Dietary Therapy for the Frequently *Shang-Huo* (Fire-Rising)
For those frequently qi-pent, fire-rising, vexed and restless, three pictures may show:
Upper-jiao fire (upper jiao: the heart and lung region) — dry mouth, ulcers on tongue, cracked lips, red eyes, ringing ears; in severer cases, mild cough.
Middle-jiao fire (middle jiao: the spleen-stomach) — at times stomach-fire blazing, never feeling full; at times sour belching, rising hiccup, epigastrium-and-abdomen distended, little appetite.
Lower-jiao fire (lower jiao: liver, kidney, bladder, intestines) — dry stool; scant, yellow-red, turbid, foul-smelling urine; at times itching of the genitals; in women, excess white discharge, even yellow.
From dietary care: in general, drink more water; eat less spicy and stimulating food; smoke less and drink less, even quit; less greasy food; more fresh vegetables and fruits; keep stool not dry and urine not turbid.
For mild fire-rising: take pears, lotus root, persimmon-cake frost. For those with gut-fire, eat fiber-rich vegetables to spur peristalsis. For dry stool, take 50–100 g honey daily. For the robust, betel-nut slices aid digestion.
When signs are marked, take by case:
Middle-jiao fire: take Jiao Sanxian (charred shanzha, shenqu, maiya), Jiao Sixian (Jiao Sanxian plus charred binglang); also jineijin, Wuxiang Binglang Tang (sweets) (betel-nut as principal with sharen, doukou and other food-moving qi-circulating herbs).
Lower-jiao fire: take proprietary Longdan Xiegan Wan, Danggui Longhui Wan, Zhizi Jinhua Wan. May also take single herbs raw huaihua, raw diyu. For severe pruritus, fumigate-and-sit-bathe with shechuangzi.