Dietary Therapy and Chinese Medicine

[AlexBaranosky]

I find dietary therapy fascinating. I know Sifu is very liberal in his take on what constitutes a good diet. But to what degree is diet emphasised in Chinese Medicine? For example what are the big, DON'T'S and DO'S??

I have a cool book called Unleashing the Power of Food. It's a cookbook where each recipe has a specific benefit to different organs and such, and the recipes are fun to make.

I would love to hear from anyone who is currently taking Chinese Medicine courses, especially Antonius.

All the Best,

Alex

[Andy]

Id like to second Alex's request!

I have found a lot of the posts regarding diet (i.e. soya being a cold food) on here very interesting and I would like to know more about Yin/Yang harmony in daily/weekly diet.

My practice is going very well these days and my body is feeling pretty harmonious but Id still like to have an idea of what constitutes a good diet from the Chinese medical perspective.

If a request for a short discourse is a bit cheeky, does anyone have any good links? or book references?

Cheers

Andy

[yeniseri]

all in one or one in all

As part of a Chinese Patent Medicine (Prepared) course, we looked at the basis for dietary therapy and it came down to individual dietary presecription within a framework of freshly prepared foods according to the seasons.
The skill and background of the teacher are essential in this process.

SOME POINTS
-The more meat in the diet, the less effective the prepared medicine.
-Westerners will need a larger dose (per body weight)
-Dietary therapy in conjunctive with an active lifestyle
-It is not so much diet but quantity and 'purity' of the food consumed
-It is not so much that Chinese Dietary Therapy is superior but it has surpassed its usefullness in the modernization process. Now chronic diseases will start to explode, if not already, with diabetes (type II), hypertension, etc
It still has a place but now it is a mandatory tool to help with extending life!
-Caloric restriction (based on the chinese model) has some good points but in the long run does not provide extra benefit.

For example, soy for a cold condition will create more problems while for a heat condition, can bring harmony. Replacing colas and the sort with soya is positive but it does not mean it should be the sole source of nutrients.

[yeniseri]

Hypothesis examples

Great site and links:

http://www.ancientway.com/articles/rawdeal.html

Enjoy!

[Akemi]

Greetings, Friends.

Sifu Anthony and I go to the same school. Here is some information I gathered in my Oriental Food Therapy Course:

Books
1. Healing With Whole Foods, by Paul Pitchford
2. Chinese Dietary Therapy, by Liu Jilin
3. Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon

Basic Principles of Dietary Therapy

1. Regulate Yin and Yang

-This includes differentiating the presenting pattern, balancing hot and cold, amounts and tastes. *Note: moderation in diet should be more pronounced during an illness. This means that the person should stick to bland, neutral food, and the 1/3 principle, which states that 1/3 of your stomach should be full of food, the second with fluids, and the last empty.

2.Climate

-Eat what's in season. For example, mung bean soup is typically eaten in summer, as it helps eliminate a Summer Heat condition. Because of it's cooling nature it should not be eaten in winter.

3. Regional Variations

-Try to stick to locally produced food.

3. Adapt to individual needs

- Children suffer from indigestion, and should avoid hot food; the elderly should not eat cold, and women should avoid cold like the plague (it damages the spleen and invades the uterus)

Our teacher, Brandt, summed up an easy way to remember what's good to eat:

Good food is warm and moist. Occasionally hot and wet. If it’s cold and dry it’s not good.

I'll be happy to post some more later. Happy eating!

[Andy]

Mucho Thankage Vanessa