Every mouthful is an opportunity. Use them wisely.
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Every time we eat or drink, it’s an opportunity to benefit our wellbeing through nourishing our body.
To be clear, there are many different systems of nutrition and dietary therapy. Chinese medicine has its own theories on how to use food as medicine and it has been practiced in China for thousands of years. It does differ from some Western theory but for me, it makes a lot of sense and I have found it very helpful and simple to follow.
Full disclosure, I am not a registered nutritionist. I am a qualified acupuncturist so my opinions on nutrition are exactly that. However, I studied with qualified nutritionist practitioners and I use all of this advice in my own life.
The key point about Chinese medicine nutrition is that it’s different for everyone. When you come for a consultation, it might be that some nutritional therapy could be beneficial to you. But that’s totally concluded on an individual basis.
So here are some no brainers in Chinese nutrition:
- Eating three meals a day (at least) is important. Breakfast is the most critical in order to greet your digestive system and begin daily energy production.
- Eating warm food is also an important part of helping your body digest food effectively. Living in the UK is often a less than temperate experience so keeping warm is important. Digesting raw or cold food takes more of your bodies’ precious energy. By eating warm or lightly cooked food, our body can easily digest it and use its energy on other physiological and mental processes. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that the sun shines every day and vests aren’t required for at least half the year, eating salad is ok as you don’t have to keep warm.
- Put sesame seeds on everything. They are an amazing source of Yin which is the cooling and moistening agent in your body. As you get older, the Yin reserves in your body can begin to decrease so using nutrition to support your Yin is an easy win and cheaper than skincare.
- Root vegetables are a secret weapon for energy building. They nourish your core and the central energy generator in your body. A butternut squash soup or a mild sweet potato curry are perfect for easy to digest, warming, nourishing meals.
- Bone broth is deeply regenerative. Whilst I realise this isn’t an option for everyone and it seems to be having a media moment, if you can make your own bone broth and have a cup a day, or three times a week (anything), you will be helping yourself enormously. It builds Blood, Yin and Qi (the TCM building blocks of your body) which in turn will aid immunity, energy production, sleep and digestion.
Paul Pitchford’s book ‘Healing with Wholefoods’ is a total revelation when it comes to Traditional Chinese Nutrition. An amazing reference book if you’re interested in finding out more.
‘Unexplained infertility’ can be an incredibly difficult diagnosis to receive. Often the next step is to begin an assisted conception journey - IVF, IUI, ICSI being some of the options. However, ‘unexplained’ is often better described as ‘unexplored’. Undergoing more in depth testing can uncover an explanation. And if you do go down the IVF route, having a good understanding of why you’re there and what your personal challenges are, can only help enable you to optimise your journey and chances of success. Looking at fertility from a holistic perspective can enable you to explore avenues which haven’t already been addressed. Working with the nervous system and hormone pathways can be a critical factor in muting the stresses and strains of modern living and the dysregulating impact it can have on our bodies.
If you’re reading this, you have already shown some interest in finding out more about acupuncture. You are not alone. Acupuncture is becoming an evidence based medicine. The Cochrane database, a revered database of research and controlled trials which is recommended by the NHS for research purposes, has recorded 18,252 clinical trials using acupuncture up to April 2023. It also has 140 Cochrane Reviews on acupuncture. These reviews analyse trials using a specific system and provide clear evidence for the benefit of a healthcare intervention. The reviews cover subjects including headaches and migraines, menstrual issues, arthritis, asthma, shoulder pain, insomnia and labour induction amongst many others. The Western medical profession is starting to sit up and take notice. In April 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended that people suffering with chronic pain should have access to non-phramalogical interventions including acupuncture to help manage their condition. NICE also recommends acupuncture for migraines or tension based headaches.
Dare we say it.....is it here....Spring. The Equinox has passed and we are now definitely in Spring. Even the clocks have sprung forward and the evenings are finally lighter. The transition from Winter to Spring can be a tricky one. Winter is about restorative hibernation. Bursts of cold activity followed by warm, comforting food, indulging in the shorter days, marvelling at full moons being so low in the sky and relishing every ray of sunshine. Spring is bursting with energy. We can see it all around us - lambs are appearing in the fields, bulbs are shooting from the ground, brave daffodils are being battered by every type of weather. This substantial shift in energy can be a tough one for us to navigate. I find that suddenly my diary is getting busier and I have one eye on the promise of warmer weather and the Summer. It’s a time of excitement, renewal and energy. But there are things we can do to help ourselves if we understand and recognise this shift in focus. Given its origins in the observance of nature, Chinese Medicine connects Birth and the colour Green with Spring in the same way that we still do today. But interestingly, Wind is the weather most associated with Spring.
