Chinese Medicine To Support Sensible Weight Loss
By Sally Perkins
According to the CDC, around three-quarters of all American adults are overweight. With around two-thirds of these trying to change their eating habits and lose a few pounds, it’s no surprise that weight loss plans and programs are big business, with a huge range of suggestions and options touted as providing miraculous results – some with more success than others. Chinese medicine offers the opportunity for mindful, realistic and sustained weight loss, so if you’re looking for a sensible solution for an ongoing, healthy lifestyle, here are some changes you could consider making.
Food and Functionality
Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on many principles relating to food consumption, metabolism and digestion which can aid weight loss and improve your relationship with eating. Excessive weight gain is thought to relate to the accumulation of ‘dampness’ – a condition that occurs when food intake, absorption, digestion and transportation are not balanced. Take the festive season as an example – if you eat too much, or consume food higher in fat, your spleen and stomach will struggle to transform your food, and any excess will be left sitting stationary, leading to an accumulation of dampness.
Elimination of dampness is the main tenet of traditional Chinese weight loss programs, and there are a number of ways to achieve this. According to the guidelines, cultivating a diet of bitter, sour and pungent foods can aid with achieving a healthy body shape, and help you avoid fluctuating weight that can have an impact on your mood, wellbeing and budget – having to invest in different clothes of different sizes gets expensive, and has a negative impact on the environment too. Whether you’re ensuring your favorite bikini will fit exactly come the summer, aiming to eliminate health conditions exacerbated by weight, or simply want to adopt a more mindful lifestyle, changing the way you eat can make a real difference.
Antioxidant Assistance
Many Chinese people drink tea every day, and it is thought to have a number of health benefits. Polyphenols are an antioxidant found in tea and may help to maintain a healthy metabolism whilst you lose weight, repairing cells and easing digestive issues. Green tea, Jiaogulan tea and Oolong all have a soothing flavor and a good level of antioxidants, and just one cup a day is enough to make a difference – something that can be easily incorporated into most daily routines. There are also various herbs known to support weight loss by suppressing appetite, burning fat, and boosting metabolism. He Ye (lotus leaf), Fu Ling and Huang Qi are some of the most well-known, but there are others that may also be suitable, depending on your lifestyle, goals and commitment to weight loss. Consulting a Chinese medicine practitioner can help you to tailor an individual treatment plan based on your personal needs.
Photo by Kristaps Ungurs on Unsplash
Changing the way you eat and drink and supplementing with appropriate herbs is not just about losing weight; it’s about improving your overall wellbeing and health as well. Making one or two small changes at a time can support you to develop positive food habits that’ll balance your body and leave you feeling fit and functional – as well as helping you to stay that way.
Featured image photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash
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Shed The Pounds By Adding Goji Berries To Your Diet
By Sally Perkins
93.3 million Americans are obese and spend a whopping $147 billion U.S dollars on medical treatments alone. Obesity still remains a major risk factor for heart disease, a leading cause of death in the United States. While this may be prevalent among adults, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry consider the onset of obesity to occur between five and six years old, with an 80% chance of growing into an obese adult if this is not resolved before reaching twelve years old. Goji berries are a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believed to nourish the kidneys, liver, lungs, and stomach from ‘burn out’. Today, people predominantly consume this tonic herb for weight loss. If you’re planning to turn your life around and make changes to your diet, start by including this bright orange-red berry dubbed as a ‘superfood’.
Goji Berry Benefits and Nutritional Value
Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, are the fruits of a Chinese medicinal plant, and look similar to raisins, with a slightly sour taste. This fruit contain nutrients such as vitamin A, zinc, fiber, iron, and vitamin C essential for building the immunity of the body. However, goji berries are also famous for their weight loss and antioxidant properties.
Your Handy, Go-to Snack
Goji berries are low in carbohydrates, making them an ideal energy booster snack. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a study noting increased energy levels, better physical performances, and mental sharpness for test subjects taking goji berry juice for two weeks. Scoring low on the glycemic index (GI), this superfood is nutritious, while helping keep weight off.
Goji Berries Can Be Integrated in Most Diet Plans
The Atkins and Keto diets are low carbohydrate meal plans with varying portions of protein and fat. Berries are often used as part of the meal plan since they only contain 88 calories per quarter serving. These can be eaten raw, or used in smoothies mixed with other fruits or yogurt, or included in banana-stuffed pancakes, jams and pastries, such as almond and Goji berries brownies. The Atkins diet focuses on controlling insulin levels in the body using a four-phase low carbohydrate meal plan to achieve a healthy weight and maintain it. As part of your meal plan, use one serving of dried goji berries. Ideally, these berries may be added between phase 2 (balancing) to phase 4 (maintenance).
Meanwhile, a Ketogenic diet is a high fat and low carbohydrate diet to achieve nutrition ketosis, a process where your body uses fat (ketones) as fuel instead of your usual carbohydrates. This type of diet plan works best with intermittent fasting, so you should only take the berries before your fasts. If you’re still starting with this type of diet, having six small meals per day may help you develop an eating pattern, allowing your body time to adjust.
Finding Out What Works Best For You
Goji berries work well with various meal plans because of its ‘neutral’ nature. Meaning, you can consume these berries without gaining weight. Adapting a different meal plan may take some time for some people. However, lifestyle changes rarely happen overnight so expect to take this weight loss process one step at a time.
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Incorporating Chinese Medicine Into Your Weight Loss Program
By Sally Perkins
Half of Americans say they are trying to lose weight. That’s over 163 million people in the United States alone who are unhappy with their weight, and that doesn’t take into account the rest of the people around the world who are also trying to be healthier. Traditional Chinese Medicine has many principles that contribute to weight loss and a healthier lifestyle, as it relates to food consumption, digestion, metabolism, and other bodily functions that relate to weight. There are many of these principles you can incorporate into your daily routine to aid your body in processing fuel and help with weight loss.
Definitely Your Cup Of Tea
Many people equate tea, especially green tea and black teas like oolong, with Chinese culture. This is for good reason, as many Chinese people drink tea every day, and it is thought that drinking tea has many health benefits. Tea contains polyphenols, a specific type of antioxidant, which can help keep your metabolism from slowing as you lose weight. Polyphenols can also assist with digestive issues, and, as with other antioxidants, help repair cells. You can reap the benefits of polyphenols by drinking just one cup of tea per day. You can easily add this to your daily routine; just brew one cup every morning as part of your morning ritual. Just like other small habit changes you can make to improve your health, like drinking more water, standing instead of sitting at work, or going to bed half an hour earlier in order to get more sleep, this is a small modification that can yield great benefits. Sometimes the best way to make positive changes for overall health is to make one or two small changes at a time, allowing those changes to become habits before taking on more.
Eating For Energy
Qi is the energy that runs through our bodies, and maintaining a healthy, balanced qi is essential for proper health. Habits that drain your energy can be detrimental to your weight loss efforts. Unhealthy habits like eating late at night, eating raw, cold foods, and skipping breakfast can stress your digestive organs and cause your qi to become unbalanced. Something as small as adding breakfast to your daily routine can help to restore balance to your body and increase your energy, making it easier for your body to lose weight.
Joseph Gonzalez
Supplement Your Diet
In addition to eating the right foods for your organs and to aid in digestion and energy levels, there are many Chinese herbs that can help with weight loss. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed that excessive weight is caused by an accumulation of “dampness,” and therefore attempts to lose weight are made by relieving this dampness. Herbs that help to balance this condition and aid in weight loss include Bao He Wan, He Ye or lotus leaf, Fu Ling and Huang Qi. You can develop a supplement plan with a TCM specialist, and by adding your personalized combination to your diet, you can help restore your body’s balance.
Traditional Chinese Medicine can assist with weight loss, whether you subscribe to TCM principles completely and transform your lifestyle, or simply incorporate some of them into your existing routine. You can use TCM to aid you with a particular issue, or to achieve a generally healthier way of life. Traditional Chinese Medicine can be highly customized to create a specialized regimen for your body and your lifestyle and weight loss needs. The more research you can do on Chinese medicine and the different ways it can improve your body’s functionality, the more ideas you can integrate into your life.
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Winter Recipe - Astragalus Dangshen Mutton Soup
By NourishU
Seasonal Eating in Chinese Medicine - Winter Recipes
Winter with the drop of temperature is the time to slow down on physical activities because our body's metabolic rate will be slower. It is also the time to eat nourishing food to help the body to preserve energy. Animals follow the law of nature and hibernate throughout winter. Human should also preserve energy and build up strength, preparing the body for regeneration and new growth in spring.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, tonic-taking in winter has a great bearing upon the balancing of Yin and Yang elements, the unblocking of meridians, and the harmonizing of Qi and blood. In the five elements theory of TCM, winter is when the kidneys are highly active and they have astringent and active storage functions that help in preserving energy. People should eat food with less salty taste in order to reduce the burden on the kidneys. Uncooked and frozen foods can damage the spleen and stomach and should be taken in moderation.
Photo by Mike Kotsch on Unsplash
In winter when body's resistance is low, elderly people are especially advised to take food tonics which can improve their body constitution and promote better resistance to illness. Food tonics can have much better healthful effects than supplementation and drugs.
The tonics include superior warming herbs, fatty and meaty foods. Our body is designed to absorb the rich and nutritional foods better at this time of the year. For people who have cold constitution with cold hands and feet, weak kidney health with frequent urination, cold and stiff body and constant pain in their backs and ankles, winter is the best time for them to correct these health problems when the body is most responsive to nutritional treatment.
The warming winter foods include chive, chicken, mutton, shrimp, ginger, garlic, walnut, mushroom, chestnut, mustard, vinegar, wine, gingko, red pepper and spring onion. For people who are cold in nature, they should also use the warming herbs such as dangshen, ginseng, astragalus, reishi mushroom, longan fruit and deer horn, etc. to promote yang energy.
Astragalus Dangshen Mutton Soup
Therapeutic Effects
Nourishes qi and blood, clears toxicity and promotes regeneration of skin.
Ingredients
- Mutton – 360gm (cut into pieces)
- Dried shiitake mushroom – 10
- Astragalus (huang qi) 黃耆 – 30gm
- Dangshen (dang shen) 黨參 – 30 gm
- Wash mutton and put in boiling water to cook for a few minutes, remove and rinse.
- Soak mushroom for about 30 minutes, remove stem and cut into halves.
- Rinse herbs and put all ingredients in a soup pot with about 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat and simmer for 3 hours.
- Add seasoning to serve. Drink soup and eat some meat.
Usage
Recommended for no more than twice per month in winter months for health promotion.
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If you would like a downloadable information sheet that will tell you all about how to live in harmony with the Winter Season in Chinese Medicine, you can find it here - The Winter Season in Chinese Medicine.
Featured image photo by Matthew Hamilton on Unsplash
Asian Black Rice Salad Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup black rice
1 carrot shredded
1/3 green bell pepper
1/2 half pint grape tomatoes
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Sauce
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp light sesame oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
Boil black rice in 2 cups of water until softened, adding additional water as necessary. Remove from heat and let it completely cool off.
Add the sauce and all other ingredients to a bowl and marinate for 15 min or longer. Add cooled rice to mixture, toss and serve.
This recipe from BlackRice.com
Black Rice Nutritional Information
Black rice is considered very high in nutrients, minerals and has many anti-aging effects. Because of its dark colour it is extremely high in antioxidants (a good rule of thumb is the darker and richer in colour a food is, the higher in nutrients, minerals and antioxidants). Black rice is a whole grain rice with its bran layer intact. Black rice is sometimes referred to as Forbidden Rice, or Emperor's Rice since in ancient China it was served only to the Emperor to aid in his longevity and because of its many healing properties.
Black rice is considered yin or cooling. It has the actions of invigorating the liver, benefits the eyes and moves the blood. It treats anemia, dizziness, blurred vision, and signs of aging like greying hair, sore lower back and knees and hearing loss.
Black rice has higher dietary fiber and has a low glycemic index (55 - white rice is 87) and does not cause dramatic fluctuations in blood sugar levels. It is high in potassium, magnesium and helps to control blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, including black rice in your diet is an excellent for prevention, but added to the diet can help to reverse these conditions.
Summer Recipe - Artichoke, Zucchini & Olive Pasta
This light, delicious pasta is perfect for summer. All ingredients are beneficial for us in the summer season.
Ingredients
Artichoke hearts - 1 can (even better if you can get fresh)
Green olives with pimento - 1 cup
Zucchini - 1 medium, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Red wine vinegar - 1/4 cup
Fresh Oregano & Basil - 1 tbsp. each
Pasta - 1lb
Olive oil - 1/4 cup
Garlic - 6 cloves, smashed
Salt & pepper - to taste
Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp
Corn starch - 2 tbsp.
Water - 1 cup
Instructions
1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Add a tsp oil so pasta doesn’t stick.
2. Wash, cut in half, then slice the zucchini
3. Drain artichokes, and slice. Take olives and slice in half
4. In heavy pot, add olive oil and heat on low. Add smashed garlic and stir so it doesn’t burn. Wash and add oregano and basil. Add red wine vinegar & water.
5. When water boils, add pasta.
6. Add zucchini, olives and artichokes and turn heat up to medium, stir constantly. Add salt.
7. Cover and let zucchini soften, about 10 minutes.
8. Once Zucchini is soft, add pepper, and more oil/red wine vinegar to taste if necessary. Add red pepper flakes.
9. Put corn starch in small glass and add enough water to cover. Stir. Add to sauce and keep stirring to thicken. About 2 minutes. Taste sauce and make sure it is delicious.
10. When pasta is done, drain and add into sauce. Stir well until all pasta is coated.
11. Serve and top with fresh grated parmesan or Romano cheese if you wish. Enjoy!
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If you would like a downloadable information sheet that will tell you all about how to live in harmony with the Summer season in Chinese Medicine, you can find it here - The Summer Season in Chinese Medicine.