Comprehensive Knowledge Of TCM Dietary Therapy And Health Care: Physical Differences And Dietary Care Principles
Traditional Chinese medicine adheres to the concept of "adapting measures to individual conditions". As early as in the "Huangdi Neijing", it clearly stated that "the shapes and colors are different, and the internal organs are also different. Even if the external symptoms are the same, the treatment methods are completely different."
This sentence profoundly reveals the decisive role of physical differences in health care.
Many people are confused. Why do some people suddenly break out acne on their faces the next day after eating hot pot, while others are fine and fine?
Why do some people recover quickly while staying up late while others are exhausted?
The fundamental reason behind this is that each person has a different body texture, whether he is born with it or is shaped by it.
It is our constitution that determines our appearance and characteristics. It is our constitution that affects the functions of our internal organs. It is also our constitution that reflects our susceptibility to diseases.
Today, let’s talk about how to use the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine to identify your own constitution, and then use the most basic dietary maintenance methods to firmly control your health.
Where does physique come from: innate foundation and acquired nourishment
The formation of physical fitness is not accomplished in a day. It is affected by many factors.
First there are innate factors, that is, the "seed" inherited from our parents, which determines the foundation of our physique.
The next thing to talk about is the factor of age. Children are in a state of "childish yin and childish yang", while the elderly are in a state of "gradual decline of qi and blood". Their physiques will change dynamically with age.
In addition, gender factors are also very important. As a woman, her liver is the foundation of her liver, and she is prone to blood deficiency and qi stagnation. As a male, his body is innately kidney-based, so he is prone to qi deficiency and dampness and heat, right?
For us, the geographical environment in which we live plays a role in shaping our physique. For example, the overall environment in the south is characterized by high humidity and warmth, while the environment in the north is characterized by dryness and cold.
Finally, mental factors, as well as long-term living habits, such as overthinking, which can cause damage to the spleen, and staying up late for a long time, which can deplete yin energy, will gradually and unconsciously change the body's constitution.
Therefore, understanding the causes of physical fitness is the first step in scientific health care.
Identify your “bad constitution”: Yin deficiency, Yang deficiency and phlegm-dampness
Traditional Chinese medicine has classified various types of common partial constitutions. Among these types, yin deficiency constitution, yang deficiency constitution and phlegm-dampness constitution are the most common ones.
Suppose you have a yin-deficient constitution. Generally, you are relatively thin and prone to dry mouth and tongue. Your palms and soles of your feet will become hot, and your personality is relatively irritable.
Such like-minded friends need to eat more foods with sweet and moisturizing properties in their diet, such as fruits like pears, fungi like tremella, and fruits like mulberries. However, they should eat as little as possible of spicy condiments like ginger, fruits and vegetables like peppers, and meat like mutton.
On the contrary, those with yang deficiency constitution are most afraid of cold. Their hands and feet are cold, their energy is very low, and they like to eat hot things.
The key to nursing is to warm and tonify. You can eat some walnuts, leeks, and longan meat in an appropriate amount. However, you need to avoid cold fruits and cold drinks.
For phlegm-damp constitution, the most typical characteristics are that the abdomen is fat and soft, the body can feel heavy, and the tongue coating is thick and greasy.
This kind of friends must strictly control their weight and make a light diet as the main way. They must eat more foods that can diuretic and dampness, such as winter melon, red beans, and mung beans, and stay away from fat, sweet and thick flavors.
The core rules of diet and health: harmonize the five flavors, eat and drink in moderation
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "medicine and food come from the same source", and food is the best medicine.
The key point of dietary maintenance is to "harmonize the five flavors". The "Huangdi Neijing" emphasizes that "the root of yin lies in the five flavors."
In other words, the essence of the five internal organs comes from the five flavors of food. However, if you have an excessive preference for a certain taste, it will also cause damage to the corresponding organs.
Just like "eating too much salty food will cause the pulse to become clogged and discolored", eating too much salt will cause the blood vessels to not run smoothly; "eating too much spicy food will make the muscles tense and the claws to wither", so eating too much spicy food will cause body fluids to be consumed.
In addition to harmonizing the five flavors, we must also "eat and drink in moderation", that is, Timing and quantitative .
Folks often say that "breakfast should be good, lunch should be full, and dinner should be light." This is very scientific.
In addition, dietary hygiene cannot be ignored. Ancient people have already warned, emphasizing that "fruits will be damaged if they stay for many days, and will cause harm to people after eating." You should try to eat fresh and well-cooked food, so as to prevent illness from entering the human body from the mouth and causing disease.
Tailoring measures to people and changing circumstances: making diet more “personalized”
A good health regimen must be "tailor-made".
In addition to choosing food according to your physique, you must also adapt to the changes in the four seasons.
In spring, when the temperature gradually rises, it is suitable to eat cool foods such as wheat to calm the liver fire in the body; in summer, when the weather is hot, it is necessary to eat more cold foods such as beans to relieve the heat; in autumn, when the climate is dry, moisturizing foods such as sesame are the first choice; in winter, it is cold, so it is suitable to eat hot foods such as millet to resist the severe cold.
At the same time, subtle adjustments must be made based on the specific situation of the body. For example, those with excessive gastric acid can eat more alkaline foods to neutralize it; however, those with a lack of gastric acid can actually help digestion by eating acidic foods such as hawthorn and yogurt.
Fatty people mostly suffer from phlegm and dampness, so their diet should be kept light; thinner people often suffer from yin deficiency and internal heat, and need to eat more sweet and moist foods to prevent the condition from getting worse.
This kind of Adapt measures to the times and people's conditions The wisdom of Chinese medicine is exactly the essence of traditional Chinese medicine and dietary therapy.
Daily eating and post-meal care: the secret to longevity is in the details
Eating itself is also an important part of health care.
People in ancient times emphasized that eating should be slow. Chewing carefully and then swallowing not only helps digestion, but also allows the brain to receive the "full" signal in time, thus preventing overdose.
At the same time, you must keep your mood in a happy state when eating and be attentive, that is, you must "eat appropriately and with concentration." If you look at your mobile phone and watch short videos while eating, this will have an impact on the transportation and transformation functions of the spleen and stomach.
After the meal, it is not about lying down or performing strenuous exercise. Instead, you can practice some mild health care measures.
For example, after eating food, rub the abdomen, using the navel as the center, and gently massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction, which can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis; rinse your mouth after eating to keep the mouth clean and protect your teeth; finally, take a walk after eating, as the saying goes, "A hundred steps after a meal will help you live to ninety-nine." This gentle activity can help the circulation of qi and blood, allowing food to be better transformed into subtle substances needed by the body.
In the final analysis, physical health maintenance is not about pursuing a "special medicine" that will be effective all at once, but about following the laws of the body in every meal and every movement.
Whether you have yin deficiency, yang deficiency, or phlegm-dampness, as long as you find the right direction and continue to use correct diet and living habits to adjust, you can gradually correct the bias in your physique and achieve a healthy state of "bones are straightened, muscles are soft, and qi and blood can flow".
Please remember that everyone is the primary person responsible for their own health. From now on, eating well is the best way to maintain good health.
