What Is the Waterlogged Type?

Lifestyle Tips for the Waterlogged Type

Foods to Eat for the Waterlogged Type

Lean toward low glycemic index and low carb foods.

• Eat living foods that are fresh from the farmers market, or live cultured and lactofermented.
• Eat whole grains to reduce sugar absorption and insulin resistance.
• Replace refined sugars with natural sweeteners such as agave nectar and monkfruit.
• If you tolerate gluten, eat barley. It is a natural diuretic.
• Drink green tea. It is low in caffeine, high in beneficial nutrients, and a diuretic that will help you lose excess weight.
• Combine complex carbs with proteins, not fats. Never eat carbs alone.
• Avoid rich, gooey foods as well as cream-based sauces and soups.
• Choose fermented dairy such as yogurt, kefir, labneh, and quark.
• Add cardamom and cinnamon to your yogurt.
• When choosing dairy, choose products made from sheep and goat milk.
• When choosing non-dairy milk or cheese, avoid soy and flaxseed products if you have  True Estrogen  Dominance. These phytoestrogens are beneficial if you only have Relative Estrogen Dominance, however.
• Ironically, push water hydration. It will move stored fluids and flush out toxins.
• Avoid hot spicy foods but mildly spicy or carminative herbs are beneficial.
  

Foods to Avoid for the Waterlogged Type

• Overeating any food
• Raw or cold foods
• Greasy or deep fried foods
• Hot spicy foods
• Alcohol (because of the sugars and Heat
• Foods that create mucus (dairy, citrus, pasta)
• Processed foods
• Artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup
• Overabundance of wheat products (bread, pasta)
• Fermented foods that promote yeast infections and candida overgrowth in the gut. Examples are beer, champagne, bleu cheese, sourdough, wine, vinegar, soy sauce, mushrooms
• Excessive salt, often in processed foods
• Fast foods
• Pork and rich fatty meats such as sausage and pepperoni

Exercise and Movement

Keep your body in motion to move fluids and blood, to prevent build up and cysts. Set exercise goals and make a plan for achieving them. Choose exercise that makes you sweat hard, and then you need to rehydrate to push those fluids through and prevent the problems that stagnant fluids cause in Waterlogged patterns. Aerobic exercise is best, but only for 30 minutes so you have energy to do it daily. Do not try to get all your exercise in once or twice a week. Do not do exercise that is too intense and leaves you exhausted. Fatigue inhibits minimal circulation of blood and fluids throughout the day. If you are too exhausted, do a brisk walk (not leisurely) with both arms swinging (no dogs on leashes that immobilize one arm). This will help pump your lymphatic system, with lymph nodes concentrated in the underarms and inner front hips (inguinal area).

Learn More

The Waterlogged type TCM patterns often co-exist with other patterns. Be sure to check out my articles on lifestyle tips for other general pattern types including Tired, Stuck, Pale, and Dry.