I need good nutrition in order to maintain good health. The best way to good nutrition is through food. Eating healthy foods should be my primary concern because my body absorbs nutrients the best from whole foods. Which kind of food that is best for me? Is it fast food? Organic? Natural? Processed? Prepared? Food quality in TCM is all about harmony and balance – Yin and Yang.
All foods have five flavors – sweet, sour, acrid, bitter, and salty. My body’s “inner voice” often reveals instinctively which flavor is of special significance. As part of a balanced lifestyle, I may give in to this inclination without hesitation. When I suffered from PMS, I craved sweet food because sweet foods can calm and quiet down my nervous system when inner stress strikes.
Foods with a balance thermal nature should be given preference in the daily diet : neutral, warm (to gently warm my body), hot (to invigorate and heat up my body), cool (to gently cool my body), and cold (to vigorously cleanse my body). Combining energetically cold and cool foods with warming foods is very beneficial. Hot and cold foods are thermal extremes and are employed rather sparingly, unless they are used to specifically treat beginning or established patterns of disharmony.
Fresh, unpolluted, naturally grown and produced foods are considered most valuable in TCM. Freshness is the highest priority, because fresh foods contain the most Qi and optimally develop their specific thermal effect. I have to avoid polluted foods, innards, highly processed and denatured foods, food additives, refined sugar and sweeteners, frozen foods, microwaving.
TCM believes that the end result of observing these food qualities and then combining them in a harmonious manner is good health and a sense of well-being.
Showing posts with label Food In TCM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food In TCM. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Saturday, 15 May 2010
Food Quantity in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
In the Spiritual Axis (Ling Shu Jing), it is said, “If no food is eaten for half a day, Qi is weakened, if no food is eaten for a whole day, Qi is depleted.” Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes the importance of dietary discipline in a lifestyle and reflects the understanding of the importance of grains, above all other foods, for the maintenance of human wellbeing. The Chinese have for centuries made grains the mainstays of their diet, and all other foods, whether vegetable or animal, are used as mere condiments, to enhance the enjoyment of grain foods.
According to TCM, food quantity per meal is :
1.Grains
Around 50-80% of the meal, for example rice, corn, oat, millet , wheat, barley. Grains supply the body with strength and endurance, and promote emotional stability, mental calm, and balance. Grains are mostly sweet and primarily affect the spleen and stomach organ network. Their thermal nature is warm, neutral, or cool, depending on the type of grain. Grain based diet ensures a good balance between Qi, Yin, and Yang formation.
2.Mostly cooked vegetables
About 30-40% of the meal, for example green leafy vegetables, carrots, potatoes, beans, legumes. Vegetables represent all flavor and all variations of thermal nature. TCM believe vegetable is the ideal complement to grains.
3.Cooked animal
Around 5% of the meal, for example beef, lamb, poultry, pork, fish. Most types of meat are warm to hot in thermal nature and are excellent for supplementing Qi and Yang. Meat intensifies body energy. It is very suitable for quickly replenishing energy deficits. Excess consumption of meat pollutes the body with toxins and promotes phlegm disorder. Fish (sweet water) often has a sweet/salty flavor and a neutral to warm thermal nature. It is easy to digest and strengthens Qi, blood, and Yang, especially the center burner (stomach, spleen) and the kidneys. Seafood is mostly salty and has a cool to cold thermal nature. It affects the liver and kidney network an nourishes Yin.
4.Raw foods, salads, fruit
About 5% of the meal, for example apple, banana, orange, grape. Fruits have a sweet, sour, and sometimes bitter flavor. Their thermal nature is primarily cool to cold; for some fruit, it is neutral and warm. Fruit should be eaten primarily during the warm and hot seasons since it cools heat conditions, replenishes body fluids and moistens dryness. In TCM, fruit is a nutritional complement to grains and supports the formation and preservation of body fluids. During the cold season, highly cooling fruit such as banana, oranges, and lemons should be avoided to prevent developing cold in the body.
5.Liquid
TCM recommends the intake of only small amounts of liquid during meals. Excess liquid drowns the stomach’ digestive fire. The major share of the daily intake of liquids should be consumed between meals.
In a day, I have to have this quantity of meals at least twice to keep my body full of energy and health.
According to TCM, food quantity per meal is :
1.Grains
Around 50-80% of the meal, for example rice, corn, oat, millet , wheat, barley. Grains supply the body with strength and endurance, and promote emotional stability, mental calm, and balance. Grains are mostly sweet and primarily affect the spleen and stomach organ network. Their thermal nature is warm, neutral, or cool, depending on the type of grain. Grain based diet ensures a good balance between Qi, Yin, and Yang formation.
2.Mostly cooked vegetables
About 30-40% of the meal, for example green leafy vegetables, carrots, potatoes, beans, legumes. Vegetables represent all flavor and all variations of thermal nature. TCM believe vegetable is the ideal complement to grains.
3.Cooked animal
Around 5% of the meal, for example beef, lamb, poultry, pork, fish. Most types of meat are warm to hot in thermal nature and are excellent for supplementing Qi and Yang. Meat intensifies body energy. It is very suitable for quickly replenishing energy deficits. Excess consumption of meat pollutes the body with toxins and promotes phlegm disorder. Fish (sweet water) often has a sweet/salty flavor and a neutral to warm thermal nature. It is easy to digest and strengthens Qi, blood, and Yang, especially the center burner (stomach, spleen) and the kidneys. Seafood is mostly salty and has a cool to cold thermal nature. It affects the liver and kidney network an nourishes Yin.
4.Raw foods, salads, fruit
About 5% of the meal, for example apple, banana, orange, grape. Fruits have a sweet, sour, and sometimes bitter flavor. Their thermal nature is primarily cool to cold; for some fruit, it is neutral and warm. Fruit should be eaten primarily during the warm and hot seasons since it cools heat conditions, replenishes body fluids and moistens dryness. In TCM, fruit is a nutritional complement to grains and supports the formation and preservation of body fluids. During the cold season, highly cooling fruit such as banana, oranges, and lemons should be avoided to prevent developing cold in the body.
5.Liquid
TCM recommends the intake of only small amounts of liquid during meals. Excess liquid drowns the stomach’ digestive fire. The major share of the daily intake of liquids should be consumed between meals.
In a day, I have to have this quantity of meals at least twice to keep my body full of energy and health.
Friday, 14 May 2010
Healthy Eating Habits in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Along with the right choice of foods and preparation methods, TCM also emphasizes healthy eating habits and developing a lifelong, healthy approach to food. The healthy eating habits that I have to develop are :
1.Eating with enjoyment and in a relaxed atmosphere.
For good regeneration of Qi from food, I have to eat with delight and enjoyment in a leisurely and relaxed atmosphere and without any external distractions. Exhausting talks, discussions, and distractions (TV, radio, reading) burden my stomach and spleen, which are especially sensitive to emotional tensions such as worries, anger, and fear. My negative emotions block and weaken the Qi of my digestive organs, resulting in loss of appetite, bloating, regurgitation, and stomach pain.
2.Well-chewed food.
Chinese doctors recommend chewing each bite 10-15 times before swallowing. Well-chewed food supports spleen Qi, satisfies hunger more quickly, and prevents obesity.
3.Stop when it tastes best.
Ideally, I have to stop eating when I am 70-75% full. Overeating impairs my stomach and intestines causing indigestion, bloating, sluggishness, constipation, putrefaction, gas, weight gain and other problems. After excessively large meals, the entire Qi and blood of my body is pulled into the center burner to cope with the excess. Sleepiness and a burdened feeling will appear after big meal.
4.Eat mainly cooked food.
According to TCM my meals should primarily be cooked and eaten warm. Raw vegetables and fruits, when eaten excessively, cool and weaken my digestive system, causing such problems as bloating, watery stools and lack of energy.
5.Adopt a diet of mostly grains.
TCM maintains that human Qi originates with guQi, which literally means “Qi of grains”. Thus Chinese Medicine recognizes grains in particular rice, but also all other grains as the foundation of human vitality. In fact, according to Chinese herbology, the taste of grains is generally sweet, and this flavor tonifies ny spleen and stomach, which together are the organs responsible for transforming guQi into zhenQi, true human vitality.
6.Don’t drink cold drinks.
Consuming cold drinks with food is very bad for digestion. My digestive process requires heat to break down what I eat and drink. Cold is, by nature, slowing and contracting, slow and impede digestion, causing digestive upsets, abdominal pain and discomfort. Instead, I have to drink warm water. Warm-hot water helps flush out toxins.
7.Don’t drink excessively.
Too much drink will weaken my digestion, just as overeating does. Excess liquids overburdens my kidneys too.
8.Eat at fixed, regular times.
My body likes and responds to regularity.
9.After meals take a slow walk.
A slow, leisurely walk after meals for 10-20 minutes facilitates digestion and nutrient absorption.
10.Breakfast is my biggest meal.
This ensures plenty of energy throughout the day. My meals should become progressively smaller throughout the day. According to TCM, eating a big dinner, especially of heavy food, or eating just before bed are bad habits. The result is incomplete digestion of food, bloating, constipation, sluggishness, insomnia and other problems.
Balances is key. Excesses of anything in my food creates imbalances in my body and resulting health problems. Eating should be enjoyable. I have to aim for balance and harmony in other aspects of my life too and I will be rewarded with good health and vitality.
1.Eating with enjoyment and in a relaxed atmosphere.
For good regeneration of Qi from food, I have to eat with delight and enjoyment in a leisurely and relaxed atmosphere and without any external distractions. Exhausting talks, discussions, and distractions (TV, radio, reading) burden my stomach and spleen, which are especially sensitive to emotional tensions such as worries, anger, and fear. My negative emotions block and weaken the Qi of my digestive organs, resulting in loss of appetite, bloating, regurgitation, and stomach pain.
2.Well-chewed food.
Chinese doctors recommend chewing each bite 10-15 times before swallowing. Well-chewed food supports spleen Qi, satisfies hunger more quickly, and prevents obesity.
3.Stop when it tastes best.
Ideally, I have to stop eating when I am 70-75% full. Overeating impairs my stomach and intestines causing indigestion, bloating, sluggishness, constipation, putrefaction, gas, weight gain and other problems. After excessively large meals, the entire Qi and blood of my body is pulled into the center burner to cope with the excess. Sleepiness and a burdened feeling will appear after big meal.
4.Eat mainly cooked food.
According to TCM my meals should primarily be cooked and eaten warm. Raw vegetables and fruits, when eaten excessively, cool and weaken my digestive system, causing such problems as bloating, watery stools and lack of energy.
5.Adopt a diet of mostly grains.
TCM maintains that human Qi originates with guQi, which literally means “Qi of grains”. Thus Chinese Medicine recognizes grains in particular rice, but also all other grains as the foundation of human vitality. In fact, according to Chinese herbology, the taste of grains is generally sweet, and this flavor tonifies ny spleen and stomach, which together are the organs responsible for transforming guQi into zhenQi, true human vitality.
6.Don’t drink cold drinks.
Consuming cold drinks with food is very bad for digestion. My digestive process requires heat to break down what I eat and drink. Cold is, by nature, slowing and contracting, slow and impede digestion, causing digestive upsets, abdominal pain and discomfort. Instead, I have to drink warm water. Warm-hot water helps flush out toxins.
7.Don’t drink excessively.
Too much drink will weaken my digestion, just as overeating does. Excess liquids overburdens my kidneys too.
8.Eat at fixed, regular times.
My body likes and responds to regularity.
9.After meals take a slow walk.
A slow, leisurely walk after meals for 10-20 minutes facilitates digestion and nutrient absorption.
10.Breakfast is my biggest meal.
This ensures plenty of energy throughout the day. My meals should become progressively smaller throughout the day. According to TCM, eating a big dinner, especially of heavy food, or eating just before bed are bad habits. The result is incomplete digestion of food, bloating, constipation, sluggishness, insomnia and other problems.
Balances is key. Excesses of anything in my food creates imbalances in my body and resulting health problems. Eating should be enjoyable. I have to aim for balance and harmony in other aspects of my life too and I will be rewarded with good health and vitality.
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Cooking Methods in TCM
Paying attention to the thermal nature, flavor (associated with my organ networks), and direction of food are not enough for keeping my body balance. There is one more point that I have to learn carefully, cooking methods. Cooking is regarded in TCM as a kind of pre-digestion process that makes it easier for digstion to occur. The Qi or thermal nature of foods is influenced by the cooking methods.
There two cooking methods :
1.Cooling Cooking Methods
This methods increase the Yin potential of foods. Steaming, boiling, blanching, salting belong to Cooling Cooking Methods.
2.Warming Cooking Methods
This methods increase the Yang potential of foods. Frying, roasting, stir-frying, grilling, smoking, cooking with alcohol are the example of Warming Cooking Methods.
Each technique should be chosen carefully. I have to see the nature of the ingredients, my body’s conditions, and the season. When I am going to cook some herbs with foods, boiling can be chosen in order to extract more of the herbs’s healing properties.
There two cooking methods :
1.Cooling Cooking Methods
This methods increase the Yin potential of foods. Steaming, boiling, blanching, salting belong to Cooling Cooking Methods.
2.Warming Cooking Methods
This methods increase the Yang potential of foods. Frying, roasting, stir-frying, grilling, smoking, cooking with alcohol are the example of Warming Cooking Methods.
Each technique should be chosen carefully. I have to see the nature of the ingredients, my body’s conditions, and the season. When I am going to cook some herbs with foods, boiling can be chosen in order to extract more of the herbs’s healing properties.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Food Direction in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Qi flows throughout my whole body because of its strength and vigor. The movement of Qi is called Mechanism of Qi that is 70% powered by food. The mechanism of Qi can be generalized as four aspect :
1.Ascending/upbearing/lifting (Yang)
Qi moves from the lower region towards the upper region of my body. Foods that give this strength to Qi mainly have sweet-acrid flavors and moderate thermal nature (warm, neutral). Example : green onion, garlic, alcoholic beverages. This movements arrest diarrhea and prolapsed of anus, uterus or stomach.
2.Descending/lowering/falling (Yin)
Qi moves from upper to the lower region of my body. Foods have a laxative or diuretic effect, and a cooling, mostly cold thermal nature, with strong salty or bitter flavor. Example : salt, crayfish. The downward movements can relieve vomiting, hiccupping and asthma.
3.Floating/exiting (Yang)
Qi moves from inside towards outside of my body. Foods that have strong thermal nature (warm/hot), sweet and acrid flavor. Example : cinnamon, ginger, pepper. The outward movements induce perspiration and reduce fever.
4.Entering/downbearing/sinking (Yin)
Qi moves from outside toward inside of my body. Foods that have cooling-neutral thermal nature, primarily sour flavor, partly bitter and salty. Example : yoghurt, lemon, vinegar. The inward movements ease bowel movement and abdominal swelling.
In general, leaves and flowers have a tendency to move upwards. Roots and seeds and fruits possess a tendency to move downwards. But, there are many other exceptions and some foods can move in two directions, for example : lettuce has both downward and inward movements.
The movements of Qi must be kept in harmony. In other words, the two opposite aspects should be balanced. A free flow of Qi as well as balancing the movements of Qi are known as the harmony of Qi activities.
1.Ascending/upbearing/lifting (Yang)
Qi moves from the lower region towards the upper region of my body. Foods that give this strength to Qi mainly have sweet-acrid flavors and moderate thermal nature (warm, neutral). Example : green onion, garlic, alcoholic beverages. This movements arrest diarrhea and prolapsed of anus, uterus or stomach.
2.Descending/lowering/falling (Yin)
Qi moves from upper to the lower region of my body. Foods have a laxative or diuretic effect, and a cooling, mostly cold thermal nature, with strong salty or bitter flavor. Example : salt, crayfish. The downward movements can relieve vomiting, hiccupping and asthma.
3.Floating/exiting (Yang)
Qi moves from inside towards outside of my body. Foods that have strong thermal nature (warm/hot), sweet and acrid flavor. Example : cinnamon, ginger, pepper. The outward movements induce perspiration and reduce fever.
4.Entering/downbearing/sinking (Yin)
Qi moves from outside toward inside of my body. Foods that have cooling-neutral thermal nature, primarily sour flavor, partly bitter and salty. Example : yoghurt, lemon, vinegar. The inward movements ease bowel movement and abdominal swelling.
In general, leaves and flowers have a tendency to move upwards. Roots and seeds and fruits possess a tendency to move downwards. But, there are many other exceptions and some foods can move in two directions, for example : lettuce has both downward and inward movements.
The movements of Qi must be kept in harmony. In other words, the two opposite aspects should be balanced. A free flow of Qi as well as balancing the movements of Qi are known as the harmony of Qi activities.
Monday, 10 May 2010
Food Flavor Association with Organ Networks in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Until now I feel that I have learned quite a lot about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and food, but there are still many things I have to understand. It is okay because there is no short cut for getting a healthy body. After studying about the five flavors, now I am trying to understand about how the five flavors influence my organ networks.
According to TCM I have five organ networks (Zang Fu) :
1.Kidney - Bladder
My kidney network is responsible for reproduction and growth in my body. Delayed growth, infertility, low back pain, paranoia, fuzzy thinking, weak vision, and despair are all considered problems of the kidney. I have some of those symptoms, so I have to pay more attention to my kidney network.
2.Heart – Small Intestine
My heart pumps my blood through the vessels, maintains my body’s spirit, and governs my mind. Anxiety, restless sleep, and heart spasms occur when the heart network is disturbed. Sometimes I get those symptoms but not often.
3.Spleen - Stomach
My spleen network controls my food disgestion and my ability to think clearly. Indigestion, bloating, fatigue, scattered thinking, and poor concentration are signs of spleen problems. Several months ago, before I learned TCM and food, I had those symptoms. But now not anymore.
4.Liver - Gallbladder
My liver network is responsible for the storage of my blood, flow of my Qi, and control of my temper. Tension in the neck and shoulders, high blood pressure, headaches, cramping, moodiness, and impulsive behavior result from liver problems. When moodiness comes to me, I have manage it so it will not weaken my liver.
5.Lung – Large Intestine
My lung network sets my body’s rhythm and allows my body to inhale oxygen. Tightness in the chest, unhappiness, and being prone to colds and flu result from lung problems. I will not keep my unhappiness for a long time because it will give me lung problems.
How the five flavors give effects to my organ networks? Huang di Nei Ling Shui Zu Yi in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine said : “Saltiness enters the kidneys, bitterness enters the heart, sweetness enters the spleen, sourness enters the liver, acridity enters the lungs.”
According to TCM I have five organ networks (Zang Fu) :
1.Kidney - Bladder
My kidney network is responsible for reproduction and growth in my body. Delayed growth, infertility, low back pain, paranoia, fuzzy thinking, weak vision, and despair are all considered problems of the kidney. I have some of those symptoms, so I have to pay more attention to my kidney network.
2.Heart – Small Intestine
My heart pumps my blood through the vessels, maintains my body’s spirit, and governs my mind. Anxiety, restless sleep, and heart spasms occur when the heart network is disturbed. Sometimes I get those symptoms but not often.
3.Spleen - Stomach
My spleen network controls my food disgestion and my ability to think clearly. Indigestion, bloating, fatigue, scattered thinking, and poor concentration are signs of spleen problems. Several months ago, before I learned TCM and food, I had those symptoms. But now not anymore.
4.Liver - Gallbladder
My liver network is responsible for the storage of my blood, flow of my Qi, and control of my temper. Tension in the neck and shoulders, high blood pressure, headaches, cramping, moodiness, and impulsive behavior result from liver problems. When moodiness comes to me, I have manage it so it will not weaken my liver.
5.Lung – Large Intestine
My lung network sets my body’s rhythm and allows my body to inhale oxygen. Tightness in the chest, unhappiness, and being prone to colds and flu result from lung problems. I will not keep my unhappiness for a long time because it will give me lung problems.
How the five flavors give effects to my organ networks? Huang di Nei Ling Shui Zu Yi in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine said : “Saltiness enters the kidneys, bitterness enters the heart, sweetness enters the spleen, sourness enters the liver, acridity enters the lungs.”
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Classification of Food in TCM – The Five Flavors (Wu Wei)
Besides the energetic thermal nature, TCM classifies food according to their flavors. The five flavors are the oldest system of food classification in TCM. The five flavors are Sweet, Acrid/Pungent, Salty, Sour, Bitter. Every flavor has its own Yin or Yang quality. The flavor that are Yang are Sweet and Acrid/Pungent, while that have Yin quality are Salty, Sour, Bitter. In addition to their specific Yin or Yang effect, the five flavors each belong to one of the five phase. Sweet is earth, Acrid is metal, Bitter is fire, Salty is water, and Sour is wood.
Each flavor has important qualities that influence my body in this way :
1.Sweet Flavor.
Sweet flavor foods such as honey, sugar, water melon, effect my body with warming, strengthening, harmonizing, relaxing, and moistening it. Sweet foods strengthen my Spleen Qi, where it builds up energy, nourish my Body Fluids, relieve my inner tension, and stabilize my “inner center”. Excess Sweet foods weaken my kidneys, resulting in bone and teeth disorders, obesity, and weakness of connective tissue.
2.Acrid Flavor.
Acrid flavor foods such as ginger, green onion, peppermint, move my Qi, invigorate my energy circulation, loosen stagnation, disperse, open pores, free surface of exogenous disease factors, and produce perspiration. The acrid flavor foods strengthen my lungs and banish wind-cold. Their sweat-producing effect and ability to open pores are helpful during the acute stage of a cold. Because of their invigorating effect on Qi, Acrid flavors loosen emotional stagnation and associated breathing problems. With they tendency to move Qi upward, Acrid flavor foods are very useful when I experience emotional strain, such as sadness, melancholy, and despondency. But excess foods with Acrid flavor will give me dryness, allergies, itching skin, sun allergy, ascendant Liver Yang, inner restlessness, hyperactivity, sleep disorders, sexual compulsions, and constipation.
3.Salty Flavor.
Salty flavor foods such as salt, pork, seaweed, in moderation supplement my kidneys function, promote urine and stool excretion, dissolve congestions and hardened areas. Too much salt in my daily meal dehydrates my body : damages fluids, blood, and vascular system (result hypertension).
4.Sour Flavor.
Sour flavor foods such as lemon, orange, plum, give astringent, gathers and preserves fluids effects to my body. Sour foods refresh my body, reduce excessive perspiration, promote the creation of fluids, and soothe “heated” temperaments by cooling emotional “heal” in the liver. Because sour flavor also supplements Yin, it is useful in times of emotional stress and anger. Sour flavor foods are not good in the acute external weather conditions like wind-cold. Because they will pull the pathogenic effects into deeper layer of my body.
5.Bitter Flavor.
Bitter flavor foods such as coffee, tea, dandelion produce drying, hardening, and downbearing effects into my body. They supplement Heart Yin and have a calming effect, especially following stress and mental strain. Too much Bitter flavor foods cause diarrhea, dehydrate, damage fluids, damage my bones, heat up my heart, and inhibit my spirit.
The next post will be Food Flavor Association with Organ Networks.
Each flavor has important qualities that influence my body in this way :
1.Sweet Flavor.
Sweet flavor foods such as honey, sugar, water melon, effect my body with warming, strengthening, harmonizing, relaxing, and moistening it. Sweet foods strengthen my Spleen Qi, where it builds up energy, nourish my Body Fluids, relieve my inner tension, and stabilize my “inner center”. Excess Sweet foods weaken my kidneys, resulting in bone and teeth disorders, obesity, and weakness of connective tissue.
2.Acrid Flavor.
Acrid flavor foods such as ginger, green onion, peppermint, move my Qi, invigorate my energy circulation, loosen stagnation, disperse, open pores, free surface of exogenous disease factors, and produce perspiration. The acrid flavor foods strengthen my lungs and banish wind-cold. Their sweat-producing effect and ability to open pores are helpful during the acute stage of a cold. Because of their invigorating effect on Qi, Acrid flavors loosen emotional stagnation and associated breathing problems. With they tendency to move Qi upward, Acrid flavor foods are very useful when I experience emotional strain, such as sadness, melancholy, and despondency. But excess foods with Acrid flavor will give me dryness, allergies, itching skin, sun allergy, ascendant Liver Yang, inner restlessness, hyperactivity, sleep disorders, sexual compulsions, and constipation.
3.Salty Flavor.
Salty flavor foods such as salt, pork, seaweed, in moderation supplement my kidneys function, promote urine and stool excretion, dissolve congestions and hardened areas. Too much salt in my daily meal dehydrates my body : damages fluids, blood, and vascular system (result hypertension).
4.Sour Flavor.
Sour flavor foods such as lemon, orange, plum, give astringent, gathers and preserves fluids effects to my body. Sour foods refresh my body, reduce excessive perspiration, promote the creation of fluids, and soothe “heated” temperaments by cooling emotional “heal” in the liver. Because sour flavor also supplements Yin, it is useful in times of emotional stress and anger. Sour flavor foods are not good in the acute external weather conditions like wind-cold. Because they will pull the pathogenic effects into deeper layer of my body.
5.Bitter Flavor.
Bitter flavor foods such as coffee, tea, dandelion produce drying, hardening, and downbearing effects into my body. They supplement Heart Yin and have a calming effect, especially following stress and mental strain. Too much Bitter flavor foods cause diarrhea, dehydrate, damage fluids, damage my bones, heat up my heart, and inhibit my spirit.
The next post will be Food Flavor Association with Organ Networks.
Friday, 7 May 2010
TCM Food Classification – Energetic Thermal Nature
In Western diet, foods are evaluated for proteins, calories, carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutritional contents. However in TCM diet, I find not only vitamins and minerals but also the energetic properties of food. The energies of foods refer to their capacity to generate sensations – either hot or cold – in my body. This does not refer to the state of food but its effect on my bodies. For example, tea has a cold energy. This means that when I drink hot tea, it generates cold energy and it is therefore considered a cold beverage. Shortly after I have drunk hot tea, the heat begins to face quickly and it begins to generate cold energy internally, allowing my body to cool off.
According to energetic temperature level, foods are divided into :
1.Hot
Hot foods increase Yang, speed up Qi, activate, warm, disperse, move upward an outward, warm my bowels and viscera, eliminate external and internal cold, and mobilize defense energy. But if I eat too much hot foods, they will injure Yin, and dry out my Body Fluids. Foods that are hot in thermal nature : alcohol, lamb, cinnamon, chili, curry, garlic, ginger, paprika, pepper.
2.Warm
Warm foods strengthen Yang and Qi, warm my body, bowels and viscera, and warm and strengthen my center burner. When I eat warm foods excessively, they will create Yang repletion. The example of warm foods are cocoa, coffee, red wine, butter, goat’s cheese, beef, chicken, eel, salmon, cherry, fennel, leek, peach, onion, anise, basil, rosemary, walnut.
3. Neutral
Neutral foods build up my Qi and Body Fluids, stabilize and harmonize my body. Neutral foods can be used as treatment of Qi vacuity. Neutral foods are honey, cow’s milk cheese, carp, duck, chicken egg, goose, pork, carrot, cauliflower, grape, plum, potato, corn, lentil, millet, peas, rice, hazelnut.
4.Cold
Cold foods create cold, cool internal heat, and have a calming effect on my spirit. If I eat to much cold foods, they damage my Qi and Yang. Foods that are cold in thermal nature : water, salt, soy souce, shrimp, crayfish, asparagus, banana, orange, seaweed, tomato, watermelon, dandelion. Lettuce, star fruit, lotus root.
5.Cool
Cool foods supplement my Body Fluids and Blood, slow down Qi, and clear heat. Cool foods are black tea, fruit juices, peppermint tea, sour milk, soy milk, wheat beer, yogurt, rabbit, celery, cucumber, soy bean, sprouts, spinach, zucchini, barley, tofu, wheat, tarragon, common button mushroom, strawberry. Too much cool foods will give me similar result as cold foods.
Therapeutic goals are derived from the Yin Yang Principle. The Nei Jing said : “If something is cold, heat it. If something is hot, cool it.” Supplementing the opposite polarity restores original balance of my body.
According to energetic temperature level, foods are divided into :
1.Hot
Hot foods increase Yang, speed up Qi, activate, warm, disperse, move upward an outward, warm my bowels and viscera, eliminate external and internal cold, and mobilize defense energy. But if I eat too much hot foods, they will injure Yin, and dry out my Body Fluids. Foods that are hot in thermal nature : alcohol, lamb, cinnamon, chili, curry, garlic, ginger, paprika, pepper.
2.Warm
Warm foods strengthen Yang and Qi, warm my body, bowels and viscera, and warm and strengthen my center burner. When I eat warm foods excessively, they will create Yang repletion. The example of warm foods are cocoa, coffee, red wine, butter, goat’s cheese, beef, chicken, eel, salmon, cherry, fennel, leek, peach, onion, anise, basil, rosemary, walnut.
3. Neutral
Neutral foods build up my Qi and Body Fluids, stabilize and harmonize my body. Neutral foods can be used as treatment of Qi vacuity. Neutral foods are honey, cow’s milk cheese, carp, duck, chicken egg, goose, pork, carrot, cauliflower, grape, plum, potato, corn, lentil, millet, peas, rice, hazelnut.
4.Cold
Cold foods create cold, cool internal heat, and have a calming effect on my spirit. If I eat to much cold foods, they damage my Qi and Yang. Foods that are cold in thermal nature : water, salt, soy souce, shrimp, crayfish, asparagus, banana, orange, seaweed, tomato, watermelon, dandelion. Lettuce, star fruit, lotus root.
5.Cool
Cool foods supplement my Body Fluids and Blood, slow down Qi, and clear heat. Cool foods are black tea, fruit juices, peppermint tea, sour milk, soy milk, wheat beer, yogurt, rabbit, celery, cucumber, soy bean, sprouts, spinach, zucchini, barley, tofu, wheat, tarragon, common button mushroom, strawberry. Too much cool foods will give me similar result as cold foods.
Therapeutic goals are derived from the Yin Yang Principle. The Nei Jing said : “If something is cold, heat it. If something is hot, cool it.” Supplementing the opposite polarity restores original balance of my body.
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Food in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
I really love how TCM believes about food. It applies what Hippocrates (460 BC – 377 BC) said : “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Ancient Chinese doctors were strong believers in that food can be used as medicine. During their time, when patients got sick, the first thing that the doctor would do is to change their diet. They were concerned with making sure that the food was perfectly balanced energetically. Why food is so important in TCM? It is because 70% of Qi (energy or life force) comes from food, while 25% from air and 5% from Congenital Essence.
TCM classifies food into four energetic criteria :
1)Thermal Nature : hot, warm, neutral, cool, and cold
2)Flavor : sweet, acrid, sour, bitter, salty
3)Organ Network : Spleen, Stomach, Lung, Large Intestine, Kidney, Bladder, Liver, Gallbladder, Heart, Small Intestine.
4)Direction of Movement : Upbearing, Floating, Downbearing, Falling.
Normally, I should take a variety of food in proper proportions in order to ensure a balanced nutrition. But, in the past I took food partially to cold or cool than to hot or warm. This kind of food impaired Yang-Qi in my Spleen and Stomach. I experienced cold-dampness that made me got abdominal pain and diarrhea. On the other hand, one of my friend who liked hot food experienced heat in her stomach and intestines, thirst, abdominal fullness, distension and pain, and constipation.
If the five flavors are not evenly contained in my food, the relationships among my organs will be broken. For example, to much sour flavor strengthens Liver-Qi and weakens Spleen-Qi. Partiality to salty flavor consolidates Kidney-Qi but inhibits Heart-Qi, leading to stagnation of the vessels. To much sweet flavor invigorates Spleen-Qi and restricts Kidney-Qi, making it difficult for the essence to produce marrow and transform blood, resulting in osteodynia, loss of hair and early aging. Partiality to bitter flavor makes Heart-Qi hyperactive and Lung-Qi Hypoactive, leading to retention of food nutrients in the middle energizer and malnutrition of my skin and hair. To much acrid flavor makes Lung-Qi hyperactive and Liver-Qi hypoactive, leading to spasm of the tendons and vessels due to failure of the blood to nourish the tendons.
My immunity comes from my Stomach and Spleen energies. What I eat, how I eat it and most importantly how I digest it will have a direct impact on my energy, emotional state and immune system functioning. Eating is something that I do several times every day, so the quality of the food that I have consumed will have an impact on my health. For the next post I will learn about the food classification in detail.
TCM classifies food into four energetic criteria :
1)Thermal Nature : hot, warm, neutral, cool, and cold
2)Flavor : sweet, acrid, sour, bitter, salty
3)Organ Network : Spleen, Stomach, Lung, Large Intestine, Kidney, Bladder, Liver, Gallbladder, Heart, Small Intestine.
4)Direction of Movement : Upbearing, Floating, Downbearing, Falling.
Normally, I should take a variety of food in proper proportions in order to ensure a balanced nutrition. But, in the past I took food partially to cold or cool than to hot or warm. This kind of food impaired Yang-Qi in my Spleen and Stomach. I experienced cold-dampness that made me got abdominal pain and diarrhea. On the other hand, one of my friend who liked hot food experienced heat in her stomach and intestines, thirst, abdominal fullness, distension and pain, and constipation.
If the five flavors are not evenly contained in my food, the relationships among my organs will be broken. For example, to much sour flavor strengthens Liver-Qi and weakens Spleen-Qi. Partiality to salty flavor consolidates Kidney-Qi but inhibits Heart-Qi, leading to stagnation of the vessels. To much sweet flavor invigorates Spleen-Qi and restricts Kidney-Qi, making it difficult for the essence to produce marrow and transform blood, resulting in osteodynia, loss of hair and early aging. Partiality to bitter flavor makes Heart-Qi hyperactive and Lung-Qi Hypoactive, leading to retention of food nutrients in the middle energizer and malnutrition of my skin and hair. To much acrid flavor makes Lung-Qi hyperactive and Liver-Qi hypoactive, leading to spasm of the tendons and vessels due to failure of the blood to nourish the tendons.
My immunity comes from my Stomach and Spleen energies. What I eat, how I eat it and most importantly how I digest it will have a direct impact on my energy, emotional state and immune system functioning. Eating is something that I do several times every day, so the quality of the food that I have consumed will have an impact on my health. For the next post I will learn about the food classification in detail.
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