Energy & Immunity
Heaviness & High Cholesterol
Feeling heavy and sluggish, raised cholesterol.
⚡ Quick & easy version · 15 min
After-Meal Walk & Green Tea
Only a few things you probably already have at home.
You need
- ◆Green tea
Steps
- Drink a cup of green tea after lunch.
- Walk 10–15 min after dinner.
Hawthorn & Chrysanthemum Tea
You need
- ◆10 g dried hawthorn berries
- ◆5 g chrysanthemum
- ◆500 ml water
How to make it
- 1
Simmer hawthorn 15 min.
- 2
Add chrysanthemum, steep 5 min.
- 3
Drink after meals.
Poria & Barley Soup
You need
- ◆15 g poria
- ◆30 g pearl barley
- ◆200 g winter melon or courgette
- ◆1 L water
How to make it
- 1
Simmer barley and poria 45 min.
- 2
Add melon, cook 15 min, season lightly.
Helpful herbs
The TCM view
Phlegm-Damp from a weak Spleen. Hawthorn, tangerine peel, poria and barley are classic for transforming damp and moving food stagnation.
Food tips
Eat / do
- Oats, vegetables, beans
- Green tea
- Walking after meals
Avoid
- Sugary drinks
- Fried and fatty food
- Late night snacks
Sources
- Bensky et al. – Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica (Eastland Press)
- Scheid, Bensky et al. – Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies (Eastland Press)
- NCCIH – Herbs at a Glance (US National Institutes of Health)
- NCCIH – Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know
- Memorial Sloan Kettering – About Herbs database (interactions & safety)
- Thuisarts.nl – Dutch GP advice (when to see a doctor)
⚠ Safety
- Hawthorn can strengthen heart and blood pressure medication – ask your doctor.
- Don't stop prescribed statins.
- Not a replacement for medical care. Ask a doctor before use if pregnant, breastfeeding or on medication.