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Chinese Dietary Theory
Why are Americans so health conscious, yet so fat and unfit?
We don’t pay attention to what our bodies are telling us. If we get indigestion, we take antacids. If we are constipated, we take a laxative. We suppress our bodies’ natural response to being fed inferior foods, rather than hunting for the cause and avoiding the offending items.
We eat protein bars or low fat frozen dinners on the run and think we are being healthy.
We have problems with our body thermostat and immune system partly because we have no connection to the earth. We spend the majority of time in artificial environments: overheated homes in winter, freezing office buildings in summer, exposed to little natural light or fresh air, and when we do get exercise it is indoors.
We starve ourselves constantly to take off extra pounds or jump on the latest fad diet bandwagon without ever really shedding any weight. We are fatter than ever despite spending billions of dollars on gym memberships, diet books, low carb products, and vitamins and appetite suppressants.
We eat excessive amounts of sugar, not only in candies, sodas, cakes, etc. but also hidden in foods you think are healthy. Why do we have sugar added to canned corn, peas, peaches, beans, etc?
We don’t get nearly enough sleep and work odd shifts, upsetting our serotonin levels, leading to cravings, depression, and increased sensitivity to pain. It is proven that night shift makes you fat and die younger! We eat to keep ourselves awake, by drinking coffee or other stimulants to get us throughout the day, stressing our adrenal glands.
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Why are we so fat when the French, Italians, and just about every other nation in the industrialized world eats more fat than we do?
They don’t eat a lot of processed foods. They make each meal a positive experience, an unhurried social hour. They take the time to savor meals: not eating in the car or while talking on the phone.
Most meals are prepared fresh daily with simple wholesome ingredients. They use a variety of herbs for seasoning, with olive oil for cooking. They use genuine butter and cream, not dangerous hydrogenated oils. These transfats increase the prostaglandins that cause inflammation, leading to heart disease or joint and muscle pain.
They don’t get in the car and drive to the corner market for super size sodas!
According to Chinese theory, no one diet is right for everyone, despite Aktins, vegan, Pritikin, blood type, or macrobiotic proponents’ propaganda. The key point to remember is moderation in all things!
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Here are some general guidelines that pretty well apply to everyone:
Foods should be selected according to your individual symptoms, current illness, adjusted for your climate and in harmony with the cycle of seasons. You should emphasize what is fresh and grown in your local area; that means no pineapples or oranges in winter!
Your body works best when in tune with nature and the cycle of seasons. Recall how your grandparents ate: soups, hearty breads, stewed vegetables in winter; lots of leafy greens and baby vegetables in spring; fresh picked garden produce in summer; apples, squash, and pumpkin in the fall. Don’t keep your heat and air conditioner at 72 degrees all year long! Dress more warmly in cold weather, with the thermostat 60-65. Shed those clothes in summer, keep fans running, and the AC at 75-80. You’ll save on utility bills, and not shock your body when coming inside.
Avoid iced drinks: Most people should avoid cold foods altogether. Allow your water and salads to reach room temperature. Don’t eat anything straight out of the refrigerator. The cold places an added burden on your digestive system, making it work harder to heat up the food just to body temperature before starting digestion. Notice how your stomach may spasm with cold drinks, or how you may often have loose stools and/or bloating afterward.
Your diet should be based on lightly steamed or sautéed vegetables, whole grains, with minimal high quality meat (used primarily as garnish), nuts, and oils, and balancing sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and spicy flavors at every meal, Green tea or other warm beverages are taken with meals to promote digestion
Try to eat your foods in a form as close to nature as possible, with whole grains, nuts and seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, chicken, turkey and lean cuts of meat making up the staple diet. For example, get your protein from chicken breasts, not chicken nuggets. Eat rice instead of sliced bread, whole apples instead of apple juice, and honey instead of that familiar pink packet of artificial sweetener. These simple substitutions will increase your fiber intake, reduce your exposure to toxic chemicals, and increase your antioxidant levels.
Fried, fatty foods, and our typical diet of processed foods with chemical preservatives burden the liver, lead to food sensitivities, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, headaches, strokes, and allergies, plus many more disorders.
Avoid white flour and sugars, especially if you are trying to lose weight. You will be on an insulin release roller coaster, your immune system will be compromised, and your pancreatic cells damaged Sugar substitutes are really no better, and often cause other problems like bloating, indigestion, and fatigue.
Due to the high sugar content, minimize fruit juices, or dilute them with water. However, a small amount of fruit juice with meals enhances absorption of nutrients from your food. Remember that small juice glass your granny had?
There are no forbidden foods! But most of our standard American diet should be considered as a special treat, not daily fare. French-fries and ice cream should be reserved for extraordinary occasions!
Dairy products should be limited for the vast majority of people, but are encouraged for Yin Xu* patients. Chinese dietary theory allows meat consumption, for energy and blood production, but in much smaller amounts than most Americans consume.
For more explanation of patterns, symptoms, and the best foods for your condition, see the accompanying article “Overview of Patterns and Recommended Foods”. Remember that most people do not fall neatly into one category. Personalized advice from your acupuncturist/herbalist is recommended.
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