The Energetics of Food
Click for the Food Properties Chart
Chinese nutrition differs from Western nutrition in that it deals with the energetic properties of food and not the biochemical nature of food. Foods selected according to their energetic qualities is key to balanced health. Acupuncture works much in the same way to create balance. Using the benefits of correct food consumption along with acupuncture is a highly effective way to establish balance.
Understanding your health imbalances and then treating them accordingly by choosing the appropriate foods for that particular imbalance is one of the best ways to restore health. For example, an excessive person exhibiting many heat signs would benefit from eating foods that are cooling.
Foods all have inherent specific qualities that have certain effects in the body. The method in which they are cooked either enhances or neutralizes the food. Generally speaking, warming foods will raise the metabolism and cooling foods will slow it down. In order to maintain good health, we need a balance of all the different foods with their different properties and actions.
Chinese Nutrition categorizes foods according to the observed reaction within the body. Foods are categorized as Hot, Warm, Neutral, Cool and Cold.
Yin is considered to be cool and cold and Yang encompasses warm and hot.
We all have mixtures of these different qualities, we all contain some yin and some yang, but usually have a predomination towards one or the other.
Typical symptoms of a person with predominant yang or hot would include: red complexion, easy to sweat, always hot, dominating, aggressive or outgoing personality, loud voice, dry mouth, always thirsty, affinity for cold liquids, high appetite, constipation, bad breath, easily angered, very emotional, irritability and insomnia.
Typical symptoms of a person with predominant yin or cold would include: paleness, coldness, dislikes cold, prefers warm beverages, low energy, loose stools, requires lots of sleep, easily fatigued, introverted personality, lower appetite and a tendency toward water retention.
To bring balance, you can counteract a hot condition with cooling foods and a cold condition with warming foods. Conversely, hot conditions would be worsened with hot foods and cold conditions worsened with cold foods.
It’s important to pay attention to your body and what patterns or tendencies it gravitates to. With this knowledge you can then take the initiative to create balance by choosing the correct foods for yourself.
Our body’s are equipped with unique healing mechanisms that if given the right chance, can repair any disharmony. Through inappropriate lifestyles, diet, thoughts, and actions, we abuse the workings of this delicate system.
Align your life in such a way that is healthful and healing. Choosing the right diet for yourself is one of the first steps in achieving health and well being.
Keep in mind that suppressing symptoms of a disorder, such as taking a medication, doesn’t address the underlying root cause. It is best to pay attention and acknowledge the signs and symptoms your body gives you. This is your body’s way of warning you of a disharmony. Choosing natural healing methods to enhance the immune system so the body can heal itself is the most effective way to regain balance and health.
Most importantly, we should help the body heal, not interfere with it. Unfortunately, many medications, various over the counter drugs and certain foods do just that.
Aside from foods having different properties in temperature, they are also classified into five flavors. These include: Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Pungent and Salty.
Certain flavors are associated with particular organs and are said to have an affinity for that organ. (See below)
- Sour foods nourish the liver and gall bladder.
- Bitter foods nourish the heart and small intestines
- Sweet foods nourish the spleen and stomach
- Pungent foods nourish the lung and large intestine
- Salty foods nourish the kidney and bladder
Foods and herbs with different energies and tastes are assimilated into the body to nourish different organs. This is very beneficial when treating certain organ systems that pertain to any one particular disorder.
The five different flavors exhibit different properties and actions in the body. They are as follows
Pungent is a taste that has the function of dispersing, invigorating and promoting circulation. Dispersing actions help eliminate pathogens from the body (like the flu or common cold). The invigorating and circulation promoting action improves movement of qi, blood and body fluids. In Chinese Medicine, it is believed that all disharmony and disease arise as a result of stagnation. Pathological stagnation can be seen in cases of edema, pain, irregular menstruation and constipation and so on. Examples of pungent foods include ginger, garlic and mint.
Sour tastes have astringing, consolidating and absorbing functions. They help stop abnormal discharge of body fluids such as diarrhea, excessive perspiration, spermatorrhea and incontinence. Examples of sour foods include lemon, vinegar and Chinese sour plum.
Bitter tastes have the action of drying dampness, clearing heat and dispersing. Bitters aid in conditions such as edema (excess damp) constipation (excess heat) and cough due to qi stagnation (dispersing). Examples of bitter foods include rhubarb, apricot kernels and kale.
Salty taste has the function of dissolving and softening hardness as well as moistening and lubricating the intestines. Masses, lumps, nodes and cysts can be softened and dissolved by salty substances. Kelps and seaweeds fall into the taste category of salty and are often indicated for treating goiter. Epsom salts can be used to move the intestines in cases of constipation.
Sweet taste has the action of tonifying and harmonizing and decelerating. Sweet substances have a reinforcing and strengthening action in cases of fatigue or deficiency. That is why people are often drawn to sweet foods when they are feeling a drop in energy. There are different aspects of deficiencies such as insufficiency of blood, qi, yin or yang. Sweet taste also help us decelerate or relax. It also can be used in conditions of acute pain to help in relaxation and easement of pain. Examples of sweet foods include yams, squash, corn and rice.
Overeating
Overeating is a very common imbalance in the US that contributes to and causes many diseases. Not only do Americans typically overeat, but they overeat the wrong foods, and tend to eat too fast. The environment in which you eat is very important. Eating on the run too quickly creates indigestion and poor assimilation. Eating in a relaxed environment and chewing your food slowly and thoroughly is essential to proper digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
Many studies have shown that American consumption of protein is very high. Protein is essential but in excessive amounts it leads to health problems, including such diseases as cancer and heart disease. Statistically, the US leads the world in both protein consumption per person and cancer incidence. A high protein diet usually results in a high percentage of cholesterol and saturated fat in the diet, another big contributor to disease. Meat companies have mislead us into believing we need more protein that what is really healthy. Moderation is the key to good health.
Ideally, the healthiest diet, suggested by the results of many studies, would include a diet that consists of at least 80 to 90% plant food. Countries who only consume 7 to 10% of their calories from animal products have the lowest incidences of heart disease, colon cancer, and osteoporosis.
Guidelines for Balanced Healthy Eating
Every body is unique and there will always be variations from individual to individual depending on specific needs. There are, however, some very basic guidelines that are appropriate for anyone who seeks to have balance and harmony when it comes to eating and diet.
Emotional frame of mind is very important when it comes to eating and is imperative to proper digestion and assimilation. Eating while upset or angry can cause food to go sour in the stomach and not digest and assimilate properly.
Chewing is a fundamental part of digestion. Digestion literally begins in the mouth. Without chewing properly, the entire system becomes burdened as it has to work that much harder to break it down.
Preparing foods properly is important to insure that vitamin and mineral content is not lost during the process of cooking. The best ways of preparing foods are steaming, stir frying in water, stewing (soups) or baking. Steaming leaves the food in it’s most natural state, while baking enhances or adds heat to foods and is particularly good for those with cold conditions. Stir frying in water is healthier than using oil since oils become toxic in the body if overheated or burned. It’s better to add oils after cooking or only use them in low heat cooking.
Foods should be eaten in their wholeness to get the most benefit from them. The peels on fruits and vegetables usually contain high amounts of vitamins and minerals. Only peel fruits and vegetables if the peel is hard to digest or if they have been sprayed or contaminated with chemicals. Consuming organically grown foods will help you avoid toxic chemical residues of commercial produce.
Avoid irradiated or Genetically Modified Foods (GMO) and microwave ovens. Use utensils and cookware that are glass, earthenware or stainless steel. Avoid cooking in aluminum, copper or teflon coated pans. Metals can easily leach into foods and Teflon releases toxic particulates when heated to certain temperatures, including carcinogens, global pollutants and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans even at low doses.
If possible, diet should follow the seasons. Eat what grows locally and seasonal. Nature is perfect in her plan for providing us with foods appropriate for certain seasons. The fruits and vegetables available to us in the summer time often have cooling properties and winter foods tend to have more warming qualities. It’s also important to eat a wide variety of foods for good balance. Even good foods can become toxic in our systems if they are overeaten. Eating a variety of different foods assures us a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
While raw foods have been promoted as healthy, they can be hard to digest for some people. Most vegetables can be lightly cooked for easier digestion. From an Eastern perspective, cold foods should strictly be avoided as it puts out the digestive fire. Chugging down a cold milk shake would be comparable to dumping a bucket of water on a fire. It puts out the flame. We need our “digestive flame” to be lit at all times for proper metabolism of foods. Consuming cold foods causes slowed metabolism and stagnation.
It is best to stop eating before you actually feel full. When you eat to the point of being full, you don’t leave enough room for qi to begin the digestion process properly and you’re left feeling lethargic and miserable. It’s also best not to eat just before going to bed. Eating at least 3 hours before bed will result in better digestion and more restful sleep.
Eating a healthy breakfast is important. It sets your metabolism for the day and provides you with the necessary fuel to make it through your day. If you typically don’t experience hunger within an hour of waking in the mornings, this could be a sign of weak or impaired digestion. Drinking a warm cup of tea first thing will stimulate digestion and appetite and help strengthen digestive function.
Nuts and seeds contain high amounts of oils and should be eaten as fresh as possible and stored in the refrigerator to avoid becoming rancid as quickly.
Beans should be soaked prior to cooking to make them more easily digestible.
Always avoid highly processed foods and keep meals as simple as possible. A balanced diet consists of the following:
Whole Grains such as rice, millet, barley, wheat, oats, corn, rye, quinoa, amaranth, etc. This group of foods should account for about 40% of the diet.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables including dark leafy greens, cabbage, broccoli, squash, yams etc. and seasonal fruits should account for 40% of the diet.
Legumes/Seeds/Nuts including peas, beans, lentils, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts etc. will account for about 10-20% of the vegetarian diet and less than that for those who eat meat.
Animal Products including dairy foods, meats fish, poultry, and eggs should occupy no more than 10% of the diet. These products should be organic as commercial animal products may contain growth hormones, antibiotics and steroids.
Seaweeds such as nori, wakame, dulse, kombu, hiziki, and arame are valuable sources of minerals and can be consumed in small amounts, added to soups and salads.
One should strictly avoid foods containing chemical preservatives, additives, colorings, flavorings, and MSG. One should limit their consumption of fried or greasy foods, coffee, ice-cream, refined sugar, and alcohol.
Here is a food chart to help you choose foods for your particular patterns and conditions. Keep in mind that although certain foods may be in a cool or neutral category, the process of cooking, steaming and baking will give the food a warmer property.
