Food As Medicine
The way we think about food in this country has come a long way since I was a kid. Growing up in St. Louis I ate tuna noodle casserole and canned fruit in syrup and my mom thought she was giving me a healthy balanced meal. When my mom put dinner on the table my dad would stand up and they would give each other a huge high five (obviously Putin is my mother in this scenario).
Let me just take a minute to break down tuna noodle casserole. You’ve got your white noodles, canned mushroom soup and canned tuna. You layer that two or three times and then, as if that wasn’t awesome enough, you to take it to the next level by crumbling potato chips on top.
Props to you mom. It’s amazing I turned out to be 6’2” and 195 lbs. The thought of eating anything resembling that now is completely disgusting.
Now I’m all grown up and I have a son allergic to so many foods that my wife (who is gluten free) has her own diatribe when we go out to a restaurant. We can test for everything these days. A simple swab of your saliva for DNA markers can give you a detailed report on what to consume for your optimal health. Should you stay away from gluten? Will dairy make you sick? Are you allergic to nuts? I am scared to take any of these tests myself because I’m afraid that someone will tell me I can’t have my tea and chocolate. What will I have to live for? NOBODY MESS WITH MY TEA AND CHOCOLATE!!!
I believe we should treat food like everything else in life. It’s all about BALANCE. I encourage all of my patients to eat a healthy balanced diet. Eat foods that are in season. Snacks should be things that come from the earth such as nuts, fruits and vegetables, but I also believe having a piece of cake once in a while keeps us sane. Balance.
The philosophy of food in China is to use food as medicine. They cook with tons of herbs and fresh vegetables. In Chengdu, China (where I lived and studied acupuncture) the food is extremely spicy because it’s very humid and the spice makes people sweat out all of the dampness and moisture in the body caused by the weather. Using spice to balance dampness helps prevent stagnation in the body, which can cause weight gain, bloating, low energy and other health problems.
When I lived in China my breakfast was Congee, a rice porridge that was made with three Chinese herbs: Da Zao, Gou Qi Zi and Shan Zha. All three of these herbs are great examples of herbs used in herbal formulas in traditional Chinese medicine but are also so versatile that they can be consumed in prepared foods to help strengthen digestion. My Instagram account @sheracupuncture is full of posts about different herbs and foods and their healing properties.
I talk to all of my patients about the concept of Yin and Yang. Each person at different stages in their life is more Yin or Yang. For example, a 26-year-old is much more Yang in nature, with more energy to run after children, exercise and spend a full day at work without total exhaustion. As we get older our Yang energy weakens and we need to start incorporating foods into our diet that strengthen the system. For my patients with fertility issues I encourage them to eat foods that are nourishing and strengthening such as chicken, nuts, garlic and ginger, which move blood and strengthen the system. For my younger patients I often suggest that they include foods in their diet that are more calming and cooling like asparagus, eggplant, lemons, apples, watermelon and green tea because they clear heat and calm the system.
All foods can be put in to variations of these four categories.
Hot: Ginger, garlic and shellfish
Warming: mangoes, peaches, raspberries, chicken and coffee
Neutral: Sweet potato, figs and grapes
Cooling: Apples, bananas, lemon, strawberries eggplant, eggs and green tea
Chinese herbal formulas work in the same manner. When I eat, I try to keep everything in balance. Personally, I run “warm” so I try to include foods in my diet that are cooling in nature.
The foods we put in our body have a huge impact on our overall health. We are constantly tempted by all of the delicious but unhealthy foods in New York City. Making good decisions is essential. Go grocery shopping, keep healthy options around for snacking and don’t wait too long to eat as then you are more likely to make bad decisions and eat too much.
If you want to learn more about how a diet based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine can benefit you, email me at gabrielsher@yahoo.com.