A comprehensive approach to a healthy diet in the context of Chinese medicine encompasses not only a diverse selection of foods but also considerations of food temperature and food characteristics. It is recommended to include a broad spectrum of meat, vegetables, and grains in one’s daily diet. Let us delve into the optimal food temperature and the concept of food characteristics.
Food Temperature:
The human body maintains a core temperature of approximately 37ºC. When food ingested is below this temperature threshold, the body expends energy to raise the food’s temperature to facilitate digestion and absorption. Consequently, this energy expenditure during the digestive process is deemed suboptimal, particularly for individuals with compromised digestive systems.
Food Characteristics:
In the realm of traditional Chinese Medicine, food characteristics are categorized as warm, cold, or neutral. Individuals with a constitution characterized by a tendency towards coldness (evidenced by cold extremities and a preference for warmer environments) are advised to consciously incorporate warming foods into their diet and vice versa. Below is a table illustrating the characteristics of various foods.
| Warming Foods | Cold Foods | Neutral Foods |
| Onion, garlic, ginger and pepper Spices like chilli, Star anise, cumin, funnel seed, turmeric Coffee Red meat Chai tea, Pu’er tea Durian Mangoes Lychee Roast nuts Chinese yam Dates Goji berries | Banana watermelon Raw salad Cold drinks Peppermint tea Dandelion leaves Coconut Fish Barley Lotus roots Pear Duck meat Radish | Rice Wheat Potato Carrot Pork Chicken Eggs Zucchini Beans Nuts Millets Quinoas Lentil |
Lifestyle:
Energy Preservation is important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The principles of energy conservation, as observed in physics and chemistry, also extend to the human body. Individuals with a constitution characterized by deficiencies such as fatigue, cold extremities, low immunity, and weakened digestion are encouraged to optimize their energy balance by increasing energy intake and minimizing energy loss. Here are some idea of optimizing our body energy.
| Source of energy | Draining of energy |
| Nutrient-rich foods Adequate rest and sleep Moderate exercise Sun exposure | Exposure to cold Heat loss through evaporation (wet hair after shower) Consumption of cold foods and drinks Negative emotions (e.g., hatred, anger, sadness, stress) |
In summary, adhering to the principles of temperature and food characteristics, along with energy conservation strategies, plays a pivotal role in maintaining health and well-being from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
When you come to see Josephine for acupuncture therapy, feel free to ask for a dietary advice report based on your individual health conditions.
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