Quite often, concepts of the traditional Chinese medical health model seem difficult to understand in Western countries. What is Qi? What are the meridians? We often have difficulty trusting what we cannot see and touch. However, not all concepts of the TCM health model are difficult to understand or apply in everyday life.
In TCM, lifestyle modification is crucial in preventing and treating disease. It is discussed in the earliest TCM medical text, the Huang Di Nei Jing. This book is often translated into English as the Yellow Emperor’s Medical Canon. It was written over 2,200 years ago during the Warring States period (475-221 BC) (UNESCO, 2017). This text discusses how our lifestyles, including diet, exercise (or lack thereof), and emotional states, contribute to health or cause illness.
Chinese medicine treats the individual. However, there are things that we can all be mindful of if we want to live longer and have a better quality of life. These things are diet, exercise, sleep, and emotions. The advice that follows is safe for all to follow.
Diet
TCM promotes a simple approach to diet. Here is a list of foods to avoid
Greasy/fried – fast foods mainly fall in this category, as do fatty meats
Very sweet – especially processed sugar found in processed foods, i.e. soft drinks, cereals, chocolates, cakes.
Cold – this includes all foods/drinks taken directly from the fridge
Hot/spicy – alcohol/chilli spice, hot sauce, things that make you sweat excessively.
The health impacts of the first two categories are well documented. In TCM, the Spleen and Stomach are the main digestive powerhouses. The Spleen in TCM has a function that is different from that of WM. It is responsible for transforming and transporting clear yang derived from foods and drinks. This product is essential for the functioning of other organs in our bodies. A diet of greasy and/or sweet foods over burdens and damages the Spleen, in turn its function is damaged. This will result in feelings of bloating, diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, and a general sensation of heaviness.
Cold foods damage our body’s yang. Yang represents warmth and movement in our bodies. Cold causes contraction. It puts out our digestive fire. Just as we need to protect our bodies from a cold environment (externally), the effect is the same internally. However, we generally do not feel it before it’s causing us pain. We wouldn’t bathe in ice-cold water daily, but most people do not think twice about consuming very cold or iced drinks.
Hot and/or spicy foods tend to be pungent and cause an uprising of qi or yang, which can result in outbursts of uncontrollable anger. Excessive intake of these types of foods/drinks can result in spontaneous sweating, hot flashes, red face/eyes, dark, smelly urine, and constipation.
Bear in mind that this list is not absolute. Speak to a TCM provider to learn about specific dietary changes related to your individual constitution.
This chart shows the categories of food based on temperature in TCM
Although genetics and pre-existing diseases affect our well-being significantly, our lifestyle choices are the leading cause of chronic diseases, from heart disease to infertility. According to Gropper (2023), diet contributes to the following chronic diseases: obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, some cancers, and some neurological diseases (such as Alzheimer’s). Furthermore, having one of these conditions contributes to developing other medical conditions. For example, obesity or excess body weight is a risk factor for conditions including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and some cancers (Gropper, 2023).
Diet is not just about what we eat; it’s also about how we eat. Healthy meal practices should be cultivated. In our culture, it is common to skip meals or eat on the run. But food is what keeps us alive. Making time to sit and eat without rushing and distractions, such as the television, improves healthy eating practices. If we pay attention when eating, we’re less likely to overeat. If we make time to eat, we’re less likely to grab fast food because we’re hungry and don’t have time for meal prep.
Exercise
Exercise should energise, not exhaust. Exercise is an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle because exercise moves Qi, which moves blood, thus improving the entire body's circulation. Over-exercise, or exercise that leaves us feeling exhausted, should be avoided. Over-exercise consumes Qi and blood and causes symptoms such as fatigue and breathlessness. However Liu et al (2022), found that TCM therapies alleviated exercise-induced fatigue. In the TCM model of health, exercise advice is based on the patient's constitution. Strenuous exercise should be replaced with mild/moderate intensity exercise for persons with weaker constitutions or those recovering from childbirth or illness.
Pay attention to how you feel when you exercise. Do you get a burst of energy post-workout? Or do you struggle with your energy levels afterwards? Do you find it fun and excitedly anticipate your next workout? Or do you dread it? These feelings offer great insight into your body and what it needs. Listen, and don’t be afraid to change your routine or try something new.
Sleep
Regular, adequate rest is a straightforward health principle to understand. We have all felt the effects of sub-optimal sleep! Sleep problems can arise for various reasons: stress, illness, shift work, and poor habits around going to bed. Lack of sleep impacts the body’s ability to repair and reset, leading to the inability to function properly during the day and illness. According to the TCM health model, sleep requirements can change with the season. In the lighter summer months, less sleep may be required. However, we may need to go to bed earlier and rise later during the winter months.
Emotions
Regulating the mind is another important aspect of health maintenance. In TCM, the seven emotions, joy, anger, grief, anxiety, pensiveness, fear and fright/shock, affect different organs.
Joy | Heart |
Fear (Fright) | Kidney |
Grief (Anxiety) | Lungs |
Pensiveness | Spleen |
Anger | Liver |
Joy refers to over-excitement and agitation rather than a deep feeling of contentment.
Anger encompasses resentment, irritability, and frustration.
Anxiety blocks qi movement; symptoms are retention of breath or shallow, irregular breathing. As the Lung and Large Intestine are a pair in TCM, this emotion also damages the colon. For example, persons with anxiety are more prone to irritable bowel disease.
Grief is a healthy emotional response. However, unresolved grief can weaken lung qi and cause adverse qi movement in the body.
Pensiveness is related to overthinking. Excessive mental stimulation damages the Spleen, leading to constant worry, fatigue, and an inability to concentrate.
Fear is another normal human emotion under normal circumstances. Pathological fear, where the perceived cause cannot be addressed, causes disharmony.
Fright affects more than just the Kidneys; it can affect any organ. It is differentiated from fear due to its sudden, unexpected nature. Fright disturbs the movement of qi in the body.
Often, we are not in control of our lives; our emotions are. This can be exhausting and strain our relationships with the people in our lives. Activities such as meditation, pranayama (breath control), qi gong, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can give us more conscious control of our emotions and behaviours. But they must be practised regularly for lasting change.
Closing thoughts
Making lifestyle changes can be challenging. To make meaningful, manageable changes, start with something that you believe is important for yourself. Addressing one aspect of our lives often has a positive effect on others. For example, changing our diet may improve our sleep or exercise habits, which in turn may improve our emotional well-being, energy levels, and dietary choices. Improve your lifestyle, improve your health!
The following text is a great entry-level read for people who are interested in the foundational theories of traditional Chinese medicine: "The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine." Author Maoshing Ni, Shambhala Publications, 1995.
By Shameela Pacquet of Acumore Clinic
03/09/2024
References
Gropper, S. S. (2023). The Role of Nutrition in Chronic Disease. Nutrients, 15(3), 664. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030664
Liu, Y., Li, C., Shen, X., & Liu, Y. (2022). The use of traditional Chinese medicines in relieving exercise-induced fatigue. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.969827/full
Shen-Nong Limited. (2005). What are the seven emotions? http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/principles/sevenemotions.html
UNESCO. (2017). Huang di nei jing 《黄帝内经》 (yellow emperor’s inner canon) | United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization. Unesco.Org. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/memory-of-the-world/register/full-list-of-registered-heritage/registered-heritage-page-4/huang-di-nei-jing-yellow-emperors-inner-canon/
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