DESCRIPTION

CAUSES

REMEDIES

DIET

Are you prone to a problem with 'Mucus Congestion'?
Find your imbalances and create a diet for your Respiratory System by taking the free respiratory health quiz.

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Overview

Excess mucus is generally a sign of "sweet blood". Blood that is high in sugar, fats, or proteins is sweet blood. Sweet blood is thicker than dry blood and causes mucus. Sweet blood causes thick mucus while toxicity generally creates thin, clear mucus.

Thick Mucus

Thick, white or clear mucus is associated with an imbalance in Kapha and can often be traced back to rich diet of sweet, heavy and oily foods. Over time, these foods increase kledaka kapha in the stomach which can then aggravate avalambaka kapha in the lungs. The wet, cold, liquid and slimy qualities of avalamabaka kapha leads to respiratory congestion, runny nose, blocked sinuses and phlegm in the lungs and throat. To balance this respiratory ailment, it's important to avoid Kapha provoking foods like sugar, ice cream, cold milk, cheese and fried foods. Instead, favor foods that are dry, light penetrating and hot in quality. These will melt away congestion and dry excess mucus. Pungent aromatics such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper, especially when combined with honey, are expectorants and decongestants that help the body spit out, dissolve or dry out mucus. Add some mustard seeds to your next curry and sip on some tulsi tea to breathe easy. Pungent, bitter and astringent tastes also work to balance kapha mucus in the stomach and lungs and will promote comfortable breathing.

Infected Mucus

When mucus is a yellow or green color, generally this means there is an excess of Pitta in the lungs and a possible sign of infection (Pitta is responsible for infection). The quality of this mucus is hot, sharp and penetrating. You will feel this mucus as a burning sensation in your throat at times. To remedy this type of respiratory congestion, it is best to follow a Pitta pacifying diet and lifestyle. Favor pitta pacfiying aromatics and pungents (cardamom, fennel, fresh ginger) and bitter taste (greens or neem if using herbs).

Thin Mucus

Thin or clear mucus is often a sign of cold sinuses, or irritation of the sinus membranes due to toxicity. It is typical of a common cold due to deficiency in autumn. Thin mucus often increases with gas or constipation, due to toxins (ama).

The sinuses need to be kept warm and colon needs to be clear, so if constipation is present, herbs like triphala may be appropriate in some cases. This will gently encourage a bowel motion and cleanse digestive toxins. Sipping on licorice tea is also a powerful remedy for dry, scratchy respiration. Its demulcent properties adds moisture and its expectorant properties helps expel difficult to release phlegm in dry coughs. Sweet, oily and unctuous foods will soothe and lubricate the respiratory tract afflicted by rough Vata.

STAGE OF DISEASE 2 - AFFECTING BLOOD & EMOTIONS

Affecting Blood: Initially, imbalances are localized, often in the digestive tract. As an imbalance grows, it starts to affect your body systemically, via the blood. If you have symptoms in this category it means that your imbalances are starting to spread, have entered the bloodstream, and are now systemic. Pay particular attention to the gunas, tastes, and doshas out of balance systemically, so you know how to strengthen your body as a whole, and reduce physical stress on your organs. At this stage of imbalance you will begin to experience generalized discomfort, imbalanced emotions, and may develop sensitivities to temperature. It may take several weeks of strict adherence to a specific remedial diet to clear blood level imbalances. A several day cleanse may shorten the recovery time.

REBALANCE YOUR BODY WITH DIET, LIFESTYLE & HERBS HAVING THESE QUALITIES

Everything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in a simple and easy way, using gunas. Gunas are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the effect a food or herb has on your body. Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism. Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism. For 'Mucus Congestion', you should select foods with the following qualities (gunas). Individual results will vary, based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance. For best results, get a one on one consultation.

QUALITIES THAT MAY CORRECT IMBALANCES
RELATED TO MUCUS CONGESTION

GUNA	FOODS TO FAVOR	CONDITION IN YOUR BODY
CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR GUNA Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR	CLEAR INGREDIENTS CLEAR RECIPES	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Clear' guna
PUNGENT ABOUT PUNGENT GUNA Pungency is characterized by irritation, or sharp, spicy foods that irritate the mouth such as black pepper. LEARN MORE ABOUT PUNGENT	PUNGENT INGREDIENTS PUNGENT RECIPES	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Pungent' taste

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FAVOR HERBS WITH THESE MEDICINAL PROPERTIES

Ingredient and herbs each have unique effects on the various organs of your body. Herbalists study these effects and categorize them, so it is easy to identify which foods and herbs are most helpful for your unique body type. Click on the medicinal properties below to learn more about them, and to figure out which recipes, ingredients and products will be a good match for you. Individual results will vary depending upon the root cause of your imbalance. The following medicinal properties are useful for a general case of 'Mucus Congestion'. You must independently verify whether these medicinal properties address the root causes of your case of Mucus Congestion.

Cleanse and Detox:

Burns Toxins

BURNS-TOXINS

An herb that detoxifies by helping your body metabolize toxins, as opposed to eliminating them.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BURNS-TOXINS

Lung and Sinus:

Flushes sinuses

FLUSHES-SINUSES

An herb that relieves sinus congestion by flushing out mucus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FLUSHES-SINUSES

,

Decongestant

DECONGESTANT

An herb that reduces mucus congestion in the sinus or lungs by restricting blood flow to mucus membranes.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DECONGESTANT

,

Expectorant

EXPECTORANT

Herbs that help you cough up and eliminate mucus. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EXPECTORANT

Click here for general Respiratory Health Tips

DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body. The best way to do this is with a one on one consultation.

DIET REMEDIES FOR 'MUCUS CONGESTION'

GET A DIET WHICH BALANCES MUCUS CONGESTION

Augment your diet with these specially chosen ingredients below which may be useful for 'Mucus Congestion'. Individual results vary depending the cause of your imbalance and by constitution. Please research the ingredients below to find which are most helpful for you, and check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.

PRODUCTS REMEDIES FOR 'MUCUS CONGESTION'

LOOKING FOR RESPIRATORY HEALTH RELATED PRODUCTS?

See our herbs & products in these categories:

LUNG AND SINUS PRODUCTSIMMUNE SYSTEM PRODUCTS

With Mucus Congestion, one or more of the following doshas and qualities may be aggravated. If you have an imbalance of one of these doshas or qualities, Ayurveda recommends avoiding foods and lifestyle habits that aggravate that quality and/or dosha. These imbalanced doshas and qualities may need to be brought back into balance before this condition can be healed. Click on the quality to learn what foods and lifestyle habits should be avoided. If you have a systemic imbalance of one of these doshas or qualities, Ayurveda would generally recommend avoiding foods and lifestyle habits with that quality.

MUCUS CONGESTION USUALLY MEANS THESE
DOSHAS & QUALITIES ARE AGGRAVATED

Symptoms Tell A Story

The first step to healing is learning patterns from your symptoms. Symptoms are clues that reveal underlying imbalances, showing you where your body is weak. Specifically, they reveal the doshas & qualities that may have become aggravated. If you notice a quality or dosha appears next to many of your symptoms, it helps you establish a pattern that may be systemic.

V = VATA, P = PITTA, K = KAPHA

GUNA	FOODS TO AVOID	DO YOU HAVE THIS IMBALANCE?
TOXIC ABOUT TOXIC GUNA A substance that causes toxicity in the body, or that harms the body. LEARN MORE ABOUT TOXIC	AVOID THESE TOXIC FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE MUCUS CONGESTION	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Toxic' guna
HEAVY ABOUT HEAVY GUNA Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight. LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY	AVOID THESE HEAVY FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE MUCUS CONGESTION	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Heavy' guna
GOOEY ABOUT GOOEY GUNA Gooey is identified by anything gelatinous (such as oatmeal), or by mucus congestion. LEARN MORE ABOUT GOOEY	AVOID THESE GOOEY FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE MUCUS CONGESTION	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Gooey' guna
COLD ABOUT COLD GUNA Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD	AVOID THESE COLD FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE MUCUS CONGESTION	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Cold' guna
SWEET ABOUT SWEET GUNA Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET	AVOID THESE SWEET FOODS THAT MAY AGGRAVATE MUCUS CONGESTION	Status Unknown Take these quizzes to find out if you have an imbalance of 'Sweet' taste

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SEE A DIET WHICH REMOVES THESE CAUSES

Are you prone to a problem with 'Mucus Congestion'?
Find your imbalances and create a diet for your Respiratory System by taking the free respiratory health quiz.

TAKE THE RESPIRATORY HEALTH QUIZ

BUY YOUR FULL AYURVEDIC BODY CHART

RELATED SYMPTOMS & HABITS

The following symptoms & habits may be related to 'Mucus Congestion'. See your quiz results for a computerized assessment of your body type. Please click on the symptoms below to learn more about them.

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