The yin and yang of what we eat

Yin and Yang are fundamental to Chinese medicine, and just as much part of diet as they are other areas of medicine and health.

I was teaching my classes this week, when I was reminded about yin and yang of foods being more than just the substance of the foods themselves as yin or yang, but as energies that can be applied to foods and how we consume yin or yang as part of this nature.

A piece of meat which is raw, cold and uncooked is in a YIN state.

Once heat has been applied by grilling, frying, roasting or any kind of  cooking, then YANG energy is activated, as it is applied to the yin food.

By eating fresh foods we can consume the maximim energy of foods. By eating foods which are freshly cooked, we get the benefit of this Yang Qi (energy).

In Chinese medicine, it is considered healthy to eat "mostly cooked foods, most of the time" however, when eating foods which have been cooked, then cooled or stored and then re-heated we call this "wrecked" foods. 
Yang energy is dynamic, moving, lifts upwards and is desirable for us to have more of this kind of natured foods in our diet.

On the contrary, yin foods are dense, cold and while they have their place in the diet, it's not optimal to consume foods at a cold and raw temperature.

Chinese medicine propogates humans should live 100 healthy years. This can only be achieved by healthy diet and lifestyle according to the ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine. 

What is the yin and yang of your diet?

Mental Wellbeing with Chinese Medicine

When it comes to looking after our mental wellbeing, Australians are increasing their use of herbal and natural medicines...

72.9% of Australians who sought help for a mental health issue, used some form of natural medication in 2001 (National Health Survey, 2001). 

According to the National Health Survey (2004-5), the three leading conditions Australians sought help for with a Complementary Medicine Practitioner* were Arthritis, Asthama and mental or behavoural disorders.

As mental illness becomes more prominent in Australia, it is increasingly important to be aware of what natural and herbal medicines are available, and how we can use them.

Many patients want to stop using or avoid using western drugs or are looking to treat some symptoms that drugs are not tackling in their situation. It's important to consult with health professionals including your western doctor if you are going to change any Western medicine (drugs). 


Chinese herbs have been used routinely in China for centuries to treat a variety of mental illnesses.  For conditions ranging from anxiety and insomnia to psychosis and mania, they can be used by themselves or in conjunction with western drugs. 

One reason why Aussies are turning to herbal medicine is because they are dissatisfied with the treatment options Western medicine presents them.  In some cases patients find the side effects of drugs are worse than the disease itself.  Because a Chinese herbal prescription is matched according to the patients constitution and disease symptoms, there are rarely any side effects.
However, the answer is not necessarily in one or the other. In China, there is widespread integration of the two medical systems, therefore many patients are treated with a combination of western and Chinese medicine. In Australia, patients have increasing health options and, while drugs are not the only solution, they are not necessarily bad either. 

To understand Chinese medicines' role in mental health, we must first understand a little Chinese medical theory.  The system of Chinese medicine is a unique and very different system to what we commonly associate with medicine (pertaining to Western medicine).  Chinese medicine looks more at the body as a whole rather than one diseased or malfunctioning part. 

If one organ or area of the body is inadequately performing, this will ultimately impact the entire body.  This is one fundamental difference between Chinese and Western medicine. 

Chinese medicine considers the cause of disease as internal or external.  Internal causes include prolonged poor dietary habits (overeating, eating too much of cold or hot foods, eating during mental activities such as watching TV,  business lunches, eating while arguing etc) and excess emotions (worry, over thinking, hate or anger, sadness/grief, joy).  Emotions are linked with a specific major organ.  An excess of an emotion can damage that organ, leading to symptoms showing that organs functions have been impaired.
A famous saying in Chinese medicine is "Worry knots Spleen Qi". (Qi is a Chinese word,  pronounced Chee.  It roughly translates into “energy”, although the western concept of energy does not include all the functions of the Chinese word, Qi) 
Worry, over thinking or pensiveness, is the emotion liked with the Spleen.  The Spleens main job in Chinese medicine is to digest food (transports and transforms food and fluids). An example of worry knotting Spleen Qi is when a person has a problem weighing heavily on their mind, they can't stop circling over and over it.  This leads to decreased appetite (a symptom that the Spleen's function of digestion has been impaired).    

External causes of disease are the six pathogenic factors: wind, damp, fire, cold, dryness and sumerheat.  Fire may invade, initially causing a sore throat and other common cold symptoms. Fire can also arise internally, from stress (causing stagnation initially then transforming into heat), from diet and emotions. In a mental illness such as depression, fire can rise upwards, harassing the Heart-Spirit (know as the "Shen" in Chinese).  Fire causes symptoms of insomnia with excessive dreams, red face and eyes, feeling hot, headache, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), easily angry/ bad temper, irritability.   

Chinese herbs are used to move stagnant energy, clear fire or other pathogens, nourish (or boost up) deficient Blood, Energy, yin or yang, according to the diagnosis.      

Common Patterns 

In Western countries like USA, Australia and the UK,  "Liver Qi stagnation” is one of the most common patterns.  The Liver has the chief function to ensure smooth flow of Qi.  Without this smooth flow, there will be stagnant Qi. More about how to help this below...

If you are in a predominantly sitting position all day, (work at a desk) with increased mental activity, there is more opportunity for Liver Qi to become stagnant.  Depression, Anxiety, decreased mental clarity can all arise from Liver Qi stagnation.  Serious mental illness such as Bipolar Affective Disorder (Manic depressive) and Schizophrenia can be seen as complications of this same pattern. 

It is important to keep Liver Qi flowing smoothly. Apart from Acupuncture, massage and Chinese herbs, there are things you can do yourself to promote smooth flow of Liver Qi.  Gentle, regular exercise is the best thing to move Liver Qi.   Singing is another fun way to move Liver Qi.  (Loud belly singing is very therapeutic). Next time you feel depressed or sad, try singing!

See More about Liver Energy Stagnation Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i308M4Ff7eg

Diet Advice

Beneficial foods for the Liver Qi; Pungent flavors & small amounts of mild spices, onions, garlic, mustard greens, watercress, turmeric, basil, mint, peppermint, horseradish, pepper, cardamon, cumin, fenel and  ginger.
Sour Flavors such as citrus', vinegar, pickles, sour cherry and plum in small amounts.
Fresh vegetables, some fruits, sprouted grains, asparagus, taro, cabbage, turnip, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, beetroot, Jerusalem Artichoke, sourdough rye bread, extra virgin olive oil, molasses, small quantities of high quality meat, protein and fish.





*Complementary Medicine Practitioner includes 7 practitioners -  Chiropractor, Acupuncturist, Naturopath, Osteopath, Herbalist, Traditional Healer and Hypnotherapist 

Hangover Cures ...Chinese Medicine Style

Hangovers in Chinese medicine usually relate to a pattern of disharmony of toxic heat, food stagnation or a combination of dampness and heat. Basically Alcohol is heating and over-ingestion causes a toxic build up of heat. This heat stagnates and can lead to disturbance of the Spleen function. 

There are some classical mentions of foods which prevent or treat drunkenness & hangovers in Chinese medical literature...



Watermelon - Eating watermellon (flesh and/or also skin) whilst having a few beers might be a novel concept, but by trading your nuts for watermelon you can have a much better chance of waking up feeling less hungover. (Watermelon promotes urination and helps excrete the toxins of alcohol faster)
In western medicine there is even more research on watermelon, click here for more. 

Bananas - As mentioned in the Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi (1765 A.D.), Bananas act on the digestion of the Large Intestine. Essentially, they have a detoxifying effect. They help the Large Intestine, and promote the excretion of toxins.  While it's great to urninate alot after drinking to "get all the toxins out", this also will deplete potassium and salts in the body. 100g of banana has about 358mg of potassium. Even before the science of hangovers was known, TCM was using bananas for condtions we now know are caused by dehydration and intoxication.

Some people are more effected by different kinds of alcohol. It's not just about the dehydrative effects of being "intoxicated". Why do some people wake up feeling seedy after even just 2 beers the night before?

Beer and grain-based alcohols cause more dampness - nausea, cloudy headed, heaviness, bloating.(More about dampness can be found in this awesome article.

The over-working of the Spleen and Stomach results in depleting the Spleen Qi and can lead to poor digestion, bloating and diarrhoea.

Spirits are much more warming and "hot" in nature than beers and wine. The more heat in your system the more strong the odour of the bowels, sweat and breath will be.

Toxic heat can cause things like skin to flare up - that's why you can find an acne break out after a big night out! If you already have skin conditions or acne, then heating foods and alchool should be avoided. People with acne should at the very least stay away from spirits. 

One of our herbal teas is made especially for clearing stagnation and toxic heat - HANGOVER TEA. 

It's based on a traditional chinese herbal formula Bao He Wan. This tea should be drunk in the morning upon waking. Hot water can be added to the herbs to make more tea over and over again, each time it will be a little less strong. You need the strongest effects first thing, then as the day goes on the herbs will still continue to expel heat and toxins, stimulating digestion and elimination. 

More info about our Hangover Tea can be found here.

New Years Resolution...Part 2

In part one, we looked at the Spleen's role in thinking.

In the Huang Di Nei Jing it says the "Spleen stores ideas worrying beyond measure with out self-control will injure ideas" 

This concept that the Spleen stores ideas, is a link to digestion of both food and thoughts,  reinforced by another quote from the Nan Jing “...the Spleen stores ideas and intelligence”

This same passage states “the Kidneys store essence and Will”.  Will or Zhi as it is known in TCM, is the activation of our decisions into reality.

So when we make a new years resolution there is a complexity of steps involving success! Let's look at how Chinese medicine sees this process: 

An Idea – Spleen energy. Lack of ideas? Dont know what to do or what you want to do? Lots of Circular thinking - that's weak Splen energy. 

A conversation – no, talking to yourself is not a sign of madness…but you need to decide within yourself what you will do. Not every idea is a good one. Whether we “think it through” , weigh up pros and cons, imagine possible consequences. – this is all the Spleen energy which digests thoughts and imaginations.

A decision – Gall Bladder energy is needed for this part.

The Gall Bladder is responsible for courage. A person with weak Gall Bladder energy will be chronically indecisive, timid and lack courage to put forward their ideas and self into the world. Naturally assertive people who are comfortable with themselves have healthy Gall Bladder Energy. Overly confident people or those who can't help themselves in piping up, having to be right and letting everyone know can be linked to an excess of Gall Bladder Qi.

Follow through - Will Power (Zhi) to act on the decision and follow through. “The spirit of the Kidneys, the Zhi, rules the will, drive, ambition and survival instinct” Huang Di Nei Jing

This is where most new years resolutions come undone. If you already have the resolution then you’ve already decided what you want to do. Kidney energy is what’s needed for a strong Will (Zhi).

An interesting saying in Chinese medicine about the Will is that ACTIVATING THE WILL, STRENGTHENS THE WILL. Which means each time you act on the decision in accordance with your new years resolution, it further strengthens your resolve. 

My next post will focus on ways to strengthen the Will (Zhi) and Kidney Energy. 

These ancient texts of the Yellow Emperors Classic (Huang Di Nei Jing) even mention acupuncture points to strengthen the Zhi, the Gall Bladders decision making energy and other aspects of our mental functions can be treated with acupuncture and herbal medicine. 

To all my readers, Happy New Year. I truly hope this new year is better than you've had so far and more fun than you could imagine! 

New Year Resolution Part 1

As new year fast approaches, many of us will ponder the good 'ol New Years Resolution...here is a TCM take on how our body approaches decisions, will power and change. 

TCM views our body in an entirely unique way, and our thinking, emotions and mental functions are not exempt from this system. A feature of Chinese medicine is the strong link between the phsical body - our organs (Zang-Fu), Energy (Qi), Blood (Xue) etc, and mental functions like decision making and will power. 

Likewise, emotions and mental functions in a non-benefitial state can affect the associated bodies organs, resulting in disease.

A simple and best example is thinking - in Chinese medicine we call this "emotion" Pensiveness. In health, thinking is needed to problem solve, to work through issues, and should be accompanied by other activities such as decision making and exercising judgement.

Thinking in a disease state is pensiveness, or worry - where thoughts are going around without control or restraint. Worry can take a person to a place of thinking that transends facts and actual reality into a place that dwells on "what-if's" and unlikley scenarios. Thinking and pensiveness belong to the Spleen organ. The Spleen's function is to digest thoughts as well as digest food.

Pensiveness and worry can damage the Spleen energy resulting in poor appetite or no appetite (or sometimes a large, out of control appetite) bloating, abdominal distention or dull-achy pain and diarrohea.  

A poor diet (see my other posts about what TCM thinks is a good diet) can also damage the Spleen energy and cause emotions like worry to be exacerbated. Weak Spleen Energy certainly makes it very hard for the body to have good, clear thinking.

Food for thought! Part 2 Discusses the role of will power.

Fruits are medicine - Apricot

The apricot is well in season in Perth now - just yesterday the smell was inviting me as I went through the fruit and vege section of my local supermarket.

 Did you know all foods have medicinal properties according to Chinese medicine?
...so what does the Apricot do?

The flesh is sweet and neutral in nature (i.e. not hot or cold), most fruits are cold so this is a more unusual property for a fruit.

According to TCM theory, Apricot fruit flesh can "moisten the lungs, relieve asthma, promote secretion of saliva and quench thirst" (Dai Yin Fang & Liu Cheng Jun - Fruits as Medicine, 1999).

For a dry throat with thirst - Eat 2-3 pieces of fresh apriocts in the mornign and evening.

You may know that Apricot kernals are used as a Chinese herb - there are two types and one is quite poisonous, needing to be boiled correctly before it's used. The sweet Apricot Kernel has no poison and dosen't require boiling. You can tell which one is bitter by tasting the kernel with the tip of the tongue.

People with Diarrhoea should not eat raw apricots - it can worsen the symptoms. Eating large quantities of raw apricot fruits will weaken the Spleen and Stomach.

Once recipie for Constipation in the elderly or constipation after giving birth -
15g Sweet Apricot Kernels, discard the skin add 30 grams of rice and 30 grams of sugar, plus a small amount of water. Grind together into a smooth liquid, then steam until cooked. Eat this in the morning and evening.

This is just one fruit...Chinese medicine views every food as having some kind of "medicinal" properties.