Phlegm refers to a thick viscous liquid produced in the body and its production is often preceded by a cold. The mucus clogs up the nasal passages and occasionally can be thick and dry, thus refusing to move out of the body. Some phlegm producing foods or rather phlegm inducing foods which one should avoid are bakery products with excessive sugar in them, cakes, white sugar, pastries and eggs. Besides these one should also avoid oily and greasy junk food, refined food products, peanuts, cold drinks, soft drinks, aerated and artificially flavored beverages and dairy products. In actual fact, there are very few food products that produce phlegm; rather these are a few food products to avoid when affected by excessive phlegm within. Food products that help reduce the phlegm are lemons and carrots. Concentrated lemon juice can be consumed once or twice a day to clear the irritation in the throat. A warm glass of mixed fruit juice made out of lemons, tomatoes and carrots is also known to help. However, the consumption of tomato juice has been disputed lately and it is also best to keep away from food rich in fat. Chocolate and caffeinated beverages must be avoided till the phlegm is completely ejected from the body. Slice up a piece of ginger and boil it in two cups of water. Once the water has boiled down to one cup, it can be had warm to bring up the phlegm. Phlegm producing foods, in other words, food that helps liquefy phlegm and get it out of the body include walnuts, almonds, watercress, garlic, cardamom, white pepper, mustard seeds, horse radish and caraway. Two or three glasses of grape fruit juice or alternatively pear juice could be consumed to get rid of the phlegm to some extent. Drinking clear chicken soup will help to liquefy the mucus and aid in spitting out the sputum. Cayenne pepper spiced food can also help to a large extent.
Home Remedies
Apart from regulating one’s food, there are other remedies to help liquefy the phlegm and to get it out of the body. Boil water in a large mouthed sauce pan and once it starts giving out steam for about five minutes, take it off the stove. Use a towel to cover your head and the mouth of the pan and inhale the steam for about ten minutes. Take care to not scald yourself from the steam though. A few mint leaves can be crushed and added to the water while boiling. You could also put a few drops of eucalyptus oil for a similar effect.