Diet: Back to Basics
In this age of information there is so much out there making villains and superheros of food, we are going to filter out all that information with Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Diet can vary from person-to-person especially if they have a health condition. You can visit local TCM practitioner to ask for a consultation to if you have a specific condition you would like to address to learn more about specific diets for your condition. If your health is good and would like to maintain it, generally you would want to keep a diet which strengthens Spleen and Stomach qi. A strong Spleen and Stomach qi helps maintain steady energy levels, healthy tissue growth and repair, metabolism, defense and reproduction.
There are two aspects which will help you achieve healthy Spleen and Stomach qi, type of foods and ways they are consumed. The types of food can be broken down to carbohydrates, proteins and fruits and vegetables. Carbohydrates strengthen Spleen and qi and tend to be sweet and warm in nature. Proteins tend to be warmer than carbohydrates and nourish qi, blood, yin and jing.
Balancing out the warmth from carbohydrates and proteins are fruits and vegetables which tend to be cooling, clearing and mobilizing in nature. Finding the right balance of these three groups depends on the constitution and any pathological imbalances of the individual. Simply put, if you have qi deficiency, more carbohydrates would be required; blood deficiency, higher portion of protein; excess pattern, higher fruits and vegetables.
Consuming the right balance of foods is not enough to ensure good health, it is also important to pay attention to the way food is consumed. If eating at erratic times of the day or on the go the performance of the Spleen and Stomach can be compromised. Eating at regular times and in a relaxed state ensures the Spleen can fully digest and avoid overeating.
Reference:
Maclean, Will, and Jane Lyttleton. Clinical Handbook of Internal Medicine Volume 2: The Treatment of Disease with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Pangolin Press, 2002.
