Dietary and lifestyle Considerations in Traditional Chinese Medicine

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 FoodsCold FoodsNeutral 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
Food characteristic

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 energyDraining 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)
Energy preservation idea

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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