Chinese food therapy
Encyclopedia
Chinese food therapy is a practice in the belief of healing through the use of natural foods instead of medications.
Chinese food or Nutrition
therapy, is a modality of traditional Chinese medicine
, as opposed to evidence-based medicine
.
One of the central ideas in this belief system is that certain foods have a "hot" or heat inducing quality while others have a "cold" or chilling effect on one's body, organs or "energy" levels. The idea being that one's imbalance of natural "heat" and "cold" in a body can cause disease or be more conducive towards sickness. Although, in this belief system, it does not necessarily mean one's internal "heat" or "cold" balance is directly related to being physically hot (to the point of sweating) or cold (feeling chilly from cold weather). As an example, if one had a cold, or felt he was about to get a cold, he would not want to eat any "cold" foods such as a lemon, melon or cucumber. If one had a so called "hot" disease, like Eczema
, then he would not want to eat "hot" foods such as garlic, onions, or chocolate lest the "hot" disease is worsened. Indeed, it is thought by some that these "hot" or "cold" properties of foods are so intense that merely the eating of too many of one or another can actually cause diseases. For example, the eating of too many "hot" foods like sparrow or turtle meat or mustard could cause a rash or the eating of too many "cold" foods such as banana, blueberry or seaweed could cause one to get a cold. In this way, this belief system is in direct opposition to the scientifically established germ theory of disease
.
This belief in foods having inherent "hot" or "cold" properties is prevalent throughout greater China. It is particularly popular among Cantonese
people who enjoy slow-cooked soups. One of the most commonly known is a rice soup that goes by many names including congee
and jook (Mandarin "zhou"). This is a traditional breakfast for Asian people
all over the world. Congee recipes vary infinitely, depending upon the desired health benefits as well as taste.
Chinese food therapy dates back as early as 2000 BC. However, proper documentation was only found around 500 BC. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, also known as the Huangdi Neijing, which was written around 300 BC, was most important in forming the basis of Chinese food therapy. It classified food by four food groups, five tastes and by their natures and characteristics.
are used in the sphere of food and cooking. Yang foods are believed to increase the body's heat (e.g. raise the metabolism), while Yin foods are believed to decrease the body's heat (e.g. lower the metabolism). As a generalization, Yang foods tend to be dense in food energy
, especially energy from fat, while Yin foods tend to have high water content. The Chinese ideal is to eat both types of food to keep the body in balance.
A person eating too much Yang food might suffer from acne and bad breath while a person eating too much Yin food might be lethargic or anemic.
Food items are classified accordingly, and diet is adjusted based on the body's conditions.
In effect, many Cantonese people practice food therapy in day to day situations.
The following is a list of common food classifications:
The yin yang type of each individual determines how susceptible the person is to these effects of food. A neutral person is generally healthy and will have strong reactions to these effects only after overconsumption of certain kind of food. A yang type person usually can eat all yin type food with no ill effect, but may easily get a nose bleed with small amount of yang type food. A yin type person is usually very unhealthy and is reactive to either yin or yang food. Boosting or nourishing type of food is needed to bring a yin person back to health.
Bird nest
Oral secretion of swiftlet
s, collected from the binding material of their nests.
, but it has the Yin properties.
, almond
kernels (南北杏陳腎西洋菜湯):
Chinese food or Nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
therapy, is a modality of traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, as opposed to evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine or evidence-based practice aims to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making. It seeks to assess the strength of evidence of the risks and benefits of treatments and diagnostic tests...
.
One of the central ideas in this belief system is that certain foods have a "hot" or heat inducing quality while others have a "cold" or chilling effect on one's body, organs or "energy" levels. The idea being that one's imbalance of natural "heat" and "cold" in a body can cause disease or be more conducive towards sickness. Although, in this belief system, it does not necessarily mean one's internal "heat" or "cold" balance is directly related to being physically hot (to the point of sweating) or cold (feeling chilly from cold weather). As an example, if one had a cold, or felt he was about to get a cold, he would not want to eat any "cold" foods such as a lemon, melon or cucumber. If one had a so called "hot" disease, like Eczema
Eczema
Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis . In England, an estimated 5.7 million or about one in every nine people have been diagnosed with the disease by a clinician at some point in their lives.The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions...
, then he would not want to eat "hot" foods such as garlic, onions, or chocolate lest the "hot" disease is worsened. Indeed, it is thought by some that these "hot" or "cold" properties of foods are so intense that merely the eating of too many of one or another can actually cause diseases. For example, the eating of too many "hot" foods like sparrow or turtle meat or mustard could cause a rash or the eating of too many "cold" foods such as banana, blueberry or seaweed could cause one to get a cold. In this way, this belief system is in direct opposition to the scientifically established germ theory of disease
Germ theory of disease
The germ theory of disease, also called the pathogenic theory of medicine, is a theory that proposes that microorganisms are the cause of many diseases...
.
This belief in foods having inherent "hot" or "cold" properties is prevalent throughout greater China. It is particularly popular among Cantonese
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese cuisine comes from Guangdong Province in southern China and is one of 8 superdivisions of Chinese cuisine. Its prominence outside China is due to the great numbers of early emigrants from Guangdong. Cantonese chefs are highly sought after throughout the country...
people who enjoy slow-cooked soups. One of the most commonly known is a rice soup that goes by many names including congee
Congee
Congee is a type of rice porridge popular in many Asian countries. It can be eaten alone or served with a side dish. Names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation...
and jook (Mandarin "zhou"). This is a traditional breakfast for Asian people
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
all over the world. Congee recipes vary infinitely, depending upon the desired health benefits as well as taste.
Chinese food therapy dates back as early as 2000 BC. However, proper documentation was only found around 500 BC. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, also known as the Huangdi Neijing, which was written around 300 BC, was most important in forming the basis of Chinese food therapy. It classified food by four food groups, five tastes and by their natures and characteristics.
Philosophy about food
The ideas of yin and yangYin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
are used in the sphere of food and cooking. Yang foods are believed to increase the body's heat (e.g. raise the metabolism), while Yin foods are believed to decrease the body's heat (e.g. lower the metabolism). As a generalization, Yang foods tend to be dense in food energy
Food energy
Food energy is the amount of energy obtained from food that is available through cellular respiration.Food energy is expressed in food calories or kilojoules...
, especially energy from fat, while Yin foods tend to have high water content. The Chinese ideal is to eat both types of food to keep the body in balance.
A person eating too much Yang food might suffer from acne and bad breath while a person eating too much Yin food might be lethargic or anemic.
Cantonese classification of food
Cantonese people pay much attention to the body's reaction to food.Food items are classified accordingly, and diet is adjusted based on the body's conditions.
In effect, many Cantonese people practice food therapy in day to day situations.
The following is a list of common food classifications:
| Cantonese name | rough translation | related symptoms/effects | examples | cures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 燥火 | dry fire (yang) | causes dryness of skin, chapped lips, nose bleed etc. | chili pepper, deep fried food, beef jerky, lychee Lychee The lychee is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to Southern China and Southeast Asia, and now cultivated in many parts of the world... . |
any yin or cooling food |
| 濕熱 | wet heat (yang) | causes mouth sore, urinary burning etc. probably due to the acidity or alkalinity. | mango, pineapple, cherry. | chrysanthemum, sugar cane (竹蔗), Imperata arundinacea (茅根), Prunella vulgaris L. (夏枯草) |
| 寒涼 | cold cooling (yin) | causes dizziness, weakness, pale or green face (low oxygen level in blood) etc. | watermelon, cantelope, honeydew and certain kinds of melon-type fruits or vegetables, green tea. | any boosting or dry fire food |
| 滯 | blocking | cause indigestion, stomach gas etc. | all fibrous food, e.g. yam, chestnuts | haw Crataegus pinnatifida Crataegus pinnatifida, also known as Chinese hawthorn or shānzhā , refers to a small to a medium-sized tree as well as the fruit of the tree. The fruit is bright red, 1.5 inches in diameter.-Culinary use:... (fruit 山楂), malt (麥芽) |
| 毒 | poisoning | causes pus or swelling in wound, outbreak of acnes, hemorrhoid etc. | duck, goose, bamboo shoot, all shellfish | abstinence at outbreak |
| 油膩 | greasy | causes gastric upset, runny stool, outbreak of acnes etc. | all greasy food, e.g. bacon etc. | abstinence at outbreak |
| 清涼 | clear cooling | mild yin type that counteract the dry fire type. Also listed as yin when overused. | beer, lettuce, sugar cane (竹蔗), Imperata arundinacea (茅根), American ginseng Ginseng Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae.... . |
not needed if not overused |
| 滋潤 | nourishing | moisturizing, soothing | apple, pear, fig, winter melon Winter melon The winter melon, also called white gourd, ash gourd, or "fuzzy melon", is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa. The fruit is fuzzy when young. The immature melon has thick white flesh that is sweet when eaten... , longan Longan Dimocarpus longan, commonly known as the longan, is a tropical tree native to South and Southeast Asia, in the Indomalaya ecozone known for its edible fruit.-Vernacular names:The fruit is known as longan or longyan in English... , Dioscorea opposita Dioscorea opposita Dioscorea opposita is a type of yam that may be eaten raw.... (淮山), lotus seed, lily bulb etc. |
not needed |
| 補血益氣 | boosting | replenishes blood and Qi Qi In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts... . Also listed as dry fire when overused. |
Mutton, snake, wild games, beef, red dates (紅棗). | not needed if not overused |
| 行血活氣 | vigorating | circulating blood and Qi. | red wine, Korean ginseng Ginseng Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae.... . |
not needed |
| 健脾, 開胃, 生津, 養心, 強筋, 強骨 etc. | generating, strengthening | improves various internal functions | various | not needed |
The yin yang type of each individual determines how susceptible the person is to these effects of food. A neutral person is generally healthy and will have strong reactions to these effects only after overconsumption of certain kind of food. A yang type person usually can eat all yin type food with no ill effect, but may easily get a nose bleed with small amount of yang type food. A yin type person is usually very unhealthy and is reactive to either yin or yang food. Boosting or nourishing type of food is needed to bring a yin person back to health.
Bird nestBird's nest soupBird's nest soup is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. A few species of swift, the cave swifts, are renowned for building the saliva nests used to produce the unique texture of this soup....
(燕窩)
Oral secretion of swiftletSwiftlet
Swiftlets are birds contained within the four genera Aerodramus, Hydrochous, Schoutedenapus and Collocalia. They form the Collocaliini tribe within the swift family Apodidae. The group contains around thirty species mostly confined to southern Asia, south Pacific islands, and northeastern...
s, collected from the binding material of their nests.
- Alleged effects: promote beautiful skin for women; "strengthen the spleen and open up the stomach" (健脾開胃 meaning improve appetite.)
- vegetables and fruits are believed to nullify the effect of bird nest if taken within the same day.
- The dried material is soaked in water to rehydrate.
- The soaked bird nest is cleaned by hand to remove other nest building debris such as grass and feathers.
- The cleaned and crumbled bird nest is double steamedDouble steamingDouble steaming, sometimes also dubbed double boiling, is a Chinese cooking techniques to prepare delicate food such as bird nests, shark fins, etc. The food is covered with water and put in a covered ceramic jar and the jar is then steamed for several hours...
with rock sugar as a dessert or with a small amount of pork as a soup.
Korean or Chinese ginseng (高麗參)
Root of a plant that has the Yang properties.- Alleged effects: promote circulation, increase blood supply, revitalize and aid recovery from weakness after illness.
- The ginseng root is double steamed with chicken meat as a soup. (See samgyetangSamgyetangSamgyetang is a variety of guk or Korean soup, which primarily consists of a whole young chicken and Korean ginseng. The dish's name literally translates as "ginseng chicken soup" in English...
.)
American ginseng (花旗參)
Root of a plant similar to Korean ginsengGinseng
Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....
, but it has the Yin properties.
- Alleged effects: cleansing of excessive Yang in the body, aphrodisiac.
- The ginseng is sliced, a few slices are soaked in hot water to make a tea.
- Most American ginseng is produced in WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, USA.
A Cantonese cough remedy
Dried duck gizzards, watercressWatercress
Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...
, almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
kernels (南北杏陳腎西洋菜湯):
- Alleged effects: relieve both Yin (resulted from cold) or Yang (resulted from dryness) type of coughing.
- Watercress (西洋菜) is for removing excessive yang in the body.
- The sweet almond kernels (南杏仁) and bitter almond kernels (北杏仁) target the lungs.
- The dried duck gizzards (乾鴨腎) are used to balance the Yin Yang of the recipe.
- Watercress is available in most supermarkets while the rest of the ingredients can be found in most Chinese herb stores.
- The ingredients are slow cooked for couple of hours into a soup, a small piece of pork is optional for flavor.
- Do not use Yang type meat such as beef or chicken in this recipe because they nullify the effects of the watercress.
See also
- Double steamingDouble steamingDouble steaming, sometimes also dubbed double boiling, is a Chinese cooking techniques to prepare delicate food such as bird nests, shark fins, etc. The food is covered with water and put in a covered ceramic jar and the jar is then steamed for several hours...
for more food therapy recipes. - Chinese cuisineChinese cuisineChinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
- Chinese herbologyChinese herbologyChinese Herbology is the theory of Traditional Chinese herbal therapy, which accounts for the majority of treatments in Traditional Chinese medicine ....
- List of food origins