Diet & Nutrition

TCM Diet & Nutrition

Dietary assessment and nutritional recommendations are commonly incorporated into your treatment plan. I find it is important to maximize your digestive efficacy to ensure you are getting the most out of the fuel you consume. Having an efficient digestive system can ensure your body is receiving the supplies it needs to perform all other functions. This will allow your body to build a strong immune system and establish a harmonious equilibrium.

"You are what you eat" - this is true when being viewed through a Traditional Chinese Medicine lens. The nature of the foods, supplements, and medications you consume are directly integrated into your body. For example; heavy, or what we call damp promoting foods, such as sugar, dairy, and greasy foods can lead to dampness and stickiness in your body. Dampness can present in many ways, such as excess body fat, a heavy sensation in your body, sticky bowel movements, or a thick coating on the tongue. A patient diagnosed with "damp" issues will be encouraged to avoid damp foods and eat more drying, warming, and/or dispersing foods depending on what is determined to be the underlying contributing factor of the excess damp.

Below are the four basic influences that impact your digestion, in turn, affecting your constitutional balance. These internal imbalances can be shifted with dietary adjustments.

Damp              vs.                Dry

 Cold                vs.                Hot 

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Five Flavors of the Five Elements

Bitter           Sweet        Pungent        Salty        Sour

        ->     Fire    ->    Earth    ->    Metal    ->    Water    ->    Wood    ->    

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Consumption or avoidance of the foods associated with the flavors of the elements can help create balance within. For example, adding sweet potatoes to one's diet can help to nourish the earth element when it is weak. A licensed East Asian Medicine Practitioner (EAMP) and/or Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.) can help you identify where you have imbalances and how to approach reestablishing harmony within your body and mind.