Chinese Food Therapy | Weight Loss Tips

Ageless Herbs Food Therapy

Weight Loss and Wellness

By: Catherine Browne, L.Ac., MH, Dipl.Ac.

The following guidelines are not a diet, but a new lifestyle pattern to develop that will help to strengthen the bodily organs that influence weight gain, mainly the Spleen. These guidelines follow the theories of Chinese Food Therapy according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.

To a modern Westerner, the Chinese concept of Organs might seem unusual as the Chinese medical concept of Organs lack emphasis on a physical structure. Although many terms used when speaking of Organs are similar to Western concepts, they do not refer to the specific tissue, but rather to semi-abstract concepts of interrelated functions. So, as when referring to the "Spleen" we are referring to the Spleen function.

The Spleen is in charge of the transformation and transportation of foods and fluids after the stomach has rotted and ripened them. In other words, the Spleen determines how foods are utilized in the body and plays an important role in safe weight loss. Nourishing the Spleen with tonic herbs helps it do its job more efficiently. The Spleen also houses the pancreas and oversees blood sugar levels and the proper utilization of blood sugar. It is widely understood in Chinese medicine that sweet cravings are a result of Spleen Qi Deficiency. The Spleen is damaged by dampness and foods that create dampness. These would include fried foods, sugars, iced drinks and an over consumption of raw foods; ironically, too much salad, juicing, and fruits will damage the Spleen and cause additional weight gain.

Always remember that there are no "bad foods", only inappropriate foods. There are certainly some non-foods, such as sodas, that are "bad" for you. However, all foods have a place in our lives if used appropriately or in moderation. A fabulous slice of cheesecake may not be listed below as an acceptable part of your everyday diet, but once in a while you must feed the spirit. Trust that your body is wise and will absorb and utilize necessary nutrients and dispose of inappropriate substances. If you scold yourself the whole time you are eating your cheesecake and telling yourself that it is going to give you a heart attack, it will surely damage your health. On the other hand, if you enjoy it and honor the wisdom of your body, it can do you no harm (in moderation of course).

Many improvements in diet have more to do with honoring food than villainizing it. Much of the food listed must be prepared. Making time to prepare the food that will help to heal you is part of the process in becoming well. Eating out from time to time while making good menu choices will work in a pinch, but for long-standing wellness you will probably have to become skilled in food preparation (unless you have scores of healthy restaurants in your area).

Taking time to enjoy your meal will be the next part of the learning process. You will get more nutritional goodness out of a hotdog that you lovingly prepare, sit down to in thanks, and enjoy with candlelight and music than a tofu burger you inhale while driving down the interstate.

As part of Asian Food Therapy tradition, it is imperative that Breakfast be included as part of a healing regiment, especially if you are trying to loose weight. It is more appropriate to eat three regular meals than to snack throughout the day. For hunger between meals, use broths and miso soup. All meals should be consumed before 7PM. It should be assumed that organic foods would be preferred when available. This is in no way a comprehensive list of foods; however, it should be a starter guideline.

Appropriate Food Selections Based on Chinese Food Therapy:

Sweeteners (2%) Refined sugars createa dampness in the body.

Enjoy in small amounts: rice syrup, stevia, maple syrup, barley malt, date sugar, agave, molasses, unrefined cane juice or powder, local raw honey, small piece dark chocolate

Avoid: white sugar, cane juice or sugar, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose , brown sugar, Nutrasweet™, Splenda™ , any artificial sweetener, turbinado sugar, candy

Oils (5%) Fried foods increase dampness in the body

Enjoy in moderation: unrefined olive oil, unrefined oleic sunflower oil, unrefined oleic safflower oil, unrefined sesame oil, ghee, camolina oil

Avoid: fried foods, animal fats, hydrogenated vegetable oil, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, peanut oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, coconut oil, corn oil, margarine, shortening, refined canola oil, refined vegetable oils

Dairy (5%)

Enjoy in moderation: cottage cheese, yogurt, organic 1% milk, eggs, lite sour cream, ghee, unprocessed cheese

Avoid: ice cream, frozen yogurt, cream

Beverages (3% caloric)

Enjoy to satisfaction: herb teas, clean water (room temp), green tea,

Enjoy in moderation: black tea, organic milk, coffee, soy milk, red wine, rice milk, oat milk

Avoid: forcing liquids, juice, iced beverages, iced tea, iced water, beer, white wine, sodas, and alcohol

Animal Protein (10%)

Enjoy in moderation: organic beef, organic chicken, lean pork, lamb, quail, eggs, cold water fish, seafood

Avoid: lunch meat, meat fats, and canned meats

Grains (20%)

Enjoy in abundance: short grain brown rice, brown rice, oats, barley, wild rice, millet, amaranth, whole grain breads, rye, kashi, buckwheat, bran, spelt, foods made with whole grains

Enjoy in moderation: corn meal, maize, polenta

Avoid: white rice, white bread, potatoes, foods made w/white flour, pasta, noodles, soft whole wheat breads, French bread, rolls, cereal, cake, cookies, and processed cereals

Nuts & Seeds (10%)

Enjoy in abundance: nuts & seeds--especially in shell, almond, black sesame seed, chia seed, flax seed, pecans, pine nut, pistachio, pumpkin seed, squash seeds, sunflower seed, walnut, hummus

Avoid: rancid nuts-*when nuts are hulled or shelled they immediately begin to deteriorate, processed peanut butter, peanuts, cashews

Vegetables (25%) Try to consume a large variety of vegetables, organic when possible.

Enjoy Abundant Amounts of: steamed carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, turnip greens, collards, kale, mustard greens, steamed cauliflower, steamed broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, Napa cabbage, winter squash , sweet potato, yam, onions, leeks, scallions, shallots, asparagus, cooked beets, steamed celery, Jerusalem artichoke, artichoke, kohlrabi, eggplant, cooked tomatoes, cooked spinach, steamed zucchini, green beans, grape leaves, mushrooms, peppers, green peas, gobo-burdock root, seaweed, snap bean, Brussels sprout, chard, lamb's quarters, okra, steamed summer squash

Enjoy in moderation: cucumber, lettuce, potatoes, raw tomato, corn, raw vegetables

Fruits (5%)

Enjoy in abundance: avocado, plantain

Enjoy in moderation: stewed apples, figs, grapes, grapefruit, lemon, mulberry, oranges, tangerine, papaya, cooked peaches, cooked pears, raspberry, blackberry pineapple, plums, pomegranate, strawberries, lycci berry, raisins, apricot, cranberry, quince, guava, bananas, apples, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon

Avoid: all fruit juices

Legumes--Beans, Peas, Lentils (15%)

Enjoy in abundance: aduki bean, black bean, lentils, tofu, tempeh, TVP textured vegetable protein, split peas, whole peas, pinto beans, kidney beans, lima beans, black eyed peas, mung bean, soybean, garbanzo, miso, sesame, hummus

Herbal weight loss tips are sensible suggestions to use with Chinese herbal formulas for safe weight loss.

For information on conventional treatments for weight loss, visit the CDC, the AOA, or the Medline. This is not an endorsement of these organization, just a resource guide.

For information on Chinese Medicine, visit the National Library of Medicine, the The Chinese Medical Journal, or Chinese Medicine News. This is not an endorsement of these organization, just a resource guide.

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