Managing Symptoms with Food Energetics

How differently would you approach meals and diet if you didn’t have to concern yourself with the western concept of nutrients: carbs, fats, proteins, amino acids, sugar, vitamins and minerals? In Chinese medicine, diet and nutrition is as different from the traditional western nutritional concept as night and day. Most of our patients require dietary modifications, in addition to their acupuncture and herbal treatments, in order to experience significant progress in the treatment of their health problems.

It’s funny how most people say they want to improve their health, but when it comes to changing their diet or lifestyle they think that they can continue doing the same thing and expect to get different results. Someone once said that’s the definition of insanity. Chinese nutrition and dietary therapy is based on matching specific foods to each patient, based on the energetic and constitution of both. In Chinese medicine, the energetic properties of food are actually more important than their western nutritional content.

Most patients, in our modern western society, exhibit many of these symptoms: inflammation, fatigue, stress, burnout, insomnia, acid reflux, headaches, various pain, hypertension, blood sugar abnormalities, cholesterol problems, joint pain, asthma, allergies, abdominal pain, menstrual pain and irregularity, and the like. Though these conditions will respond well to acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, patients find it surprising that their progress can be hindered if they fail to adhere to some simple dietary suggestions.

For example, patients who are being treated for pain and also have a weight problem, are advised to avoid or drastically reduce certain foods that aggravate the weight problem, which exacerbates their pain: cold beverages, ice cream, caffeine, sugar, milk, and dairy products, rich or fried foods; as well as red meat and seafood - as they contain high levels of uric acid.

Adequate intake of minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, are essential for pain management. Deficiency of these minerals will lead to spasms, cramps, and tense muscles. In Chinese dietary therapy, these nutrients act as muscle relaxants and are best consumed in natural occurring foods: Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and bok choy or Chinese cabbage; salmon and sardines canned with their soft bones, shellfish, almonds, Brazil nuts, dried beans, bananas, dried apricots, and avocados, cashews, peas and beans (legumes), seeds, soy products (such as soy flour and tofu), whole grains (such as brown rice and millet), broccoli, lima beans, tomatoes, potatoes (especially their skins), sweet potatoes, and winter squashes, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, bananas, kiwi, and prunes.

The beneficial foods for pain management prevent the accumulation of dampness and phlegm in the body, which stagnates both the flow of energy (Qi) and blood, and increases pain and inflammation. The goal of Food Energetics is to match a patient’s constitution with foods that balance them, energetically.

Meridian Harmonics

Chinese Pulse Diagnosis - Part 1

8000 years ago, ancient Chinese physicians developed a simple way to diagnose diseases and disorders, without the use of all the fancy toys of western medicine. In fact, there are times when the western lab tests fall short when it comes to picking up imbalances that don’t “fit” within the range that the western lab test is designed to reveal. The pillar of diagnostic procedures in Chinese medicine is rooted in pulse diagnosis, which is more than how fast or slow a person’s heart rate is. There are several different methods for deciphering pulse qualities, some ancient, others more modern.

Meridian Harmonics has developed a unique style of pulse diagnosis combining several different methods with some new strategies. We call this the Pulse Matrix ©. Each person has a unique set of pulse qualities that constitute their individual Pulse Matrix ©. One’s Pulse Matrix © can change, but often only varies within a small span along the Pulse Matrix © scale. A persons individual Pulse Matrix © discloses a great deal of information: the underlying pathogenic factors affecting them, the acupuncture meridians and points to use in treatment, the affected organ systems, the correct herbal strategies, vertebral misalignment and the affected endocrine organs, to name a few. Pulse assessment and interpretation only takes a few minutes and leads to more accurate diagnosis and robust treatment strategies.



Read more at The Pulse Matrix

Meridian Harmonics