If you know much about Chinese medicine, you know that “food as medicine” is not a trendy new ideology, but rather an integral principle of Eastern medicine that has existed for thousands of years. In fact, there has never been a hard and fast line differentiating that which was considered to be food or medicine. Many of the herbs we use in Chinese medicine are food products and we can often find them in grocery stores.

In my opinion, Chinese medicine nutrition is a beautiful way of looking at food- as it never demonizes the food itself, but it provides us with a paradigm for understanding which foods may be in better agreement with our bodies. Chinese medicine nutrition understands that food and diet is personal, and that choosing foods best suited for you will rely on personal things like your constitution and your overall health.

It doesn’t analyze foods by breaking them down into several micronutrients- but rather focuses on understanding a particular food as exactly what it is- a whole food. Chinese medicine puts a strong emphasis on understanding the strength of a patient’s digestion and states that optimal digestion will affect the body systemically and lead to optimal health. Chinese medicine, while deceptively complex, offers up basic principles of how we can view food and utilize it to feel and function at our best.

The main principles of Chinese medicine nutrition include eating whole foods (not things packaged in boxes), eating as many foods that are in season, being mindful while eating food (ie: not in front of the TV and avoiding eating while stressed, angry, or overemotional), and eating accordance with your unique constitution.

So what does this last part mean about eating in accordance with your constitution?!

Basically, some Chinese medicine theory is needed to understand how this works.

Thermal Properties of Food

At its most basic- food, as well as herbs, are believed to have thermal properties. This means that something spicy, like ginger, is believed to have a “warming” attribute, whereas something like a cucumber is seen to have a “cooling” attribute. This may seem strange- but we see this every day when “winter cocktails” vs “summer cocktail” menus roll out. It may be simply seasonal- but possibly even intuitive- that we choose “cooling” drinks in the summer- like watermelon, cucumber, mint mojitos etc., while being more likely to choose “warming” drinks with ginger, clove, cinnamon, etc. in the wintertime.

Conversely, strong cravings or preferences for “cold” or “cooling” foods or drinks in the wintertime, would definitely be a sign of an imbalance and a sign that you might have too much “heat” or inflammation in your body.

There are five thermal properties of food, and they exist on a spectrum with neutral being situated in the middle

Cold foods, Cooling foods, Neutral foods, Warm foods, and Hot foods

Now, when we think of thermal natures, Chinese medicine believes that because this exists in the environment- it also exists within our own bodies.

Conditions of too much “heat” are akin to having too much inflammation in the body. Whereas conditions of “cold” are akin to a lack of metabolic function- or a lack of energy.

Depending on your signs and symptoms- Chinese medicine practitioners can deduce whether you have too much heat or cold and give you basic suggestions for how to use food as medicine in order to balance the body. For instance- if you have too much inflammation- we will often recommend a diet high in greens and vegetables as they are thought to have a “cooling” and anti-inflammatory effect. Whereas if you have “cold” or a deficient metabolic function, then we would recommend warming foods such as soups, porridges, or ginger tea.

The Five Flavors

Another basic part of Chinese medicine theory is that flavors actually impact the body on a physiological level- rather than just at the level of our taste buds. In other words, the flavors of foods can perform certain physiological actions within the body.

Below are some examples of flavors and their corresponding actions.

Sour- Think about taking a bite out of a lemon, our mouth puckers, our body contracts, and salivation occurs. This illustrates what we know to be true in Chinese medicine- that the sour flavor has a constricting and astringing nature, and also helps to generate body fluids within the body (for example: lemons and other sour foods generate saliva). The sour flavor is associated with the Liver in Chinese medicine.

Spicy/Acrid- Have you ever eaten something spicy, such as horseradish or wasabi, and experienced a runny nose or the ability to breathe better? The spicy (acrid) flavor is used to create warmth and promote circulation and movement throughout the body. In this way, it can be used to open up the nose or sinuses by moving mucous or other blockages out of the way as well as promoting systemic circulation. The spicy flavor is associated with the Lungs.

Sweet-Most of us crave the sweet flavor when we feel tired and depleted and there is a very good reason for this! The sweet flavor, when used in moderation, is helpful in supporting and increasing energy in our body. It helps to strengthen our energy reserves and helps to supplement and nourish our blood. In Chinese medicine, the state and amount of the blood is a huge factor for our overall vitality and health, especially in women. The sweet flavor is associated with the Spleen, or digestive system.

Salty- Have you ever gurgled saltwater in order to calm a swollen, sore throat? Modern research shows that salt pulls mucous out of inflamed tissue in order to relieve throat discomfort. Chinese medicine has known that salt does this for years! Salty softens accumulations and areas of hardness and also has a draining action. Kelp, another salty food and a Chinese herb, is actually currently being studied for its ability to break down plaque, another hard accumulation that forms on teeth. The salty flavor is associated with the Kidneys.

Bitter- While it is perhaps the most unpalatable of all the flavors, the bitter flavor is so crucial as it is used to clear and drain inflammation from the body. Interestingly enough, the bitter flavor is linked to the heart in Chinese medicine, and researchers have found that about half the bitter receptors in our body are actually located in our hearts.

Of course, too much of one particular flavor is not good! In our modern times, we especially see this with the sweet flavor- as too much of will seriously damage the digestive system and contribute to excess weight gain. Or a diet too high in salt, can also negatively start to impact the health of the kidneys- an idea that exists in both Western and Eastern medicine.

In summary, Chinese medicine nutrition is all about finding balance within our bodies. We don’t say that certain foods are inherently bad themselves- we just have a framework for understanding which foods would be a better fit for you, personally and which foods would be like throwing gasoline on a fire. Through the lens of Chinese medicine, food can be used as a gentle approach to achieve greater balance and optimal health in the body.

Blog written by Samantha Kloss, L.Ac.