this is where the ancient chinese medicine diverges from the western approach: whether a food is beneficial is determined by its effect on the body. rather than quantity, chinese nutrition focuses on quality, including temperature, flavor, and action. it determines the characteristic properties of each food, such as sweet/salty/bitter flavors and how foods act on and move through our bodies.
though western & eastern medicine have the same foundation in science, they differ in approach. chinese nutritional science studies the electromagnetic patterns of food and how these vibrations affect the body. when eating foods that disrupt the body's resonance, it is unable to perform to the best of its ability.
we each have a unique body constitution. by eating foods correct for yours, you are feeding the body what is craves to be balanced. for example, someone with a body constitution that is dry and warm would benefit from eating a diet that brings moisture to the body to cool it down. if he continued eating drying or warming foods, the body would be analogous to a car overheating. this is not one-size-fits-all; each person is approached distinctly and viewed as a whole: mind, body, and spirit.
while a food in the west may be considered healthy in general, it may not suit someone's particular constitution at the time and do more harm than good. we should be searching for more personal options that consider our entire body and mind.
a good chinese diet balances yin (wet/warm) and yang (dry/crisp) ingredients. yang foods - spicy foods, meat, coffee, and wine- heat the body up, whereas yin - typically carbohydrate heavy- foods cool the body down. china's traditional sharing approach to eating means that most meals contain yin and yang equilibrium. this combination helps stabilize the blood sugar, which is a key to good energy and minimizing weight gain.
2. eat seasonally
our rhythmic bodies are in touch with the natural cycles. during the summer, our bodies are more active and focus on cooling from the heat which is why seasonal vegetables and fruits are easily digested. during the winter, our bodies are focused on staying warm so seasonal vegetables like roots are warming and insulate us from the cold.
two thousand years ago, hippocrates said, "let food be your medicine." but in the west, we have forgotten this. in the east, communities respect the cycle of food and how it supports life. chinese medicine prescribes various foods as medicine; garlic to counteract toxins, chillies to dispel cold. the ultimate purpose is to allow chi to circulate evenly around the body.
3. cook raw foods
raw power? nahhhh even at home, we never eat raw salad. while raw food has a higher concentration of vitamins than cooked food, this research ignores the fact that lightly cooking foods makes its nutrients easier for the body to take on. the stomach is unable to digest too many raw foods.
