Chinese Dietetics

Diet in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is part of a 3,000-year-old health and healing science. In Europe, however, TCM has only received greater attention since the 1970s. Chinese dietetics has recognized that what we eat on a daily basis has a significant impact on health, both physical and mental.

Principles and goals

The goal of TCM is to promote the life force “Qi” in humans, as well as the natural balance of the dynamic opposing forces of Yin and Yang. Nutrition according to the teachings of TCM is a holistic concept designed to promote health and lead to greater well-being. Yin and Yang must be in complete harmony in the human body. The diet tailored to the body should support this harmony of the two energies. Too much yin or too much yang is said to cause mood disorders and diseases. Foods are divided into yin and yang according to their character, with yin representing cold and dampness and yang representing warmth and dryness. The criteria for classification are factors of growth (shape, speed, time, and location) and food-specific characteristics such as water content, potassium–sodium ratio, and color. Yin foods include many fruits, cucumbers, tomatoes, green tea, and milk. Yang foods include dried fruit, fennel, leeks, spices, meat and fish. There is also a group of neutral foods such as cabbage, carrots, legumes or grains. Through various methods of preparation, foods can be yinizing or yangizing. Blanching, steaming, short cooking times and raw foods have a yinizing effect. Seasoning with warming spices such as cinnamon and pepper as well as long cooking and frying have a yangizing effect. In addition to the yin-yang theory, the doctrine of the 5 elements also forms the basis of Chinese dietetics. Here, the organ functions of humans are classified according to the 5 elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The food is also assigned to one of the 5 elements depending on its effect on the body. Food of the element wood tastes sour, has a pulling together effect and has a green color. These include vinegar, oranges, tomatoes, wheat, yogurt and chicken. The associated organs are liver and gall bladder. Foods of the element fire taste slightly bitter, have a reddish color and have a discharging effect. Corresponding foods include beet, arugula, artichokes, rye, green tea, feta cheese and grilled meat. Foods belonging to the fire element are heart and small intestine. Foods of the Earth element have a sweet taste. They have a yellowish color and have a moisturizing effect. They include fennel, pumpkin, carrots, potatoes, corn, millet, eggs, butter and beef. The associated organs are spleen and stomach. To the element metal belong the sharp taste and the color white. Foods such as onions, mustard, garlic, radish, cress and hot spices are counted to the metal element. Lungs and large intestine belong to this element. Salty taste is assigned to the element of water. The foods of the Water element have a black color and can be laxative. Corresponding foods are salt, olives, legumes, fish, raw ham and water. The assigned organs are the kidneys and the bladder. Just like Chinese medicines, foods are also classified according to criteria:

• Temperature behavior: hot-warm-neutral-cool-cold.
• Taste: spicy-sweet-sour-salty-bitter
• Direction of action: superficial-deep-emphasizing-lowering.
• Functional circuit / pathway

Chinese dietetics takes care that meals do not consist exclusively of sweet or spicy foods. Such a monotonous meal sometimes causes indigestion, heartburn (pyrosis), bloating and so on. Rather, a good meal should have components of all flavors, then it is best tolerated by the body. The temperature behavior of the food also plays a role. However, this does not mean whether we eat a food that is physically cold or hot. The temperature behavior of a food indicates whether it leads to heating or cooling in the body or whether it is neutral in terms of temperature. As far as possible, care should be taken to also vary the selection of food according to temperature. This is the only way to keep the body in balance.Excessive consumption of one flavor or temperature direction leads to fullness or emptiness. Likewise, it is important to observe a balanced relationship of the directions of action and functional circuits. Following some examples of food and their classification.

If there are diseases or disorders of certain organs, they can be strengthened by targeted intake of the foods tailored to this functional circuit. In traditional Chinese medicine, the diet is adapted to the rhythms of the time of day and the season. Also certain phases of life such as childhood, a present pregnancy or even aging require a special diet. According to the nutritional teachings based on the 5 elements, it can be assumed that the right foods grow in the region where one lives. Raw food is widely rejected, because supposedly the digestion of raw food robs the body of a lot of energy. Cooked food is therefore considered more digestible. Heavily processed foods are considered energy robbers and should therefore be used as rarely as possible.