Posts Tagged ‘Food as Medicine’
Cooling Summertime Tea
Jul 19, 2010
It’s a hot summer here in New York City. In China there is a very simple herbal tea which is used to stay cool:
Chrysanthemum flowers and Wolfberry (Ju Hua and Gou ji zi) Tea
Chrysanthemum and Wolfberries
Ingredients:
Ju hua and gou qi zi- 6 grams each
2 sugar cubes
hot water
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a cup and add hot water. Enjoy!
When you finish, refill the cup again. The same herbs can be used a few times.
How it works:
The tea is not cold itself, traditionally it is drunk while still warm. But the herbal properties make it cool. Ju hua are chrysanthemum flowers and Gou ji zi are wolfberries (which recently have become well known for the powerful anti-oxidant abilities).
Ju Hua (Chrysanthimum flowers)
Ju hua is cooling while gou qi zi generates fluids, preventing dehydration. Ju hua is especially helpful for summer time colds and headaches. This combination can also be used for eye allergies like redness and tearing.
Wolfberries (Gou qi zi)
Chinese Medicinal Recipies for Summer
May 26, 2009
Herbs as food, and food as medicine
Cultures all over the world use food as medicine, adding herbs and spices not only for their good taste but also for good health. Food therapy is an essential part of Chinese Herbal medicine. In addition to the tradition’s emphasis on maintaining a healthy diet, many of the ingredients in herbal formulas come from plants that are also cultivated for food, such as wheat, cinnamon, Chinese dates, wolfberries, Chinese yams, lotus plant, among others. In fact, almost all whole foods have some medicinal properties. The difference between a “food” and a “medicine” is the dosage.
Food Therapy
Chinese medicine physicians learned the value of food therapy as one of the most important ways for improving longevity, wellness, and preventing disease. Food therapy can be individualized for specific constitutions and conditions or followed by using general guidelines, particularly for seasonal eating.
Chinese physicians classified food and herbs according to their tastes and temperatures. The temperature of a food refers to its effect on the body’s temperature and not the temperature at which the food is eaten. Green tea, for example, is often prepared as a warm drink, but in Chinese medicine it is still considered to have a cooling effect on the body. In general, the taste and temperature of different foods correlates to specific therapeutic effects on the body. Foods and herbs with sweet tastes and warm temperatures tend to boost qi (energy) and blood while bitter and cold foods tend to drain heat.
Regardless of your age or health conditions, you can generally follow seasonal guidelines for healthy eating. Spring and summer seasons are yang in nature because the weather tends to be hot. To balance the heat, eat light cooling foods that nourish yin, such as fish, tofu, light soups and stir-fried fresh vegetables. Also, the heat and humidity can put a burden on our digestive system, so try to cut down on heavy greasy foods. Instead, eat more aromatic vegetables, spices, and herbs, which will help digestion.
Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Summer
The following foods and recipes can be part of your summer palette. For foods that you can’t find at a general grocery store, take a trip to Chinatown, always a fun summer jaunt.
Green tea: Green tea is cool in nature and is best for drinking in the summer. (Black tea is warmer and more appropriate for winter.) Drinking this tea will help clear heat and drain dampness, not to mention the antioxidant benefit. Try adding dried sour plums. These delicious fruits have astringent properties and will prevent over sweating. If you have weak digestion, you may want to limit your green tea intake, as it can upset some people’s stomachs.
Tofu: Though tofu is no longer made with gypsum, a mineral that is very cold in nature, it is still a cooling food. Of course, it’s always good in a stir fry. For a variation, you might also try making yourself a tofu-based smoothie, a tasty and nourishing summer dessert.
bitter melon
Bitter Melon (Ku Gua): This melon, which, as you can tell from the name tastes nothing like cantaloupe or honeydew, has cooling properties, and is perfect for the summer months. I like to stir fry it with garlic. Aside from cooling, bitter melon has many other uses. In China, my teachers and friends said, “Eat more, it is good for the MAN!!!” In addition, the leaves can be used topically for rashes and burns.
Mung bean (Lu Dou): Mung bean is a type of green bean widely eaten throughout China. It is generally made into a sweet drink or soup for the summer time. This slightly sweet and cooling bean will help digestion and avoid heat stroke throughout the summer.
Daikon is the white vegetable in the middle
Daikon: An oblong white root vegetable, daikon is very nutritious and makes a wonderful soup. Cook it alone or with carrots, onions, and celery until the vegetables are soft, about 5-10 minutes. It is slightly cooling and sweet, but very light in texture and taste.
Watermelon: Watermelon and watermelon juice are great for treatment and prevention of heat stroke.
Basil: While basil is slightly warm in nature, it is still good to eat in the summer months due to its aromatic qualities. Aromatic properties help digestion, which can be slightly impaired by the humidity and heat in the summer.
Mint: Mint is aromatic and cooling, which makes it a great combination for summer. It can be used for a mild summertime cold. Add it to your tea or drink alone as an herbal tea.
Lotus Root
Lotus: The lotus root is a round vegetable grown underwater. This cooling vegetable tastes wonderful added to soups or pickled.
Photos: justintabari, Sakichin, eden and josh teenytinyturkey
More than Just Acupuncture and Herbs
Apr 24, 2009
Chinese medicine is more than just what I do in my office, Acupuncture, Acupressure, and Chinese herbal formulas. There are many practices which prevent illnesses and maintain health that you can do on your own.
Here are some I often recommend to my patients and my readers.
Food as Medicine
Eating healthy is the best way to prevent illnesses. Here are some articles which share Chinese medicine dietary therapies and philosophy of food choices.
- Eating Healthy to Create Harmony
- Chinese Medicine Recommendations for Vegetarians
- A Rainy Day Beef Ginger Soup
- Foods to Beat the Common Cold
Exercising
Our bodies are made to move. Here are some exercises and stretches to boost your body and your qi.
Acupressure
You can use acupressure as a self massage to help boost your energy, reduce pain, and prevent illness.
- Acupressure for Cramps, Digestive Problems, and Boosting Energy
- Acupressure for Nausea, Hiccups, and Acid Reflux
- Acupressure for Headaches
Prevent and Beat the Common Cold
Chinese medicine has tons of remedies to prevent and treat the common cold. Here are a few.
Vegetarian Recommendations from a Chinese Medicine Perspective
Mar 17, 2009
The choice to be a vegetarian varies from person to person. Some are religious, spiritual, philosophical, or for health. I think it is healthy for many people to be a vegetarian, as long as they make healthy food choices. At the same time, it takes work in order to build up the nutrients which we find in meat.
Just to answer your question before you ask it, I am personally not a vegetarian, but I do not eat very much meat because it is better for my health and the environment.
What does meat do in Chinese medicine?
From a Chinese medicine perspective, eating meat, particularly red meat, builds blood. And blood deficiency, or too little blood, is a primary concern for those who are vegetarians. Although the Western diagnosis of anemia is often a “blood deficiency” in Chinese medicine, blood deficiency does not always signal anemia. But, of course, for some, it is important to eat red meat to avoid getting anemia.
Blood in Chinese medicine is very similar to Western medicine, but it also has some different functions. Blood is required for healthy growth, reproduction, emotional well-being, and pain free muscles and joints. When there is a blood deficiency, you may have a pale complexion, insomnia, thinning hair, as well as tightness is muscle and tendons. Blood and qi, the body’s vital energy, are intertwined, which is why after a long period of blood deficiency, the person may feel fatigued.
Vegetarians should eat a wide variety of foods to get all the required nutrients. If there is a problem of blood deficiency, they should pay particular attention to eating foods which nourish qi and blood. Look at the cultures that are vegetarian, like some Indian traditions. They eat many different vegetables, beans, sometimes dairy products, and spices which make their diet very healthy.
For some people who are having issues related to their vegetarianism, food therapy can be effective. This type of approach is gradual and improvements happen slowly over time. Sometimes, Chinese herbs and acupuncture may be required for specific conditions.
Building Blood and Qi for Vegetarians- Add these foods to your regular food choices to help build blood and qi. Many of the following foods can be found in an East Asian and/or Indian grocery.
Mushrooms
White mushroom- promotes digestion and builds qi
Shitake Mushrooms- builds qi and blood and can also enhance the immune system
Hei Er Mu or Black ear mushrooms- these mushrooms are great for building qi
Bai Er Mu or White Ear Mushroom- this mushroom is good for building qi
Grains and Beans
Tofu- this is good tonifying qi, but it can be cold and should be cooked with warming vegetables. I love a brand called Local Tofu, which is close to New York City in the lower Hudson Valley.
Darker beans such as Adzuki, lotus seed and mung bean- all good for tonifying blood.
Back Sesame Seeds- this is one of the best vegetarian foods for nourishing blood. These can often be found in Indian grocery stores. Toast and add to a soup or on bread.
Red Skinned Peanuts and Walnuts- this is also a great food for building blood and tonifying qi.
Vegetables
Cooked vegetables- eating cooked vegetables are easier to digest and aids the absorption of nutrients.
Dark leafy green vegetables boost blood- such as water chestnut, celery, spinach, broccoli, green beans, snow peas, sugar peas, bitter greens, and others
Wolfberries or gou qi zi- these small fruits help tonify blood. Drink as an herbal tea or add to your stir fry.
For some people, it is possible that these recommendations are not enough, and you may need to get acupuncture and Chinese herbs to prevent health issues.
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