Food Cures
The ancient Chinese text entitled Pi Wei Lun (Treatise on Spleen and Stomach, 1249 A.D.) expounds on the importance of digestion in maintaining and acheiving over all health. Indeed, when attemping to balance one’s health the importance of the digestive system can not be overstated. This is because the foods one eats and the body’s ability to utilize the nutrients in that food is fundamental to all aspects of health. In the end, we are all individuals and one size does not fit all. Only after a clear TCM diagnosis is determined are dietary recomendations made. These recomendations can help maintain health or contribute to recovery from illness, and injury .
Yin Foods
Plant Products:
alfalfa sprouts, artichoke, asparagus, celery, kelp, sprout, pea, potato, seaweed, string bean, sweet potato, tomato, water chestnut, yam, zucchini, apple, apricot, avocado, banana, lemon, lime, mango, mulberry, pear, persimmon, pineapple, pomegranate, watermelon, adzuki, black beans, black soya bean, kidney bean, lima bean , mung bean, tofu, coconut milk, black sesame seed, sesame seed, walnut, barley, millet, marjoram, nettle, American ginseng, honey, malt, and royal jelly
Animal Products:
fish in general but especially fresh water clam, crab, cuttlefish, octopus, oyster, sardine, cheese, chicken egg, cow’s milk, duck egg
Yang Foods
Plant Products:
asparagus, Chinese chives, green onion, leeks, onion, pumpkin, sweet peppers, apricot, cherry, dates, peach, litchi, longan fruit, pomegranate, raspberry, sword bean, chestnut, pine nut, walnut, glutinous rice, cumin, clove, coriander, fennel, garlic, ginger (fresh), dill seed, nutmeg, rosemary, star anise, peppercorn, sweet basil, maltose, brown sugar, coffee, jasmine, rose bud, vinegar, wine, vegetable oil
Animal Products:
abalone, carp, fresh water eels, lobster, mussels, sea cucumber, freshwater shrimps, chicken, duck, goat milk, goose egg, ham, lamb, pig's liver, sparrow, sparrow egg, venison
Qi Tonics
Plant Products:
sweet potato, watercress, winter squash, yam, cassio fruit, cherry, coconut, dates, figs, grapes, longan, peach, black beans, chestnut, pine nut, walnut, chia seed, sunflower seeds, congee, oats, quinoa, rice, sweet rice, basil, bay leaves, cinnamon, clove, dill seed, fennel seed, ginger, nutmeg, rosemary, sage, thyme, turmeric, vinegar, sorghum, brown sugar, molasses
Animal Products:
anchovy, mussel, prawn, shrimp, sturgeon, beef, goat milk, goose, ham, lamb, turkey, chicken, lobster, chicken, liver, pheasant
Blood Tonics
Plant Products:
alfalfa sprouts, artichoke, beet root, , button mushroom, cabbage, carrot, chlorophyll-rich foods, corn, dark leafy vegetables, kelp, nettle microalgae, seaweed, shiitake mushroom, spinach, spirulina, watercress, wheatgrass, apple, apricot, avocado, date, figs, grape, longan, mulberry, aduki bean, kidney beans, soy milk, black sesame, black soya bean, barley, bran, oats, rice, sweet rice, wheat, molasses, royal jelly, gelatin
Animal Products:
mussels, oysters, beef liver, lamb, chicken, chicken gizzard
