Chinese Name: 豌豆
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Spleen, stomach
Properties: Relieve vomiting, increase breast milk supply, help with detoxification
Best Use For: Treating vomiting, increasing breast milk supply, treating water retention
Serving Per Day For One Person: 60 to 125g
Dietary Caution: None
Suitable For: All types of body constitution
Chinese Name: 白扁豆，眉豆
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Spleen, stomach
Properties: Strengthen spleen, remove excess liquids in body, reduce heatiness
Best Use For: Removing excess liquids in spleen, recommended for people with loose stools
Serving Per Day For One Person: 10 to 15g
Dietary Caution: Avoid overconsumption of white lentils as it will hurt the spleen. For spleen strengthening, white lentils should be pan fried before consumption.
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Phlegm and dampness body constitution, Dampness and heat body constitution
Chinese Name: 绿豆
Thermal Nature: Cold
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Heart, liver, stomach
Properties: Cools the body, encourage urination and helps with detoxification
Best Use For: Relieving heatiness in body, highly suitable for treating heat-type flu and headaches or eye swollen/pain
Serving Per Day For One Person: 15 to 30g (Up to 120g for heavier dosage)
Special Note: The outer skin of mung beans is the part that contains all the detoxing properties; do not remove the skin if you are consuming mung beans for detox purposes.
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Dampness and heat body constitution, Phlegm and dampness body constitution
Chinese Name: 大豆, 黄豆
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Spleen, stomach, large intestine
Properties: Strengthen spleen, promote urination, detoxify and relieve swelling
Best Use For: Treating weak spleen and water retention
Serving Per Day For One Person: 30 to 90g
Dietary Caution: Soy bean is high in protein and other essential nutrients for the body, but some people may find it hard to digest. Reduce consumption of soy beans if you feel bloated after consuming it.
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Phlegm and dampness body constitution
Chinese Name: 芋头
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet, pungent
Organ Meridian: Stomach
Properties: Strengthens spleen, dissolves clots, helps with detoxification
Best Use For: Treating weakness in spleen and stomach
Serving Per Day For One Person: 60 to 120g
Dietary Caution: Avoid overconsumption as it will cause harm to spleen. Note that raw yam contains some poisonous substances, so it must be thoroughly cooked before consumption.
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Blood stasis body constitution, Qi stagnation body constitution
Chinese Name: 马铃薯
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Stomach, large intestine
Properties: Harmonizes stomach, promotes energy, helps with detoxification, relieves soreness
Best Use For: Treating gastric pain, stomachache, eczema
Dietary Caution: Avoid consuming potatoes with sprouts as they contain unhealthy substances
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Special diathesis body constitution
Chinese Name: 薏米, 薏苡仁
Thermal Nature: Cold (Slight)
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Spleen, stomach, lung
Properties: Strengthens spleen, removes redundant fluids in spleen, cools body and expels pus
Best Use For: Chinese barley is used to treat swollen legs and feet due to water retention. It also has weight loss properties and strong cooling effects.
Due to its properties in expelling pus, it is used for relieving ulcers in lungs and intestines. One must consume chinese barley in the long term in order to see the benefits.
Serving Per Day For One Person: 10 to 30g
Dietary Caution: Pregnant women must avoid taking chinese barley
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Dampness and heat body constitution, Phlegm and dampness body constitution
More References: Click here for more practical information about chinese barley
Chinese Name: 玉米
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Stomach, large intestine
Properties: Aids digestion and eases urination, relieves swollen legs due to water retention
Best Use For: Treating poor appetite, relieving difficulty in urination and swollen legs, treating stones in urination pathway
Serving Per Day For One Person: 30 to 60g
Dietary Caution: People who get diarrhea after eating corn should strengthen their spleen first before consuming corn on a regular basis
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Phlegm and dampness body constitution, Dampness and heat body constitution, Blood stasis body constitution
Chinese Name: 小米
Thermal Nature: Cooling
Flavor: Sweet, salty
Organ meridian: Spleen, stomach, kidney
Properties: Cools the body, strengthens kidney and helps with detoxification
Best Use For: Relieving stomach upset and vomiting, relieving bloated stomach, replenishing fluids in stomach and spleen hence reducing heatiness in both organs
Serving Per Day For One Person: 15 to 30g
Dietary Caution: Avoid eating millet with almonds as it may cause vomiting and diarrhea for some people
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Dampness and heat body constitution, Yin deficiency body constitution
Chinese Name: 高粱
Thermal Nature: Warm
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Spleen, stomach, lung
Properties: Strengthens spleen and relieves diarrhea, dissolves phlegm and calms the mind
Best Use For: Relieving diarrhea and indigestion, relieving cough (due to phlegm). Its calming effect also helps one to sleep better.
Serving Per Day For One Person: 30 to 60g
Dietary Caution: People with diabetes should avoid consuming sorghum
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Yang deficiency body constitution, Phlegm and dampness body constitution