Food for the Seasons: Eat Well and Stay Healthy the Traditional Chinese Way

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We know all about fat, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins, but no matter how advanced our knowledge on food is, there are always studies that introduce something new and diet theories that get debunked. What do our bodies really need? That's a question to which we could never seem to find an answer.

Food for the Seasons

The Chinese have their own answer to healthy eating, with concepts strongly related to traditional Chinese medicine. I asked a Chinese Medical Practitioner in Hong Kong, Chan Kei-fat, and Guo Qiming, a practitioner from Beijing with a shop in Cologne, to describe to what extent food and medicine are related, and to what extent are these concepts applicable to places outside China.

In contrast with western medicine, the role of food and medicine in traditional Chinese medicine overlap. For example, a water melon is food, but it can also have a medical effect during hot days because of its hydrating properties. The ancient clans of China, dating back to BC, started to discover the different medical values of herbs while they were still hunting and gathering. Some foods relieved their illness, some caused death.

Over time, and in concourse with the growth of Chinese philosophy, medical theories were developed.

Food for the Seasons: Eat Well and Stay Healthy the Traditional Chinese Way by Lun Wong

However, there are also some foods that are considered more "medicine" than "food," for example, ginseng. When it comes to this "medicine," a person should consult a practitioner, since eating it could make your body worse.


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Foods have different natures, and all of us have different bodies that interact differently with different foods. In traditional Chinese medicine, food is divided into five natures, called "siqi": The nature of food is not determined by their actual temperature, but rather by what effects they have on a person's body after consumption.

When a person continually eats one type of food, it creates an imbalance in their body, and affects their immune system. Thus, one of the keys in Chinese medicine is to keep our body "neutral. Foods that are warm and hot bring heat to our bodies -- e.

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Neutral foods are foods like oil, rice, pork and most kinds of fishes. A person who has too much heat in their body usually feels hot, sweats all the time, is grumpy, has a swollen tongue, or could be constipated. People who have too much cold in their bodies appear pale, have cold hands and feet, might feel weak, or have bad blood circulation. When this happens, we are advised to stop eating that kind of food. Similarly in the western world, the Chinese divide tastes into five different kinds Wuwei: But for the Chinese, these are more than just senses.

In traditional Chinese medicine, each bite of foods sends the nutrition to corresponding organs: Thus, it is important to have each flavor in the diet. Does that mean to be healthy we just eat just neutral food in all flavors? The condition of the body could also be affected by age and sex. This is a season of great change from hot yang to cooler yin. It's a time where you can add a little ginger , mustard greens, or cinnamon to your food. Depending on where you live will determine how you nourish your body.


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    Hydrating foods

    May 2, — 9: Group 7 Created with Sketch. Group 9 Created with Sketch. Group 10 Created with Sketch. Group 4 Created with Sketch. Email Created with Sketch. Group 11 Created with Sketch. This is a time to stretch the muscles —take a reflective walk or jog in the fresh morning air! Traditional Chinese Medicine food food as medicine. Dolores Baretta is an acupuncturist, nutritional therapist, and digestive specialist based in Zurich, Switzerland. Dolores helps people achieve mind-body balance through acupuncture, Foods are important to ensure that the body adjusts to the changing seasons.

    The dry weather usually causes an itchy throat, a dry nose, chapped lips, rough skin, hair loss and dry stools. We need to eat to promote the production of body fluids and their lubricating effects throughout the body. Beneficial foods for this are lily bulb, white fungus, nuts or seeds, pear, lotus root, pumpkin, honey, soy milk and dairy products.

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    It is advisable to eat more food with sour flavors and reduce pungent flavors as such things like onion, ginger and peppers induce perspiration, while sour foods like pineapple, apple, grapefruit and lemon have astringent properties and thus prevent the loss of body fluids. The body needs extra fluids to counteract the dry environment, and it is a Chinese tradition to eat porridge for breakfast and soup for dinner that is made with the above ingredients.

    The principle of harmony between food and the weather is based on practical experience. It may seem to contradict principles stated elsewhere but the fact remains: