Healing Though Diet

Different Diets For Different People
The information here is on the whole very safe, however if you want to use this without getting a diagnosis from a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, you need to be aware that you might choose the wrong diet and potentially slow your own healing process. When looking at the list of symptoms for each basic condition also remember that you don't need to have every single one. Also your pattern might be complicated with two patterns overlaying each other. In this situation advice is best sought. If in doubt, get an appointment with a Chinese Medicine Practitioner (Click Here for a British Acupuncture Council approved practitioner in your local area).

The foods listed here are best added to recipes you enjoy, not all the foods for a particular condition are needed in one meal. Select a few ingredients to add to a meal and restrict the foods that are detrimental to your condition. Remember to be kind to yourself and enjoyment of your food will help your healing faster then force feeding yourself on a limited diet. Click here for general advice on how to improve digestion.

Yin Deficiency
Symptoms - preference for cold, thirst with preference for cold drinks, flushed cheeks and redness of the eyes, yellowish and scanty urine, constipation.
Things To Avoid - caffeine, alcohol, sugar, chili, fried foods.
Things to add to your diet - Apple, Asparagus, Cheese, Egg, Clam, Crab, Cuttlefish, Duck, Honey, Kidney Beans, Lemon, Malt, Mango, Milk, Oyster, Pea, Pear, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Pork, Rabbit, String Bean, Tofu, Tomato, Watermelon.

Blood Deficiency
Symptoms - Palpitations, forgetfulness, poor memory, insomnia, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, excessive dreaming, constipation, pale complexion, pale and dry cracked lips, dry mouth, headache with lightheadedness, floaters in vision, anxiety, numbness or tingling in limbs, dry skin, dry brittle hair, light menses.
Things To Avoid - caffeine, alcohol, sugar, chili, fried foods.
Things to add to your diet - Aduki Bean, Apricot, Asparagus, Beef, Beetroot, Bone Marrow, Carrot, Cuttlefish, Dandelion, Dark Leafy Greens, Date, Egg, Fig, Grape, Kidney Beans, Liver, Nettle, Octopus, Oyster, Parsley, Potato, Royal Jelly, Sardine, Spinach, Squash, Watercress, Yam.

Blood Stagnation
Symptoms - Dark clotted painful menstruation, irregular menstruation, nosebleeds, abdominal pain, fixed stabbing pain, fibroids, cysts
Things to add to your diet - Aubergine, Basil, Brown Sugar, Chestnut, Chili Pepper, Chive, Crab, Mustard Leaf, Onion, Papaya, Peach, Sturgeon, Saffron, Vinegar.

Qi Deficiency
Symptoms - Tiredness, lack of strength, dizziness, shortness of breath on exertion, pale face, weak spirit.
Things To Avoid - Sugar and sweeteners
Things to add to your diet -Beef, Cherry, Chicken, Coconut, Date, Eel, Fig, Ginseng, Goose, Grape, Ham, Herring, Lentil, Licorice, Mackerel, Molasses, Oats, Octopus, Potato, Rabbit, Rice, Sweet Potato, Shiitake Mushrooms, Squash, Sturgeon, Tofu, Yam.

Qi Stagnation
Symptoms - Emotional and mental signs e.g. depression or hysteria, headaches, dizziness, burping, gas, bloating, tight abdomen, stiffness, heaviness, tightness in the lower abdomen and extremities.
Things to add to your diet - Basil, Caraway, Cardamom, Carrot, Cayenne, Chive, Clove, Coriander, Dill Seed, Garlic, Mustard Leaf, Orange Peel, Radish, Tangerine Peel, Turmeric.

Yang Deficiency
Symptoms - aversion to cold and preference for warmth, tastelessness in the mouth, absence of thirst, pallor, cold extremities, clear and profuse urine, loose stools.
Things To Avoid - Sugar and sweeteners
Things to add to your diet - Basil, Chestnut, Chive Seed, Cinnamon Bark, Clove, Dill Seed, Fennel Seed, Fenugreek Seed, Garlic, Ginger, Kidney, Lamb, Lobster, Nutmeg, Pistachio Nut, Raspberry, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Shrimp, Thyme, Walnut.

Cold
Symptoms - aversion to cold and preference for warmth, tastelessness in the mouth, absence of thirst, pallor, cold extremities, clear and profuse urine, loose stools,
Things To Avoid - Cold raw food, watermelon and other cooling fruit
Things to add to your diet - Anchovy, Basil, Black Pepper, Brown Sugar, Butter, Caper, Cayenne, Cherry, Chestnut, Chicken, Chive Seed, Coconut Milk, Coriander Seed, Dill Seed, Fennel Seed, Garlic, Ginger, Lamb Kidney, Leek, Lychee, Malt Sugar, Mussel, Mustard Leaf, Mutton, Nutmeg, Mustard Leaf, Peach, Pine Kernel, Rosemary, Shrimp, Soya Oil, Spearmint, Squash, Sweet Potato, Trout, Turnip, Vinegar, Walnut, Wine.

Heat
Symptoms - fever, preference for cold, thirst with preference for cold drinks, flushed cheeks and redness of the eyes, yellowish and scanty urine, constipation.
Things To Avoid - caffeine, alcohol, sugar, chili, fried foods.
Things to add to your diet - Asparagus, Aubergine, Bamboo Shoots, Banana, Egg White, Clam, Elder flower, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lattice, Millet, Mung Bean, Peppermint, Potato, Salt, Tofu, Watermelon, Wheat.

Damp
Symptoms - Epigastric and abdominal fullness, lack of thirst, loss of appetite, obstruction of digestion, heavy limbs, heavy cloudy muffled feeling in the head, acid reflux, nausea and vomiting, loose stools, excess salivation, sweet taste in mouth.
Things To Avoid - Dairy products: this includes milk, cheese, ice cream and all foods that contain high amounts of dairy products such as dairy milk chocolate. Natural yogurt is usually ok and sheep and goat products are less prone to causing dampness. Pork and rich fatty meats, roasted peanuts, including peanut butter, concentrated fruit juices especially orange and tomato juice, excess refined wheat products, bananas, sugar and sweeteners, saturated fats, especially deep fried foods, consumption of raw cold and processed sugary or fatty foods need to be limited.
Things to add to your diet- Aduki Beans, Alfalfa, Anchovy, Barley, Buckwheat Tea, Celery, Corn, Garlic, Green Tea, Horseradish, Jasmine Tea, Job's Tears, Kidney Bean, Lemon, Mackerel, Mushroom, Mustard Leaf, Onion, Parsley, Pumpkin, Radish, Rye, Scallion, Turnip.

Phlegm
Symptoms - obesity, a sensation of bodily heaviness, feelings of "fuzzy" thought, expectoration of copious amounts of phlegm, dizziness, palpitation, vaginal discharge, no menses, prolonged menstrual cycle.
Things To Avoid - Dairy products: this includes milk, cheese, ice cream and all foods that contain high amounts of dairy products such as dairy milk chocolate. Natural yogurt is usually ok and sheep and goat products are less prone to causing dampness. Pork and rich fatty meats, roasted peanuts, including peanut butter, concentrated fruit juices especially orange and tomato juice, excess refined wheat products, bananas, sugar and sweeteners, saturated fats, especially deep fried foods, consumption of raw cold and processed sugary or fatty foods need to be limited.
Things to add to your diet - Almond, Apple Peel, Clam, Garlic, Grapefruit, Lemon Peel, Licorice, Mushroom, Mustard Leaf, Mustard Seed, Olie, Onion, Orange Peel, Pear, Black & White Pepper, Peppermint, Plantain, Radish, Seaweed, Shiitake Mushroom, Shrimp, Tangerine Peel, Tea, Thyme, Walnut, Watercress.

 

This site may contain information on medical and health-related topics. This information is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. You should not use this information for diagnosing a health problem or disease but should always consult your own physician.