 The concept of Yin and Yang is an important aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and one which spans back thousands of years. TCM bases health on relative balance and harmony within the body; and cites imbalance and disharmony as the circumstances which leads to unhealthy states of disorder; causing illness, injury and disease. Yin and Yang, and their relationship to one another, are fundamental concepts often used to understand and to describe these balances and imbalances that determine health or lack thereof. In order to understand the application of yin yang theory to the body and to health, one must first fully understand these simple, yet complex, concepts at a more fundamental and general level. Traditional Chinese philosophical and medical texts, over two thousand years old, cite the importance of yin and yang and the roles they play. From the Tao Te Ching, a classic eastern philisophical text dating back to 600 b.c., we are told “The Tao is the One, From the One came Yin and Yang; From these two, creative energy; From energy, Ten Thousand Things (everything); the forms of all creation (Tao Te Ching Chapter 42, DJ Jeffery 2003 translation). The Tao (also called the Dao) literally translates as "the path" or the "way" and is often called the "One". It is understood by many philosophers that the Tao is the entity or source of the universe; or the universal principle underlying all things. From the One, came the two; Yin and Yang. These two together, through their relationship and interactions, creste the Ten Thousand Things (in ancient China, Ten Thousand was a very large number and a way of saying everything). ”All things that exist, do so as “inseparable and contradictory opposites (ancient history encyclopedia),” This is yin and yang. To simplify Yin and Yang we can, for the moment, see them as categories (though in actuality they are far more complex). Yin and Yang are two categories that stand in opposition to one another, but which also give one another meaning. They are contradictory yet complimentary. They are used to divide and define thing into one of two categories; either being of greater yin quality or greater yang quality. This categorization can be applied to virtually everything; from materials and substances to movements and actions; and any state, stage or part within a cycles. Below is a chart dividing basic yin and yang concepts.  With the basic understanding of Yin and Yang as categories of classification, we will ,in the next post, look at the 4 relationship aspects between yin and yang. These relationships include their opposition, interdependency, consuming of one another and transformation into one another.
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 DIET, SPECIALTY DIETS, DIETARY THERAPY AND NUTRITIONAL/FOOD THERAPY
The use of food in healing and the maintenance of health can be called a number of things; dietary therapy, nutrition therapy or food therapy as examples. Often professionals might use the latter two titles as these terms have more positive associations. The word "diet" often receives a rather specific association with weight loss, and sometimes even negative reputation through this association. But the word "diet" itself simply means the type and quantities of food that one habitually eats. Often, in the past, diet was dictated by external circumstances; geographical location, soil quality, access, season etc. These days our diet is less so dictated by external circumstances and more so by internal circumstances. We have greater access to a larger selection of foods and our diet revolves more around health concerns, personal preference, time one can dedicate to prep and cooking, and financial concerns. With this in mind, a second definition of diet might better apply; this is that diet is the restrictions, of and to, certain types and quantities of foods with a specific purpose in mind. Most often individuals associate diets and dieting with weight loss first and foremost; And while not untrue, diets and dieting can also be done with any number of medical and health reasons in mind. Some well known and time tested examples of diet and dieting outside of the purpose of weight loss are high cholesterol, inflammation, food allergies and intolerances, skin issues (eczema, acne), attention and hyperactivity issues, chronic fatigue, as well as diabetes and digestive disorders. These latter examples are often more associated with term "specialty diet." Either way, these are specific diets with a specific purpose in mind. CONSTITUTION AND DIET In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), when we apply food and diet to healing, we must always take constitution into account. A person's constitution is the specific environment within his or her body; an individually unique environment formed by genetic input, fetal development and conditions and experiences throughout life; All on holistically combined physical, mental and emotional arenas. A previous post, Creating Constitution, discusses constitution more in depth (click here for link). When factoring constitution into a selective diet, we look at an individuals historical tendencies towards specific conditions, as well as any patterns, strengths or weaknesses in health; whether an individual has heat or cold complexes, deficiencies or excesses; and in what systems and their associated organs, tissues and processes these are taking place. This will highly influences our approach to dietary therapy, whether it is used to treat constitutional imbalances or a specific illness, disease or injury. DIET FOR ILLNESS, DISEASE AND INJURY When using dietary therapy as a means to treat specific illnesses, diseases and injuries, we must always find the root to our reason. By this I mean the root cause of the illness that justifies our choices in diet. TCM approaches health with a root and branch perspective, where branches are the symptoms and the root(s) is the underlying imbalance causing these symptoms to arise. From this perspective, one’s digestive upset, insomnia, or anxiety is a symptom (and branch) of a greater, deeper imbalance (root). We often must treat the symptom(s); the insomnia, the digestive upset, the anxiety and headache; and often there are more than a single symptom associated with a deeper cause. But if the symptom is all we direct out treatment towards, then the underlying imbalance remains. We may mask the issue by diminishing the symptoms temporarily, even long term; but If the underlying imbalance remains, unaddressed, we cannot truly heal; and true health is never achieved. What is more, by masking symptoms, which are the body’s warning system telling an individual something is wrong, the underlying issue might not just remain; it may very well fall further out of balance, symptoms persisting, worsening, even new and more extreme symptoms arising. This is why, it is always important to fully understand what we call the "pathomechanism" or "pathology" and address the root cause. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we best understand pathomechanism to be the process by which a disorder occurs; that is, how the root imbalance develops and then leads to the disorder(s) and related symptoms. Only when we can understand these aspects in their totality can we be fully effective in the healing process; treating both symptoms, underlying imbalances and origin of cause. When approaching dietary therapy for specific illness, disease, and injury we must then factor in both symptoms and the underlying imbalances alongside constitution and general universally understood healthy foods and food practices. This is done by factoring in constitutional cold, heat, deficiency or excess complexes as well as understanding and addressing underlying imbalances of the specific disorder and the symptoms it chooses to present as. With this full comprehension, we can focus food therapy for optimal treatment; restricting certain foods that might promote further imbalances; emphasizing foods that might promote better balances and choosing foods that might better target specific areas and symptoms with their affinities for specific systems . A LOOK AT MY PERSONAL APPROACH When I personally use Dietary/Food therapy as an approach to healing and health, I will consider the purpose of the diet itself. People seek dietary guidelines for a number of purposes; overall well-being, weight issues (there are a number of weight issues - over-weight, underweight, cannot build muscle etc.), lack of energy, sleep issues, inflammation in the body, desire for faster recovery from injury, pregnancy and healthy fetal development, menopausal symptoms, emotional issues, digestive issues…..The list truely does go on. I will first consider the constitution. Often constitution and constitutional imbalances are what allow the disorder to develop in the first place. After considering an individual’s constitution, and with the purpose of the diet in mind, I will look at the underlying root cause of any issues and the symptoms these issues present as. Individuals can have similar root causes with differing symptoms as well as similar symptoms with differing root causes. A root cause can present as any number of symptoms, often the symptoms it tends to present as have much to due with individual constitutional imbalances in weaknesses and excesses. The constitution alongside the underlying imbalance are the primary focus in tailoring the diet. We must always consider realistic lifestyle factors. One’s financial ability towards food sources, the time one can devote to preparing, cooking and eating; One’s abilities when it comes to cooking, desire and willpower towards healthy diet, access to certain foods, tendencies, and any interferences that might hinder the best of all the above must be factored in. After all of these are acquired, I then create a general healthy food practices outline. This includes TCM universally understood healthy practices in storage, prep, cooking, and eating. Next will be a basic write up on the underlying imbalance and pathomechanism. Provided will be a writeup on general flavors, temperatures, thermal natures, and affiinites best suited for the individual and why. This will include lists of common foods to restrict and reduce, and to encourage and emphasize. With the overall goal in mind we create steps and progressions best suited for the individual's success in diet. Some individuals work best in a cold turkey approach, others find best results with the introduction of smaller steps. Lastly, If needed, I supply a series of recipes and suggestions (usually 3-4 recipes for each meal) that factor in all of the above, including specific foods and individual ability and time. this concludes the 4 part series of Food as Medicine. Next look forward to information on Yin Yang Theory, followed by Traditional Chinese Medicine and Seasonal Attunement.  photo courtesy of Bronwyn Davies PROCESSED AND MODIFIED FOOD FORMS Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is ancient. At its foundation are texts written over 2000 years ago. Its tools, practices and health conclusions have with them the unique benefit of time; these have had hundreds of years to form and establish; centuries worth of discoveries, application, peer reviews, correction, and results; and TCM has had a great deal of time throughout to assess food natures and the actions that specific food have on the body. But this has always been done as the whole food form. Once a whole food is change, so too is its nature; Which means, so too is its actions within the body. This is what modified and processed foods are; altered whole foods. They do not act on the body in the same exact same way that their whole food form would. The more modified and more processed, the further from its original whole food form it becomes, and the greater the differences in its actions on the body. Modification and Processing are relatively new. We have not had hundreds of years; not even decades; and in some cases not even a few years; to assess, discuss, determine and confirm what the exact natures of each of these new modified forms of food might be. We can at best apply our knowledge of flavors and temperatures; and continually assess the health of those individuals consuming these foods for future knowledge. Over the limited decades that we have been able to observe older forms of modification and processing, TCM has been able to acquire some traditional understanding on these food forms and processes, and their altered natures. It is generally understood that most processing forms creatWith some of these modification and processes, there show no immediate concern to health; benefiting the body as the whole food would. In some cases, however, these processes and modifications are being linked to effecting the body negatively; encouraging further imbalances by creating taxations and excesses within the body at a compounded rate (the idea of too much of a good thing becoming a bad thing is the case with some). STORING PRACTICES: Storing and cooking practices also effect the nature of a food. Anything with greater degrees of physical heat and cold effect the body more drastically; and that which is cold in particular, makes the body work harder to process it. Foods when consumed frozen have a great influence on lower the body temperature and on creating cold complexes with the body’s systems. For this reason, frozen foods (such as ice-cream and popsicles) are highly discouraged, especially on a regular basis. Refrigerated and chilled foods have the same effect, only to a lesser degree. COOKING PRACTICES: Raw food, especially produce, are considered naturally physically cool in temperature, and remaining at this natural temperature, they are slightly harder to process. When raw foods are consumed on a regular basis and in greater quantities, these foods can have effect in lower body temperature, creating cold complexes and taxing systems that must work harder to processes colder foods (the digestive system). Individuals with heat complexes, constitutions more hot, or strong digestive constitution, will often not find noticeably negative effect; However, on a person with a colder constitution or who already has a cold complex or weak digestion, this can become quite noticeable and can have harsh negative effects. When cooking foods, Traditional Chinese Medicine follows the idea of balance as key; where raw is on one end and overcooked on the other. The best and most effective form of cooking is in the middle. This means cooking processes that lightly cook the food are best. light cooking introduces some heat to counter the cooler temperature of raw, and heat of this nature begins the break down process of food, helping the digestive system in breaking food down so that it isn't such a taxing process and allows the best absorption of nutrients; but at the same time it doesn't introduce so much heat as to completely break down the food beyond the point of being nutritious. Included in this style of cooking is a light steam or partial bake. Most cooking practices that retain the fluids of the food for consumption are considered better practices, such as in the case of soups, stews, and congees. Of course, what foods are used also influences the health of the dish. Boiling foods is considered a good to moderate form of cooking depending. Boiling often leads to a loss of nutritional aspects leached out into the water. If one can somehow consume the water itself (boil the vegetables and then cook the rice in this water, for example), this would increase the healthy aspect of boiling food. Full baking and roasting are considered moderate healthy cooking practices. Frying, grilling, and barbequing are all considered less effective forms of cooking food. These are high heat and long heat cooking which are considered practices bordering on creating a more highly processed food. Any sort of frying process has harsh effects on digestion. Stir-frying, pan-frying and deep-frying all rely upon the use of oils to cook the food. Most oils in TCM are seen as damp creating. Dampness creates sluggish digestion and makes food harder to digest. This leads to less efficient digestion and overuse of the body’s digestive energy. Alongside this, dampness and damp foods are often stored as fat and can lead to phlegm accumulation. Combined, these can lead to weakening of digestion, obesity, phlegm congestion and multiple cascading systems issues from there. Charring food (including char-grilling, char-frying and barbeque charring), is in one respect considered overcooking but in another respect is actually used medicinally. Unless used specifically for medicinal purposes, it is considered an inferior and even harmful cooking practice. Cooking in wine and vinegar are also practices used medicinally for specific effects on the body. Their effects are powerful enough that constitution has much consideration on whether it would be a beneficial or detrimental cooking practice. EATING PRACTICES: Eating practices can be divided into the actual act of eating and seasonal awareness. First off, chewing is the first line of digestion. The chewing process mechanically breaks food down, and enzymes in saliva chemically break food down. Proper mastication (chewing) means less work for the other processes of digestion. This means food is more efficiently and properly broken down and thus, more easily and efficiently absorbed during digestion. In TCM, this means less taxation on the digestive system, which is always encouraged. Traditional Chinese Medicine highlights the importance of intent and focus in everything we do; mindfulness as they say. To be focused on and to give attention and time to the practice of eating, while we are eating, is important. This is why eating while on the go, eating while working, and eating while watching television or studying or playing games, are all highly discouraged. This moves the subtle focus of digestion, away from digestion. This can cause inefficient processing of food, even stagnating of digestion. Emotional eating is also hard on digestion. The body is holistic, everything effects everything. Emotional upset causes digestive upset. Eating while angry, while frustrated, while stressed or even while excited can all have negative effects on the body. Some of these emotions can cause stagnation of digestion (overfull filling, heaviness and bloating); some cause upset of digestion (think literally up - such as hiccoughs, need to burp, acid reflux, nausea and vomiting). All emotions tax digestion (cause weakness). Stagnation, Upset, and diverted attention may cause little harm in the short term, but over long periods can cause great harm to digestion and interacting systems of digestion. Eating in tune with the season is another cherished dietary practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Each season bring with itself certain themes and characteristics; among these are health taxation, excesses and patterns particular to the season. TCM encourages seasonal attunement to help the body adapt and proactively prepare for the seasons. Most seasonal attunements are done during the transition period from one season to the next, after which is continued practices throughout the season. With regards to food, the consumption of foods local to the region, ripe and ready within that season, are normally those best equipped to work with the seasonal taxations and excesses. Some seasons bring rain to one region but dryness to another during that same season; some places experience damp and hot summers, while others consistently dry and hot. For this reason, eating foods local and native to the climate can be highly effective to treating issues effected or caused by seasonal conditions. If taking into account various foods and their natures wasn’t complex enough, we also must consider processing and modifications, storage, preparation and cooking practices, as well as eating practices. This can be overwhelming. The most important thing, as mentioned before, is that we approach "everything in moderation." Should you still be discouraged, allow me to finish the saying by adding to it; "everything in moderation, even moderation itself." Its okay to have that deep-fried deliciousness every now and again; allow yourself that bowl of ice-cream from time to time; Even moderation needs to be moderated now and again, with a little dabbling from time to time in the things that make life just a little fuller. Next we will wrap up this Food as Medicine series with Food as Medicine Part IV: The Whole Picture. Here will be discussed how we as TCM practitioners approach food as medicine with our patients, and other considerations given.   Photo Courtesy of Bronwyn Davies As mentioned in the previous post (click here to view), whole foods are important. Every food is viewed for its qualitative aspects as a whole. These qualities include the food’s physical nature and temperature, but more importantly its innate physiological temperature, its flavors and its affinities within the body. These aspects together create actions on, and within, the body that are very specific. Weight Weight bears consideration in a food's actions on the body. Is the food light and fluffy or heavy and dense for its size? An example of this might be the filling of a bag with mint leaves, and filling that same bag with walnuts. The same amount of space is filled, but the there will be a very noticeable difference in weight. Many heavy things tend to have downward, sinking and condensing actions, light weight foods tend to have upward, rising and dispersing actions. Of course, like the I before E except after C rule, there are always exceptions. Physical Temperature Another physical aspect to consider is physical temperature. This is the temperature to touch; when something is placed in the mouth and the teeth bite down, is it warmer or cooler? This is often where prep and processing effects the physical temperature; cold beverages versus warm, raw or chilled in the refrigerator versus steamed or baked. These are physical temperatures that give a different temperature feeling in the mouth, and prep and processing can easily change them. This physical temperature effect the actions of food on the body, but no nearly as much as a food’s innate thermal nature. Innate Thermal Nature From the views of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), every whole food contains an innate thermal nature. This is not the same as the physical temperature of a food (such a cooked food being hot and chilled food being cold). This innate thermal nature of food is an innate physiological temperature of the food that remains regardless of being heated by fire or chilled by ice. The innate thermal nature of a food effects the body’s temperature, making an individual feel warmer or cooler; or can cause actions associated with warming or cooling. The innate thermal nature of a food can fall on a spectrum; cold, cool, neutral, warm, hot. An example of the innate thermal nature of a food might be mint, which is cooling in nature, regardless of consuming it in a hot tea or in an iced beverage. Mint has a soothing effect to a sore and inflamed throat, such as found in flues and colds. In this example the sore throat is seen as a heat condition, and the ability of mint to soothe such a condition makes it cooling in its innate thermal nature, regardless of the temperature it is consumed at. Affinity Each food has affinities for certain systems, organs, structures, tissues, and areas of the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the body is mapped into systems called meridians or channels. There are 12 main meridians and 8 additional meridians called extraordinary meridians. Each of these meridians map out an interconnected area on, and within, the body; these meridians include associated organs, structures, tissues and processes (on physical, mental and emotional planes, as is the holistic approach). All 12 main channels and 8 additional channels, while having separate processes and functions of their own, will greatly influence one another and will rely on one another for certain cooperative processes and functions. Flavor A major qualitative aspect of food, and one regarded closely in healing, is flavors. Every whole food has one or more flavors associated with it, and each flavor is associated with specific actions on the body (be it physical, mental or emotional). The main flavors include pungent, salty, sour, bitter, and sweet. Pungent foods (also known as acrid) disperse, invigorate and stimulate; these foods are associated with the lungs. These actions are often most clear when mentioning spicy foods, which are pungent in nature. Pungent, and therefore spicy, foods have the effects of stimulating sweating and blood circulation (think of spicey foods and red faces), and encouraging appetite. Salty foods are known to dissipate, descend, dissolve and soften as well as remove moisture. They are associated with the Kidney. Foods with a salty nature are good for purging constipated bowels, reducing hard lumps (think kidney stones and various cysts), and treat toxic swellings; they are often thought to soften and make more supple, such as the case with Epsom salt baths for sore tight muscles. Sour foods astringe, arrest and contract, prevent leakage, and firm up. They are thought to be good for the liver and gallbladder. Foods of this nature can be used for preventing and restraining any loss of fluids, such as in excessive sweating, incontinence, diarrhea, and the loss of reproductive fluid; they are also used to firm up flaccid skin. Bitter foods cleanse, reduce, descend, drain and dry, and are thought to be good for the heart. Foods of this nature encourage bowel movement, reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol (I always think of bitter coffee and bitter chocolate with this one). Foods of this flavor can also reduce inflammation and skin issues, drying excess mucus and fluids such as swelling and edema. Sweet foods are tonics that energize, nourish and build; they generate fluids and lubricate; as well as relax, soothe, harmonize, and reduce irritation. They are associated with digestive organs; in the case of TCM the stomach and spleen (spleen here is different than in western medicine). Examples of these actions include the building and nourishment of energy and fluids, the ability to calm and settle upset of many sorts (physical and emotional), as well as the ability to slow down toxins and acute negative reaction. Balance as Key As discussed in the previous post, Food is an effective force on, and within, the body; and balance a crucial factor to maintaining health or leading to unhealthy states. When we consume too much of a good thing, it becomes a bad thing. Consuming too many things that are one-sided in temperature draws the body in the direction of that temperature and has adverse effects on the body and processes in the body. Eating too many physically cold foods, can lead to the body temperature dropping regularly, leading to feeling cold as well as to sluggish processes. Eating too much physiologically hot natured foods can lead to heat accumulation in the body and hyperactive processes. Too much or too little of a specific flavor can have negative and detrimental effects. Flavors are associated with specific organs and the meridians and processes that these organs are part of. Too little foods of a certain flavor can lead to deficiency or weakness of the organ and its associated processes and meridian system. Too much food of that flavor can lead to excess which causes its own set of issues. Too much sweet can lead to what TCM calls dampness. Dampness leads to conditions causing diseases of the flesh; which can create a heavy weightiness of the body or obesity, sluggish processes, or issues of mucus, phlegm or fluid build-up. Too much pungent can lead to hyperactive processes as well as causes heat and dispersion, which means loss of fluids and dryness. Too much salty means too much purging or dissolving, leading to dryness as well as too much softening causing weakened structures. Too much sour leads to excessive astringing, leading to fluid build-up and retention; on the other hand it can also lead to too much firming up which can cause tight structures such as tendons. Too much bitter foods can adversely effect blood pressure and cholesterol, cause purging of the bowels and weaken processes. Regard and respect of food and the impact food has on the body is the approach one should take to avoiding these negative effects. When in doubt, moderation is key. The following post, Food as Medicine Part III: Food Preparation and Eating Practices, will discuss further considerations in food practices such as the effects of processing food, different preparation and cooking, as well as various eating practices.   Photo Courtesy of Bronwyn Davies Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a unique approach to food, and the impact food has on the body and on health. TCM is fundamentally holistic, where comprehension and full understanding only come when viewing things in their entirety. This means all aspects of any given thing are considered intimately interconnected, the parts only having full value and effectiveness when brought together in its whole form. With this in mind, when it comes to food, TCM does not place focus on the components that make up a specific food in an independent manner (ex. carbohydrates, fats, vitamins etc.). It instead views the qualitative aspects, and effects that these components have on the body, as a whole; placing almost all emphasis on the food item in its totality; what we shall call a whole food. Whole foods are foods in their natural, unaltered, complete form. Whole foods are, in the views of TCM, the best versions of themselves. Nature knows best, as they say. Each smaller component of food contributes towards a larger holistic nutritional purpose. These components of food work best together, not independently of one another, each having multiple part to play individually and interactively for a more efficient, effective and “whole-pictured” purpose. Viewing a food as its whole, and for its qualitative aspects, TCM places greater emphasis on temperature and flavors of a food, and a food's affinities within the body. These aspects together create actions on, and within, the body that are very specific. TCM places emphasis on the health impact that preparation and storing practices, cooking processes, and eating practices have on the body and its systems; And, always is stressed the relationship between these above qualities and individual constitution (click here to learn more about constitution) Balance is essential, especially in diet. One needs to be mindful of the temperatures and flavors of food and the negative actions and impact that can occur with the consumption of any of these qualities in a deficient or excessive way. Too much or too little of one thing can lead to imbalance within the body and beget negative consequences. Everything in moderation, as the saying goes. This would be the quantitative aspect of the TCM view of food and healing; Balance based on constitution. Food is an effective force on, and within, the body. It can create disharmony and disorder if its effectiveness is disregarded and dismissed; or can be used as a resourceful tool towards balance and health if approached with awareness, understanding and respect. In the next part to the Food as Medicine series, I will discuss the eastern approach with qualities such as temperatures, flavors, and affinities of food items; and how these together create specific and intended actions on, and within, the body.  |
Cassandra Hecker R.TCM.PPractitioner and general educator in the philosophies, tools and techniques of traditional Chinese health and healing practices. Archives
March 2021
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