If you’re confused about what to eat, let one hundred generations of Chinese physicians guide you along the Dao of healthy eating.
“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food” – Hippocrates
Treating illness and maintaining health through dietary therapy is central to the philosophy and practice of Chinese medicine. It is thought that many, if not most, of our health problems are related to imbalances in our diet. As you may have noticed in the discussion of Chinese medical theory, balance is really the most important aspect of life, both in regard to our health, and also in respect to our ability to live harmoniously in the world.
Chinese nutrition is defined as, “the science that deals with the healing properties of foods, to correct disharmonies within the body”. Foods are either warming, cooling, drying or lubricating. Thus Chinese Nutrition seeks to warm the coldness, cool the heat, dry the dampness and lubricate the dryness.
Examples of Cold Foods:
- Banana
- Lettuce
- Kelp
- Seaweed
- Crab
Examples of Hot Foods:
- Black Pepper
- Ginger
- Red Pepper
- Soybean Oil
- Chilli
Good Eating Habits
Breakfast like a king, lunch like a lord, dine like a pauper
- Eat a variety of fresh foods and emphasize organic food sources
- Eat mostly cooked and warm food, which is not too sweet, not too greasy and not too spicy.
- Eat moderately and chew well
- Avoid food or drink that is chilled, cold or frozen
- Avoid being sedentry immediately following a meal.