We feel this intuitively, and nutrition experts confirm: food, like our clothes, can be “summer” and “winter.” Increasing the caloric content of your menu is the most obvious way to warm up. After all, calories are energy, and therefore a source of heat for the body. If one gram of protein or carbohydrates contains only four calories, then one gram of fat contains nine. Therefore, it is not surprising that in cold weather we tend to choose fatty foods more often. And it happens that the consequences of this choice turn out to be longer lasting than winter season... However, a winter, warming menu can include not only high-calorie, too fatty or sweet dishes. There are many products that give us a feeling of warmth without adding pounds. They act on the body like “dragon’s breath,” as supporters of the ancient oriental medicine. In Ayurveda, all foods are divided into four categories: cold, cool, warm and hot, and this classification has nothing to do with the temperature at which the food is served. Cold and cool ones replenish the lack of yin energy and pacify the internal heat, while hot and warm ones nourish insufficient yang and defeat the cold. So you just need to choose well. Many spices (cloves, cinnamon, pepper, cumin, ginger) are suitable for us, as well as products containing sulfur (onions and green onions, garlic, mustard), herbs (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf), nuts, legumes, mushrooms, grains (rice, buckwheat, oats), vegetables and root vegetables (pumpkin, carrots, potatoes, parsnips).
Heat regulators
We stay warm because these foods affect thermogenesis, the heat-producing mechanism in regulating our body temperature. In Ayurvedic language we would say that spices and herbs ignite the digestive fire, and in Western medical terms we would say that they stimulate the secretion of enzymes. In fact, these substances trigger a whole chain chemical reactions in organism. Thus, the secretion of digestive enzymes begins from the minute food enters the mouth: saliva is actively secreted, and with it the process of digesting proteins begins, which ensure regulation of the level of glucose in the blood - the same glucose that gives us energy. Spices improve the process of digestion of vegetables and legumes, and spices, especially pepper, have a vasodilating effect: as a result, blood circulation in the digestive tract improves, the body releases even more enzymes, and they continue to work, warming us. Some substances also stimulate our endocrine system, that is, the body’s production of hormones. For example, to better adapt to the cold, it is important to support the functioning of the thyroid gland. They will help with this cereals, ginger, seafood and seaweed. Thyroid- a real thermostat of the body. But it is not always easy for her to adapt to climate change: this may explain sudden bouts of heat or excessive chilliness. Herbalists also advise supporting the functioning of the adrenal glands by including cinnamon, herbs (savory, thyme, rosemary), vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C in their recipes - this will help us adapt to temperature changes. This is especially important in winter, when we move from warm to cold within a few minutes.
Spices- the best thermogenics
Black, red, white and cayenne pepper, ginger root, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, cumin, coriander, saffron and cardamom, curry, wasabi, horseradish, mustard... These are all excellent thermogenics. This is the name for substances that warm us by accelerating metabolism, including fat metabolism. But it is still better to use them in moderation: spices not only promote slimness, but also whet the appetite. Nutritionists do not advise drinking ginger tea or generously seasoning your food with mustard immediately before going out. Thermogenics cause a rush of blood to the legs and increase heat transfer. That's why we immediately feel warm. And for the same reason, we can become hypothermic more quickly. You shouldn’t overindulge in spices in the evening either: excess heat will interfere with sleep and can lead to night sweats. But these products are ideal for lunch and early dinner.
Warming soups
Soups are our faithful companions on cold frosty days. Vegetable broths are certainly healthy, but soups cooked with meat broth in cold weather are still better. This is because rich meat broths contain much more essential amino acids and extract substances that activate digestion. During the digestion of food, a lot of energy is released, which warms our body. After the soup has been cooked and cooled, it is necessary to remove the fat layer from its surface. It has little effect on the taste, but after getting rid of it, the soup becomes noticeably less caloric and the cholesterol content decreases. Spices and seasonings are perfect for adding piquancy to the soup. Marjoram, thyme, caraway and rosemary help increase the warming properties of the broth due to the essential oils they contain. Root vegetables are ideal for dressing, such as onions, parsnips, rutabaga, and beets, which also have a warming effect.
According to the dialectics of the development of the Universe, the world is divided into two inseparable halves: interconnected and closely interacting opposites. This is cold and heat, day and night, sun and moon, man and woman, north and south - and so on ad infinitum. The Earth is infinitely generous and kind to us, it gives life to all living things on the planet. Everything that grows on it contains the elements of water, earth, air, metal, sun and moon. Nutrition according to Tibetan medicine assumes that human food, like everything in the surrounding world, has the nature of cold and heat.
Application experience proper nutrition according to Tibetan medicine indicates that the majority of people with health problems do not need conventional drug treatment. To recover, they just need to change their lifestyle and diet. Food, influencing basic physiological processes, enhances or weakens their activity.
At the same time, different foods and dishes prepared from them affect the body in different ways: they can heal, or they can turn out to be poison. We build our body from what we eat. Even our emotions, mood, mental activity, courage, and success greatly depend on our diet. Proper nutrition according to Tibetan medicine promotes the formation of new cells in all vital organs of the body and the achievement of complete harmony in the body.
The influence of food on a person is studied through taste, therefore, when organizing nutrition in Tibetan medicine, developing diets and prescribing medications, it is of decisive importance. Throughout the day, the patient should receive all six tastes in one dosage or another: bitter, sour, salty, spicy, sweet, astringent. It is believed that a person recognizes the energy of yang heat or yin cold contained in food with the help of taste buds.
This constitution, characteristic of phlegmatic people, belongs to the cold yin type. As a rule, these people are balanced, calm, calm, good-natured and peace-loving. When angry, they show restraint. Their skin is pale, cool, smooth and dense, their joints are often swollen and stiff. Urine is light-colored, with a faint odor. The tongue is covered with a white coating, the gums are whitish, the eyelids are swollen.
However, when the natural laziness of phlegmatic people increases, excess mucus begins to accumulate in the body. In winter, with a sedentary lifestyle and overeating, people with this constitution experience disruptions in the functioning of their physiological systems. Similar disorders manifest themselves in the form of runny nose, bronchitis, pain in the joints, spine, swelling in the legs and face. Representatives of the “mucus” constitution often experience heaviness in the body, especially in the lower back.
With a dominant “mucus” constitution, a person experiences dysfunction endocrine system, development of goiter (thickening at the base of the neck), tendency to numbness of the body. Often there are hiccups, difficult mobility of joints and vertebrae, memory deteriorates, drowsiness appears, and taste sensations are dulled. Any food seems unappetizing, and there is a stale, sour taste in the mouth. Important in correcting the body of people of this type is, of course, the work and rest regime, healthy image life and proper nutrition according to the human constitution.
As soon as a person begins to “get heavier”, his tummy becomes rounded, laziness appears and the desire to sleep in daytime. This means that the body is signaling danger. The picture may be complemented by slight swelling on the face after sleep, and in the ankle area in the evening. All these signs indicate that an immediate transition to active actions. Heavy “cold” food and overeating only aggravate the problems of people with a “mucus” constitution, so it is very important to take into account the recommendations of Tibetan medicine on proper nutrition.
Centuries-old practice proves that inappropriate food is most often the main cause of the mucus constitutional disorder. Proper nutrition for such people does not allow regular consumption of “cold” foods, bland food without spices and seasonings, fatty high-calorie dishes, and incompatible foods. Eating spoiled or poorly prepared foods, unripe grains, beans, stale vegetables and root vegetables can also lead to negative consequences.
In addition, nutrition according to Tibetan medicine requires compliance with certain standards without overeating and excessive fluid consumption. The amount drunk should not be more than twice the amount of solid foods eaten. Disturbance of the “mucus” can be caused by abnormal absorption of cow’s or goat’s milk, passion for chilled carbonated drinks, and abuse of bitter and sweet tastes. Proper nutrition also implies a healthy eating pattern, which excludes too frequent snacking, when a person begins to eat before he has had time to digest what he had previously eaten.
The “mucus” constitution according to age classification refers to the period of childhood associated with ignorance. In adults, as a result of ignorance, mental and emotional laziness, the causes of the development of “mucus” diseases are bad habits, disordered eating, and an unhealthy lifestyle. It is adults who rarely think about the benefits of nutrition according to Tibetan medicine, indulging in momentary whims that lead to the appearance of painful disorders in the physiological system. A change in the condition of the mucous surfaces and disruption of their functions is the first sign of constitutional disturbance.
Staying in damp and cold rooms, systematic hypothermia, and most importantly, food that contradicts the principles of proper nutrition according to Tibetan medicine, become significant factors contributing to the disturbance of the “mucus” constitution. This should be remembered by those who work for outdoors at any time of the year, for example, street vendors or construction workers. Over time, indifference to your body leads to the development of serious health problems.
Proper nutrition prevents the appearance of malfunctions in the body, because the basis of most diseases is an unbalanced diet. You should not wait until, when the mucus constitution is disturbed, mucous deposits begin to accumulate in the bronchi and trachea, like scale on the walls of a kettle. In this case, it is important to stop the process at the initial stage of development, defining it by the first unpleasant sensations, such as the appearance of a lump in the throat, making it difficult to swallow, and soreness when speaking. Sometimes there may be difficulty in inhaling, preventing you from taking a deep breath.
There are other serious symptoms, such as expectoration small quantity dirty yellow sputum during physical activity or choking when laughing, prone to frequent hiccups, dry cough without expectoration, cough for no apparent reason. All of them indicate a large accumulation of mucus in the respiratory organs. If they are joined by infections, repeated colds suffered on the legs, untreated diseases, the result may be the occurrence of allergic reactions and intractable pathologies.
The accumulated mucus enters the blood and circulates throughout the body, affecting dense and hollow organs, skin, joints, muscles, and bones. When it enters dense organs, such as the lungs, pneumonia and bronchial asthma occur. Hollow organs include the stomach, large and small intestines, bladder, and uterus. Penetration of mucus into the bladder causes urinary incontinence, and when it enters the uterus, it causes a feeling of cold in the lower abdomen. This often results in the release of mucus and blood in the urine through the genital and urinary tract.
Tibetan medicine, from its point of view proven over thousands of years, explains why the presence of mucus in the intestines provokes bloating, rumbling, gas, and diarrhea. Due to indigestion, mucus settles on the folds of the stomach in the form of a multilayer coating. In these cases, fibrogastroscopy shows rough folding and an abundance of mucus. There is a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, vomiting, sour belching and an unpleasant taste in the mouth, and heartburn appears. Naturally, digestion worsens and appetite disappears. Even if a person eats little, he feels full in the stomach.
The presence of mucus, when excited, is found everywhere in the body. Thus, when examining the bladder using cystoscopy, redness and hypertrophy of the mucosa are revealed, the analysis shows the presence of mucus in the urine. When it gets into a person’s kidneys, they suffer from lower back pain and urinary retention. A painful condition under the influence of dampness and cold is much easier to tolerate when proper nutrition is organized according to Tibetan medicine.
Depending on the distribution of mucus in the body and the location of its localization, symptoms such as a feeling of congestion in the ears, heaviness in the head, drowsiness, apathy, and weakness may appear. Penetrating into the nasopharynx, the mucus causes a severe runny nose and a feeling of pressure on the bridge of the nose. There have been cases of memory loss, decreased mental activity, dizziness, and a feeling of fullness in the chest. Due to the lack of proper nutrition, according to the human constitution, an already poor appetite worsens, bloating and heaviness in the right hypochondrium, and a feeling of coldness in the body appear. The tongue stops feeling the taste of food. When defecating, viscous mucus comes out with feces.
When mucus eats into bone tissue, swelling occurs in the joints, aching pain in areas of inflammation in a calm state, as well as during flexion and extension of the limbs. An exacerbation in this case may occur as a result of hypothermia. For example, a man took a swim in cold water, and the next day his knees became swollen. In this case, a rapid breakdown of the binding mucus occurred because the prerequisites for this were created in advance due to an incorrect lifestyle and diet.
The question of how to get rid of diseases that grow like a snowball becomes especially relevant for a person. Currently the problem can be solved simply. A comprehensive answer to the burning question is given by nutrition according to Tibetan medicine.
Disturbance of the “mucus” constitution and diseases associated with it are divided into true, occurring on “their own basis,” and mixed, arising on “another’s basis.” At the same time, fat, fluid, mucus and lymph accumulate in the body, which directly leads to the appearance of excess weight and the development of many diseases. People of this type are plagued by sore throats, pharyngitis, chronic runny nose, sinusitis, bronchitis and bronchial asthma, various allergies, etc. They are tormented by joint pain, skin diseases and various neoplasms - lipomas, fibromas, mastopathy.
People with a mucus constitution are recommended to eat foods that have spicy, sour and salty tastes. Unhealthy indulgences in bitter and sweet foods should be avoided. The best means to soothe the mucus constitution are foods such as honey, lamb, ginger infusion, salmon, water porridge, and old wines. Ready meals and drinks should be warm, maybe hot, but not cold.
Lean cheeses, chicken meat, eggs, low-fat milk, fresh are very healthy butter. It is better to minimize the consumption of refractory animal fats. But vegetables and fruits must be present in the daily menu. Apples, pears, cranberries, persimmons, quince, sea buckthorn, dried fruits are ideal for people with a “mucus” constitution. Recommended vegetables include eggplant, greens, pumpkin, onions, spinach, beans, peas, celery, parsley, radish, carrot, cabbage salads, as well as buckwheat, corn, millet and spices.
It is especially important to consume red and black pepper. It by its nature contains a large amount of yang energy, provides a lot of heat to the body and can be used for the prevention and treatment of cold diseases such as colds, sore throats, etc. A simple recipe is widely known among the people: a strong adult should drink when a cold begins 30 g of vodka with pepper and lie down under a blanket to increase heat in the body. By morning the cold usually goes away.
The “wind” constitution (sanguine people) has a cold yin nature. These are mobile, emotional, active and sociable people who actively respond to the world around them. As a rule, “winds” have a thin, miniature build and short stature. They suffer from neuralgia, pain in bones and joints, and are prone to seizures.
A distinctive feature of the “winds” is affection and passion, which in young years manifests itself in sexual excesses. Among them there are many smokers, lovers of drinking, and having fun in noisy company. “Winds” are characterized by uncertainty and doubts; it is not easy for them to make decisions. Such people are predisposed to diseases associated with the nervous system, starting with radiculitis. First, lumbago appears in the lumbar region, then the pain spreads to the joints and muscles. This happens against the background of emotional overload.
But the most important diseases for people of this type are mental and sleep disorders. Sleep disturbances occur, he becomes sensitive and anxious, filled with nightmarish visions. A constant feeling of fear, confusion and anxiety lives in the soul, and unsteadiness in sensations appears.
The basis of all diseases inherent in the “winds” is the hyperactivity of the nervous system. The cause of the disease is often stress, fear, excessive positive or negative emotions. Acute infections, gastritis, peptic ulcer, vascular dystonia, neuroses - that’s far from full list"wind" diseases.
“Winds” are advised to observe reasonable moderation in everything, be able to neutralize negative emotions and see the positive side in any situation. Since people of the wind are not predisposed to excess weight and remain mobile and light until old age, they can happily avoid many chronic pathologies. However, increased excitability contributes to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks. Since the nervous system plays a central, key role in any organism, if its functioning is malfunctioning, similar disorders can occur in people with dominant “mucus” and “bile” constitutions.
The common belief that all diseases are caused by nerves becomes especially true in modern, stress-filled life. Speaking about wind disturbance, it is necessary to emphasize that it is not something inevitable, independent of the will and consciousness of a person. On the contrary, the cause and conditions for the development of this indignation are created by the person himself.
According to the provisions of Tibetan medicine, the basis of wind disorder is passion and lust. The irresistible need to be guided in life only by your feelings and emotions leads to nervous overload and, as a consequence, to the development bad habits and diseases. Passion means an unreasonable, frantic desire to achieve something: love pleasure, sports results, material well-being or career growth, social status, power over other people, etc.
The other side of passions is attachments, which mean an equally unreasonable and desperate desire to preserve existing benefits. This is a form of ignorance that denies the inevitability of changes taking place in life, in the country, in human relations. It lies in the inability and unwillingness to accept and realize these changes.
This can be not only attachment to material values, housing, property, social status, position, but also, for example, very strong feelings for a loved one. They are often expressed in abnormal hypertrophied love for children or grandchildren. In any case, unbridled affection gives rise to jealousy and turns a person into a tyrant. And in case premature death Injury to a beloved family member can lead to severe mental illness, the development of intractable diseases, and even death.
The attachment to a pet can be exactly the same. In all situations, obsessive love causes destructive emotions, such as anxiety, fear, envy, restlessness, painful fantasies, etc. Subsequently, they turn into chaotic thoughts, uncontrollable emotionality, nervous overexcitation, and delusional ideas. All this contributes to a disorder of the nervous system of the “wind” constitution, with the yang indignation first arising, and then exhaustion and decline – the yin state. The latter is characterized by apathy, indifference, a feeling of deep melancholy and hopelessness.
No wonder in Tibetan medicine love passion special attention is paid. The treatise “Zhud-Shi” on sexual excesses says that they “lead to loss of sexual strength, weakness, dizziness and even sudden death” (Tantra explanations). Passions and attachments equally disturb the nervous system, leading it to a state of yang excitation or yin degeneration.
The treatise “Zhud-shi” says: “Diseases develop from causes only in the presence of appropriate conditions.” And the conditions for the development of diseases based on disturbance of the “wind” constitution are provided by fatigue from passion (love or any other), regular lack of sleep, excessive physical, mental or emotional activity, prolonged fasting, consumption of rough and low-nutritive food, hasty absorption of food, drinking cold water on an empty stomach.
Ultimately, illness is caused by too long intervals between meals, abuse of bitter tastes, excessive blood loss, severe diarrhea or vomiting. No less harm is caused to the body by restraining natural urges or, conversely, strong efforts. Prolonged exposure to cold, piercing wind or rain, external influence Low temperatures become factors of exacerbation of many diseases. In addition, severe hypothermia of the body, accompanied by emotional arousal, can cause diseases such as neuritis facial nerve, neuralgia.
Painful experiences accompanied by sobbing, intense crying, and deep sadness and anxiety. “Under these conditions, the wind accumulates in its place, gains strength and, seizing the moment, begins to move” (“Chzhud-shi”, Tantra of Instructions).
As nervous stress accumulates, painful manifestations increase. Gradually, deformation of the chest occurs. Stress causes involuntary muscle contraction, a person lowers his shoulders and tries to be invisible. Over time, this position becomes permanent and habitual, which leads to stooping and even hunchbacking in old age, and the need to use a stick when walking.
It should be especially noted that the nervous system, like the entire body, is a single whole. Despite the fact that “wind” is conventionally divided into five types according to function and area of localization, one must be well aware that disturbance of one type of wind can cause disturbance of its other types. Thus, the penetration of a nervous disorder into the liver causes belching during and after meals, vomiting, painful colic in the right half of the chest and back of the chest, in the right hypochondrium and right subscapular region, pain in the back muscles.
The penetration of wind into the liver and the gallbladder associated with it has the character of an attack. A short-term spasm of the gallbladder against the background of a nervous shock spreads to the liver, causing a large single release of bile into the blood, which, spreading throughout the body with the bloodstream, causes a complex of symptoms. At the same time, biochemical blood parameters, such as bilirubin levels and other liver test data, may remain normal.
For people with a “wind” constitution, foods with spicy, sweet, sour and salty tastes are recommended. Abuse of bitter-tasting foods and fasting should be avoided. The best means to calm the vital principle, the “wind” is sesame oil, sugar, wine, lamb, especially smoked lamb, horse meat, onions, wild garlic, broths. From fruits and vegetables - raspberries, strawberries, sweet apples, watermelons, mangoes, melon, sauerkraut, pickles, ginger, onions, garlic.
A surprisingly simple and effective ginger decoction recipe. Pour 1 teaspoon (or 2 teaspoons - to taste) of fresh ginger root with 200 ml of boiling water, add 1 teaspoon of honey (you can use 1 tablespoon - to taste) and a slice of lemon. Drink hot. The drink includes three flavors: hot, sour and sweet. All of them have a positive effect on the disordered “wind” and “mucus” constitutions. The drink is also good for preventing colds, sore throats and others. infectious diseases. It is useful to drink the infusion at night. Food and drink for people of the “wind” constitution should be hot, or warm; food from the refrigerator is not suitable for them.
The constitution “bile” (cholerics) is of the nature of heat – yang. It is called boiling, seething, militant. People with a dominant “bile” constitution have a decisive character, an enterprising mind, and a good appetite. They are, as a rule, gourmets, they love to feast on various delicacies, and at the same time they are sensitive to poor quality food, which causes them indigestion. Less adapted than representatives of other constitutions, choleric people are adapted both to substantial skipping of meals and late feasts, and to prolonged fasting.
Only when they feel sick from hunger and their bodies begin to tremble do hot-tempered choleric people become irritable and aggressive. At this moment it is better not to catch their eye. People with “bile” are quite hardy, but due to excessive physical exertion, heat or frequent bouts of rage and anger, their well-being can become upset. Proper nutrition according to Tibetan medicine, the ability to restrain attacks of anger and indignation, and proper rest will help them maintain health and vigor into old age.
In a normal state, people with a dominant “bile” constitution are overwhelmed with warm feelings and a joyful perception of life, but when bile is indignant, negative character traits also appear. First of all, aggressiveness increases. Every little thing infuriates them: the sound of dripping water, a creaking door, a petty insult to loved ones, loud children's laughter. Such people more often suffer from metabolic disorders, they are prone to cholelithiasis, skin diseases (dermatitis, psoriasis, acne), and are predisposed to liver pathologies, the development of hypertension, heart attacks and other disorders of cardio-vascular system. But those who manage to keep their passions in check live long and enjoy excellent health.
Tibetan medicine considers anger to be the main cause of bile disturbance. This concept includes a whole complex of negative emotions: irritation, hatred, rage, malice, jealousy, envy, intolerance, aggressiveness. Excessive bile leads to disturbances in the functioning of the liver - the “queen internal organs" “Excitement of bile burns the strength of the body, for bile has the nature of fire, therefore it is “hot” (treatise “Chzhud-shi”).
It is the nature of fire and the disturbance of bile that lead to the development of diseases of “heat”, which is usually said to burn. “There is no bile, and there can be no heat” (“Zhud-shi”, Tantra of explanations).
The liver, which produces bile in the body, is very vulnerable psychologically, because bile not only participates in digestion, but also controls the psyche. People with a dominant “bile” constitution are characterized by self-confidence and innate pride. Wounded pride (and this is almost always about them) haunts them. Their bile literally boils and splashes over the edge, taking with it internal energy.
A constant source of irritation in the family, at work or in society contributes to the release of excess bile into the blood. And the blood already carries it throughout the body and, first of all, to the heart. Pressure surges begin, pulse quickens, sleep is disturbed. Dryness appears in the mouth with a bitter taste. Eyes turn yellow. The urine becomes hot, steam may come from it, and the smell of urine intensifies. The skin also turns yellow, itches, and skin diseases develop. All of the above refers to the state of “heat in the liver.” Tibetan medicine calls this state yang.
The classic medical treatise Huangdi Neijing (Canon of Huangdi on Internal Medicine), written about two thousand years ago in China, states that gall bladder problems arise mainly from unsatisfied ambitions and simmering anger. The message is clear: “Anger spoils the liver.” Other wise sayings from the same book: “Be pure in heart, limit passions and do not succumb to emotional turmoil,” “A pure spirit is the basis of the Great Healing.” Due to their great emotionality, people with a “bile” constitution are most susceptible to cardiovascular diseases - angina pectoris, heart attack, hypertension, strokes.
Lack of proper nutrition according to the human constitution and improper lifestyle aggravate liver problems. A person himself creates conditions for bile disturbance and the development of “heat” diseases by abusing hot, spicy, fried, fatty, meat, and sour foods. Overheating of the body, increased physical exercise, staying in stuffy rooms, inhaling harsh, unpleasant odors, the consumption of strong alcoholic beverages leads to disruption of many liver functions, including the production of bile.
“An excess of burning, pungent, hot and oily things, uncontrollable anger in the soul, sleeping on a hot afternoon, hard work after sleep, an unbearable load... as well as meat, wine and molasses in large quantities - these are the conditions that give rise to bile diseases” ( "Zhud-shi", Tantra of explanations).
The liver is a multifunctional organ. She is in charge of the ligamentous apparatus (tendons, fascia), so the deterioration of her activity often leads to tightening of the ligaments. As an example, we can cite cases where the fingers do not straighten, the nails turn yellow and split. Such signs are more often observed in men. Women have problems menstrual cycle, prolonged endometriosis. All these manifestations are nothing more than a malfunction of the liver, a disturbance of the “bile” constitution. As a result, prothrombin and blood clotting increase. It is the liver that accumulates blood in itself, making it thick, which contributes to the formation of blood clots in the vessels and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Exhaustion of the liver, that is, the yin state, is characterized by a deterioration in well-being and a general loss of strength. If a person is not treated, the liver eventually becomes exhausted and “cold” settles in it. Urine and feces become whitish because there is not enough bile in the body. Chills, fatigue, anger, resentment towards others and loved ones, and lethargy appear. The perception of color may change: white appears yellow, yellow appears green. The hair on the body is thinning. The body begins to dry out, and pigment spots and papillomas appear in place of acne. Subcutaneous and fatty tissue, muscles, bone marrow, nervous tissue, tendons, joints and genitals are also affected. Congestion occurs in the uterus and prostate, and impotence is possible. Violations of the “bile” constitution also contribute to the formation of stones in the prostate. In women, uterine fibroids occur with copious bleeding.
People with a “bile” constitution are prone to gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases due to stress and overexertion. A person of this type needs from one to three sessions of acupuncture, taking herbal remedies from the “Agar” series, hepatoprotective and choleretic agents of Tibetan medicine, proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
Recommended products include chicken, turkey, egg whites, seafood, olive and sunflower oil, rice, and wheat. Spices: coriander, cinnamon, dill, fennel, cardamom. Vegetables: cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, beans, all greens. From fruits and berries - persimmon, sea buckthorn, chokeberry, sweet apples, prunes, dried apricots, grapes, avocado, mango, pomegranates.
Not every person thinks about the fact that the products in his refrigerator may be incompatible by nature. Eating such food at the same time is tantamount to ingesting skillfully prepared poison. Harmful combinations include: fish and milk, milk and fruit, eggs and fish, pea soup and cane molasses. You should also not fry mushrooms in mustard oil, mix chicken with sour milk, eat sour food with milk, or drink cold water after melted butter. It is not recommended to take honey and vegetable oil together, although people often do this, as if cleansing the liver.
The main condition for proper nutrition according to Tibetan medicine is the following: do not start a new meal until the previous portion of food has been digested, since the products may be incompatible. This often causes indigestion and stomach upset. Unusual and inappropriately eaten foods can also cause similar consequences. Nevertheless, for people engaged in heavy physical labor and those who constantly eat oil, there will be no particular harm from a single intake of incompatible food. There will be no problems even for young, physically strong people with a good stomach, accustomed to rough food.
Proper nutrition according to Tibetan medicine involves dividing foods into light and heavy. You can eat light food until you are full, heavy food - half as much. The measure is the amount of food that is easily and quickly digested. From the point of view of Tibetan medicine, food nourishes the body and generates warmth. If you eat less than required, then strength disappears, diseases appear caused by a disorder of the “wind” constitution. And if you eat more food than your body needs, you may develop indigestion, weight gain, and mucus accumulation. The amount of food consumed at one time should be a handful. Each person has a different handful size. After eating, half the stomach should be filled with solid food, 1/4 with liquid and 1/4 should remain empty.
All food products are divided according to the energy content in them into yin and yang. Moreover, people with the “mucus” and “wind” constitutions are recommended to eat food with warm yang elements, and those with the “bile” constitution – with cold yin elements. Below is a classification of products containing the first and second elements.
Water
Rain, snow, spring and mountain water contain cold elements. Boiling water only temporarily includes yang elements, so hot tea and coffee only warm the body for a short time. Clean drinking water is given special attention in Tibetan medicine. IN summer time you can drink up to 1.5–2 liters per day. In winter, autumn and spring, the amount of drinking water must be reduced to 1.2 liters per day, which is cold period completely satisfies the body's needs. In damp, chilly weather, water with gas and cold beer are especially harmful for people with a windy constitution. The Yin nature of drinks cools the body, “cools” the blood and in large quantities can cause aggravation chronic diseases joints, upper respiratory tract, genitourinary area, cause common colds, sore throat, laryngitis.
Food of mineral origin
This is table salt that contains warm elements. Therefore, salty foods of yang nature are suitable for people with the wind and mucus constitution. Those with a “bile” constitution are advised to limit the amount of such foods in their daily diet. Salt warms up the already hot, seething “bile” too much.
Food of plant origin
These are cold, medium and warm foods. Thus, wheat, oats, black barley, red and black pepper, poppy, coriander, mustard, ginger, star anise, dill, garlic, onions and green onions, Chinese cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, radishes and nuts contain warm elements. Medium ones are found in blue eggs, buckwheat, peas, beans, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, pumpkin, and radishes. Cold elements include rice, millet, spring rye, cabbage, beets, melon, bay leaf, horseradish, parsley.
Fruits and berries
Any fruit ripens and becomes most useful at its proper time. In winter, we do not eat watermelons, melons and grapes, which are of yin nature. But there are many other fruits that you can enjoy during the cold season. So, for the “bile” constitution, persimmons that ripen in late autumn are ideal. It can be enjoyed in winter. For people with a wind constitution, the most suitable fruit is banana, which has a sweet taste and contains yang elements. The “mucus” constitution can be content with pears and sweet and sour apples.
In winter, it is recommended to eat fruits and berries in moderation due to their yin and yang characteristics. They are useful in the form of compotes, jelly, jam, baked, and even better - as dried fruits, which are available all year round. Black and white raisins, which, being grapes, are a truly Yin product, are useful to eat in winter, autumn and spring. It replenishes the lack of vitamins and minerals (especially potassium, necessary for the heart and kidneys). Raisins can taste sour or sweet, so they are healthy for everyone. The first taste is for people with the “mucus” constitution, the second – for those with the “bile” and “wind” constitution. Sweet prunes and apricots, which contain little water, can be eaten by everyone, although there are slight restrictions for the mucilage constitution.
Fruits and berries containing short-term warm elements include wild strawberries, strawberries, and raspberries. These berries are recommended to be consumed with tea; they warm the body for a short time. Medium elements contain rose hips, low-cold ones - blueberries, bird cherry, sea buckthorn, persimmon, sloe, peaches, pomegranate. Very cold components are found in black currants, plums, viburnum, lingonberries, tangerines, lemons, rowan, ranet, and cranberries.
Juices, wines, tinctures
Wines containing warm elements include cognac, wheat vodka, milk wine (especially from sheep's milk), anise and pepper infusions. These drinks calm the "wind" and "mucus" constitutions, and sheep's milk vodka (it has a warming effect) is remedy from the disorder of “mucus” and “wind”, which appeared due to cooling of the blood.
Drinks containing very cold elements include all grape and fruit wines, as well as fruit and mineral waters. They are harmful to use by people with chilled blood, representatives of the “mucus” and “wind” constitutions. At the same time, they calm the vital principle of the constitution “bile”. However, people living in cold climates need to consume these drinks with caution and not get carried away with them in winter.
Beer is a popular drink among the entire population of Russia, which calms people of the “bile” constitution, but excites “mucus” and “wind”. Its consumption in large quantities by people of the “mucus” type leads to even greater obesity, because beer is “liquid bread”. And the “winds” don’t really like the foamy drink and quickly get drunk from it.
Dairy
Mare (kumis) and sheep's milk contain exceptionally warm elements. They are nutritious and beneficial to everyone, they warm the blood, normalize sleep, and calm the vitality of people of the “wind” and “mucus” type. Thanks to the excellent healing properties, kumis and sheep's milk were a widespread drink among the indigenous peoples of Siberia, the North, and Central Asia. By regularly consuming them, you can be guaranteed to recover from severe chronic diseases of the bronchopulmonary system (including tuberculosis), stomach, intestines, kidneys, and genitals. Unfortunately, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, kumys farms disappeared and the number of tuberculosis patients increased.
Cow's milk contains intermediate elements. The amount of warm and cold components in it varies depending on the composition of the feed. If the hay is from dry mowing, in a mountainous area, then only the former will be in the milk, but if it is from a damp, swampy place or mixed with corn, cabbage, turnips, then the latter will be present. Fresh cow's milk, lactic acid products, and ghee are healthy and nutritious, especially for patients suffering from upset wind. Milk is not recommended for people with a mucus constitution. Fermented milk products are more suitable for them, and even then freshly prepared, and not from the refrigerator. Warm matsoni and ayran will be the most suitable for them, but not every day. For the “bile” constitution, the most beneficial is goat’s milk, which contains yin elements.
Human breast milk contains yang nature components, but its composition varies depending on the mother's nutrition and health. If her blood is cooled, and Yin foods predominate in her diet, then cold elements will be present in the milk. In this case, the child, despite breast-feeding, will be susceptible to Yin diseases (colds).
Beverages
This category includes jelly, compotes, tea, coffee, cocoa, and lemonades. Coffee and black tea are neutral products in terms of the content of yin and yang elements, but they negatively affect the heart. Their consumption increases heart rate and blood pressure.
Green tea is healthy drink, which quenches thirst well. Nutritious and tasty, it promotes blood renewal and normalizes blood pressure. Because of its bitter, pronounced taste, in the East green tea is brewed in different ways: with milk, salt and butter, herbs, salt licks, honey, but never with sugar.
Tea with milk and salt cleanses the gastrointestinal tract, disinfects it, and disperses gases. Tibetans, Mongols and Buryats seasoned this drink with wholemeal flour, pre-fried in ghee. This high-calorie tea is soft, easily digestible, and can replace dinner for people with a “mucus” constitution and for those who want to lose weight. This tea is very popular in China and is produced in a factory.
In the East, they almost never drink tea with sugar, because sugar is a very Yin product. It “cools” the blood and promotes the development of diabetes. Adding lemon to tea also cools the blood. An overdose of vitamin C also leads to disruption of the “wind”, and therefore sleep.
Green tea with milk is the most beneficial. For treatment, prepare a “whipped” drink: boil green tea, add baked milk (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of liquid), salt on the tip of a knife. You can drink it 2-3 times a day for several days or even a month.
Cocoa has a bittersweet taste. With milk and sugar, it is beneficial for people of the “wind” and “bile” constitution. In Europe and South America this drink, like hot chocolate, is loved by thousands of people.
Meat and meat products
Representatives of all constitutions love meat products. But not everyone knows what effect they have on the body. Thus, horse meat and lamb, which contain warm elements, are suitable for “wind” and “mucus”. Lamb bone broth has long been considered a remedy for disorders of these constitutions, restores strength after serious illnesses, nervous breakdowns, and helps with insomnia. The method of preparing it is simple. The washed lamb bones should be filled with water (one liter per pair of bones) and cooked for 5–15 minutes, salted to taste. Drain the healing broth, use it for treatment, and the same bones can be boiled 3-4 more times. A glass of this broth relieves mild dizziness, tinnitus, and normalizes sleep. In addition, it is a conductor for many medicines - herbal remedies of Tibetan medicine, including the “Agar” series.
IN ancient customs Buryats had a khorkhog soup, which was prepared 1-2 times a year for medicinal purposes. Recipe: put pieces of fresh lamb in a wooden bowl, a piece from each bone, from all internal organs, add water and salt. Then nine red-hot small stones are added to this set of meat, tightly closed with a lid and brought to readiness. This soup restores strength, saves from “cooling” the blood, and is one of the many folk remedies for treating Buryats.
Other types of meat used in Tibetan medicine include beef, pork and goat. The first contains medium and slightly warm elements, the remaining two contain cold elements, so their use can cause a disorder of “wind” and “mucus”.
Fish and seafood
All types of fish and seafood contain cold elements, so they are used without restrictions to maintain the “bile” constitution. People with the “wind” and “mucus” constitution are recommended to use them with different spices, such as salt, pepper, ginger, cardamom, flax and others. They not only improve the taste of fish dishes, but also promote good digestion and absorption of food. In addition, spices have a certain effect on cleansing the body, removing mucus, lymph, and altered fluid.
From the book by S. Choizhinimaeva “Food as a cause of “cold” and “hot” diseases
We also invite you to read the book by S. Choizhinimaeva “Nutrition and Health” and the article by Tatyana Galsanova, a doctor at the Naran clinic.
Food is not just a substance that gives energy to a person, but the most direct and effective way to influence our body from the outside.
In Chinese medicine, this attitude towards food is closely related to ideas about the energies of yin and yang, the provisions of Chinese medicine about the energy channels jing and meridians luo, which permeate the whole body, and the internal organs zang and fu, which mean five complete zang organs: liver, heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys; and six hollow organs of fu: stomach, large and small intestines, bladder, etc.
Concepts about the properties of food come from long-term practical activity; it is a generalization of the knowledge and experience of Chinese doctors in the use of drinks and food to treat and prevent diseases. In this concept there are mainly such concepts such as: property, taste, color and correlation with meridians.
Four properties
The property of a product is a certain type of effect of food on the human body.
According to Chinese medicine, all foods are divided into “cold”, “cool”, “warm” and “hot”.
However, these concepts do not indicate the temperature of the products themselves at the time of their consumption, but the effect that they have once inside the body.
In Chinese medicine, not only products are distinguished by their properties, but also those diseases that can arise in the body as a result of a violation of the harmony of “heat” and “cold”.
Products used to treat diseases with Excessive cold syndrome is called warm and hot, and for the treatment of diseases with syndrome of excess “heat” - cold and cool.
Food with cold and cool properties has an antipyretic, antifever effect, removes toxins from the body, reduces the thermal and physical energy of the body, has a cooling effect, and slows down energy exchange in the body.
Foods with cold properties are slightly more effective than “cool” foods.
The effect of warm and hot foods on the body is exactly the opposite of cold-cool foods; they stimulate the body’s production of thermal and physical energy, have a warming effect, and speed up metabolism. People who do not tolerate low temperatures should eat more hot foods, and patients suffering from acute inflammatory diseases, on the contrary, should reduce their amount in their diet in order to avoid increased internal heat in the body, which causes dry mouth, feeling burning sensation on the tongue, constipation and other painful symptoms.
Neutral products- These are soothing products that are soft in their effects. They stimulate the functioning of the spleen, which in Chinese medicine is responsible for improving digestion, which occurs due to the strengthening of the Yin power of breathing, have a restorative and tonic effect on the body, and stimulate appetite.
Neutral products:
onions, potatoes, cabbage, bok choy, lentils, peas, carrots, black soybeans, short grain rice, corn, peanuts, olives, olives, black sesame, hazelnuts, mint leaves, figs, plums, grapes, muer (edible tree) mushroom), herring, carp, crucian carp, pork lungs, pork heart, pork kidneys, pork feet, goose meat, chicken egg, pigeon egg, quail egg, honey, beef, milk.
Cool foods:
eggplant, white radish, pumpkin seeds, spinach, celery, chumiza, barley, golden beans, doufu (bean curd), wheat, tangerine, apple, pear, orange, duck egg, buckwheat.
Cold products:
tomatoes, persimmons, seaweed, zest, bamboo shoots, watermelon, melon, banana, pumpkin, cucumber.
Hot Products:
cinnamon, hot pepper (capsicum), allspice (spice).
Warm products:
leeks, coriander, cauliflower, garlic, papaya, apricot, almonds, peach, cherry, pomegranate, prunes, dates, chicken, lamb, sheep's milk, pork.
Five colors
Food products, based on their color, are divided into five types, each of which corresponds to one of the five organs of the human body:
green ones interact with the liver;
red - with a heart;
yellow - with the spleen;
white - with lungs;
black - with buds.
Green products relieve the load on the liver and gall bladder, regulate their functioning, effectively eliminate fever and calm the internal “fire”, relieve physical and mental stress, improve vision, and prevent headaches.
Red products have a positive effect on the functioning of the heart, relieve fatigue and strengthen the nervous and immune systems and increase the body's resistance to diseases.
Yellow products improve mood, strengthen vitality and uplift the spirit, are strong antioxidants, strengthen the immune system, protect the skin from various diseases, stimulate digestion and liver function, which helps cleanse the internal organs of accumulated food and dirt that enters the body along with poorly washed products.
They also remove toxins from the blood. At the same time, they help mental focus and enhance alertness.
Majority black products have a strong stimulating effect on the functioning of the kidneys, contain a large amount of amino acids and minerals that improve the functioning of the liver and kidneys, strengthen the body's breathing power, and moisturize the skin.
Black foods contain 17 types of amino acids, more than 10 types of microelements, vitamins, linoleic acids and other nutrients that normalize stool, improve lung function, strengthen the immune system, moisturize the skin, strengthen hair, slow down the aging of the body, etc.
Products white
are the main sources from which the body receives thermal energy, which supports vitality and physical strength.
However, they are deficient in certain types of amino acids, necessary for a person. In Chinese medicine, white foods are associated with light foods. The lungs love moisture and cannot tolerate dryness at all.
If you do not take care of your lung health in time, you cannot avoid such painful symptoms as: dry lips, dry mouth, throat and nose, cough, dry, dull, cracked skin on the hands and feet, muscle dehydration, and so on.
White radish, white pears, white wood mushroom eliminate dryness and have a beneficial effect on the lungs. In addition, regular consumption of white vegetables and fruits helps cleanse the power of breathing and promotes its circulation in the body, bringing a feeling of purity and freshness.
Green color:
allspice, celery, garden spinach, cucumbers, Chinese, asparagus, green peas, leeks, kiwi.
Red color:
watermelons, red peppers, strawberries, cherries, beets, kidney beans, tomatoes, carrots, Chinese dates, red apples, all kinds poultry, fish, shrimp.
Yellow:
pineapples, bamboo shoots, corn, bananas, butternut squash, lemons, tangerines, oranges, papaya.
Black color:
grapes, porphyry, black sesame, kelp (seaweed), edible tree mushroom muer, Pasania mushroom, mulberry.
White color:
peanuts, glutinous rice, doufu bean curd, Chinese cabbage, garlic, potatoes, lotus seeds, almonds, onions, coconut, white turnips.
Five flavors
"Wei" is the main taste of the product.
Chinese medicine distinguishes “Wu wei” - five tastes - sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, salty.
In Chinese medicine, it is believed that different “wei”, as well as the properties of the product, give different effects. The concept of “five tastes” is one of the most important components Chinese dietology.
Each taste has its own, different from others, effect on some internal organ.
There is the following division according to the “taste - impact” principle:
the pungent taste affects the lungs,
sweet to the spleen,
sour to the liver,
bitter at heart
salty on the kidneys.
♠ If you have liver diseases, you should not eat foods with a pungent (burning/spicy) taste;
for pulmonary diseases - bitter food.
People suffering from heart and kidney diseases should not eat salty foods;
For diseases of the stomach and spleen, sweet and sour foods are not recommended.
♠ Products with a pungent (spicy/burning) taste used to treat colds and other diseases caused by cold; stimulate the circulation of “qi” and have an analgesic effect. This type of product stimulates the functioning of gastrointestinal peristalsis and increases the secretion of saliva and gastric juice; accelerates blood circulation and metabolism, increases the vital energy of the body, treats colds.
Abuse of such products can lead to disruption of secretions in the body.
♠ Sweet Tasting Products have a healing and strengthening effect on the human body, have antispasmodic properties, they stimulate appetite, relieve tension and nervousness, promote detoxification and stimulate sweating, treat the spleen, strengthen muscles, and relieve pain.
People with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are advised to limit the consumption of such products.
♠ Acidic foods have astringent properties, stimulate appetite, nourish yin energy, stimulate secretions in the body, kill pathogenic microbes, protect against colds, lower blood pressure, increase vascular flexibility, strengthen the spleen, improve digestion, inhibit and prevent the proliferation of bacteria in the intestinal tract; improve liver function; increase the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
Excessive consumption can have detrimental effects on muscle and bone health.
It is best for people with stomach and spleen diseases to eat less acidic foods.
♠ Salty Taste Products heal the kidneys, remove toxins, eliminate swelling, soften hard formations in internal organs, eliminate stasis (stasis - stop or stagnation of blood flow or the flow of other body fluids), have moisturizing properties. Some types of products of this type contain iodine and mineral salts, which help soften goiters, lumps, tumors on the neck and tubercles.
♠ People with high blood pressure should eat less salty foods.
♠ Bitter Tasting Products dry moisture, relieve heat, tone, remove toxins. Most of these products contain a wide range of antibacterial, antivirulent (increasing resistance to disease), antipyretic and anti-inflammatory components.
Not recommended for people with stomach problems Eat a lot of bitter vegetables and fruits, as this can lead to digestive disorders.
♠ Sweet Tasting Products:
figs, plums, strawberries, wild strawberries, pears, lychees, grapes, watermelon, peanuts, celery, Chinese cabbage, garden spinach, carrots, pumpkin, corn, sweet potatoes, green pea sprouts, green bean sprouts, potatoes.
♠ Spicy foods:
leeks, mustard, coriander, ginger, onions, garlic, capsicum, spirits, black pepper, cinnamon.
♠ Sour-tasting foods:
tomatoes, legumes, apples, tangerines, oranges, lemons, pomegranates, black olives, apricots, grapes, lemon, hawthorn.
♠ Salty foods:
kelp, red algae, seaweed, barley, chumiza, seeds, walnuts, sea cucumber, jellyfish, crab meat, duck and pork meat, salt, soy.
♠ Bitter Tasting Products:
almonds, apricots, grapefruit, tea leaves, bitter edible plants, turnips.
Correlating food with meridians or channels of the body
This theory is also one of the main ones in Chinese medicine for understanding the properties and nature of products; it reflects the special impact of a particular product on the internal organs, channels and meridians (ching lo), which permeate the entire body. In Chinese medicine it is read that the relationship of food to the meridians definitely has a connection with taste.
Typically, spicy foods correspond to the lung meridian, sweet foods correspond to the spleen meridian,
sour - with the liver meridian,
bitter - with the heart meridian,
salty - with the kidney meridian.
But there are also exceptions. There are products that belong to several meridians, the range of their applications is extensive.
Foods associated with the heart meridian:
Sarepta mustard, lotus root, hot pepper, beans, gourd, wheat, wine, lotus leaves, persimmon, watermelon, melon.
Foods associated with the liver meridian:
tomato, rapeseed, papaya, leek, hawthorn, almond, cherry, prune, mulberry, lychee, black sesame, mango, fig, plum, dandelion.
Foods associated with the spleen meridian:
ginger, coriander, Chinese lettuce, lotus root, lotus rhizome nodes, eggplant, tomato, doufu, cauliflower, rapeseed, cabbage, pumpkin, lentils, peas, carrots, cinnamon, hot pepper, allspice, buckwheat, sweet potato , garlic, chumiza, barley, wheat, soybeans, apple, kiwi, prunes, lychee, tangerine, mango, chestnut, grapes, pork, seaweed, carp, crucian carp, eel.
Foods associated with the lung meridian:
ginger, onion, mustard, white radish, onion, rapeseed, carrots, celery, pumpkin, peel, allspice, mushrooms, dried seaweed, seaweed, wine, tea leaves, almonds, pear, kiwi, prunes, tangerine, grapes, walnut seeds, goose meat, duck egg.
Foods associated with the kidney meridian:
garlic, allspice, fennel, leek, salt, chumiza, wheat, Japanese eel, jellyfish, sea cucumber, carp, eel, mussels, crayfish, seahorse, perch, ham, pork, sweet potato, cherry, pomegranate, black sesame, chestnut, plum, grapes, cinnamon, lotus seeds, pork heart.
Products associated with the stomach meridian:
ginger, onion, lettuce (lettuce), lotus root, eggplant, tomatoes, white radish, bamboo shoots, Chinese cabbage, celery, cucumber, black pepper, fennel, leek, mushrooms, melon, pumpkin seeds, potatoes, spinach, glutinous rice, lentils, peas, chumiza, salt, doufu, buckwheat, wine, vinegar, barley, dandelion, muer (edible tree mushroom), sugar cane, lemon, apple, watermelon, peach, cherry, hazelnuts, tangerine, cow milk, chicken, pork, beef, herring, silver carp, crucian carp.
Foods associated with the bladder meridian:
fern, fennel, corn, pumpkin, watermelon, cinnamon.
Foods associated with the large intestine meridian:
potatoes, spinach, Chinese cabbage, pumpkin, lettuce, eggplant, buckwheat, muer (edible tree mushroom), salt, soybeans, corn, prunes, figs, persimmons, almonds, banana, peach, pomegranate, honey, crucian carp.
Foods associated with the small intestine meridian:
salt, pumpkin, cucumber, sheep's milk, kidney beans.
Food, like our clothes, is not only medicinal, but also “summer” and “winter”. There are products that give the necessary boost of energy to our body depending on the seasons of the year: spring, summer, autumn, winter. Such nutrition has long been considered the main secret of good health.
Warm and cold foods from the point of view of Chinese medicineIn some sources of Chinese medicine, foods are divided into hot, warm, neutral, refreshing and cold. Energy processes in the body are very important from the point of view of Chinese medicine. It proceeds from the fact that each product, despite the number of calories, has a certain effect on the body’s energy balance and on its internal and external energy pathways (meridians). According to this philosophy, breathing, movement and nutrition act on the individual electromagnetic force field of the body. They change the frequency and amplitude of oscillations of this field, inhibiting or accelerating recovery. There are foods that charge the body with energy, warm it in the literal sense of the word and strengthen vitality. Such products are designated in the table as “hot”, “warm” and “neutral”.
All other products fill the body with juices and liquids, and also cool it: such products are designated as “refreshing” and “cold”.
You need to know that energy in this sense has nothing to do with calories and calorific value. On the contrary, it may be that, in our opinion, a substance with a high thermal capacity, from the point of view of Chinese medicine, takes away our energy. For example, from the point of view of Western teaching, sugar is a high-calorie product, but from the point of view of Chinese medicine it is a very cooling product.
This approach can explain a lot. For example, many do not understand why citrus fruits, despite their high content of vitamin C, do not stop, but instead intensify the symptoms of a cold. The energy table of Chinese medicine explains this: such fruits are cooling and are least needed by a cold body.
The table by Barbara Temeli, who disseminated this teaching in the West, shows which foods can replenish or balance energy.
Together with the energizing spices, all products automatically rise to the "warm" mark.
Cold foods (southern fruits, tomatoes, cucumbers, yoghurts, mineral water, cooling drinks, black tea) cool the body and lead to a lack of Yin or Yang energy.
During pregnancy, many women who are prone to excess Yang energy can thus reduce it. Refreshing nutrition can distract you from worries during adolescence. You can try to correct the Yang energy of many hyperactive children in this way.
HOT: cinnamon, pepper, curry, Tabasco, nutmeg
WARM: buckwheat, oats, onions, horseradish, apricots, peaches, raisins, basil, dill, bay, cumin, marjoram, garlic
NEUTRAL: millet, corn, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, peas, plums, grapes, figs, saffron, grape juice
REFRESHING: rice, spelled, wheat, sauerkraut, asparagus, spinach, zucchini, cauliflower, celery, apples, pears, melons, oranges, strawberries, sage, fruit juice, rosehip tea, mint
COLD: cucumbers, tomatoes, lemons, bananas, mangoes, watermelons, kiwi, salt, sauces, seaweed, mineral water, green tea, black tea.
Neutral products include mainly grain crops, except barley and rice (these products are included in the cooling column). This also includes cucumbers and sweet rice. Neutral food restores qi energy, harmonizes Yin and Yang energy and should be the basis of nutrition.
Hot foods, as well as cold ones, should not be overused, especially curry, red and black pepper. Such food protects against internal cold and is a good addition in the winter season. In large quantities, they increase Yang energy.
The amount of hot seasonings should be increased in cold weather and reduced in summer. The same rule applies to onions, garlic, mustard, ginger - they all warm food. All Yin foods can be turned into Yang foods by adding spices!
Some people ask if they can have hot tea. Very cold or very hot food is not beneficial - both require additional energy expenditure for thermoregulation. Also, hot food and water have a very negative effect on taste buds.
Food is not just a substance that gives energy to a person, but the most direct and effective way to influence our body from the outside.
In Chinese medicine, this attitude towards food is closely related to ideas about energies. Yin and Yang, the provisions of Chinese medicine about the energy channels Jing and Meridians Lo, which permeates the entire body, and the internal organs of Zang and Fu, by which are meant Five complete organs Zang: Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, Kidneys; And Six hollow fu organs: Stomach, Large and Small intestines, Bladder etc.
Concepts about the properties of food come from long-term practical activity; it is a generalization of the knowledge and experience of Chinese doctors in the use of drinks and food to treat and prevent diseases. In this concept, there are mainly such concepts as: property, taste, color and correlation with meridians.
Four properties
The property of a product is a certain type of effect of food on the human body.
According to Chinese medicine, all products are divided into "cold", "cool", "warm" and "hot". However, these concepts do not indicate the temperature of the products themselves at the time of their consumption, but the effect that they have once inside the body.
In Chinese medicine, not only products are distinguished by their properties, but also those diseases that can arise in the body as a result of a violation of the harmony of “heat” and “cold”. Products used to treat diseases with excess “cold” syndrome are called warm and hot, and for the treatment of diseases with excess “heat” syndrome - cold and cool.
- Food with cold and cool properties has an antipyretic, antifever effect, removes toxins from the body, reduces the thermal and physical energy of the body, has a cooling effect, and slows down energy exchange in the body.
- Foods with cold properties are slightly more effective than “cool” foods.
The effect of warm and hot foods on the body is exactly the opposite of cold-cool foods; they stimulate the body’s production of thermal and physical energy, have a warming effect, and speed up metabolism. People who do not tolerate low temperatures should eat more hot foods, and patients suffering from acute inflammatory diseases, on the contrary, should reduce their amount in their diet in order to avoid increased internal heat in the body, which causes dry mouth, feeling burning sensation on the tongue, constipation and other painful symptoms.
Neutral products- These are soothing products that are soft in their effects. They stimulate the functioning of the spleen, which in Chinese medicine is responsible for improving digestion, which occurs due to the strengthening of the Yin power of breathing, have a restorative and tonic effect on the body, and stimulate the appetite:
onions, potatoes, cabbage, bok choy, lentils, peas, carrots, black soybeans, short grain rice, corn, peanuts, olives, olives, black sesame, hazelnuts, mint leaves, figs, plums, grapes, muer (edible tree) mushroom), herring, carp, crucian carp, pork lungs, pork heart, pork kidneys, pork feet, goose meat, chicken egg, pigeon egg, quail egg, honey, beef, milk.
Cool foods: eggplant, white radish, pumpkin seeds, spinach, celery, chumiza, barley, golden beans, doufu (bean curd), wheat, tangerine, apple, pear, orange, duck egg, buckwheat.
Cold products: tomatoes, persimmons, seaweed, zest, bamboo shoots, watermelon, melon, banana, pumpkin, cucumber.
Hot products: cinnamon, hot pepper (capsicum), allspice (spice).
Warm products: leeks, coriander, cauliflower, garlic, papaya, apricot, almonds, peach, cherry, pomegranate, prunes, dates, chicken, lamb, sheep's milk, pork.
Five colors
Food products, based on their color, are divided into five types, each of which corresponds to one of the five organs of the human body: green interacts with the liver; red with heart; yellow with spleen; white with lungs; black with kidneys.
- Products green colors relieve stress on the liver and gall bladder, regulate their functioning, effectively eliminate heat and calm internal “fire,” relieve physical and mental stress, improve vision, and prevent headaches.
allspice, celery, garden spinach, cucumbers, Chinese, asparagus, green peas, leeks, kiwi.
- Products red colors have a positive effect on the functioning of the heart, relieve fatigue and strengthen the nervous and immune systems and increase the body's resistance to diseases.
watermelons, red peppers, strawberries, cherries, beets, kidney beans, tomatoes, carrots, Chinese dates, red apples, all types of poultry, fish, shrimp.
- Products yellow colors improve mood, strengthen vitality and uplift the spirit, are strong antioxidants, strengthen the immune system, protect the skin from various diseases, stimulate digestion and liver function, which helps cleanse the internal organs of accumulated food and dirt that enters the body along with poorly washed products . They also remove toxins from the blood. At the same time, they help mental focus and enhance alertness.
pineapples, bamboo shoots, corn, bananas, butternut squash, lemons, tangerines, oranges, papaya.
- Most products black colors have a strong stimulating effect on the functioning of the kidneys, contain a large amount of amino acids and minerals that improve the functioning of the liver and kidneys, strengthen the body's breathing power, and moisturize the skin. Black foods contain 17 types of amino acids, more than 10 types of microelements, vitamins, linoleic acids and other nutrients that normalize stool, improve lung function, strengthen the immune system, moisturize the skin, strengthen hair, slow down the aging of the body, etc.
grapes, porphyry, black sesame, kelp (seaweed), edible tree mushroom muer, Pasania mushroom, mulberry.
"Eat before bed radish when you wake up, eat ginger, then there is no need for the doctor to write a prescription.” This proverb is widespread in China. Why is it suggested to eat ginger and radish at different times of the day? It's all about the properties of these products.
The taste of ginger is pungent. If you drink a cup of ginger infusion, you will feel a warm feeling in your stomach because ginger has the properties of “spiciness” and “warmth”. In the early cool morning, stomach Qi needs support; “spicy” and “warm” fresh ginger helps strengthen the spleen and warm the stomach, replenishing Yang Qi.
In the evening, it is necessary to restrain Yang Qi and promote Yin Qi. Eating ginger at this time means acting against physiological laws.
That is why there is a hyperbolic expression: “Eating fresh ginger in the evening is the same as eating arsenic.”
Consumption of “hot” and “warm” ginger should be based not only on the physiological patterns of human Qi and blood circulation during the day, but also on physiological changes in the body throughout the year.
That is, you can’t eat a lot of ginger in the fall. Autumn is usually dry, and dry Qi damages the lungs. If in addition the pungency and warmth of ginger spreads, draining the Qi of the lungs, it is the same as “helping a villain commit crimes.” Therefore, in ancient times they said: “Ginger in the fall is destructive for humans.”
The opposite of ginger is radish, which has cooling properties. It helps cool heat, precipitate Qi, and is beneficial for digestion. If, having been tired during the day, a person eats a little radish in the evening, the throat will be moistened, digestion will improve, the fever will cool down, which is very favorable for subsequent rest.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that all foods have certain properties and it is necessary to differentiate between them.
How can you determine the properties (character) of products?
There are many products, you just need to highlight the main ones.
Generally speaking, products can be divided into two broad categories based on their properties: “cold” and “hot”. Those foods that cause a burning sensation in the mouth and warmth in the stomach are generally “hot.”
“Hot” foods include fresh ginger, garlic, red pepper, alcohol, etc.
Those foods that make your mouth and stomach feel cool are usually “cool.” In China, in the summer they often eat lianfen noodles, which are made from bean starch (in Kazakhstan this dish is known as funcheza). This dish helps cool down the heat. In the southern regions of China, cold doufu (bean curd) is often prepared from corn flour with the addition of mint and a small amount of gypsum, which gives an incomparable feeling of coolness in the mouth.
“Cold” foods also include fresh melons and fruits, watermelons, bogwort, pear, cucumbers, fresh lotus rhizomes, persimmons, and many other melons and fruits.
However, there are not so many products whose properties can be determined by relying only on sensations in the mouth and stomach.
For example, lamb. In winter it is very cold, family members gather around "hoguo" (Chinese samovar for cooking) and eat stewed lamb, after eating, warmth spreads throughout the body. Anyone who often eats lamb is not very afraid of the cold. Therefore, we can say that lamb has the properties of heat. If you eat lamb and other “warm” or “hot” foods in the summer, your mouth will inevitably become dry, and nosebleeds may occur.
Conversely, after consuming certain foods, rumbling in the intestines may occur, loose stool, feeling of freshness and coolness in the mouth. That is, this food is classified as “cold”.
A classic example is crabs. To avoid the accumulation of cold in the stomach, fresh ginger, wine or vinegar, which have “heat” properties, are added to crab dishes.
Sometimes the mouthfeel and reaction that occurs after eating a certain food is different. For example, fresh lychee fruit tastes sweet and cool. However, if you eat a lot of them, the fire will definitely be activated. The same can be said about tangerines. Their juice tastes sweet and sour, and you don’t feel any heat while eating. If you eat a lot of tangerines, abscesses may appear in the corners of your mouth and on the tip of your tongue.
In general, the “cold,” “cool,” “warm,” and “heat” of foods (called the “four properties” or “four Qi” in Chinese medicine) are determined based on the sensations in the mouth and the sensations in the body.
There are a number of products whose properties are not clearly expressed. We can say that they have “neutral” or “moderate” properties. Many everyday foods (like rice and pork) fall into this category.
So what principles should you use to guide your daily food choices to help you stay healthy?
Warming up cold, cooling down heat.
Aversion to cold food, cold intolerance, cold extremities, as well as colds with the properties of wind-cold with transparent discharge from the nose, diarrhea associated with the perception of cold, pain in the joints in cold weather, Chinese medicine refers to internal cold, symptoms of cold. In these cases, you should eat more “hot” foods and limit your consumption of “cold” foods. Conversely, with internal heat and fever symptoms, you should eat more “cold” foods and avoid “hot” foods. For example, if older people experience dry mouth and nose, restlessness, red eyes, dry stool, hot yellow urine, or heat in the feet and hands, one should eat “cold” foods.
If a person has bad breath, dry cough, fever, thirst, yellow urine due to illness, you can also eat “cold” foods, for example, pears, bananas, watermelons, etc. In general, with “hot” symptoms “They eat “cold” foods, and when there is “cold” they eat “hot” foods, which can help eliminate the disease and maintain health. If you do not pay attention to choosing products with different properties, this will only add fuel to the fire or, as the Chinese saying goes, “there will be frost on the snow.”
When it’s cold, avoid “cold” food, when it’s hot, avoid “hot” food.
If we talk about one day, in the morning Yang Qi has not yet filled the body, so you should eat a little “hot” food, but in the evening you don’t need to eat “hot” food (for example, wine, ginger).
During the year, you should not eat “cold” fruits and other “cold” foods in cold weather (this does not include the situation when you sit near the stove, your mouth becomes dry, or you eat a little radish or pears); You should not eat lamb and other foods with heat properties in hot weather. In summer, you should also reduce your consumption of spicy seasonings. You should especially try to eat less food that is difficult to digest.
During the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), there lived the famous scientist Zhang Heng, who wrote: “Yang Qi hides in winter. When the stomach is hot, food enters the stomach and is easily digested. In summer, Yin Qi hides. When the stomach is cold, food enters the stomach and is difficult to digest.” Thus, at different times of the year, you should not eat a lot of food that is not appropriate for the season.
In summer, Yang Qi spreads, thirst and sweat occur, the tongue becomes red, and urination occurs briefly; Summer heat damages Qi, causing a person to feel shortness of breath and fatigue. At this time, you want to drink a decoction of wax gourd, prunes and other cooling sweet and cold foods that promote the formation of fluid, promote the body's water metabolism, cool the Qi of summer heat and heat, strengthen the spleen and stomach. In some areas of China, people practice “summer fasting,” which means eating more cool, liquid foods and reducing meat consumption in the summer. People are very fond of vegetables, melons and other sweet and cold fruits. However, if there is a lot of “cold” food, the functions of the spleen and stomach are easily damaged, and diarrhea occurs.
Wang Shuhe, who lived during the reign of the Jin Dynasty (265-420), believed: “From the summer solstice (June 21-22) to the autumn equinox (September 23-24), eat less fatty, difficult-to-digest foods. Such food cannot be combined with wine, water, melons and fruits. It is not at all necessary that illness will arise immediately. When autumn comes, the weather will change, and the condition of the body will change. At this time, many diseases with acute attacks will easily arise due to excessive consumption of cold food and overeating in summer. People believe that the day the disease manifests itself is the beginning of the disease, not suspecting that the disease began long before that.” In this regard, regardless of whether it is summer or spring, you should always be restrained when eating food that is “pleasant to the taste and liking,” otherwise, addiction to any food will easily affect your health.
First medical radio Naran FM
At an appointment with a consultant doctor at the Naran clinic - a conversation with Svetlana Pavlovna Ovshinova about the fight against excess weight and proper nutrition according to the canons of Tibetan medicine
— In Tibetan medicine, there are three fundamental constitutions: “mucus,” “bile,” and “wind.” Speaking of problems with excess weight, what most often concerns people with an indignant “mucus” constitution, is this true?
— Nowadays it’s difficult to meet a person who is satisfied with his figure. For the first time, problems with excess weight were observed in history about 200 years ago, which was due to the development of European civilization, which began to violate ancient prohibitions and rules for combining foods. For a long time, there was no problem excess weight, there was the concept of proper nutrition. New types of food began to appear that were incompatible neither with each other nor with health, such as various processed dairy products, dead vegetable oils, fast food, subsequently genetically modified products and enzymes based on them, all kinds of dyes, emulsifiers, etc. Where this civilization begins to predominate, first of all, in lifestyle and food, there are many both overweight and thin people, and each one of them is unhappy in his own way.
— From the point of view of Tibetan medicine, the problem of excess weight is a problem of accumulated mucus in people whose diet is dominated by bland, “cold” food, which is directly related to the problem of laziness and little physical activity. The problem of obese people is primarily a metabolic problem, due to which mucus (water and fat) accumulates in the body. To a greater extent, women of different ages deal with the problem of excess weight; it should be said that young girls primarily solve an aesthetic problem; in older women, this problem is associated with an increased risk and incidence of heart disease, incl. coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis. Many studies have proven that overweight patients often develop diseases of the musculoskeletal system, such as spinal osteochondrosis, metabolic-dystrophic polyarthritis, diseases of the hepatobiliary zone, gallbladder dyskinesia, chronic cholecystitis, cholelithiasis and various types of tumors. Women often experience menstrual dysfunction, including infertility. Obesity significantly reduces life expectancy with slight excess weight to 1.5 years and from 3 to 5 years with severe obesity.
— For treatment, you need to find out how the patient eats during the day, because... The human body is like a clockwork that needs to be started. First of all, a warm breakfast is recommended, which includes warm foods not only in terms of thermal, but also in terms of biological and natural characteristics. In Tibetan medicine there is no concept of diet, we are talking about proper nutrition, because sooner or later the diet ends, a person reaches the desired level of weight loss and returns to his usual lifestyle and diet, thereby the problem of obesity returns with even greater force. The task of a Tibetan medicine doctor is to teach the patient what he can eat without feeling hungry or gaining extra pounds. In the morning, our body can be called cold and needs to be warmed up; I recommend drinking a glass of warm, even slightly hot water in the morning to start the gastrointestinal tract and after 30-40 minutes you can have breakfast. For women losing weight, doctors of Tibetan medicine recommend eating in the morning so-called brown porridge (oatmeal, corn) cooked exclusively in water, with the addition of sour dried fruits, i.e. sour, spicy, salty tastes that warm the body should prevail. In the morning, you should drink herbal, black or green tea, as well as a ginger drink made exclusively from fresh ginger; it is recommended to drink it during the hours when the “mucus” constitution is active, i.e. in the morning from 7:00 to 9:00 and in the evening after 20:00. Therefore, under no circumstances should you allow yourself snacks after 20:00, because... it can be deposited in fatty tissue.
— Throughout the day, I recommend eating at intervals of 4 hours; food should be prepared for one meal from products with warm properties and thermally processed. The healthiest food is one that is prepared no more than 40 minutes before consumption and the volume of a single meal should fit in the palm of your hand. Now many people drink coffee in the morning, which Tibetan medicine doctors do not recommend; if a person cannot live without coffee, you need to add cinnamon, this is the seasoning that gives coffee its warm properties. When consuming dairy products, they should also be subjected to heat treatment, it is better to boil milk, kefir and yogurt are best consumed at room temperature, cottage cheese is best consumed in the form of cottage cheese casserole, etc. Meat, in turn, also has a warm and cold nature, for example, lamb, beef, veal are meats with warm properties, on the contrary, pork is cold and fatty meats. Chicken is considered a neutral meat, but this does not mean that it can be abused. Seafood is a cold food by nature, but with the addition of spices that increase heat capacity, it can be consumed. If you still need to eat in the evening, I recommend chicken broth, herbal tea or dried apricots to simply relieve the feeling of hunger before bed.
Learn more about methods of treating and preventing obesity, as well as proper nutrition, in the program.
