After the overindulgent festive season, many people ask about Chinese herbal medicine to assist with weight loss.
Weight loss herbs selected will generally:
- Tonify spleen qi,
- Increase your energy,
- Enhance your immune system and
- Eliminate phlegm and dampness from the body.
Herbs are selected according to your pulse and tongue diagnosis.
However, a generic tea that is suitable for most people, is “Mai Ya, Shan Zha & Chen Pi tea”. It can be taken after a big meal. This tea has 3 herbs which together strengthen the digestive system, promote digestion and transforms food retention.
Mai Ya is barley. This is good for food stagnation. It is mainly used to facilitate digestion of starches and carbohydrates. Be aware that if breastfeeding, large amounts of barley could inhibit lactation. However small doses might promote lactation.
Shan Zha is hawthorn berry, and it’s one of my favourite herbs. It is sweet and sour in taste and is considered one of the strongest food stagnation herbs. It is particularly good if you are having problems digesting meats and fats. Shan Zha is also known for its cardiovascular benefits.
Chen Pi is the peel of an orange or a tangerine. It can help regulate your whole digestive system and is good for your spleen and stomach issues, including nausea, vomiting, belching, abdominal fullness, and distention or pain. It is bitter, which means it can help drain dampness. Dampness in your digestive system can affect your appetite and cause you to have loose stool, always be tired, and have a thick, greasy tongue coating.
Ingredients:
- Shan Zha (Hawthorn berry) 10g
- Chen Pi (Peel of an orange or tangerine) 10g
- Mai Ya (Barley) 10g
Cooking Instructions:
1. Wash all the ingredients and place them in a pot
2. Add 500 ml water in the pot and bring it to boil
3. Use medium heat to cook for another 5 minutes
