Dietary Therapy for Frequent "Internal Fire"
In late autumn, dry weather causes dry mouth, sore throat, susceptibility to colds, and frequent irritability due to emotional stagnation and internal fire, manifesting in several ways:
Upper Jiao Fire (Upper Jiao refers to heart and lung areas): Symptoms include dry mouth, oral ulcers, chapped lips, red eyes, tinnitus, and mild cough.
Middle Jiao Fire (Middle Jiao refers to stomach and spleen areas): Manifests as alternating episodes of hyperactive stomach fire (insatiable hunger) and belching with sour regurgitation, upward belching, abdominal distension, and reduced appetite.
Lower Jiao Fire (Lower Jiao refers to liver, kidney, bladder, and large/small intestine areas): Manifests as hard stool, reduced and yellowish urine, turbid odor, occasional genital itching, increased vaginal discharge in women, even yellowish discharge.
From a dietary health perspective, the general principle is to drink plenty of water daily, avoid spicy and stimulating foods, minimize smoking and alcohol consumption—ideally quit entirely; limit greasy foods, increase intake of fresh vegetables and fruits, maintain regular bowel movements and clear urine.
If mild signs of internal fire appear, one may eat pears, lotus root, persimmon cake paste, etc., regularly.
For gastrointestinal fire, consume more fiber-rich vegetables to enhance intestinal motility. If constipation occurs, drink 50–100 grams of honey daily. For robust individuals, eating slices of betel nut may aid digestion.
For pronounced symptoms, consider the following medications based on type: For middle jiao fire, take Jiao Sanxian (charred hawthorn, fermented wheat, and sprouted barley) or Jiao Sizhao (Jiao Sanxian plus charred Areca catechu); alternatively, use chicken gizzard lining or Wu Xiang Binglang Tang (betel nut-based candy with sandalwood, cardamom, etc., for digestion and qi regulation). For lower jiao fire, take traditional Chinese patent medicines such as Longdan Xiegan Wan, Danggui Longhui Wan, or Zhi Zi Jin Hua Wan. Alternatively, consume single herbs like raw Sophora japonica flowers or raw Polygonum aviculare roots. For severe vaginal itching, purchase snake bed seed for fumigation or sitz bath.