Food As Medicine: treat your health problems with food
On every continent throughout history, plants have been used to treat illnesses and infections. Today pharmaceutical companies spend massive amounts of resources isolating compounds found in medicinal plants to patent and sell as prescription medication. The fact is that ALL plants have medicinal properties to varying degrees. What you eat matters, especially when you eat too much of one type of food, or not enough of another. With Traditional Chinese Medicine, food choices are the equivalent of over-the-counter interventions for minor and/or persistent health issues.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, health is achieved through balance. A body should have plentiful Qi, Blood, Yin, and Yang flowing through all of the organ networks. There should not be too much Heat, Cold, Dampness, or Dryness anywhere in the body. If you are eating foods that don't give you enough Qi, you will be tired. If you are eating too much greasy food, you will have Dampness in your body and feel sluggish, overweight, and have digestive problems. Even if you eat fairly well, sometimes events throw your body off balance; like surgery or childbirth, which would result in too little Blood. Then it is good to know which foods to add into your diet to build your Blood back up.
Below are a series of pamphlets I have written to provide a very basic outline of food guidelines for various conditions. Pick the descriptions that match how you are feeling, print it out, and put it on your fridge to remind you of the foods that will help you feel better and the foods that will make you feel worse (even though they might be delicious). You do not have to match every single symptom. Please note that these recommendations do not take personal food allergies into account. If you even suspect that you might be allergic or have a sensitivity to a food, do not eat it.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, health is achieved through balance. A body should have plentiful Qi, Blood, Yin, and Yang flowing through all of the organ networks. There should not be too much Heat, Cold, Dampness, or Dryness anywhere in the body. If you are eating foods that don't give you enough Qi, you will be tired. If you are eating too much greasy food, you will have Dampness in your body and feel sluggish, overweight, and have digestive problems. Even if you eat fairly well, sometimes events throw your body off balance; like surgery or childbirth, which would result in too little Blood. Then it is good to know which foods to add into your diet to build your Blood back up.
Below are a series of pamphlets I have written to provide a very basic outline of food guidelines for various conditions. Pick the descriptions that match how you are feeling, print it out, and put it on your fridge to remind you of the foods that will help you feel better and the foods that will make you feel worse (even though they might be delicious). You do not have to match every single symptom. Please note that these recommendations do not take personal food allergies into account. If you even suspect that you might be allergic or have a sensitivity to a food, do not eat it.
Cold and Flu:
Foods to help when you are sick. |
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Consequences of Vegetarian, Vegan, and Raw Diets:
People who adopt these diets often experience:
Note: This only addresses the Chinese Medicine perspective and does not necessarily negate the benefits of these diets according to other sources. This pamphlet is only intended as a tool for those who are experiencing the symptoms listed above. |
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Not Enough Qi:
Or anyone looking for more energy
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Not Enough Yang:
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Not Enough Yin:
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Not Enough Blood:
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Too Much Heat:
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Too Much Cold:
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Too Much Dampness:
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Too Much Dryness:
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