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, there's no need for a 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 a great 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: it never becomes sticky or thick no matter how long you simmer it. At the bottom, you'll have the cooked red beans and Job's tears, and on top, a light red soup. Most of the effective components of the Job's tears and red beans are in the soup. When you simmer the congee, use a bit more water. This soup is enough to drink for half a day, making it perfect for drinking as tea.
Job's Tears and Red Bean Soy Milk
As for its effects, they are truly remarkable. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Job's tears are known as "Yi Yi Ren" and are listed as a superior herb in the "Shennong Ben Cao Jing." It can treat dampness bi-syndrome, benefit the intestines, reduce edema, strengthen the spleen and stomach, and long-term use is said to make the body light and boost Qi. 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 face high levels of mental stress, have deficient heart Qi, irregular diets, and little exercise, leading to a deficient spleen and an excess of 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 is intended to allow 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" only for edema. Look at people today; at least five or six out of ten are overweight. This is also a form of swelling, known as a bulky physique. In TCM, whether it's obesity or edema, it signifies dampness in the body. Body fluids cannot flow with Qi and blood and get trapped between cells, 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 trapped fluids, thereby reducing swelling. That's why red beans are essential for treating edema, and it has been practically proven that Job's tears and red bean congee has excellent weight-loss effects. It helps with weight loss without harming the body, and the effect is particularly good for middle-aged and elderly individuals.
Dampness is the root cause of various modern chronic and stubborn diseases, and Job's tears and red bean soup is the best remedy for it. You can simmer Job's tears and red beans into congee to serve as the main meal for dinner.
Sweetened Condensed Milk and Red Bean Job's Tears Soup
Some people add a handful of rice when simmering Job's tears and red bean congee, and as a result, the congee becomes thick. In fact, you must never add rice because rice grows in water and contains dampness itself. The nature of dampness is sticky, so rice becomes thick when simmered. Both Job's tears and red beans are dampness-removing and do not contain dampness themselves, which is why they never become thick no matter how long they are simmered; the soup remains clear. TCM utilizes this very clear nature to remove dampness from the body. Once you add rice, you are adding dampness, so 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 more about the nature and flavors of various foods, draw inferences from one case to another, and make your own modifications to create more dietary prescriptions that suit your constitution. In this way, food can truly become a treasure for health preservation.
Dull complexion, lack of energy, even palpitations, drowsiness, and a sense 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 and add a small amount of Astragalus root and Codonopsis root. Postpartum women: Reduce Job's tears and add red dates, millet, and red jujubes.
Red Bean and Job's Tears Soup