Nutrition in Chinese Medicine
What is nutrition in Traditional Chinese medicine health?
In TCM, food is more than just fuel. It directly dictates our body’s internal function, vitality, and our ability to prevent illness. When we look at food, we look at the properties of foods and how they interact with our bodies’ unique constitutions and patterns.
Balance
TCM diets consist of looking at your body’s specific pattern and understanding what foods may aggravate or ameliorate your symptoms. For example, if you experience what we call “excess Heat” (e.g. high blood pressure, red eyes, constipation, anxiety), you could benefit from “cooling” foods such as green tea, cucumber, and tofu. Conversely, someone who feels the cold and is quite fatigued may thrive with “warming” foods such as meats, ginger, and cinnamon.
Eating Seasonally
Our rationale behind eating seasonally is not only to eat locally grown fresh foods but mainly to help the body adapt to your environmental changes. The properties of seasonal foods assist your body’s functions as you move through the seasons. In winter, warming soups and root vegetables help to improve your energy, while in summer the lighter, cooling foods like melons and leafy greens help to balance any excess Heat.
Supporting Digestion
The strong focus on digestion in TCM aims to support your body’s reserves, nutrient absorption, and energy flow. Cold, raw, or greasy foods can dampen your digestive function, causing fatigue, bloating, and brain fog. Eating easily-digestible foods strengthen your digestion and therefore increase energy levels.
Mindful Eating
How you eat is just as important as what you eat. Activating the “rest-and-digest” nervous response by eating slowly, chewing throughly, and avoiding distractions allows for efficient digestion and nutrient absorption.
Common therapeutic foods in TCM
- soups
- broths
- stews
- ginger
- goji berries
- sesame seeds
- dark greens
All in all, Chinese medicine diets are not only personalised but also focus on enhancing your body’s digestive function while helping to settle any excess pathologies. By tuning in to how different foods make us feel and choosing foods that promote balance, we can support ourselves on a deeper level.
Michelle
