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Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Health Information Organization
Created by West TCM, Vancouver / Langley Canada
Visit West TCM at their clinical practices;
Spence Pentland Acupuncturist in Vancouver,
and
Ryan Funk Acupuncturist in Langley
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Traditional Chinese Food Cure (treatment of disease through diet)Click on links below for more information on…Western Food PyramidThe Food guide Pyramid is not a rigid prescription but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that's right for you. The Pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need and at the same time the right amount of calories to maintain healthy weight. What Counts as One
Serving? The amount of food that counts as one serving is listed below. If you eat a larger portion, count it as more than 1 serving. For example, a dinner portion of spaghetti would count as 2 or 3 servings of pasta. Fats, Oils, & Sweets : Use Sparingly 1 cup of milk or
yogurt
2-3 ounces of cooked
lean meat, poultry, or fish
1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
1 medium apple, banana, orange Bread, Cereal,
Rice, & Pasta Group : 6-11 Servings 1 slice of bread Food Cure
3 main aspects: 1. eat with the Qi 2. eat with the time 3. eat with flavour *Try to eat local and in season, follow your body type needs and listen to what your body tells you about what you are eating. Have skin disease, don’t eat onion, or other things that are pungent. If you use your tendons that are hard on the tendons you should eat to support the liver, stay away from to much pungent food (dry tendons). If you have weak Spleen and Stomach (puffy tongue, loose stools, poor appetite, bloating), do not eat foods that are too cold in the morning (orange juice, banana, cold yogurt, fruit smoothies, etc). This type of breakfast is more suitable for the person that shows Heat signs. Women have more taste than men. Men more use the nose (smell). Boil bitter melon just briefly, then store for 24 hours in the fridge before eating. Qiang Chai vegetable cooked (stir fried in water) then left in the fridge for one day produces alcohol (green vegetable) At different times of the day foods effect you differently, just like we know not to drink coffee just before we go to bed! Any Bi syndrome, avoid tomatoes, they are cold and sour. Vitamin A goes to the Liver for the eyes. Celery is bitter cold, proof that it slows sperm (essence), good to drain Damp/Heat. Listen to what your body wants, eat it (within reason), connect the mind and body, the body will tell you what it likes and what it needs, all you have to do is listen. Understand that what your body needs can change from time to time (after illness, season, time of day, etc), find techniques to listen regularly, i.e. daily meditation, silence, yoga, qigong. Be sure to not give people blanket statements about what to eat and what not to eat, as said above, things change. Alcohol have different energies (not all damp/heat), the different herbs they are made with adjust their properties, i.e. brandy is made with Chen Pi, gin is made with juniper berries, peppermint schnapps, etc. Do not give research your soul, it can only find physical elements within the food, experiment with foods and listen to what your body tells you about it. Tonify the Blood: carrots (liver, Spleen), beets, cherries, spinach, dark grapes, marrow, easily digestable grains, raspberries Tonify Kidney Qi: animal kidneys, lobster, lamb, seeds, dry nuts, rosehips, beans, turnip, raspberry, sprouts, blueberry Tonify Lung: almond, dry apricots Tonify Liver: cranberry, blueberry, mulberry, raspberry In spring, should you eat more sour? Depends on the person. Normal situation, we should eat more sweet because it’s energy is rising, if too much it will overact on the Spleen so eat sweet to protect it. In Summer, eat less bitter, slightly more pungent food to protect the lungs. In fall, less pungent and eat some sour too keep it from overacting on the liver. Also things that nourish the lung are beneficial, i.e. pears (if the person is of cold constitution can steam with cinnamon and maple syrup) In late summer, one can eat a little more salty in preparation for winter for the kidney. Although you must see if there is excess or deficiency: If there is Liver Fire (energy going upward and outward): eat more sour cold Qi and Yang deficiency should eat more warm foods, avoid a lot of cold energy foods or try to change their properties if people do not want to avoid certain things [ Top of document ] |
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