Selecting foods with different functions, or combining foods with Chinese herbs, through cooking and processing, can create diets that reflect various treatment principles in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) such as sweating, purging, warming, clearing, harmonizing, tonifying, and reducing.The main dietary therapy principles include the sweating method, phlegm resolving and cough stopping method, heat clearing method, qi regulating method, qi tonifying and spleen strengthening method, blood tonifying and yin nourishing method, kidney tonifying and essence benefiting method, and yin benefiting and fluid generating method.
1. Sweating Method
The sweating method is a general term for the warming and cooling methods of releasing the exterior. It has the effects of dispersing lung qi, regulating the nutritive and defensive qi, and opening the pores.
The warming method has the effects of dispersing cold and releasing the exterior, as well as dispersing lung qi and stopping cough. For example, using ginger, scallions, coriander, perilla, and almonds to make ginger-sugar drink, ginger-scallion drink, and coriander mixed with dried tofu, is used for symptoms of exterior wind-cold, fever with chills, and absence of sweating.
The cooling method has the effects of clearing the lungs and releasing the exterior, and stopping cough. For example, using mint, kudzu root, fermented soybeans, chrysanthemum, mulberry leaves, reed root, and forsythia to make mulberry leaf and chrysanthemum reed root drink, and forsythia and reed root mint soup, is used for symptoms of exterior wind-heat, fever with sweating, headache, thirst, and sore throat.
2. Phlegm Resolving and Cough Stopping Method
The phlegm resolving and cough stopping method is a general term for the lung-dispersing phlegm resolving method and the cough stopping and wheezing method.
The lung-dispersing phlegm resolving method has the effect of warming and transforming cold phlegm or clearing and transforming heat phlegm. For example, using ginger juice, radish seeds, perilla seeds, and white mustard seeds to make ginger three seeds nourishing parents soup, is used for symptoms of exterior wind-cold, cough, and thin phlegm; using bamboo sap to make fresh bamboo sap drink, is used for lung heat cough and thick phlegm.
The cough stopping and wheezing method is a general term for the lung-dispersing phlegm resolving and qi tonifying and lung moistening methods. The lung-dispersing phlegm resolving and wheezing method has the effects of dispersing the lungs, resolving phlegm, stopping cough, and relieving wheezing. For example, using pear, loquat, radish seeds, almonds, and fritillaria to make fritillaria and almond pear drink, and radish seed and almond loquat drink, is used for symptoms of lung qi not dispersing, cough, and wheezing.The qi tonifying and lung moistening method has the effects of strengthening the spleen, tonifying qi, moistening the lungs, and relieving wheezing. For example, using walnuts, peanuts, eggs, ginkgo, almonds to make four nut chicken porridge, is used for elderly patients with weak constitution and wheezing.
3. Heat Clearing Method
The heat clearing method is a general term for the heat clearing and fire draining method and the heat clearing and detoxifying method.
The heat clearing and fire draining method has the effects of clearing heat, draining fire, eliminating irritability, generating fluids, and stopping thirst. For example, using reed root, watermelon rind, lotus seed heart, lotus leaf, loofah, bamboo leaves, and gardenia to make bamboo leaf, reed root, and gardenia soup, and lotus heart, watermelon rind, and lotus leaf porridge, is used for symptoms of internal heat excess, irritability, thirst, and oral ulcers.
The heat clearing and detoxifying method has the effects of clearing evil heat and detoxifying. For example, using houttuynia, olives, wild chrysanthemum, purslane, mung beans, mung bean husks, persimmon frost, watermelon frost, and honeysuckle to make honeysuckle and mung bean soup, and olive and chrysanthemum drink, is used for symptoms of sore throat, and swollen eyes.
4. Qi Regulating Method
The qi regulating method is a general term for the liver soothing and qi regulating method and the stomach strengthening and qi moving method.
The liver soothing and qi regulating method has the effects of soothing the liver, relieving depression, and regulating qi. For example, using Buddha’s hand, orange peel, rose flowers, and fennel to make orange seed and fennel soup, and fennel and orange peel tea, is used for symptoms of hernia pain, chest and rib distension, and abdominal pain.
The stomach strengthening and qi moving method has the effects of regulating qi, strengthening the spleen, and drying dampness to resolve phlegm. For example, using orange peel, poria, Buddha’s hand, citron peel, sword bean, persimmon calyx, winter melon seeds, and processed pinellia to make two Chen soup, and clove and persimmon calyx soup, is used for symptoms of damp phlegm cough, chest fullness, nausea, vomiting, acid regurgitation, and hiccups.
5. Qi Tonifying and Spleen Strengthening Method
The qi tonifying and spleen strengthening method is a general term for the qi tonifying method and the spleen strengthening method.
The qi tonifying method has the effects of tonifying lung qi, benefiting spleen qi, enhancing organ function, and strengthening the body, suitable for patients with qi deficiency constitution and qi deficiency syndrome. For example, the lung qi tonifying method uses jujube, maltose, honey, chicken, ginseng, codonopsis, and astragalus to make qi tonifying porridge and astragalus and ginseng candy, used for symptoms of lung deficiency, weak qi, shortness of breath, low voice, and susceptibility to colds. The spleen qi tonifying method uses glutinous rice, jujube, pig stomach, chicken, quail, yam, and codonopsis, and white atractylodes to make jujube porridge and yam soup, used for symptoms of spleen deficiency, mental fatigue, weakness in limbs, and poor appetite with loose stools.
The spleen strengthening method has the effects of strengthening the spleen, eliminating dampness, and benefiting qi. It is suitable for patients with spleen deficiency constitution or those presenting with spleen deficiency syndrome. For example, the spleen strengthening and dampness eliminating method uses lotus seeds, fox nuts, coix seeds, red beans, lentils, crucian carp, eel, and poria, and white atractylodes to make lotus seed and pig stomach, and red bean and carp soup, used for symptoms of spleen deficiency with water retention, facial swelling, limb edema, and intestinal rumbling with diarrhea. The qi tonifying and blood retaining method uses peanuts, jujube, longan meat, eel, cuttlefish, and astragalus, and notoginseng to make peanut and jujube soup, and qi tonifying chicken, used for symptoms of qi not retaining blood such as vomiting blood, blood in stool, bleeding gums, and excessive menstrual bleeding.
6. Blood Tonifying and Yin Nourishing Method
The blood tonifying and yin nourishing method is a general term for the blood tonifying method and the yin nourishing method.
The blood tonifying method has the effects of enhancing blood production, replenishing insufficient blood, and nourishing the heart and liver, suitable for patients with insufficient blood production, chronic illness, and various blood deficiency syndromes after blood loss. For example, the qi and blood tonifying method uses carrots, peanuts, spinach, jujube, yellow eel, longan meat, chicken, pig liver, lamb, and astragalus, ginseng, and angelica to make angelica and ginseng eel soup, and nourishing angelica lamb soup, used for symptoms of both qi and blood deficiency, pale complexion, dizziness, and palpitations. The blood nourishing and heart nourishing method uses longan meat, lychee, jujube, grapes, pig heart, chicken, and ginseng, angelica, sour jujube seed, and poria to make candied ginger jujube longan, and angelica and ginseng stewed pig heart, used for symptoms of heart blood deficiency, palpitations, forgetfulness, and insomnia. The blood nourishing and liver nourishing method uses carrots, spinach, pig liver, chicken liver, and goji berries, mulberries, rehmannia, and angelica to make stir-fried pig liver with goji sprouts, mulberry paste, and goji and angelica wine, used for symptoms of liver blood deficiency, blurred vision, dizziness, rib pain, and twitching of hands and feet.
The yin nourishing method has the effects of nourishing yin fluids, moistening tendons and bones, and containing yang qi, suitable for patients with yin deficiency constitution or those with insufficient yin fluids after prolonged illness. For example, the yin nourishing and wind calming method uses mulberries, black beans, turtle meat, tortoise meat, oyster meat, egg yolk, and turtle shell, tortoise shell, and white peony to make small wind calming pearl soup, turtle shell glue, tortoise shell glue, and donkey-hide gelatin egg yolk soup, used for symptoms of liver yin deficiency, internal wind movement causing hand and foot twitching, tendon stiffness, and dizziness. The yin nourishing and heat clearing method uses pears, lotus root, water chestnuts, sugar cane, turtle meat, tortoise meat, milk, egg yolk, and raw rehmannia, tortoise shell, goji berries, and mulberries to make water chestnut and sugar cane soup, pear juice drink, lotus root juice drink, stewed turtle, and lily, goji, and egg soup, used for symptoms of yin deficiency with excess heat, five hearts heat, bone steaming heat, night sweats, and flushed cheeks.
7. Kidney Tonifying and Essence Benefiting Method
The kidney tonifying and essence benefiting method has the effects of tonifying kidney qi, replenishing original yang, filling essence marrow, and strengthening tendons and bones, suitable for symptoms of kidney qi deficiency and essence marrow deficiency causing developmental delays, premature aging, or infertility. For example, the kidney tonifying and yin nourishing method uses sesame, black beans, goji berries, mulberries, milk, pig kidneys, to make goji stir-fried kidney flowers, double ear soup, and sesame and mulberry paste, used for symptoms of kidney deficiency, dizziness, tinnitus, lower back and knee soreness, tidal fever, night sweats, and diabetes. The warming and tonifying kidney qi method uses walnut kernels, chestnuts, leeks, dog meat, sparrow meat, and cistanche, epimedium to make stir-fried walnut kernels with leeks, dog meat stew, used for symptoms of lower back and knee soreness, cold limbs, frequent clear urination at night, impotence, and nocturnal emissions. The essence filling and marrow tonifying method uses sesame, black beans, turtle meat, sea cucumber, dried mussels, tortoise meat, pig kidneys, purple river grass, pig spinal marrow, sheep spinal marrow, and cistanche, deer antler, and goji berries to make sheep honey paste, and sacred pig kidney soup, used for symptoms of kidney essence deficiency, lower back pain, premature graying of hair, weakness, and developmental delays.
8. Yin Benefiting and Fluid Generating Method
The yin benefiting and fluid generating method is a general term for the stomach yin benefiting method and the dryness moistening fluid generating method.
The stomach yin benefiting method has the effects of benefiting stomach yin and generating fluids, suitable for symptoms of insufficient fluids, dry mouth, and constipation. For example, using pears, sugar cane, water chestnuts, lotus root, milk, sesame, honey, and ophiopogon, dendrobium to make five juice drink, and stomach benefiting soup, used for symptoms of stomach yin deficiency, dry mouth and throat, and dry stools.
The dryness moistening fluid generating method has the effects of moistening lung dryness and generating fluids, suitable for symptoms of lung dryness and fluid injury, cough, and dry throat. For example, using pears, lilies, lotus root, water chestnuts, persimmons, loquats, honey, rock candy, pig lungs, milk, and adenophora, ophiopogon to make candied snow pears, and silver ear lily soup, used for symptoms of lung dryness, dry nose, sore throat, dry cough with or without blood, and dry skin.
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