Chinese Nutrition: The Energetic Properties of Foods (and People)

By: Ricardo Dacosta
aka: Raghavendra Giri

Chinese Nutrition applies the traditional properties of foods to correct disharmonies within the body. Over the course of several millennia, countless experiences were gathered using food for prevention and healing of disease. This treasure was passed along as an important healing art, within the body of information known as Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Chinese Nutrition differs from Western nutrition in that it does not talk about the biochemical nature of foods. Rather Chinese Nutrition deals on an energetic level where balance is the key. Foods are selected according to their energetic qualities, such as warming, cooling, drying, or moistening. Thus, Chinese nutrition would seek to warm the coldness, cool the heat, dry the dampness, moist the dryness and so forth.

By carefully studying an individual’s imbalances, one can choose appropriate foods to bring about a balanced state of health. For example, an excessive individual who is exhibiting conditions of heat in the body could use cooling foods. For a deficient individual who tends towards coldness, warming foods would be chosen. In this way health is achieved.

Foods all have specific qualities inherent within, determining the effect the food has on the body. Then the method of preparation either enhances or neutralizes the foods. Generally speaking, warming food raise the metabolism and cooling foods lower metabolism. Balance in the diet is essential to good health.

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