What I learn

 

wisdom in traditional chinese medicine

27.  Food in Ancient Chinese Culture

1. Bitter gourd = insulin

2. Garlic = antibiotics 

3. Peanuts with skin = red blood cells

4. Day lily = feel good feeling

5. Rice is important, rice is in Qi character; vegetable is important, it is in Jing character as field is in Shen character.

6. Based on number of teeth, i.e. 4 canines and 32 molars, it suggests that 1/8th meat in diet is enough.

7. Millet = ‘miyou’ which is better than milk

8. Sweet potato prevents obstruction in intestines, i.e. clean intestinal tract = longevity. Also, has cholesterol lowering ability, 10 times more than 130 other foods.

9. Vegetables must be fresh, green, yellow, red.  Must be bought fresh, not stored for days in fridge; green for chlorophyll and folic acid, yellow for carotene, red for lycopene.  Vegetable contain the character Shu which means grass and dredging, suggests able to open meridiens and clean obstruction.

10. Fruits cannot replace vegetables – eat less fruits but more times. 
Fruits can be classified as normal, hot or cold, e.g. banana (cold) puts one in good mood – has good adjustment effect; apple (normal) prevents dementia; persimmon (hot) must not be eaten with crab (hot).

11. Cooked with low heat.

Good to cook with slow fire, e.g. mantou is better than bread, both made from wheat but mantou is steamed.

12. Eat carbohydrates to burn fats.

13. Grain eater said to have wisdom and thinking ability; grazer to be stupid and labored; meat eater to be bold and hot tempered.  Too much meat increases abdominal heat, makes a person want to drink ice water.

14. Ice water is bad for abdominal brain, makes a person easily rejects others.

15. Abdominal brain = EQ; head brain = IQ

16. Functional food = target organ (food as medicine), e.g. walnut for brain; almond for heart; fish head soup nourishes brain.

17. Balance is health, adjustment is treatment.

*Sharing a nugget of vitality, not to be swallowed whole.