Chinese  Medicine  Digestive  Health  &  Food  Therapy  Presentation  by  Portia  Richardson  L.Ac.  

     

 www.tallreedshealingarts.com  

     

 Yin   Yang  

General  Dark Light

Passive Active Earth Heaven Body Mind  /  Spirit

“Blood” “Qi” Substance  /  Material Function  /  Immaterial

Downward  /  Inward  /  Contraction Upward  /  Outward  /  Expansion Deep Superficial

Deficient  Conditions Excess  Conditions Cold  /  Cool Hot  /  Warm

Constitution  

Pale  complexion Red  complexion Moist  skin,  more  body  fluid Dry  skin,  less  body  fluid

Introverted,  passive Extroverted,  active Shy,  timid,  fearful Aggressive,  angry,  impatient Flaccid,  weak  body Tense,  strong  body

Complacent,  easy  going,  serene Passionate,  driven,  focused Slow,  tardy Quick,  urgent Intuitive Logical

Prone  to  deficient  conditions Prone  to  excess  conditions

Food  Actions  Cooling   Warming  

Salty,  bitter,  sour   Sweet,  pungent  (acrid)  Tonifies  substance  (blood  &  fluids)   Tonifies  energy  (qi)  

Descending  action   Ascending  action  Cold  vs  Hot  Food  

Energy  goes  down  and  inward   Energy  comes  up  and  out  Raw   Cooked  foods  

Quick  growing  veggies   Slow  growing  veggies  Veggies   Grains,  Meat,  Fats  

White  wine,  beer,  clear  liquor   Red  wine,  brown  liquor  Nourish  Yin   Tonify  Yang  

Moisten  dryness,  clear  heat   Transform  dampness,  expel  cold  Too  much  can  damage  Yang   Too  much  can  damage  Yin  

Support  Cold  climate   Well  cooked  foods  Cooling  foods   Warm  climate  

Fluid  consumption   Increased  body  heat  Rest  &  Digest   Increased  productivity  Mindful  eating   Better  digestion  

 

 

  Chinese  Medicine  Digestive  Health  &  Food  Therapy  Presentation  by  Portia  Richardson  L.Ac.  

     

 www.tallreedshealingarts.com  

     

   

Eating  with  the  Season    Spring     Summer     Fall     Winter    

Yang   Max  Yang   Yin     Max  Yin  Sour     Bitter     Acrid   Salty  *Acrid    **Bitter  

*Salty  (minerals/electrolytes)  

*Sour  **Bitter/  Salty  

*Bitter  (cooked)  *Warming  Spices  

Lightest  foods  young  plants,  green  leafy,  onion  family,  season  fruits  vinegar  

Fresh  foods    green  leafy,  melon,  summer  squash,  zucchini,  mushrooms  mint,  basil  

Sourdough  bread,  sauerkraut,  pickles,  leeks,  cheese,  apples,  pears,  root  veggies,  cabbage,  kale,  radish,  garlic,  onion,    

Heavier  foods,  root  veggies,  cabbage,  meat,  dairy,  grains,  ginger,  seaweeds  

Salty,  heavy/greasy     Spicy,  heavy/greasy  Coffee,  alcohol    

Raw  foods   Raw  foods  

Sautéed,  Steamed  (quick  time,  high  temp)  

Raw   Baked,  pickled,  preserved,  (low  temp/longer  time)    

Soups,  crock  pot,  roasts,  easy  to  digest    

       

The  Five  Phases    

FIVE  PHASES   Wood   Fire   Earth   Metal   Water  

Flavor   Sour   Bitter   Sweet   Acrid   Salty  Properties   Yin,  cooling,  

astringent  Yin,  cooling,  purgative,  descending  

Yang,  warming,  harmonizing  

Yang,  warming,  dispersing  

Yin,  cooling,  softening,  moistening  

Action   Nourishes  Fluids  

Clears  Heat,  stimulates  digestion  

Tonifies  Qi  and  Blood  

Moves  Qi,  Transforms  dampness  

Nourish  Essence  (Jing)  

Food  example   lemon,  vinegar   green  leafy   complex  carbs,  root  veggies  

garlic,  onions,  celery,  ginger  

salt,  seaweed  dairy,  meat  

Season   Spring   Summer   Every  season   Fall   Winter  Organ  (Yin)   Liver   Heart   Spleen   Lungs   Kidney  Organ  (Yang)   Gallbladder   Small  

Intestines  Stomach   Large  Intestine   Bladder  

Emotion   Anger   Mania   Worry   Grief   Fear  Caution   Dampness   Cold,  Dry   Dampness   Dry   Damp  

     

 

 

  Chinese  Medicine  Digestive  Health  &  Food  Therapy  Presentation  by  Portia  Richardson  L.Ac.  

     

 www.tallreedshealingarts.com  

     

Questions  to  consider:      What  is  my  constitution?    Is  this  food  more  yin  or  yang  in  nature?    What  is  the  temperature  quality  of  the  food?    Which  flavors  are  present?    What  season  it  is  currently?    What  time  of  day  is  it?    Am  I  trying  to  treat  an  excess  condition  or  deficient  condition?    How  can  I  make  this  meal  more  balanced?    Am  I  eating  mindfully?      Mindful  Eating    

• Self-­‐awareness  before  eating.    • Sit  down  –  don’t  eat  on  the  go  • Gratitude  • Chew!  Chew!  Chew!  • Notice  the  sensations  for  each  flavor  • Which  flavor  feels  the  best  in  your  body?    • Silence  • Self-­‐awareness  after  eating.    

 Common  Imbalances    

• Bloating      – Deficiency  cold:  warm  the  middle  with  sweet,  easy  to  digest  food  – Qi  Stagnation:  move  qi  with  acid  and  bitter    – Acupressure:  Ren  6,  Hara  circles,  Stomach  36  

• Constipation    – Dry:    clear  heat  with  bitter  foods,  nourish  yin  with  good  fats  and  sour  foods  

(fermented).      – Damp:    transform  and  drain  dampness  with  acrid  foods  – Qi  Stagnation:  move  qi  with  acid  and  bitter    – Qi  deficiency:    tonify  qi  with  sweet,  easy  to  digest  foods  – Acupressure:  Large  Intestine  4,  Liver  3,  Triple  Warmer  6  

• Reflux  /  Nausea        – Counterflow  Stomach  Qi:  harmonize  qi  with  acrid,  bitter,  salty  foods  – Heat:  cool  and  nourish  fluids  with  bitter  and  sour  foods  – Dampness:  transform  dampness  with  acrid,  bitter  foods  and  tonify  the  stomach  qi  

with  easy  to  digest  foods.    – Acupressure:  Pericardium  6,  Ren  1  

 

 

  Chinese  Medicine  Digestive  Health  &  Food  Therapy  Presentation  by  Portia  Richardson  L.Ac.  

     

 www.tallreedshealingarts.com  

     

                                       Yin  Yang  

 

                                           

Five  Phases      

                                                                       

 

 

  Chinese  Medicine  Digestive  Health  &  Food  Therapy  Presentation  by  Portia  Richardson  L.Ac.  

     

 www.tallreedshealingarts.com  

     

 Chinese  Medicine  Body  Clock