Chinese Dietary Therapy: How Flavors Affect Our Body


By Kimberly Zurich, ND, LAc


ometimes I will tell a patient to stop eating salads. WHAT?! But salads are healthy, right? Generally so, but daily salads are not the best choice for all body types. We have a general idea of which foods are full of nutrients to make our body happy, and those that are “empty calories,” not the fuel we want to sustain ourselves on for periods of time. This is not the en- tirety of the story. Chinese medicine (and many other traditional systems) has much more to add to the story of how foods af- fect the functioning of our body.


S Temperature


This can be the actual temperature of the food or drink (hot tea vs. frozen smooth- ie), its innate qualities (cucumber vs. chili pepper), or the way the food is prepared (raw salad vs. barbecued kebobs). Using the thermal quality of the food will help balance the body. This is why we crave wa- termelon on a hot summer’s day and why a hot stew is so comforting on a cold winter’s day. In this case, we are eating along with the seasons. Additionally, we may be more


20 ELM™ Maine - July/August 2019


cold or warm in our body, or have specifi c conditions that are more one or the other that will respond to the types of foods we put in it. A person who is low in energy in their digestive organs (more “cold” in the stomach and spleen) will have a harder time warming up and digesting raw veg- etables, which is why this person gets gas and stomach upset with the veggie platter at the offi ce party. This is why not everyone will do well on smoothies and salads. In contrast, too much hot can also do damage. I probably don’t need to explain how one would feel after indulging in a weekend of alcohol and hot peppers.


Flavor


There are fi ve categories of fl avor that correlate to the organs of the body as well as the seasons. When a system in the body is off kilter, we may crave this fl avor. A little can help restore the balance, but overdoing it can lead to more damage. The spleen and stomach are related to the sweet fl avor. In ancient days, this was more of a grain and root vegetable sweetness (whoopie pies


weren’t invented yet!) So, someone spleen defi cient (that guy avoiding the veggie platter) would do much better with some roasted yams and avoid sugary desserts. Too much sugar can generate dampness as it impedes the function of these organs, and we will see more buildup of phlegm or diarrhea. Late summer is the time of spleen and stomach, and we all benefi t from en- joying sweet foods this time of year.


Salty fl avors are associated with the kidney and bladder and the season of winter. These foods, like seaweed, fi sh, and miso, are loaded with minerals. This food is helpful to counteract the hardening of growths, lymph glands, and muscles. We know muscles will cramp up if we are lack- ing in calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The bladder and kidney organs are the regulators of fl uid in the body and so their connection with over consuming salt is well understood in symptoms such as the eleva- tion of blood pressure and edema.


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