss effect. It can help with weight loss without harming the body, especially for middle-aged and elderly obese individuals, the effect is particularly good.
Dampness evil is the root of various modern chronic and persistent 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 a congee to serve as the staple food for dinner.
Job's Tears and Red Bean Congee
Some people add a handful of rice when simmering 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. The nature of dampness is sticky, so rice becomes thick when simmered. Job's tears and red beans are both dampness-removing and do not contain dampness themselves, which is why they never become thick no matter how long they are simmered; the soup is very clear. TCM utilizes this clear nature to remove dampness from the body. Once you add rice, it's like adding dampness, and 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 also learn about the nature and flavor of various foods, and by analogy, 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, listlessness, even palpitations, drowsiness, and a feeling of emptiness in the heart: Add longan to Job's tears and red beans. Irritability, insomnia, or red rashes, acne on the face: Add lily and lotus seeds to Job's tears and red beans. Stomach pain due to cold, poor appetite, aversion to cold: Add ginger to Job's tears and red beans. Kidney deficiency: Add black beans to Job's tears and red beans. Athlete's foot: Add soybeans to Job's tears and red beans. Cough: Add pears to Job's tears and red beans. Poor appetite, weak body: Add Chinese yam to Job's tears and red beans. Diarrhea, abdominal pain, diabetes: Add pumpkin to Job's tears and red beans. Body weakness, premature ejaculation, spermatorrhea, excessive urination at night: Add Gordon Euryale seeds to Job's tears and red beans. 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.
Scallion and Egg Fried Job's Tears and Red Bean Rice