In the East, one approach in the improvement of health that has been used just as much as medicinal herbs for thousands of years is Chinese nutritional therapy. Food was not only used as a means to sustain life but also as a way to heal diseases and prevent its development. This insured the preservation and continuance of the human race.
The Chinese nutritional model to health provides a holistic and qualitative concept of specifically prescribed foods that emphasize on the flavor and thermal nature of foods as well as their energetic properties. This therapeutic strategy works since it is grounded in natural law’s fundamental principles, and is an easy to follow common sense diet that involves most of the foods we eat anyway. The main principle is simple: to add where there is too little, to lessen where there is excess, to cool the heat, and to warm the cold, energetically.
A dietary plan and food energetics are formulated based on a person’s symptoms, medical history, and unique constitution. The plan will contain foods to avoid and foods to eat, how to combine different flavors and how to prepare them. If a person has an existing health problem that needs to be resolved, the dietary plan will be specifically designed to introduce foods that promote natural homeostatic balance and eliminate any aggravating drinks and foods.
A typical diet usually should consist of:
1. 5 percent raw foods like fruit and salads, except in summer.
2. 5 percent fish, chicken, game, beef, lamb-meat
3. 30 to 40 percent cooked vegetables like fennel, lentils, cabbage, beans, carrots, and potatoes.
4. 50 to 80 percent grains: wheat, spelt, rice, oats, millet, barley, and corn.
The following are some recommendations to healthy eating:
1. Avoid eating when you are preoccupied with certain things (like talking to someone on a phone, reading a book, or watching TV, or when at the desk or in front of a computer).
2. Chew your food well and do not hurry your meals.
3. Do not eat when upset, angry, or stressed.
4. If possible, eat organic, unprocessed and high quality foods.
5. Eat foods that are appropriate for the season.
6. During large meals, drink minimal amounts of liquids. Dinking lots of liquids can prevent proper absorption and dilute the process of digestion. This will lead to a lack of vital energy and tiredness.
7. Make it a habit to consume food in smaller portions, and eat one cooked meal a day, at least. If your digestion is impaired for any reason, you should eat food that is easy to digest and is easily transported throughout the tissues.
5. For vegans and vegetarians, it is important to include energetically warming foods recommended by a qualified practitioner.
For most practitioners, the most important part of formulating a plan of treatment for their patients is a proper dietary arrangement.
Because the common western diet is very different from Chinese medicine diet, there are often a lot of changes that need to be made. This is especially truly when it comes to cooked foods and raw foods.
Dietary modifications should, however, be made in small, gradual attainable stages in order for the body to get used little by little to the new ways. This approach works 100 percent, as it is easy to adjust and is designed to address the unique constitutional requirements of the patient.
Jacksonville Acupuncture Clinic
8855 San Jose Blvd
Jacksonville , FL 32217
Phone: (904) 260-2598
www.jacksonvilleacupunctureclinic.com