The Four Principles of Chinese Medicine Dietary Practices
Wholeness = Dietary Guidelines + Herbs + Acupuncture + Bodywork + Qi Gong
Diet, herbs, acupuncture, bodywork, and exercise/meditation are the therapeutic tools of Chinese medicine. They are used to build, maintain, and restore wholeness in mind/body/spirit.
Diet is extremely important because every day what you eat either nourishes or dilutes your Essential Substances. Here’s why.
Grain (Gu) Qi enters your body through food. Combined with Respiratory (Kong) Qi, which enters the body through breathing, and Prenatal (Yuan) Qi, which is inherited from parents, it forms Normal (Zheng) Qi, which is the wellspring and companion of all movement in the body. Normal Qi assists the release of stored Nutritive (Ying) Qi from food. This process underlies the far-reaching power of diet therapy.
What you eat shapes your Shen. Shen, the spirit, is the driving force that makes us uniquely human. It enters the body from the parents before birth. After birth, Shen is dependent on Qi and on what you eat to retain its vitality.
Your diet has an impact on your Jing. Jing is the basis of life. Qi emerges from Jing, but Qi also transforms food into Postnatal Jing so that life can be nurtured and continue to blossom. Because a balanced diet builds healthy Qi, Jing is affected by what you eat.
A balanced diet maintains the unique relationship between Qi and Xue. This allows Qi to influence Xue and Xue to nurture Qi.
There are four dietary principles.
Dietary Principle One: You Are What You Eat—and What You Don’t Eat
Food has tremendous powers in Chinese medicine—powers that extend far beyond the Western concept of food as fuel, providing calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. These powers are defined as Food Energetics, which cool or warm the metabolism and Organ Systems, moisturize or dry the Organ Systems, and increase or decrease the flow of Qi, Jing, and Xue.
A healthy diet harnesses Food Energetics by combining foods that balance each other, so no one energetic influence becomes too strong.
Balance your Food Energetics. If your diet contains an imbalance of Food Energetics, your various Organ Systems and your Qi, Jing, Shen, and Xue are subjected to more of a drying than a moisturizing influence, or more of a cooling than a warming influence. This can cause Stagnation or Depletion of your Qi, Jing, and Xue and disharmony of Shen. You then become vulnerable to diseases and to emotional and spiritual discontent.
Don’t eat too many raw foods. To balance Food Energetics, eat warm foods to keep the digestive process working well. Despite common beliefs, raw foods are not closer to nature, and they do not contain better nutrition. Chinese medicine sees raw foods as depleting. They may cause a Cold Damp condition because your body has to expend extra energy and heat to “cook” the food in your Stomach.
In my practice, I see the wreckage caused by overconsumption of raw foods. These people have no energy and a constant chill, yet they can’t figure out why they don’t feel good. It may take aggressive dietary therapy to rebalance the body after a diet of too many raw foods. The only people who should eat raw foods in higher than the recommended amounts are those who are very Hot.
Avoid iced and frozen foods. It takes warmth and Qi to digest foods that are cold, and this uses up the digestive Fire. Therefore all foods should be warmed up and cooked if they are cold or frozen, such as frozen vegetables. You should only rarely eat ice cream or frozen yogurt. When you do, I often recommend drinking ginger tea first to warm up the digestion.
Chew each bite of food carefully. This makes the digestive process easier and conserves the digestive Fire. This Fire is produced by the Central Qi, which warms the central Organ Systems so they have the power to digest food. Cold food cools that inner warmth, and that’s why it’s not good to eat too many cold or raw foods.
Don’t stuff yourself. Overeating overwhelms the digestive Fire and causes stagnation and disease.
Drink scant liquid during meals. If you drink too much liquid during meals, you’ll drown the digestive Fires.
Eat organic foods as much as possible. The elimination of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and other chemical residues in vegetables, meats, and dairy increases available Qi, removes antagonists to your overall health, and also makes food taste better. Obviously, this is not a component of Chinese medicine because in ancient times all food was organic. But today, with the proliferation of harmful chemical additives to food, we must add it to the top of our list of most important dietary considerations.
If you eat meat, it is best to eat meat from animals that have been fed organic diets. For beef, it is best that the cows have been grass-fed for their entire lives. Researchers at California State University in Chico reviewed three decades of research and found that beef from grass-fed cows is lower in saturated fats, contains more omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, and was lower in calories.
Eat unprocessed foods as much as possible. Simply put, avoid eating foods that come out of boxes or bags. In particular, do not eat any foods with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Read every label because many foods have HFCS. (See page 303 for more information.)
FOOD FLAVORS
Chinese medicine dietary practice discusses the impact of food in terms of five flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty. Each flavor has a Hot and Cold quality. For example, there is a Warm Sour and a Cool Sour, a Hot Bitter and a Cold Bitter. A balanced diet is generally composed of mostly sweet, warm foods. Cold, spicy, bitter, salty, and sour foods are best eaten as accents. As a general rule, a little of any flavor tonifies. A salty flavor concentrates. Sour contracts. Bitter descends. Sweet expands, and spicy disperses. No flavors are bad, except in excess or when you are fighting a disharmony.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE
“If people pay attention to the five flavors and blend them well, Qi and Xue will circulate freely, and breath and bones will be filled with the essence of life.”
—From the Nei Jing
You can use your own reactions to flavor as an indicator of what is out of balance in your body. For example, if you have an unusual craving for sweets, your Earth is out of harmony. If you have an aversion to sour, your Wood is affected. Eating too much salty food could negatively impact Water, and an excess of bitter or pungent foods can cause disruption of the Metal and Fire Channels and also Organs.
FOOD FLAVORS, ENERGETICS, AND TEMPERATURES
A food’s flavor, energetics, and temperature were determined in much the same way as herbs were—over centuries of observation of how they affect the body.
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HOT FOODS |
Cayenne: spicy |
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WARM FOODS |
Anchovies: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
Apples: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Agar: sweet |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Adzuki beans: sweet + sour |
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HOT FOODS |
Ginger, dried: spicy |
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WARM FOODS |
Basil: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Bananas: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Asparagus: sweet + bitter |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Alfalfa: bitter |
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HOT FOODS |
Soybean oil: spicy + sweet |
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WARM FOODS |
Bay leaf: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Barley: sweet + salty |
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COLD FOODS |
Clams: salty |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Almonds: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
Trout: sour |
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WARM FOODS |
Black pepper: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Celery: sweet + bitter |
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COLD FOODS |
Crab: salty |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Beef: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
Trout: sour |
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WARM FOODS |
Black pepper: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Celery: sweet + bitter |
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COLD FOODS |
Crab: salty |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Beets: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Brown sugar: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
Cucumbers: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Kelp: salty |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Cabbages: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Butter: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
Eggplants: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Mango: sweet + sour |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Carrots: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Capers: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Gluten: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Mulberries: sweet |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Cheeses: sweet + sour |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Cherries: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
Lettuces: sweet + bitter |
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COLD FOODS |
Mung bean sprouts: sweet |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Chicken eggs: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Chestnuts: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
Millet: sweet + salty |
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COLD FOODS |
Nori: sweet + salty |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Coconut meat: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Chicken: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
Mushrooms: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Octopus: sweet + salty |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Corn: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Chicken livers: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
Pears: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Persimmons: sweet |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Duck: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Coconut milk: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
Peppermint: spicy |
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COLD FOODS |
Plaintains: sweet |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Figs: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Coriander: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Radishes: spicy + sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Romaine lettuce: bitter |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Grapes: sweet + sour |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Dill seeds: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Sesame oil: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Salt: salty |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Honey: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Fennel seeds: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Soybeans: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Seaweed: salty |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Kidney beans: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Garlic: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Spinach: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Tomatoes: sweet + sour |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Milk: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Ginger, fresh: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Swiss chard: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
Watermelons: sweet |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Olives: sweet + sour |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Leeks: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Tangerines: sweet + sour |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Oysters: sweet + salty |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Litchi: sweet + sour |
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COOL FOODS |
Tofu: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Papaya: sweet + bitter |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Mussels: salty |
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COOL FOODS |
Watercress: spicy + sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Peanuts: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Mustard greens: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
Wheat: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Peanut oil: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Mutton: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
Wheat bran: sweet |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Peas: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Nutmeg: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Pineapples: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Onions: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Plums: sweet + sour |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Peaches: sweet + sour |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Pork: sweet + salty |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Pine nuts: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Potatoes: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Rosemary: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Pumpkins: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Safflower: spicy |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Raspberries: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Scallions: spicy + bitter |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Rice: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Shrimp: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Rice bran: spicy + sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Sorghum: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Rye: bitter |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Spearmint: spicy + sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Sardines: sweet + salty |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Squash: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Shark: sweet + salty |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Strawberries: sweet + sour |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
String beans: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Sweet potatoes: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Sugar, refined: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Sweet rice: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Turnips: spicy + sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Vinegar: sour + bitter |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Whitefish: sweet |
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HOT FOODS |
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WARM FOODS |
Walnuts: sweet |
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COOL FOODS |
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COLD FOODS |
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NEUTRAL FOODS |
Yams: sweet |
FOOD FLAVORS AND ENERGETICS: FIVE TASTES
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SWEET |
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Adzuki beans (also sour) |
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Almond |
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Anchovy |
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Beef |
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Beet |
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Brown sugar |
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Butter |
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Cabbage |
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Carrot |
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Cheese (also sour) |
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Cherry |
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Chestnut |
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Chicken |
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Chicken livers |
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Coconut Meat |
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Coconut Milk |
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Corn |
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Cucumber |
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Duck |
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Eggplant |
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Eggs (chicken) |
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Figs |
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Gluten |
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Grapes (also sour) |
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Honey |
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Kidney beans |
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Lettuce (also bitter) |
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Litchi (also sour) |
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Mango (also sour) |
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Milk |
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Millet (also salty) |
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Mulberry |
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Mung bean sprouts |
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Mushrooms |
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Mutton |
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Nori (also salty) |
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Octopus (also salty) |
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Olives (also sour) |
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Oysters (also salty) |
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Papaya (also bitter) |
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Peach (also sour) |
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Peanut oil |
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Peanuts |
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Pear |
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Persimmon |
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Pineapple |
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Pine nuts |
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Plantain |
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Plum (also sour) |
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Pork (also salty) |
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Potato |
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Pumpkin |
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Raspberry |
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Rice |
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Sardines (also salty) |
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Sesame oil |
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Shark (also salty) |
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Shrimp |
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Sorghum |
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Soybean |
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Spinach |
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Squash |
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Strawberry (also sour) |
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String beans |
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Sugar (refined) |
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Sweet potato |
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Sweet rice |
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Swiss chard |
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Tangerine (also sour) |
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Tofu |
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Tomato (also sour) |
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Turnip (also spicy) |
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Walnut |
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Watermelon |
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Wheat |
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Wheat bran |
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Whitefish |
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Yam |
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SPICY |
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Basil |
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Bay leaf |
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Black pepper |
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Capers |
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Cayenne |
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Coriander |
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Dill seed |
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Fennel seed |
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Garlic |
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Ginger, dried |
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Ginger, fresh |
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Leek |
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Mustard greens |
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Nutmeg |
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Onion |
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Peppermint |
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Radish (also sweet) |
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Rice bran (also sweet) |
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Rosemary |
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Safflower |
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Scallion (also bitter) |
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Soybean oil (also sweet) |
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Spearmint (also sweet) |
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Watercress (also sweet) |
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SOUR |
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Trout |
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Vinegar (also bitter) |
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SALTY |
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Clams |
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Crab |
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Kelp |
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Mussels |
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Salt |
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Seaweed |
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BITTER |
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Alfalfa |
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Romaine lettuce |
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Rye |
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Shrimp |
Dietary Principle Two: Most of Your Food Should Be Eaten in Season
Your diet should be dictated by the rhythms of the external world. Food gains power to maintain health from its relationship to the external world. Food, the fuel of the mind/body/spirit, should be taken into the body in a pattern that’s attuned to the rhythms of the environment. This perspective is based on the Tao, the Chinese philosophy of the unity and interrelationship between the external and internal worlds.
As you look around the outside world, you can see that in the spring, energy moves up. In the summer, it moves out. In the fall, energy moves down, and in the winter, it moves inward. Likewise, green sprouting vegetables, such as lettuce and bean sprouts, move energy up, so enjoy more of them in the spring. Spices, flowers, and leaves, such as basil and edible flowers, have outward-moving energy, so enjoy plenty of them in the summer. Root vegetables, such as burdock and turnips have downward-moving energy, so give in to the natural desire to eat them in the fall. Grains, seeds, and nuts, such as almonds and buckwheat, have inward-moving energy, so eat plenty of them all winter long.
To reap the benefits of food’s energetic relationship to the seasons, you may want to eat foods in their own season when their power is strongest or in the season before to prepare your body for the coming season.
Dietary Principle Three: Moderation and Variety in Diet Are Essential for a Balanced Mind/Body/Spirit
Understand the spirit of a balanced diet. A balanced diet results from a combination of the foods you eat and the way you prepare, eat, and think about your food. You could not create the perfect diet pill that combined all the Food Energetics needed to achieve wholeness and harmony. Food Energetics is not simply the result of chemistry. It is also a result of spiritual forces. The power of food—positive and negative—to influence your mind/body/spirit is affected by how it is prepared, served, and eaten.
There is no list of good foods and bad foods. Eating too much of a healthy food is unhealthy. For example, you can overdo broccoli and whole grains. Small amounts of unrefined sugars are not necessarily unhealthy. However, too much sugar or highly processed refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup are. Organic meats in small quantities may be useful in some people’s diets. Eating too much meat or meat that is processed or containing chemicals is not healthy.
Balance comes from eating a wide variety of food, including vegetables, grains (especially low glycemic—see page 100), fish, meats, fruits, and dairy, each in moderation. If you do that, you can pretty much eat most foods. The percentages of each type of food that you should eat depend upon your constitution and your specific Chinese medicine patterns.
The modern American diet notion that you should only eat from a roster of mildly unappealing, healthy foods and avoid all “bad” foods is not doable for many people. For example, if you have a little bit of chocolate, it is not a sin. In fact, we now know it may have good anti-inflammatory effects.
As important as moderation is in achieving balance, it is also vital to strive for the proper attitude toward food. Food prepared as a gift, served calmly, eaten with respect, and digested in a harmonious atmosphere bestows positive benefits. Food slapped together without regard or with resentment, served as quickly as possible, gobbled down, or eaten while driving, watching TV, or even reading cannot be assimilated healthfully. If you eat fast food or if you eat food fast, you’re better off fasting than feasting.
To achieve the spirit of a balanced diet, consider the following:
• Eat in a peaceful setting.
• Relax before you begin to eat. Take a deep breath. Appreciate the food: its existence, its aroma, and its appearance.
• Eat slowly enough to chew adequately.
• Eat with others whose company you enjoy.
• Eat at regular times.
BODY SIGNS
The first step to improving harmony and balance through diet is to become aware of your current eating patterns. Think about which of the following foods you eat most often.
• Red meat: How many times a week?
• Chicken: How many times a week?
• Fish: How many times a week?
• Vegetables: How many times a day?
• Beans: How many times a week?
• Grains: How many times a day?
• Dairy: How many times a day?
Be flexible. It’s so easy to get fanatic about diet. But rigidity about how you eat is itself a disease-producing behavior, even if you’re being rigid about eating healthy foods. Health depends on a graceful adaptability to your surroundings and your ability to nourish yourself, even if perfect foods aren’t available.
In our food-obsessed, food-unhealthy culture, it’s easy to misinterpret the Chinese medicine perspective on diet. For example, people sometimes use the Five Flavors in combination with the Five Phases and create artificial rules, such as: Sour is associated with Wood and spring is associated with Wood, so you should (only) eat sour things in the spring.
Chinese medicine doesn’t work that way: That’s too pat. Dietary Therapy is a guide to help you find balance and moderation. It does not establish rigid dos and don’ts, rights and wrongs.
Apply a balanced meal plan. The number of times a day you eat is highly individual. Some people do better grazing on small meals through the day, especially if they have trouble maintaining their blood sugar levels. Other people are happy with the traditional three meals a day. Some people find their bodies run best with two meals. You want to follow what works for you. However, as you begin to practice Chinese medicine dietary principles as well as receive acupuncture and herbal therapy from a Chinese medicine practitioner, you may find that your body becomes more balanced and needs fuel less frequently.
If you follow the traditional three squares a day, here’s a plan to help guide you.
• Meal one: Eat a moderate amount of food within two hours of waking up. In our practice, we recommend protein in the morning along with low glycemic (see page 100) grains, vegetables, and small amounts of fruit. This meal should be made up of cooked, warming foods that stimulate your Qi.
• Meal two: This is your largest meal of the day. You can combine a moderate amount of high-grade protein, such as fish, soy foods (if you can tolerate them), beans, or a small amount of meat. A great variety of foods is the best. If indicated by your constitution or your practitioner’s diagnosis, raw cool foods, such as salads or fruits, can be eaten now.
• Meal three: This is your smallest meal of the day. It is best if it does not contain stimulating animal protein or spicy foods. Eat more than three hours before going to bed so that you can fully digest your food before retiring as well as to reduce the damage from having too much blood sugar during sleep.
Consider the composition of your meals. No matter how many times a day you eat, or what adjustments you have to make to circumstances, you want to follow a basic balance of foods. Traditionally, the Chinese medicine perspective recommends the following:
• 60 to 75 percent of your calories from grains, vegetables, and legumes (grains should account for two-thirds of this, and vegetables and legumes/beans for the other third)
• 10 percent of your calories from fruits
• 20 percent of your calories from protein, including meats, dairy, seafood, fish, and eggs
However, modern diets may need to be adjusted for living in modern cultures with more sedentary lifestyles, new food choices, and new understandings of health and longevity.
Understand the glycemic index (GI). In our practice, we recommend that people—especially those who are overweight or obese or who have prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and/or fatty liver—pay attention to the glycemic index and glycemic loads of foods.
The GI was developed in the past twenty years at the Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular Bioscience at the University of Sydney. The following description from their website explains the glycemic index:
The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100, according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those that are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Low GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and they have proven benefits for health. Low GI diets have been shown to improve both glucose and lipid levels in people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). They have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Low GI diets also reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance.
Recent studies from Harvard School of Public Health indicate that the risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease are strongly related to the GI of the overall diet. In 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommended that people in industrialized countries base their diets on low-GI foods to prevent the most common diseases of affluence, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
GI values are not necessarily intuitive. The best way to determine the GI of various foods is continually being tested in laboratories. The ones we use in our clinic are:
• The University of Sydney GI site at www.glycemicindex.com/index.php is very helpful.
• The Nutrition Data site at www.nutritiondata.com is extremely user friendly.
On those sites, you can look up the glycemic values of foods as well find which foods contain which nutrients.
The amount of food you eat is also important. Even if a food is high on the glycemic index, it may still have a low glycemic load. According to the Glycemic Research Institute, glycemic load is a function of both GI and carbohydrate intake. Glycemic load is calculated as the GI multiplied by the amount of carbohydrate in a serving.1 Therefore, if you eat very small amounts of high-GI food, you may still have a low GI load. You may look up the GI and glycemic load of foods on reputable websites. New quantities and levels are always being researched. You can also balance high-glycemic foods with low-glycemic foods or no glycemic foods at one meal to keep the overall glycemic index low.
METABOLIC SYNDROME
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), defines metabolic syndrome as a group of conditions that put you at risk for heart disease and diabetes. We also now know that the development of fatty liver is associated with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that includes the following:
• High blood pressure
• High blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels
• High levels of triglycerides in your blood
• Low levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, in your blood
• Too much fat around your waist
Not all doctors agree on the definition or on the cause of metabolic syndrome. For example, the cause might be insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone your body produces to help you turn sugar from food into energy for your body. If you are insulin resistant, too much sugar builds up in your blood, setting the stage for disease.
BODY SIGNS
To help you take control of your dietary habits, try writing down everything you eat and drink for a full day. Include all meals and snacks, sodas, juices, water, and coffee. What is your percentage of grains, and how much is low glycemic? How many servings of vegetable and legumes did you eat?
There are variations among organizations that provide measurements of the GI values of foods. Also, the preparation of food can change its GI. One thing that is important as well is that the GI only refers to carbohydrates in foods, so you still must eat the correct quantity and balances of other foods, including proteins and fats.
Many other aspects of modern food science relate to good health and longevity. (See the appendix on page 332 for references.)
Also, if you have dietary preferences, such as vegetarianism, veganism, or eating only fish or vegetable proteins, this must be taken into consideration. You must create your balanced diet accordingly.
The main thing to remember from a Chinese medicine perspective is to always remain moderate in your consumption. Balance your intake according to your constitution and disharmonies.
EATING LEGUMES AND GRAINS
Within Dietary Principle Three, let’s talk for a moment about the importance of eating legumes and grains. In Chinese medicine, one way that Qi enters the body is through Gu (Grain) Qi, which indicates how important grains are to the health of the mind/body/spirit. Our modern diet has moved away from a focus on grains. Traditionally, grains form the basis for many indigenous cuisines. They provide building blocks for protein and many of the essential vitamins and minerals. In China, it is no different. Rice is the predominant grain found in China, although wheat is a staple in some parts of China.
Traditionally, grains form the center of the diet. So, if you would like to follow a traditional diet, you may want to expand your diet to include additional grains, such as millet, kasha, oats, rye, couscous, barley, wild rice, and brown rice. If you take the time to discover the many varieties that are available, you’ll find it is much easier to make whole grains an important feature of your diet.
GLUTEN IN GRAINS
If you want to try a completely gluten-free diet, the following lists will assist you with this process:
• Grains with gluten: wheat, including varieties such as spelt, kamut, farro, and durum, also products such as bulgur, couscous, semolina, barley, rye, triticale, and oats2
• Gluten free grains: amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, montina (Indian rice grass), oats,3 quinoa, rice, sorghum, and teff
Grains are enhanced—both in nutrition and in flavor—when combined with legumes, such as limas, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzos, fava beans, white beans, pinto beans, navy beans, lentils, adzuki beans, soybeans, and split peas. In Western nutritional terms, the combination of grains and beans forms complete proteins. Also, beans are generally low glycemic, and when beans are combined with grains, it balances the GI of foods.
In the past couple of decades, a new understanding has developed about carbohydrates in general. There are two recent developments. First is the development of the glycemic index for carbohydrates as discussed earlier. Second is the increased awareness of gluten intolerance in a certain portion of the population.4
Many of the people who come into my clinic don’t know how to cook. They are frustrated in their attempts to improve their diet because they eat out or get take-out food all the time. The following basic recipes will help you prepare legumes or grains at home.
BARLEY (*contains gluten)
SERVES 3 OR 4
Barley is good in soups and casseroles or for breakfast.
1 cup (185 g) barley
3 cups (700 ml) cold water
1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil
1 pinch sea salt
In a large bowl, cover the barley with water and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes. After soaking, in a colander, drain the barley and rinse it twice with clear water.
In a large saucepan, boil the water and the add oil and salt. Add the barley to the boiling water. Cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
MILLET (HULLED) (*gluten-free)
SERVES 2 OR 3
Millet is good in casseroles and loafs and mixed with rice or vegetables.
1 cup (200 g) millet
1 cup (235 ml) water
1 pinch sea salt
In a colander, rinse the millet 3 times under cold water.
In a large saucepan, boil the water and add the salt. Add the millet. Boil the millet for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook for at least 45 minutes.
QUINOA (*gluten-free)
SERVES 2 OR 3
Quinoa is great in casseroles and desserts or for breakfast.
1 cup (175 g) quinoa
1 1/4 cups (295 ml) cooking liquid (water or soup stock, depending on final use)
In a bowl, soak the quinoa in water for 15 to 60 minutes, and then rinse it in a fine metal strainer.
Put the quinoa into a pot with the cooking liquid. Bring it to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 to 35 minutes, and then remove it from the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.
COUSCOUS (CRACKED WHEAT) (*contains gluten)
SERVES 2 OR 3
Couscous is good for casseroles, baking, and desserts.
1 cup (155 g) couscous
2 1/2 cups (590 ml) water
1 pinch sea salt
In a colander, rinse the couscous 2 or 3 times.
In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt. Add the couscous to the boiling water. Cover the saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and slowly simmer it for 15 minutes.
A SIMPLE GUIDE TO COOKING BEANS
Often, canned beans are high in fat, salt, and sugar and low in vitamins. However, a number of companies, such as Trader Joe’s and Costco, package and sell canned plain, organic cooked beans. One caveat: If you are reducing sodium, pay attention to how much is added. Eden Organics makes BPA-free canned beans without added sodium.
Cooking dried beans is a great alternative to canned beans. The following table provides a simple guide to a wide variety of freshly cooked beans.
ADZUKI BEANS
Cooking: Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover. Boil in 3 to 4 cups (700 to 940 ml) water for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Description: These beans have a delicate flavor, which combines well with rice, quinoa, or millet.
Serving Suggestion: Add squash, garlic, or onion for additional flavor.
BLACK BEANS
Cooking: Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover. Boil in 3 to 4 cups (700 to 940 ml) water for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Description: These beans have a rich, earthy flavor that’s good with grains and in soups.
Serving Suggestion: Traditional Latin American dishes often include black beans cooked with onions, garlic, and perhaps a whole orange, and then served with rice.
GARBANZO BEANS (CHICKPEAS)
Cooking: Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover. Boil in 3 to 4 cups (700 to 940 ml) water for 1 to 2 hours.
Description: They have a nutty flavor.
Serving Suggestion: They work well with curry, and they are good in soups and salads.
KIDNEY BEANS
Cooking: Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover. Boil in 3 to 4 cups (700 to 940 ml) of water for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Description: These beans are relatively bland.
Serving Suggestion: They work well in soups, stews, and salads.
LENTILS
Cooking: These do not need soaking. Boil in 2 cups (470 ml) water for 30 to 45 minutes.
Description: These are mild tasting.
Serving Suggestion: They are good in soups and salads and with grains.
LIMA BEANS
Cooking: Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover. Boil in 2 cups (470 ml) water for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.
Description: Rich, sometimes nutty flavor.
Serving Suggestion: Good in soups and casseroles.
PINTO BEANS
Cooking: Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover. Boil in 3 to 4 cups (700 to 940 ml) water for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Description: Mild, earthy flavor.
Serving Suggestion: Traditionally, they are used in Mexican food, sometimes whole and often refried.
SOYBEANS (ONLY USE ORGANIC BECAUSE OTHERS ARE GENETICALLY MODIFIED)
Cooking: Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover. Boil in 3 to 4 cups (700 to 940 ml) water for 3+ hours.
Description: They have a bland flavor.
Serving Suggestion: They are best in casseroles, salads, and bean burgers. Adding onion and garlic gives a good flavor. Often people make bean burgers with soybeans and grated vegetables. Soybeans are high in protein.
SPLIT PEAS
Cooking: No soaking time is needed. Boil in 2 cups (470 ml) water for 30 to 45 minutes.
Description: Sweet, earthy flavor.
Serving Suggestion: Onions are often added to split peas, along with spices. Split pea soup is a favorite in many part of the United States.
Dietary Principle Four: Food Is Powerful Medicine
Chinese medicine’s dietary practices form the basis for effective preventive medicine. When you eat foods that maintain the flow of Qi and the harmonious functioning of the Organ Systems, the immune system remains strong, bones and muscles remain flexible and supportive, digestion is good, the skin is healthy, the mind and spirit remain clear, and stress and anger dissipate.
However, as with so many Chinese medicine concepts, the effect of diet on bodily functions is not linear, and it cannot be viewed as a process of cause and effect. Instead, the association between food, Qi, Jing, Shen, Xue, the Organ Systems, and digestion depends on each element’s influence over and reaction to the other elements.
This feedback mechanism is reflected in the role of the Spleen and Stomach Systems, which govern digestion and the assimilation of food. The Stomach System releases the energy stored in food, and the Spleen System distributes the food energy through the body. This maintains a harmonious flow of Qi, which in turn helps nourish the Spleen and Stomach Systems with an ample supply of Essential Substances, keeping them in balance. Without a well-balanced diet, the entire network of interdependence is interrupted.
You can also see the delicate yet powerful interdependence of diet and healthy (or unhealthy) Organ Systems when you look at the relationship between diet and the Triple Burner System—particularly the Middle Burner.
Food keeps the Middle Burner balanced so it maintains a strong Middle Burner Fire. This Fire warms the center and allows for proper digestion. If the Fire becomes weak through lack of proper foods, the Middle Burner is forced to supplement its Fire with energy drawn from the Lower Burner. When that happens, Kidney Fire, which the Lower Burner fuels, may become depleted. That, in turn, can cause anxiety, imbalance, or agitation in the mind and spirit. Agitation in the mind and spirit can interfere with proper digestion. Before you know it, you’ve become trapped in a cycle of depletion and disharmony affecting mind/body/spirit—all because your diet was not balanced and couldn’t support the Middle Burner’s Fire.
STAGES AND AGES OF DIETARY GUIDES
To reap the preventive benefits of Chinese medicine’s dietary practices, you want to adjust your eating habits—and your family’s—to the stages and ages of life. Infancy and childhood, adolescence, maturity, and old age each have unique dietary requirements.
Infants and children: Infants and children are immature energetically, although they do have Excess Qi and usually are Warm to Hot. In this stage, the Middle Burner is very sensitive, and the Triple Burner is not very strong. Because the Middle Burner Qi (Central Qi) is not strong, Spleen Qi weakness can develop, leading to Dampness. As a result, infants are likely to produce phlegm.
Before six months of age, feed only breast milk. From six to twelve months, breast milk is still the most healthful food. If you use other milks, don’t give any dairy before one year of age. If you use soy milk, make sure it is made of whole soybeans that were grown organically. Soy milk may be too cooling for children, and it may produce a Damp condition—loose stools—that can aggravate allergies and runny noses and trigger croup and diaper rashes. The first solid food to give a child—while still breastfeeding—is organic, whole-grain rice. Cook 1 cup (195 g) of rice in 5 cups (1175 ml) of water to make a very watery gruel. Other foods, such as sweet potatoes, can then be added when breastfeeding stops.
Young children’s diet should contain easy-to-digest, warming foods, such as cooked vegetables, a modicum of well-cooked rice, and only a little meat or meat broth. Young children need to eat foods that strengthen the Spleen, such as warming and neutral foods: carrots, string beans, yams, and potatoes. (See “Food Flavors, Energetics, and Temperatures” on page 94 for more examples.)
Young children should not be fed too much meat or grains because they may not completely digest them, and that produces phlegm. Wheat, corn, and dairy foods can create congestion and Dampness.
Fruits, raw foods, and cold drinks from the refrigerator are too cooling. Serve foods warm and offer beverages at room temperature.
Teens: Adolescents need lots of food to thrive. This is when the fire of sex, Kidney Fire, is surging. Adolescents should stay away from hot, spicy, or excessively sweet or oily foods, which force heat to rise from the Stomach. This may be associated with acne and emotional ups and downs, which are the plague of so many teenagers. Although for a healthy Spleen, everyone has to eat warming foods, teens do well to increase slightly the amount of cool and neutral foods they consume.
Maturity: Mature adults should eat a diverse diet, with a full range of Food Energetics to maintain their vigor. Over age forty, the Jing becomes depleted.
Old age: In old age, the Kidney Fire declines. Yin is consumed. As the Kidney Fire becomes exhausted, the Middle Burner Fire also becomes weak. The diet should return to the simple, easy-to-digest foods of the very young. Foods that are cool or cold are to be avoided, and moderation becomes ever more important to maintain energy.
For adults and especially the elderly, avoid eating more than two or three types of food at any one meal. That taxes the digestive Fire. It is especially important not to overeat. Stagnation and disharmony follow. Also, as we age, it’s harder and harder to restore balance. New animal and human studies suggest that having limited food intake decreases disease development. For seniors especially, food should be eaten in a relaxed atmosphere and never when you’re upset.
These are the basics of healthful, well-balanced dietary practices. They provide protection against disease and help maintain vigor at all ages. But Chinese medicine’s dietary guides can do far more than maintain health and prevent disease. They are also used to treat diseases and disorders (see chapter 7, page 112).
A CUP OF TEA
Tea is both a medicine and a beverage. It’s also an excuse for socializing and for solitary contemplation. Since the twelfth century BCE, tea has occupied a special place in Chinese culture. It was so valuable that it was used as money in business transactions well into this century.
As a folk medicine, tea has been used to help heal cuts and infections, soothe the stomach, clarify the skin, and energize the mind and spirit. An ancient Chinese proverb could be translated:
Drinking a daily cup of tea
will surely starve the apothecary.5
The healing properties of tea have been confirmed by modern research. Tea is known to contain polyphenols, which stimulate digestion. Research in China and the West also indicates polyphenols may work as anticancer agents and enhance immune strength.6 Green tea may be the most efficacious; however, according to recent research, black tea is highly beneficial and contains important antioxidant properties. Tea also contains essential oils that may reduce circulating lipids and ease digestion. In small quantities, tea’s caffeine can help circulate Xue and invigorate the mind.
A particular type of tea called pu-erh, which is a tea that is the most oxidized and usually aged, is a form of black tea renowned in China for its medicinal properties. Chinese people credit pu-erh with many health benefits, especially promoting weight loss, helping digestion, easing diarrhea, reducing serum cholesterol, and protecting the cardiovascular system. Animal studies indicate that tea reduces cholesterol and/or triglycerides.
COMPARATIVE CAFFEINE LEVELS
|
BEVERAGE |
CAFFEINE (MILLIGRAMS) |
|
2 ounces (28 ml) espresso |
60 to 69 |
|
6 ounces (175 ml) drip coffee |
60 to 180 |
|
6 ounces (175 ml) black tea |
25 to 110 |
|
6 ounces (175 ml) oolong |
12 to 55 |
|
6 ounces (175 ml) green tea |
6 to 18 |
Tea contains caffeine, and too much caffeine is not healthy. Tea has less caffeine than coffee. Because the caffeine steeps out of the tea leaves after the color and flavor, cutting the brewing time can reduce that further. Black tea that is steeped for five minutes contains twice the caffeine of a tea that has steeped for three minutes.
Recognize the types of tea. There are three types of Chinese tea: green, oolong, and black. They are all made from the same types of leaves. It’s the processing that makes them taste, smell, and look so different. Green, oolong, and black teas are differentiated by how “fermented” they are. The word fermented, however, is a misnomer, because the tea is not processed using a fermenting organism, but rather is oxidized by a process of breaking down the structure of the leaves and exposing it to the air. Green tea is not oxidized, and rather incorrectly called not fermented; oolong tea is oxidized for a short period of time, rather incorrectly called semi-fermented; and black tea is oxidized, rather incorrectly called fully fermented.
The most popular Chinese teas include green teas such as gunpowder, hyson, and dragonwell; oolongs such as Formosa oolong, Ti Kuan Yin, and Wuyi; and black teas such as lapsang ouchong, Yunnan, and pu-erh. Blended Chinese black teas include the familiar English and Irish breakfast teas. Scented teas include jasmine, which is made with green tea, and Earl Grey, which combines China black tea with oil of bergamot.
HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT CUP OF TEA
A perfect cup of tea is made with boiling water and loose tea, steeped for the proper length of time, and then consumed immediately. (If you prefer, you can use tea bags, but only buy organic tea in unbleached tea bags.) Here’s how to make it.
1. Rinse the teapot with clean water, without using soaps or cleaning products.
2. Boil filtered or spring water.
3. To make green tea: Allow the water to just barely reach boiling. Place 1 teaspoon green leaf tea in the bottom of the teapot per 1 cup (235 ml) of water. Pour the boiling water directly onto the leaves. Steep for 3 minutes.
To make oolong tea: Allow the water to come to a full boil. Place 1 teaspoon oolong leaf tea in the bottom of the pot per 1 cup (235 ml) of water. Pour the boiling water directly onto the leaves. You can steep oolong tea for up to 10 minutes without it becoming acrid or bitter.
To make black tea: Allow the water to come to a full boil. Place 1 teaspoon black leaf tea in the bottom of the pot per 1 cup (235 ml) of water. Pour the boiling water directly onto the leaves. Steep for 4 to 5 minutes.
4. The tea leaves can be strained or not, as you wish. To strain, pour the leaves and water through a strainer. Some teapots have built-in strainers.
5. If you prefer to sweeten your tea, add a little sugar, honey, lemon, or cream.
Note: In general, black tea can only be steeped once. Good-quality oolong teas can be reused several times. Some green teas will produce additional cups if water is poured over the damp leaves and steeped for 1 minute.