Deflate Bloating From Your Body

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You already have been physically active.  You also have had a sensible diet.  But you still can’t get rid of your flabby tummy.  Don’t give up; read on.  Probably bloating is to blame.  Bloating, indeed, has been a common issue for many people attempting to lose weight.

Not sure whether you really have bloating?  Find a plump area, push down with a finger.  If the spot rebounds very slowly, it indicates that besides fat, you have bloating.

“We should understand the cause of bloating so that we can get to the root of the problem,” Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner said.  “According to TCM, our spleen, kidneys, and lungs all play their own part in contributing bloating.”

Deflate Bloating From Your BodyIn fact, spleen is like a fluid processor.  If it doesn’t operate well, the absorption of the fluid that you have taken will be affected, resulting in water retention in the body. As for kidneys, their function is to discharge water from the body.  Thus, if the kidney function is not strong enough, bloating may occur or deepens.  Lungs, similarly, discharge sweat from the body.  If the lung function is not in its best shape, bloating forms.

Many people suffer from bloating may seem lazy to us as they don’t like to move much.  As a matter of fact, their limbs are just too weary caused by the bloating.

“Thankfully there are a number of foods actually do a pretty good job on easing bloating.  Coix seed, vigna umbellata (rice bean), and winter melon are some of them,” TCM Practitioner said.  “However, you should consult a doctor if your bloating is serious and constant that may due to other medical problems.”

Following recipes will help you mitigate bloating while curbing your hunger.

Coix Seed Porridge 

Ingredients (1-person portion) :

  • 30 grams coix seeds
  • 50 grams rice

Method:

  • Wash all ingredients and put them in a pot.
  • Add water and bring it to a boil.  Then simmer over low heat until porridge forms.
  • Eat twice a day, morning and night.

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Water Melon Soup

Ingredients (3-person portion) :

  • 1,000 grams water melon
  • 3 pieces dried scallops
  • 3 pieces dried duck kidneys
  • 150 grams lean pork
  • 80 grams vigna umbellata (rice bean)
  • 4 pieces preserved jujubes (Chinese date)
  • 1 piece dried citrus peel
  • 3 slices ginger
  • Salt to taste

Method:

  • Wash all ingredients.  Let dried scallops, dried duck kidneys, and vigna umbellata steep in water (just enough to cover)  for 1 hour.  Then drain.
  • Tear dried scallops into shreds.  Cut dried duck kidneys into pieces.
  • Skin winter melon, remove seeds, and cut into pieces.
  • Put all ingredients in a pot.  Add 2,500 ml (10 cups) water.  Bring the water to a boil, then simmer over low-heat for 2 hours.
  • Add salt and serve.

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Preserve Shen = Preserve Strength And Spirit

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“Shen,” in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), represents “strength” and “spirit.”

While strength means the physical energy that one has or the quality of being physically strong, spirit means a person’s feelings or state of mind.  “So, when we talk about preserving health, we shall preserve ‘Shen’ as strength and spirit are interdependent,” TCM Practitioner said.

Preserve Shen = Preserve Strength And SpiritIn fact,  according to TCM, “Shen” governs the human body’s life activities, including controlling and regulating our limbs, facial organs, organ meridians (distinct channels that circulate “Qi” [essential energy] and blood throughout the body), physical and mental activities that are closely related to the heart and brain.

“Observation of Shen” is one of the most common practices of “Observation Diagnosis” in TCM.  Practitioners are able to get an initial diagnosis of the disease by observing the patient’s complexion, coating on the tongue, expression, speech, consciousness, etc.

“There are many factors that can influence one’s ‘Shen,’” TCM Practitioner said.  “If our heart is disturbed, our ‘Shen’ wouldn’t be stable neither.”  In fact, aside from illness that weakens “Qi” (essential energy), blood, and organs; unemployment, love failure, pressure from job, insomnia, and overwork also affect our “Shen.”

So, how on earth can we preserve our “Shen?”  “I think you pretty much have the idea,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Adopt a healthy diet, get enough sleep and exercise, avoid having excessive emotions, and maintain an optimistic attitude all help.”

Of course you can always do more to preserve your “Shen,”  such as to do Tai Chi or Yoga, and make yourself a cup of Ginseng Dried Longan (Dragon Eye) Tea.

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Go Beyond Gingerbread: Utilize The Raw Side Of Ginger

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It really has been a bitter cold season since the beginning of 2010 for many regions in the Northern Hemisphere.  Not only the US and European countries face record low temperature, many cities in Asia from Beijing to Seoul have been enveloped in cold and windy weather with heavy snows.

While extreme weather events brought economic losses to many communities, sudden drop in temperature might also increase cold and flu risk.  In fact, being cold, particularly shivering, depresses the immune system as our body’s resources go toward raising our temperature instead of warding off bacteria.

Go Beyond Gingerbread: Utilize The Raw Side Of Ginger“That explains why focus on keeping warm is so important,” Traditional Chinese Practitioner (TCM) said.  “Also, make sure you have fresh ginger available at home throughout the cold season.”

Reasons? According to TCM, ginger is pungent in taste and relates to lungs, spleen, and stomach.  In general, it is able to promote circulation of blood, facilitate sweating, dispel cold, stop vomiting, disperse phlegm, and cease cough.  That’s why aside from delicacy and spice, ginger is commonly consumed by Chinese as a medicine in many forms.

“Following are three usages of ginger that can save you from a severe cold winter,” TCM Practitioner suggested.

DRINK to fight common cold/flu symptoms

Place a few ginger slices to a pot with water and bring it to a boil for a while, then drink it.  It can mitigate cold/flu symptoms, such as sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, muscle aches, shivering, and coughing by facilitating sweating and dispelling cold.

SOAK IN to simulate the circulation of blood

Since our blood is shunted to the body’s core in cold weather, our extremities (especially the feet) get cold first.  For people who have a weak “Yang Qi” [the energy being expended in order to create a manifest action] or have a poor circulation of blood and “Qi,” their limbs not only get cold first, but also stay cold all the time.

“Soak the feet in warm-to-hot water can improve the flow of blood and promote metabolism,” TCM Practitioner said.  “But if you can add a few large slices of ginger into the water, the result will be even more obvious and lasting.”

RINSE to cease coughing

Due to dry air, common cold, or flu, winter is the time of year to produce more coughs than summertime.  “For relief of cough, make a rinse by mixing water with a few pieces of ginger, then rinse your mouth with your head upward,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Alternatively, you can peel a small piece of ginger and chew on it slowly; your impulse to cough should disappear in either way.”

Ginger, before being brought back from the Middle East to the Westerns that eventually became gingerbread cookies, was originally used as preservatives and medicine, like those in China.  Although gingerbread cookies evoke pleasant holiday feelings, we hardly gain the health benefits of ginger by munching on a few pieces of them.  So, let’s continue to enjoy the refined bites, and at the same time, appreciate and utilize the raw side of ginger.

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Numeric Diet: Get Healthy Bites From 1 to 8

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In Western countries, most people have already known that the Food Pyramid created by the US Department of Agriculture is a visual image illustrating the percentages of each food group that forms a healthy diet.

The Food Pyramid basically has four levels:

  • At the lowest and widest (4th) tier, it is the foundation of a healthy diet, or the largest percentage of what we should consume.  It comprises bread, grains, and cereals.
  • At the third tier of the Pyramid, we can find two food groups—vegetables and fruits—combined together.
  • There are also two food groups: milk and meat occupy the second tier.
  • At the top and the smallest tier of the Pyramid, there are fats, oils, and sugars.

In fact, the Food Pyramid represents what the nutritionists regard as the most certain and dependable healthy diet recommendation that has been gone through substantial researches and studies.

Over the years, the Food Pyramid has been adapted for ethnic preferences, such as Latin American diet, Mediterranean diet, and even Asian diet.  In China, based on the Food Pyramid, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioners and nutritionists have designed a “Numeric Diet” as a healthy diet advice according to Chinese physique and eating customs.

Numeric Diet: Get Healthy Bites From 1 to 8

Here is what the numbers guide us:

1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil.  Its unsaturated fat has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, which in turn may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.

2 Pieces / portions of fruit that provide fiber and vitamin C.  Fiber not only helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease, it also is crucial for proper bowel function.  As for vitamin C, it is important for growth and repair of body tissues that helps heal cuts and wounds.

3 Bowls of grains including rice, noodles, and bread.  Grains provide many important nutrients, such as dietary fiber, vitamin B, and minerals like iron and magnesium.

4 Plates of vegetables.  The more variety they are, the more nutrients you will get.  Also, the darker green the leaves, the more nutritious.

5 Servings of proteins.  The best combination is 50 grams of lean meat, 50 grams of fish, 200 grams of tofu or bean products, 1 egg, and 1 cup of milk or yogurt.  Not only this mixture is more economical, but also is healthier with larger amount of proteins come from vegetables and smaller amount from animals.

6 Grams of salt (not to exceed six grams).  While a small amount of salt is crucial for health which helps to maintain the correct volume of circulating blood and tissue fluids in the body, too much of them can cause high blood pressure and many other health conditions.

7 Kinds of seasoning plants, such as green onion, ginger, garlic, pepper, anise, etc.  In addition to adding flavor to dishes that improves appetite, these plants can also detoxify and kill bacteria.

8 Cups of water to prevent dehydration, clean out the body, and promote metabolism.

Although this “Numeric Diet” is designed for Chinese according to their physique and eating customs, you may find the principle is similar to the Food Pyramid.  “Healthiness to a large degree is universal; what’s bad for me often would not be good for you,” TCM Practitioner said.  “So, feel free to follow this ‘Numeric Diet’ if you look for an alternative to the Food Pyramid; it is fun and so easy to remember.”

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TCM To Fight Evils Of Flu

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While H1N1 (Swine Flu) is really getting everybody concerned and wish to be immune to, almost all of us have some kinds of flu fever at least once in a lifetime.  Although to bring down a fever is a priority for both Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the approach of the latter one is more specific and actually depends on which “evil” that attacks us.

In Western Medicine, it tends to isolate physical factors as the cause of disease: bacteria, viruses, and chemical compounds are blamed for most illnesses, such as flu.  TCM, on the other hand, regards many of the causes only are the triggers.  It is because if a certain organ is weak and incapable of resisting outside invasion, it will be therefore prone to be attacked and the body eventually gets sick.

Aside from internal emotional factors (also read That’s When Emotional Is Too Emotional), TCM attributes the cause of most diseases to external cosmological, a.k.a. “Six Evils” that are governed by the meteorological conditions of season and climate.  The “Six Evils” are wind, cold, summer-heat, dampness, dryness, and fire.

TCM To Fight Evils Of Flu

Back to flu, TCM believes that there are three types of flu.  The first one is caused by a chill (evils of wind and cold).  Symptoms include light fever without sweating, headache, body aches and pains, stuffy and runny nose without sore throat, and feeling very cold even though body temperature rises.  “In addition to herbal medicine, to combat this kind of flu, we must keep the body warm while bringing down the fever,” TCM Practitioner said.  “To cover the body with layers of blankets, soak the feet in hot water, and use hot-water bag also help bring down the fever by means of sweating.”

The second kind is caused by “wind-heat” (evils of heat and wind).  “Patients with this type of flu usually have higher degree of fever along with sweating, headache, thirst, and sore throat,” TCM Practitioner noted.  “Apart from using sweating as a medium to bring down the fever, patients should also replenish their body with a lot of water.”

The last one is caused by summer wetness (evils of summer-heat and dampness).  This flu often happens in summer time when the weather is hot and humid and attacks people who are generally prone to edema.  “Patients will have symptoms of heavy head, lack of strength, as well as vomiting and diarrhea,” TCM Practitioner added.  “It is of utmost importance for the patients to restore a normal gastrointestinal function.  To do so, the patients should have diets that are easy to digest.  Also, in order to expel the dampness from the body, patients can eat more food like bitter melon, water melon, green bean (mung bean), and mint that promote the circulation of body fluid.”

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When Cold Feet Are Just Not The Nerves

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Many people, in particular women, suffer from “cold feet” and “cold hands” upon the arrival of winter.  Although it is not an illness, it could be quite bothering.  No matter how many clothes they wear, or how much hot fluid they drink, nothing seems really help.  What on earth causes that and how can it be fixed?

When Cold Feet Are Just Not The NervesAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there are two factors contribute to cold limbs.  The first one is having a weak “Yang Qi” [the energy being expended in order to create a manifest action] that is not capable of warming the whole body.  As our feet and hands locate at the farthest part of the body, a weak “Yang Qi” just won’t be able to create enough heat to reach these extremities.

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For people who have this condition, they should pay attention to keeping warm, especially the legs and feet.  “If the lower part of the body is warm, the whole body feels warm,” TCM Practitioner said.  “Soak the feet in warm-to-hot water before bed usually makes a good night’s sleep so achievable.”

When Cold Feet Are Just Not The NervesIn order to boost the ability to withstand the cold, people can eat more foods in “hot” nature, such as beef, lamb, chicken, garlic, chili, and ginger.  “Also, to massage an acupoint—’Yongquan’ (where it is located at the center of the sole)—helps, too,” TCM Practitioner suggested.  “Use the thumb to massage this acupoint in quick motion 100 times every morning and night and the feet as well as hands should get warm immediately.”

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On the other hand, there are people who don’t suffer from a weak “Yang Qi;” instead, they have a poor circulation of blood and “Qi,” which causes a stagnation of “Yang Qi” that cannot pass through to the limbs.  Consequently, they have unusually cold feet and hands even though their body feels very warm, particularly after standing or sitting for some time.  For this people, they should do more exercises to boost the blood circulation.  Furthermore, they can eat more foods that facilitate the flow of blood and “Qi,” like hawthorn, citrus, etc.  “Last but not the least, don’t wear clothes that are too tight; they hinder you from having a smooth circulation of blood before you know it,” TCM Practitioner added.

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Eat Sweet Potatoes On Thanksgiving, And Every Day

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For North Americans, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without Brussels sprouts, cranberries, and of course, sweet potatoes.  And for many Chinese, winter wouldn’t be called winter without snacking fresh baked sweet potatoes on the street.

Although we might only perceive sweet potato as a festive food or a seasonal snack, it deserves more of our attention and should be included in our regular diet.  In fact, eating sweet potatoes every day has been inferred as one of the reasons for the people living in Okinawa, Japan to have the longest average life expectancy in the world.

Eat Sweet Potatoes On Thanksgiving, And Every DayAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), sweet potato is “neutral” in nature and has sweet taste.  It can tranquilize mind; preserve youthful skin; nourish spleen, stomach, kidneys; and relieve constipation; not to mention stave off hunger.

From western nutritional point of view, sweet potatoes contain vitamin B6 that can soothe mind as well as boost immunity.  While rich in linoleic acid and fiber, sweet potatoes not only mitigate constipation, but also eliminate the cholesterol inside blood vessel that help prevents arteriosclerosis and thrombosis.

“Unfortunately, since sweet potato also contains abundant of carbohydrate, which has been excluded from many people’s diets completely,” Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner said. “But if you can take a deeper look at the content of sweet potato, you will realize that sweet potato actually can assist dieters keep in shape.”

Here’s why:  Sweet potato is highly nutritious.  It is rich in sugar, fat, protein, carbohydrate, starch, vitamin A and C, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, magnesium, and potassium.  Although its vitamin B1 and B2 content is six and three times higher than that of rice respectively, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of sweet potatoes produce only 99 calories, a one-third of rice does.  Furthermore, as sweet potato is an alkaline food, it can help decrease body fat versus acid foods lead to deposit of fat in our body as fat facilitates acidity reduction.

Once called “food for poor people” and “war food” for its inexpensiveness and full feeling in Chinese culture, sweet potato has won a new title—The healthiest vegetable (ranked by World Health Organization in 2008)—that it had deserved for long.

Look for a last-minute easy sweet potato recipe for this Thanksgiving?  Try this super natural one: Hot Sweet Potato Milk.  It has no sugar, butter, or cream cheese added; guarantee healthy yet yummy!

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Eat The Color Of The Season

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In the last article, Align Five-Element Diet With Your Body, we learned about Five-Element Vegetable Soup and its foundation: Chinese Five Elements.  In fact, one of the most important components of this soup is the colors of the particular vegetables being used—they are based on the individual color essence of the five elements, namely white, green, black, red, and yellow.

In this article, we will elaborate more on this concept and introduce what Five-Color Diet is and how it works.

Eat The Color Of The Season

According to the theory of Five Elements in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the colors of foods do correspond with our internal organs, i.e., green corresponds with liver, red with heart, yellow with spleen, white with lungs, and black with kidneys.  “If any of our body function is inferior, we can eat more food in particular color to strengthen that function,” TCM Practitioner says.

Not only internal organs, in TCM, seasons also associate with “Five Colors.”  Take winter as an example: Winter corresponds with kidneys (internal organ) as well as black (color).  That means to nourish kidneys is our priority throughout the winter season.  How?  To eat more foods in black color, such as black mushrooms, woodear, sea cucumber, seaweed, black sesame, and black rice.

“During cold weather, the principle of keeping in good health is to preserve ‘Yang Qi’ (the energy being expended in order to create a manifest action),” says TCM Practitioner.  “Since ‘Yang Qi’ is stored in our kidneys, to improve the functions of kidneys therefore stands to reason.”

In fact, a color-rich diet also is recognized by western nutritionists as having tremendous benefits to health and well being.  From nutritional point of view, foods in white color like daikon/radish, onion, and winter melon not only contain allicin that can help lower blood sugar, but also have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.  They also have high level of antioxidants which are able to fight against heart disease and cancer.  As for the green group like broccoli, lettuce, and spinach, they contain high level of phytochemicals and are a good source of calcium; iron; and vitamins A, C, and K.

Foods in red color, such as carrot, tomato, and strawberry have been known containing an antioxidant called lycopene that is capable of controlling high blood pressure, as well as preventing cancer.  While rich in beta carotene, vitamin A and C, the yellow group provides plentiful antioxidants that counteract free radicals.  Examples of yellow foods include corn, pineapple, and pumpkin.

While the idea of color-rich diet is relatively new to the western culture, the Chinese have been practicing it over 3,000 years.  After all, in TCM theory, attaining harmony with the nature is as crucial as reaching a balance within oneself.  And the best part is?  It is simple and everyone can practice it.

Here is the association between Seasons / Colors / Internal organs:

  • Spring / Green / Liver
  • Early summer / Red / Heart
  • Late summer / Yellow / Spleen
  • Fall / White / Lungs
  • Winter / Black / Kidneys

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Align Five-Element Diet With Your Body

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Whether you are enthusiastic about or getting tired of dieting, there are always a few fad diets that appear every now and then.  While some vanish, some stick around.  In recent years, “Five-Element Diet” has been widespread in Asia’s cities like Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc.  Unlike most of the diets aim for weight loss purpose, this diet is for healthiness.

Five-Element Diet was invented by Dr. Tateishi Kazu, an expert in cytology in Japan.  He first suffered from cancer of the duodenum and spreading.  Although his stomach was removed, the cancer cells already had spread to his lungs.  To fight for his life, he researched, studied, and tested over 1,500 types of herbs and plants.  Finally, he discovered the right combination of ingredients and formulated a unique healing soup—Five-Element Vegetable Soup—with its own molecular powers.

Align Five-Element Diet With Your Body

In fact, this soup is based on the principle of Chinese Five Elements, the harmonizing balance of the forces “Yin” (the energy being accumulated, assimilated and stored for later use) and “Yang” (the energy being expended in order to create a manifest action), supplemented by the theory of acid and alkaline diet.  In short, balance is the key to health as opposed to the imbalance that leads to illnesses.

The theory of Five Elements has long existed in China.  It suggests that foods, seasons, human organs, and state of minds all connect with each other.  To elaborate, the Five Elements in our environment (metal, wood, water, fire, earth) correspond to different aspects of the natural world and the body.  For instance, wood corresponds to spring and wind in the natural world and to the liver, gall bladder, eyes, and tendons in the body.  And for foods, bitter taste corresponds to heart, sourness corresponds to livers, sweetness corresponds to stomach and spleen, saltiness corresponds to kidneys and bladder.  We need to adjust and balance their intake subject to our body conditions to retain healthy.

The specific vegetables that Dr. Kazu used are based on the individual color essence of the five elements: daikon/radish of white (metal), daikon/radish leaves of green (wood), dried black mushroom of black (water), carrot of red (fire), and burdock of yellow (earth), which also relate to the corresponding internal organs: lungs, heart, kidneys, liver, and spleen.

All in a natural form, these vegetables are rich in amino acids, calcium, chlorophyll, iron, and phosphorous.  After all, plants grow in an active and vibrant environment in a balanced soil, which make them an excellent source of health supplements and even natural remedies for diseases.

“From which, we shall appreciate that the gospel of health is not to keep ourselves off the nutrients from the nature,” Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner said.

Some food examples of Five Element Diet are:

  • Foods in Metal group and pungent in taste:  Daikon/radish, ginger, etc.
  • Foods in Wood group and sour in taste:  Mature vinegar, vigna umbellata/rice bean, etc.
  • Foods in Water group and salty in taste:  Dried black mushroom, kelp, etc.
  • Foods in Fire group and bittersweet in taste:  Lotus seed, spinach, sweet potato, water chestnut, walnut, chestnut, pine nut, etc.

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An Acupoint You Should Heat Up To Beat A Cold

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It seems that many people get a cold at the change of seasons.  In northern hemisphere, for instance, September and October are months when a lot of people catch the common cold.  The question therefore is always asked and studied whether the temperature change gets us sick.

“A change in weather may stress out our immune system, which gives the bacteria an opportunistic chance to invade our body,” Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner said.  “In addition, as many people are prone to not wear enough clothing during sudden changes in the weather, their body temperature drops and will be more susceptible to cold.”An Acupoint You Should Heat Up To Beat A Cold

In TCM, a draught (one of disease-causing substances) most likely attacks our body through an acupuncture point called “Dazhui,” which is located under the spinous process of the seventh cervical.  In fact, this is the place where the “Yang Qi” (vital energy; TCM regards that if our “Yang Qi” is weak, it won’t be able to defend the body against disease-causing substance like wind, coldness, or dampness and will get sick) congregates in.  So, it is important to always keep our neck warm, such as wearing a scarf.

At the same time, there are other simple ways to fight against a cold with this “Dazhui.”  “When having a shower, pour hot water from faucet onto that spot repeatedly,” said TCM Practitioner.  “Alternatively, you can use index finger, middle finger, and ring finger to gently massage “Dazhui” in circle motion.”

After all, according to TCM, “Dazhui” is the intersection of “Governing Vessel” and all six “Yang Meridians” in human body.  To apply moderate pressure and heat on it can energize our “Yang Qi,” expel the draught, and make the “Qi” and blood circulate smoothly, which ultimately protects us from catching a cold, or even helps us to defeat one.

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