Natural “Fire Fighters” in Food
In late autumn, dry weather often causes dry mouth, irritability, frequent anger, and susceptibility to colds. Symptoms may include:
★ Self-check: Where Is Your Fire?
Upper Burn (upper jiao refers to heart and lungs)
Symptoms: Dry mouth, mouth ulcers, cracked lips, red eyes, tinnitus, mild cough.
Middle Burn (middle jiao refers to spleen and stomach)
Manifestations: Alternating hyperacidity, insatiable hunger, belching with sour taste, acid reflux, bloating, poor appetite.
Lower Burn (lower jiao refers to liver, kidneys, bladder, intestines)
Manifestations: Hard stools, reduced and yellowish urine with strong odor, itching in genital area, excessive vaginal discharge in women, sometimes yellowish.
★ Natural Fire Fighters in Foods
From a dietary therapy perspective, general principles include: drink plenty of water, avoid spicy and stimulating foods, minimize smoking and drinking, or even quit entirely; limit greasy foods, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, maintain smooth bowel movements and clear urine.
If mild heat symptoms occur, consume pears, lotus root, persimmon cake powder, etc.
For gastrointestinal heat, eat more fiber-rich vegetables to stimulate intestinal motility. If constipation occurs, drink 50–100 grams of honey daily. For robust individuals, chew betel nut slices to aid digestion.
For pronounced symptoms, consider the following medications based on condition:
Upper burn: Drink bitter tea (Kudingcha); for mouth ulcers, sprinkle double-ingredient Lohong San or pearl powder. Lotus seed heart, lily bulbs, and similar herbs are suitable for clearing heart fire.
Middle burn: Take fermented Sanxian (roasted hawthorn, fermented yeast, roasted malt), Fermented Si Xian (Sanxian plus roasted Areca), or use chicken gizzard lining, Wu Xiang Binglang Tang (betel nut-based formula with sand ginger, cardamom for digestion and qi movement).
Lower burn: Take Chinese patent medicines such as Danggui Longhui Wan, Zhi Zi Jin Hua Wan. Single herbs like raw Sophora flower, raw Sanguisorba root are also effective. For severe genital itching, use snake bed herb for fumigation and sitz baths.