More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles
Chinese Medicine and Nutrition
Chinese medicine has several aspects. Acupuncture is the one most people are familiar with and Chinese herbal medicine is a close second. Other aspects include Chinese massage therapy, energy movement practices such as T’ai Chi and Qi Gong and, perhaps the least known, Chinese nutrition.
Nutrition in Chinese medicine is not a special diet for weight loss. It is a systematic look at what and how one eats for their individual health. As part of your visit with an acupuncturist you may be offered dietary suggestions tailored to your individual needs including, but not limited to, any health concerns.
Many people can benefit from some general dietary guidelines from Chinese medicine. This includes eating foods which are in season and foods which support the movement of nature in each season. No matter the season, most of your foods will be eaten cooked and warm. Eating warm foods benefits your ability to digest. When cold foods are introduced into the stomach the body has to expend a lot of energy to warm the foods to body temperature. We all eat cold or cool foods, especially in the summer. However, consider eating fruits and vegetables which are not cooked at room temperature rather than directly out of the refrigerator. Likewise, warm or room temperature drinks are preferable to those with ice from the Chinese medicine perspective.
Some foods, such as ginger and cinnamon, are used to add a warming element to the diet. These foods are known to be warming to the body in Chinese medicine. While not necessarily warm in temperature they have properties that add warmth when eaten. They are actually used in many Chinese herbal formulas to add a warming element to the whole formula. Other foods are considered cooling. These include mint and cilantro. These do not need to be cool to have the cooling effect. For example, a warm mint tea still has the effect of cooling the body even though it is physically warm.
Another principle of Chinese nutrition is to eat a variety of foods with all the tastes represented. Sweet, bitter, salty, sour, bland, fragrant, and pungent flavors are all needed. When used with attention to temperature and taste, spices and herbs are used in everyday cooking to sustain health and for healing purposes. Take a look in your kitchen and check out the contents of your spice rack for potential healthful additions to meals.
