6 Nutritional Tips: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine
Nutrition is one of the most important components in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and it starts with what you eat. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Nutrition Tips are essential for achieving optimal health and wellness. They take into account your body type and what foods will benefit you the most. Here are some TCM nutrition tips to keep in mind for a happier, healthier life!
1. Balance your nutrients, eat more vegetables and less red meat
According to TCM, red meat can potentially cause your body to heat up resulting in a "hot" condition. This may aggravate symptoms of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and psoriasis. If you suffer from any of the latter, we would recommend removing red meat from your diet completely. There is absolutely no need for it with regards to nutrition. You can still get all the nutrients that you need by eating more fish/shellfish or white meats instead.
Always eat breakfast – even if it's just a bowl of oatmeal! Breakfast is referred to as the most important meal of the day in Western culture.
2. Drink tea instead of coffee or soda
Tea has been part of Eastern medicine for as long as it's been around. Some people love tea, while others speculate it's not good for you. The truth is that if your body isn't used to caffeine then yes, it can have negative effects on you. We don’t recommend coffee, but if you must have some try to limit yourself to one cup and make sure the coffee is natural and organic. If we had to choose one beverage over another, we would always recommend tea over coffee! There are many different types of teas out there so experiment a bit until you find the one for you. We recommend chamomile or jasmine tea since they are widely available at most local supermarkets.
3. Avoid cooking with a lot of soy sauce or sugar
Most Chinese dishes are prepared using soy sauce as a primary ingredient. If you normally eat at restaurants that serve American/Western style food, you'll find the taste to be very salty. This is in part because they typically use soy sauce as well. This can also make them less dense in nutrition contents. The solution is quite simple. Reduce or completely cut out all processed foods from your diet and instead cook using fresh ingredients (i.e., vegetables/fruits). Doing so will help to cut out excess sodium from your diet while still giving you the same flavor that most people love!
Keep in mind that it doesn't mean that there aren't benefits of eating with soy sauce. But if soy sauce is added to everything then your body can become "addicted" to the flavor. The solution is to use the low sodium soy sauce sparingly and only with certain foods. If you have a dish that tastes bland without soy sauce, try adding some fresh garlic or ginger juice instead.
As for sugar, it's easy to consume an excessive amount of calories from sweet treats such as cakes/candy bars. Sugar causes inflammation in the body. This can potentially lead to serious health issues over time if it's not addressed quickly. Artificial sweeteners also carry great risks, so we suggest avoiding them as well. Try consuming more fruits to satisfy your need for a "sweet" taste – they are much healthier!
4. Add ginger to your diet - it's good for digestion!
Ginger is known to be a natural anti-inflammatory, especially in Chinese medicine. Another important benefit is that it can improve your digestion. Some people enjoy ginger in the form of a fresh, sliced piece in their tea/water. Try adding some to your diet today!
You can drink ginger tea or add it to your food if you like the taste. It's an easy way to prevent inflammation from occurring in the body!
5. Get enough rest, avoid drinking too much alcohol, and drink plenty of water
Nutrition isn't the only important part to a well-balanced body. It's important that you get enough rest every night. This will help to prevent "toxins" from building up in the body. If you're an active person throughout the day, try to offset your busy schedule by sleeping 8 hours per night at least. Otherwise it can result in a buildup of "heat" within the body (i.e., heartburn). Avoid drinking alcohol excessively as this is known to cause further harm to the liver and digestive system over time. If you must have a drink, limit yourself to 1-2 glasses of red wine only once or twice per week.
Drink plenty of water daily to help energize and cleanse the body. We would recommend at least 3-5 liters of water per day depending on your diet. Water helps to flush out the toxins that have accumulated during the day.
In TCM, there are five elements: earth, fire, metal, water and wood. When your digestive system is compromised and/or not functioning properly (i.e., constipation), there may be too much "fire" (heat) within the body. Thus, the body now needs more "water" to cool things down. When you have too much cold water with a hyperactive gastrointestinal tract, it will only worsen your symptoms. The heat in your body mixed with the cold water can cause diarrhea as well as bloating
6. Avoid processed foods as much as possible and opt for nutritional meals
Processed foods are lacking in nutrition. They often contain too much sodium, sugar or other preservatives that can lead to serious health issues over time. It's important that you get at least 70-80% of your daily nutritional intake from fresh raw fruits and vegetables.
Processed foods also contain no fiber and this will eventually lead to constipation, a condition that is common in today's society. Fiber helps to "clean" your colon and intestines of waste and prevent future buildup.
Fruits are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other essential nutrients that help our bodies function properly!
All in all, it's important to get enough rest, avoid too much alcohol and drink plenty of water. Try not to eat processed foods as often as possible or at all! Get professional guidance for your specific needs so you can feel better today.
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