Food By Temperature: Chinese Medicine Diet Recommendations

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) embraces a holistic approach to health that extends beyond mere physical well-being, recognizing the intricate balance between the body, mind, and spirit.

At the heart of TCM, lies the profound connection between nutrition and one's overall vitality. TCM nutrition principles revolve around the energetic nature of foods, viewing them not just as sources of sustenance but as carriers of specific energies that can influence the body's internal balance.

This system categorizes foods based on their energetic qualities, such as warming or cooling, and their interactions with the body's meridian systems. Understanding the energetic nature of foods in TCM provides a unique perspective on how diet can contribute to harmony and equilibrium within the body, promoting health and preventing illness. Read on to learn more.

The energetic nature of foods refers to their capacity to generate sensations - either warming or cooling - in the human body. The five kinds of energy are as follows;

• Cold

• Cool

• Neutral

• Warm

• Hot

Categorization in TCM does not pertain to the physical state of the food but rather to its impact on our bodies. Take green tea, for instance, which possesses a cool energy. When consumed as a hot beverage, it generates cool energy, classifying it as a cooling drink. Following the consumption of hot tea, the initial warmth diminishes swiftly, giving way to the internal generation of cooling energy, facilitating a cooling effect on the body, and promoting a sense of refreshment.

Focusing on the energetic nature of food in TCM offers a lot of benefits that extend far beyond conventional nutritional approaches. TCM emphasizes that the inherent energies within foods have a direct impact on the body's balance of Yin and Yang, the fundamental forces that govern the body's functions. By incorporating a variety of energetically balanced foods into one's diet, individuals can promote harmony within these forces, fostering optimal health and well-being.

One advantage is the ability to address specific imbalances or conditions within the body. For instance, if someone experiences excessive heat or inflammation, incorporating cooling foods with Yin properties can help counteract these imbalances. Conversely, individuals dealing with cold-related conditions may benefit from warming foods with Yang qualities to restore equilibrium. This personalized approach aligns with the TCM philosophy of treating the root cause of an ailment rather than merely alleviating symptoms.

TCM nutrition recognizes the interconnectedness of different organs and systems within the body. By selecting foods that resonate with specific meridians or organs, individuals can support the overall functioning of these systems. This ideology goes beyond isolated nutrients, considering the broader impact of food on the body's energetic balance.

In addition to addressing existing health issues, focusing on the energetic nature of food in TCM serves as a preventative measure. By maintaining a balanced and harmonious diet, individuals can fortify their body's defenses, enhance resilience, and reduce the likelihood of developing imbalances that may lead to illness over time.

The TCM approach to nutrition, centered on the energetic nature of foods, offers a nuanced and holistic way to cultivate health, emphasizing the interconnectedness of the body, mind, and spirit.

Some examples are as follows;

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It is important to understand the energetic nature of various foods because these different energies act upon the human body in specific ways that affect our state of health.

If a person suffers from a cold condition such as rheumatism and the pain is particularly severe on a cold winter day, eating foods with warm or hot energy shall relieve the pain considerably. If a person suffers from skin eruptions that worsen when exposed to heat, it is beneficial to eat foods with cold or cool energy to relieve the symptoms.

To seek a balance in diet, we can define food as predominantly yin or yang. If you eat predominantly yin foods, your body will be capable of producing more yin energy - darker, slower-moving, and colder. In contrast, eating predominantly yang foods will produce more yang energy - faster, hotter, and more energetic. It's helpful to remember certain rules to determine the type of energy a food produces:

“If it grows in the air and sunshine, it is probably yang;
If it grows in the earth and darkness, it is probably yin;
If it is soft, wet, and cool, it is more yin;
if it is hard, dry, and spicy, it is more yang.”

— Chinese Proverb

Check out this article to get an even more in depth explanation of TCM nutritional theory.

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