We will be going into the Xiao Man (小满) solar term (节气) starting from 21 May to 4 Jun 2026. Xiao Man is the 8th solar term out of the entire 24.

The reason it is called Xiao Man is because during this period, grains like barley (大麦) and winter wheat (冬小麦) start to get fuller (饱满). However, the grains still need more time to become fully ripened. Hence it’s called ‘Xiao Man’ (小满, on its way to being fully ripened) instead of ‘Man’ (满, meaning fully ripened).

During this solar term, we can expect to see more rainfall and high temperatures at the same time. This means the environment will be very humid, resulting in dampness (湿邪) developing in the body.

When the body has too much dampness (湿邪), the person will experience symptoms like poor appetite, bloated stomach, lack of energy or not having the urge to drink water.

The dietary direction for this solar term should be 健脾化湿, which means strengthening the spleen to remove dampness.

Before we go into the recommended list of foods, I strongly recommend you to avoid consuming cold drinks and sweet stuff during this period as it will worsen the dampness in the body.

The following are the top 5 foods recommended during this solar term:

Green Beans (绿豆) – Green bean (also known as mung bean) not only helps to clear heatiness in our body, but they can also remove dampness from our body by increasing our urination frequency. Green beans have stronger heat-clearing and anti-inflammatory properties than red beans.

Red Beans (红豆) – Red beans have the properties of clearing heatiness and removing dampness in the body. This is the reason why some people like to mix Chinese barley with red beans for dampness removal purposes. Red beans have stronger dampness removal properties than green beans.

Winter Melon (冬瓜) – Winter melon is a good food to eat during this period because it helps to remove the dampness in the body through urination. It can also reduce body heatiness due to the summer heat.

Chinese Yam (山药) – Chinese yam is very suitable to be consumed during this period because it can help to strengthen the spleen and improve its ability to get rid of accumulated dampness in our body.

Chinese Barley (薏苡仁) – Another highly recommended food to eat during this period is Chinese barley as it has very strong properties to help with clearing dampness, especially if you have water retention issues in the lower part of your body.

General Wellness Recommendation

During this period, the heart can easily accumulate fire (心火), resulting in insomnia, dizziness, feeling frustrated, and/or irregular/heavy heartbeat.

The main lifestyle recommendation is to reduce the heart fire or prevent it from going into an excessive state.

Meditating is an effective way to reduce heart fire. Do consider meditating before sleep. It can help to reduce the heart fire and calm the mind.

For best results, you can enjoy a book after meditation (instead of using mobile devices) and go to bed when you start to feel sleepy.

Another important thing to note during this period is to avoid doing strenuous exercises.

The reason is that such exercises will make you sweat a lot and in TCM, there is a saying “汗为心之液” – which means the sweat is actually fluid from the heart. This also means that excessive sweating will deplete the heart’s Yin energy and thus, making one’s heart go into the heart fire (心火) state easily. Try to go for light exercises so you won’t sweat so much.

If you have been sweating a lot during this period, make sure you add some lily bulbs (dried or fresh) to your diet as lily bulbs can help to replenish your heart Yin energy.

I just got a custom blend of raw herbs and would like to know what he gave me.
I trust him but also want to check drug interactions against my western prescriptions.
Thank you!

Just posted what the doctor wrote out, but was told it looked like scribbles. Curious on what herbs are here .
I just want to cross check that they are safe with my western prescriptions.
Thank you!

My 10-Day TCM Journey for Digestive Issues Update

Background:

• Location: Ten Xin LA, 724 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012
• Cost: $20 cash to see the doctor, $85 for 10-day tea supply
• TCM Diagnosis: Impaired blood circulation, rebellious stomach qi, chronic gastritis, gastrointestinal stagnation
• My Symptoms: Excessive burping, constipation (somewhat managed with homemade yogurt and magnesium), significant bloating throughout the day, and hard to pass gas somedays
• The Tea: So bitter. I had to sip it the past 10 days. And you must follow the tea steeping instructions that they give you. 5 bags of tea so 1 bag for 2 days each.

Why TCM? Western medicine never addressed my root cause. After months of struggling with these gut health issues, I figured it was worth trying. My husband is Vietnamese and his parents tried this type of medicine before. They laughed it off a little bit and just told me to eat more veggies (valid and I do :D). But I was still interested in trying something new.

The Journey:

Days 1-2: The tea is extremely bitter - not going to sugarcoat it. Didn't get better either taste wise. But within 48 hours, I noticed less bloating and significantly reduced burping. Even after eating carb-heavy meals (my typical trigger), burps were lighter and not painful like before.

Days 3-5: Things started moving more regularly (finally!). Lost about 1 lb, likely water weight from reduced bloating. The tea became a little bit more tolerable (this is me being nice).

Days 6-8: Major milestone - had Korean BBQ with half a bottle of beer (they dont recommend drinking alcohol while drinking tea and didnt realize until i took a sip.... oops) and didn't experience my usual post-meal bloating/burping episode. This was my "wow, something's actually working" moment. My body finally felt normal after eating. I am not exaggerating when I say this because previously over the past year.... I would just feel SO full after kbbq and that when I get home, I would burp for a couple hours or throughout the day and felt so bad about myself. On this night though, things continued to be fine with no struggle.

Days 9-10: Maintained all improvements. Feeling balanced and comfortable. Still light burping here and there but again, not excessive. Expected of course after a light meal.

Bottom Line:

• Bloating: resolved
• Burping: dramatically reduced (still mild burping with rice, my main trigger, but nothing like before)
• Digestive regularity: night and day difference
• Overall: Actually feel normal again

Notes: If you're considering TCM for gut health, prepare for very bitter tea. But honestly, after months of discomfort, it's been worth it. The improvements feel sustainable, not just temporary relief.

Oh and throughout this time.... I did not have any yogurt and magnesium. Just the tea. :D

Happy to answer questions!

I use this acupoint almost every day and really want to share it💕

It really helps with digestion, stomach comfort. Very convenient, very practical👍. It is actually one of the most commonly used points by acupuncturists.

Hope it helps you too.

Please tell me how you feel when pressing it.

I grew up in a TCM family in China. Just sharing some common sense learned from my family. Hope we can learn from each other. Thanks in advance.

During pregnancy, a lot of blood and yin energy goes to nourish the baby. So many expecting moms tend to feel warmer or more heat than usual, or emotionally irritable.
So for expecting moms, heavy intense tonic foods are usually not recommended.

1. Gentle blood nourishment
Blood is of first importance. Things like jujube can be added with small amount to soup or congee regularly. There’s a better common thing for blood but it may be not allowed in the US so just leave it on jujube.

2. Spleen and lung support
All nourishment is through these two organs. Chinese yam is very mild. We can steam it plain or with a little honey for gentle nourishment.

3. For dryness or mild internal heat
Try simmering white fungus with pear and honey, or blend them into a warm drink. It helps moisturize and calm the body gently.

4. Morning sickness and nausea
A little fresh ginger juice, or holding a ginger slice in the mouth, can ease mild nausea.

5. Basic diet rules
Stick to meals that are nutritious, light flavored, easy to digest, and mildly warm. Avoid raw cold food, overly spicy, greasy meals, and strong warming herbs like ginseng.

Besides the above, we have Chinese medicine doctors for any discomfort or nourishing both mom & baby with herbs or acupuncture.

Please note: this is only general daily wellness sharing, not personalized advice. Always listen to your body, and consult a professional if you have any concerns.