Just as much as medicinal herbs have done for thousands of years, Chinese medicine nutrition has been utilized as a way to empower health. Food was used to resolve illnesses and to prevent them from occurring once more. Thus the continuance of the human species was maintained.
Focusing on the flavor and thermal energetic qualities of foods, this Chinese medicine nutritional model provides a holistic and qualitative concept of individually prescribed foods. Its effectiveness is based on the fundamental principles of natural laws as well as from its facility as it includes most foods we eat anyway. Basically, the principle goes like this: to cool the heat, to warm the cold, add where there is too little, and lessen where there is too much.
Food energetics is combined and a dietary plan is formulated depending on the patient’s symptoms, past medical history, and constitution. The plan will entail what foods to avoid, what to eat, how to combine assorted flavors, and how to prepare foods. The diet plan will be specifically prescribed to introducing foods and eliminating aggravating drinks and foods to attain a natural homeostatic balance, that is, if there are any pre existing health conditions to treat.
Basically, a diet should consist of:
• Thirty to forty percent cooked vegetables such as fennels, lentils, cabbage, beans, carrots, and potatoes.
• Fifty to eight percent grains: wheat, spelt, rice, oats, millet, barley, and corn.
• Five percent raw foods such as fruits and salads, except in summer.
• Five percent fish, chicken, game, beef, and lamb.
• Never eat when upset, angry, or stressed.
• If possible, use unprocessed, high quality, organic foods.
• Chew food well and do not rush meals.
• During meals, drink minimal amounts of liquids as large amounts tend to prevent correct absorption and dilute the process of digestion resulting in a shortage of vital energy and tiredness.
• Do not eat when preoccupied with certain activities: eating in front of the computer or at the desk, or while watching TV.
• It is important for those on a vegetarian diet to add foods that are energetically warming and ones recommended by a qualified practitioner.
• Consume foods that are in season.
• In general, consume at least one cooked meal a day and smaller food portions. It is important that the food should be easy to digest and moved through tissues if your digestion is impaired in any way.
As the Chinese medicine diet is different from the typical western consumption of foods, more so when cooked versus raw foods is concerned there are often several modifications that need to be made.
However, diet modifications should be done incrementally and in small, attainable segments, so that the body slowly but surely gets used to the new ways. Results can always be expected when this practice is followed as it is easy to adjust to the needs of the individual in the modern way of life and is designed to conform to the patient’s unique constitutional needs.
Amy-SuiQun Lui, L.Ac.
Asian Health Center
27059 Grand Army of the Republic Hwy
Cleveland, OH 44143
Tel: (440) 833-0983
https://www.clevelandacupunctureclinic.com/
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