Fluid Reducing and Mucus Clearing Diet (Kapha)

Use this diet to help clear mucus, heaviness, sinus congestion, think tongue coating, tiredness, sluggishness, high cholesterol, oedema and during winter months

General Treatments

Please just eat what is appropriate for you. If you are intolerant of any food or simply do not like it then please avoid it.
Avoid yeast, salt, cheese, yoghurt, chocolate, and refined sugars and flours as these increase mucus.
Avoid overeating, especially at night.
Do not eat when you are not hungry. Do not eat between meals.
Do not eat cold foods
A primarily vegetarian diet is highly recommended.
Include ginger in your daily diet: take a pinch of fresh ginger root with a few drops of lemon juice before each meal.
Favour foods that are light, dry, and warm as these reduce mucus.
Reduce foods that are heavy, oily, and cold as these increase weight and mucus.
Favour foods that are spicy, bitter, and astringent (e.g. ginger, asparagus, tea) as these help to dry excess fluids in the body.
Reduce foods that are sweet, salty, and sour (e.g. cakes, crisps, vinegar) as these increase fluids in the body.

Dairy: Low-fat milk is better. Always boil milk before you drink it (making it easier to digest) and take it warm. Do not take milk with a full meal, or with sour or salty food. Add some cardamom or ginger to whole milk before boiling it to help reduce any mucus generating properties. Use goat’s milk or water milk down 50/50. A little ghee (clarified butter) is fine. Avoid eggs, cheese, yoghurt and buffalo milk.

Fruits: Lighter fruits, such as apples and pears, are better. Reduce sweet, heavy or sour fruits such as oranges, bananas, pineapples, figs, dates, avocados, coconuts, and melons, as these fruits increase mucus.

Sweeteners: Use a little honey (2 tsp/day) as it helps to reduce mucus. Reduce all other sugar products.

Beans: All beans are fine, except tofu as it is very cold.

Nuts: Reduce all nuts as they are too oily.

Oils: Reduce all oils but flax, corn and sunflower is ok.

Grains: Increase barley, corn, buckwheat, quinoa and millet as these are slightly drying or warming. Avoid or do not take too much wheat, rice, or oats, as they increase heaviness and mucus.

Spices: Include all spices except for salt. Salt increases water retention and mucus whereas spices increase warmth in the body.

Vegetables: Increase asparagus, aubergine, beetroots, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, garlic, ginger, green leaves, kale, onion, potato, pumpkin, radish, sprouts. Reduce okra, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and summer squash as these increase fluids.

Meat and Fish: White meat from chicken or turkey is fine, as is seafood. Avoid or reduce red meat and pork.