 |
Chinese food therapy is a practice of healing using natural foods instead of medications.
Kimberly believes that the key to life and health is moderation and balance. She offers as a component to healing yourself the wisdom of Chinese food therapy. Utilizing food as your medicineis a powerful secret of Chinese medicine.. She will incorporate additional supplementation if neccessary to fortify optimum health and or use herbal formulas or a custom tea. Chinese food therapy is a modality of traditional Chinese medicine, also known as Chinese Nutrition therapy. It is particularly popular among Cantonese people who enjoy slow-cooked soups. One of the most commonly known is a rice soup that goes by many names including congee and jook. This is a traditional breakfast of Asian people all over the world. Congee recipes vary infinitely, depending upon the desired health benefits as well as taste.
Chinese food therapy dates back as early as 2000 BC. However, proper documentation was only found around 500 BC. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine also known as the Niejing, which was written around 300 BC, was most important in forming the basis of Chinese food therapy. It classified food by four food groups, five tastes and by their natures and characteristics.
Philosophy about food
The ideas of yin and yang are used in the sphere of food and cooking. Yang foods are believed to increase the body's heat (eg. raise the metabolism), while Yin foods are believed to decrease the body's heat (eg. lower the metabolism). As a generalization, Yang foods tend to be dense in food energy, especially energy from fat, while Yin foods tend to have high water content. The Chinese ideal is to eat both types of food to keep the body in balance. A person eating too much Yang food might suffer from acne and bad breath while a person eating too much Ying food might be lethargic or anemic.
Appropriate Food Selections Based on Chinese Food Therapy:
Sweeteners (2%) Refined sugars create dampness in the body.
Enjoy in small amounts: rice syrup, stevia, maple syrup, barley malt, date sugar, molasses, unrefined cane juice or powder, local raw honey, small piece dark chocolate
Avoid: white sugar, cane juice or sugar, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose , brown sugar, Nutrasweet™, Splenda™ , any artificial sweetener, turbinado sugar, candy
Oils (5%) Fried foods increase dampness in the body
Enjoy in moderation: unrefined olive oil, unrefined oleic sunflower oil, unrefined oleic safflower oil, unrefined sesame oil, ghee, camolina oil
Avoid: fried foods, animal fats, hydrogenated vegetable oil, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, peanut oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, coconut oil, corn oil, margarine, shortening, refined canola oil, refined vegetable oils
Dairy (5%)
Enjoy in moderation: cottage cheese, yogurt, organic 1% milk, eggs, lite sour cream, ghee, unprocessed cheese
Avoid: ice cream, frozen yogurt, cream
Beverages (3% caloric)
Enjoy to satisfaction: herb teas, filtered water (room temp), green tea, rice milk, oat milk
Enjoy in moderation: black tea, organic milk, coffee, soy milk, red wine
Avoid: forcing liquids, juice, iced beverages, iced tea, iced water, beer, white wine, sodas, and alcohol
Animal Protein (10%)
Enjoy in abundance: fish
Enjoy in moderation: organic beef, organic chicken, lean pork, lamb, quail, eggs
Avoid: lunch meat, meat fats, and canned meats
Grains (20%)
Enjoy in abundance: short grain brown rice, brown rice, oats, barley, wild rice, millet, amaranth, whole grain breads, rye, kashi, buckwheat, bran, spelt, foods made with whole grains
Avoid: corn meal, maize, polenta, white rice, white bread, potatoes, foods made w/white flour, pasta, noodles, soft whole wheat breads, French bread, rolls, cereal, cake, cookies, and processed cereals
Nuts & Seeds (10%)
Enjoy in abundance: nuts & seeds--especially in shell, almond, black sesame seed, chia seed, flax Seed, pecans, pine nut, pistachio, pumpkin seed, squash seeds, sunflower seed, walnut, hummus
Avoid: rancid nuts-*when nuts are hulled or shelled they immediately begin to deteriorate, processed peanut butter, peanuts, cashews
Vegetables (25%) Try to consume a large variety of vegetables, organic when possible.
Enjoy Abundant Amounts of: steamed carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, turnip greens, collards, kale, mustard greens, steamed cauliflower, steamed broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, Napa cabbage, winter squash , sweet potato, yam, onions, leeks, scallions, shallots, asparagus, cooked beets, steamed celery, Jerusalem artichoke, artichoke, kohlrabi, eggplant, cooked tomatoes, cooked spinach, steamed zucchini, green beans, grape leaves, mushrooms, peppers, green peas, gobo-burdock root, seaweed, snap bean, Brussels sprout, chard, lamb's quarters
Use very moderately: cucumber, lettuce, potatoes, raw tomato, corn, raw vegetables, okra, steamed summer squash
Fruits (5%)
Enjoy in abundance: avocado, plantain
Use in moderation: stewed apples, figs, grapes, grapefruit, lemon, mulberry, oranges, tangerine, papaya, cooked peaches, cooked pears, raspberry, blackberry pineapple, plums, pomegranate, strawberries, lycci berry, raisins, apricot, cranberry, quince, guava
Avoid: all fruit juices, bananas, apples, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon
Legumes--Beans, Peas, Lentils (15%)
Enjoy in abundance:
aduki bean, black bean, lentils, tofu, tempeh, TVP textured vegetable protein, split peas, whole peas, pinto beans, kidney beans, lima beans, black eyed peas, mung bean, soybean, garbanzo, miso, sesame, hummusAs Chinese saying goes "no onions do not cook dishes," in daily life, the green onion (scallion) , while mostly used as seasoning, its nutritional value and health value can not be underestimated. Green onion (scallion) is regarded as “warm” in nature in Chinese traditional medicine. Chinese used it for dispersing chill, relieving congestion and relaxing muscle tension. Mixing scallions, ginger and brown sugar is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for early treatment of cold. Green onions also benefits the stomach and lungs since green onions can promot digestion and destroy oral and respiratory bacteria.
Ginger
Ginger is widely used in Chinese cooking as seasoning. But its value is far beyond serving as the flavoring agent. In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger is “warm” in nature. Ginger is often used for treatment of abdominal bloating, diarrhea, nausea, headache, and bleeding. It is also used for treating of cough, common cold, help digestion, neutralize poisons in food, promote blood circulation, support cardiovascular health. In addition, ginger is commonly used for treatment of inflammatory joint diseases, such as arthristis and rheumatism. Its healing power has made it one of the most popular food remedy in traditional Chinese medicine.
Garlic
Garlic is another food with strong healing power. Like ginger, it is “warm” in nature in traditional Chinese medicine. One could found that lots of Chinese dishes contain generous amount of garlic. Chinese not only use it to promote the flavor, but believe it kills bacteria, help digestion, and prevents diarrhea. Researchers found that eating garlic on a regular basis lowers the risk of stomach and colon cancers. Other therapeutic functions have been found in garlic, such as being used as a remedy for hypertension, diabetes, hepatitis. It is recommended to eat garlic raw and crushed. It is found that fresh raw garlic when crushed has the most effectiveness to release it’s healing power.
Cucumber
Speaking of cucumber, many people like to eat it, but few people know it's pharmaceutical value. Chinese traditional medicine believes that the cucumber is “cool” in nature. It has the effect of detoxification and could help to ease throat pain causing by some illness. Modern medical researchers found that cucumber is rich in vitamin E, which helps fighting against aging. Women like to put cucumber juice or film on the face to smooth skin and reduce wrinkle. Cucumber also contains vitamin B1, which is essential tp brain and nervous system. Chinese traditional medicine believes cucumber has the effect to soothe the nerves and aid in the treatment of insomnia.
Peach
There is Chinese saying of “Longevity peach”, reminding people the connection of peach and the promise of longevity. Chinese medicine believes that peach is moderate “warm” in nature. Peach seed is widely used in Chinese medicine to improve blood circulation, dissolve accumulated blood clots, moisten the intestines and relaxes the bowels. Since peach is rich in iron, Chinese believes consuming enough amount of peach has the beauty effectiveness.
Grape
Chinese traditional medicine believes grape is neutral regarding to “warm” or “cool” in nature. Eating grape can tune the b lood, strengthen the bone, and promote urination. Because grape contains highly effective anti-cancer substances, it is a good food choice to prevent from cancer. Also, dried grape (raisin) is rich in iron, which is especially beneficial to children or people who has anaemia.
Tomato
Tomatoes are known to be a powerhouse of nutrition. Traditional Chinese medicine regards it as “cool” in nature. Chinese medicine believes that tomatoes have the effectiveness of detoxification, reducing blood pressure, preventing from cancer and aging. It contains a multitude of vitamins and minerals that promote the immune system and support health. In addition, tomato is high in nutrition, but low in calories, it is an excellent choice for weight loss diet.
Apple
As wisdom says “one apple per day keeps the doctor away from me,” traditional Chinese medicine found that apple is “cool” in nature and promotes various health benefits. Researchers found that eating 1-2 apples per day, the rate of suffering from heart disease can be reduced by half. Apple contains soluble fibre that help to prevent from constipation. The scent of apples helps people to relax and refresh their spirit. Apple cider vinegar helps digestion and reduces fat. Eating apple slowing in the mouth can be very effective to kill the oral bacteria.
Strawberry
Strawberry’s bright red color and delicious tastes have made it a popular fruit. Chinese traditional medicine believes that strawberry is “cool” in nature. It lubricates lungs, promotes body fruids, strengthens spleen and stomach, and detoxifies in alcohol intoxication. It also contains anti-cancer ingredients that prevent people from cancer and aging.
|
