Monday, April 5, 2010

Chinese Medicine and Food


I have just started researching Chinese medicine online. From tongue reading to acupuncture, I think it's all fascinating. The Chinese approach towards nutrition is also interesting--there are "hot" "cold" and "neutral" foods. These foods don't necessarily correlate with the actual temperature of the food. For example, meats and dairy tend to be "hot" foods while bitter vegetables and coconut water are very "cooling".

By looking at your tongue, tracking your pulse, and noticing how your body feels, you can determine whether you are too "hot" or "cold". If you are too "hot" (yang) or "cold" (yin), you can remedy that by eating foods that are opposite your constitution, or neutral.

Here is a link that explains further:


So I went with my friend to a Chinese traditional medicine doctor and she diagnosed me as "too cold". She gave me these yummy "candies" made of dried plum and hawthorne berry and instructed me to eat 5-10 of them at each meal. They will bring more hot energy to my stomach. They taste just like haw flakes, if you ever had those candies as a kid. It's hard to stop eating them! :)

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