The basic foundations of Chinese Medicine's rules to optimal diet therapy are discussed

1. TCM Dietary Therapy
Amy Scherman
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine
OM511.02
Professor Brendan Mattson

2. The Root of It All
 TCM's view of a human organism's
physiological lifespan can be
likened to the burning of a candle.
 Yin and Yang physiology includes:
 Blood and Qi
 Essence and Shen
 Structure and Function
 The candlestick we are born with is
our prenatal essence. We add to
the candlestick by ingesting food
and liquid that becomes post-natal
essence.
 If we eat properly, we can store
reserves of post-natal essence so
that we don't deplete the candle.
The Nei Jing states a person
should have enough jing for....
Yin
Yang
A.) 80 years B.) 95 years C.) 100 years D.) 75 years
The Bottom Line: Wax On, Not Off

3. TCM Optimal Digestion
 The 2 most important
organs in digestions
are...
The stomach
The spleen
 Some like it hot..the
stomach especially!
The stomach needs a
____ºF Stew for
optimal digestion.
Stomach
Spleen
100

4. How do we achieve optimal digestion?
 There are 3 rules to assure an
optimal stomach stew...
1.) Mainly eat cooked foods vs
raw foods.
 When you eat a raw carrot, your body
only absorbs ____% of the nutrients.
2.) Chew your food!
 Chewing thoroughly means the food is more
stew-like for the stomach to process
3.) Avoid cold foods and liquids
 When we ingest cold food, it means our
stomach fire needs to turn the heat up, way
up! Leads to Stomach Yin Xu.
 The Spleen fire is doused by cold= dampness
and phlegm
50

5. So now we know the rules, but what
foods are best to choose?
 Degree of Dampness
All foods have a degree
of dampness and
sweetness to them.
 Sweetness is related to
earth, and earth nourishes
qi and blood, but
moderation is key!
 One must be aware of the
key elements such as the
fat content of food and
flavors that are a mix of
sweet and sour
 Post-digestive Temp
Food temperatures in
TCM are grouped as:
 Cold, cool, level, warm
, or hot
 Optimal is level/warm
but it is also
dependent on time of
year
Which of the three is most
dampening?
1.) Beef
2.) Chicken
3.) Pork
Which of the three is most
dampening?
1.) Tomatoes
2.) Bananas
3.) Blueberries
A store clerk at Trader Joe's offers you to try the
latest and greatest 100% vegetable juice.
Does the Chinese practioner
1.) Embrace the wondrous vegetables
2.) Scoff at this flimsy nutritional idea
Which is the cooler fruit?
Which is the warmer vegetable?

6. Food Flavors and Effects
Source: http://www.tcmyellowpage.com/study_doc/html/list37-1.html