With Chef Jessica VanRoo

Chinese Food Therapy Basics

Origins of Chinese Food Therapy

• “Doctors first have to find the cause for an illness and determine which disharmony prevails. To balance this disharmony,the first and foremost measure is appropriate diet. It is not until this measure bears no results that one should use medicines.”

Origins of Chinese Food Therapy

• Goes back as far as 2000 BC was first documented around 300 BC – Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine

also known as the Niejing – classified food by into groups, based on taste

natural form and characteristics

Origins of Chinese Food Therapy

• Taoism; Lao Tzu – Influenced the Yin and Yang of food – Taoists advocated simplicity, living according

to the Tao, according to the laws of nature. • Confucius

– Passage in the Nei Ching "The sages do not treat those who have already fallen ill, but rather those who are not yet ill. They do not put their state in order only when revolt is underway, but before an insurrection occurs."

Origins of Chinese Food Therapy

• “closely related to acupuncture and medicinal plant medicine and follows the same diagnostic principles”

• Focusing on Qi: Life force/ energy – Use food to enhance qi

Ying Yang

• Foundation of diagnosis and treatment • Opposites that can not exist without each

other Yin

•female, passive, negative principle in nature •the moon •shaded orientation •north or shady side of a hill •south of a river.

Yan •positive, active, male principle in nature •south or sunny side of a hill •north of a river.

Ying Imbalance Linda Prout, M.S.

Cold •Tendency to feel chilled •Urine tends to be clear •Dresses warmly, likes heat •Tendency toward loose •Pale complexion stools •Preference for warm food/drinks •Slow metabolism drinks •Soft, fleshy muscles •Rarely thirsty •Often tired, sleeps a lot •Tendency to feel depressed •Health worse in cold pressed weather •Quiet, withdrawn

Dampness •Strong dislike of humidity •Stuffy nose, postnasal drip •Health worsens in dampness •Mentally “foggy” •Abdominal bloating •Retention of fluids •Little thirst or hunger •Overweight, soft fat •Urine tends to be cloudy •Puffy eyes or face •Easily short of breath •Feeling of heaviness especially in lower body

Yang Imbalance Linda Prout, M.S.

Heat •Tendency to feel warm •Tendency to be talkative •Uncomfortable in hot weather •Urine tends to be dark •May suffer fever blisters, canker sores •Dresses in short sleeves •Tends toward ruddy complexion •May suffer headaches, nose bleeds, bleeding •High blood pressure gums •Often thirsty, craves cold drinks •Sleep often restless, disturbing dreams •Tendency toward impatience, irritability or anger •May be constipated

Dryness •Dry skin, dandruff •Cravings for sweets •Dry stools, constipation •Preference for warm liquids in small sips •Dry throat or eyes •Night sweats •Menopause •Can easily become both hot or cold •Thin body type •Easily stressed, irritated or frustrated •Rosy cheeks, especially after exercise

Seasonal Eating • Spring: Wood element, associated with the liver and gallbladder organs, it is important

to have a diet that strengthens and cleanses these organs. Wood vegetables are artichokes, broccoli, carrots, string beans, zucchini, sprouts, parsley and leafy greens. The effect of wood on the body is purification.

• Summer: Fire is associated summer season, and is related to the heart and small intestine. Fire vegetables are asparagus, Brussels sprouts, chives, dandelion, scallions and tomatoes. Fire creates circulation in the body.

• Late Summer: Earth is associated with the late summer season. The active organs are the stomach and pancreas. Earth vegetables are: chard, collards, parsnips, spinach, squash and sweet potato. Digestion is the related bodily function of earth.

• Autumn: Metal is associated with the evening and the autumn season, and the lungs are the active organs. Metal vegetables include: cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, daikon and radishes. Also belonging to the metal family are peppermint, spirulina, tofu and tempeh. The related bodily function is respiration.

• Winter: Water is associated with night and the winter season and affects the kidneys and the bladder. Water vegetables are: beets, burdock, sea vegetables and kale. Miso, salt and tamari are also water foods. Elimination is the bodily function.

Taboo Eating • PUNGENT AND PEPPERY FOOD. This category includes garlic, leeks, onion,

ginger, green and red pepper etc. Taken in small amounts thaey may fortify the stomach and are good for colic, diarrhea, edema, and "disease of cold nature." However, in excess, they will induce phlegm, promote "fire humor," hurt respiration, waste blood, and impair eyesight. Thus they should be tabooed in case of cough, eye disease, hypertension, and blood ailments.

• COLD AND SOLID FOOD. Melons, fruits, and raw vegetables are in this category. They are cold in property and can dispel heat and quench thirst. They are good for "hot" ailments such as constipation, sore throat, and toothache. Besides being cold in property, they are generally eaten raw, which is helpful to stomach and bowel disorders. They will aggravate colic, stomach ache, vomiting, diarrhea, and edema.

• FATTY AND FRIED FOODS. This category includes all fat meats of animals and oily and fried foods. Fat and oil are beneficial to persons with constipation but are contraindicated in cases of diarrhea. Moreover, all fried food is hard to digest and should not be eaten by those with "cold" ailments or chronic diseases.

• STIMULANTS. In addition to fish and crustaceans, these include fresh and dried mushrooms, salted vegetables, mustard, fowl, and meat from a pig's head. They induce phlegm and promote the "fire humor" so can easily lead to a relapse form an old ailment or aggravate a new one.

Oregon State University

Lotus Burdock Root Salad

Serves 6- 8 2 teaspoon minced ginger 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 2-3 ft. burdock root, peeled and julienned 2 4 inch lotus roots, thinly sliced ¼ cup rice vinegar 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 2 green onion, diced 1 carrot, peeled and shredded 4 oz mixed greens 2 oz watercress 2 teaspoon sesame seeds Heat grapeseed oil with ginger and garlic over medium heat, just until the ginger begins to caramelize. Add burdock and lotus root into pan and toss to coat with garlic and ginger. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar into pan, cook until the vegetables are tender, about 3- 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir in sesame oil, and set aside to cool. Once the roots have cooled, toss with greens and sesame seeds. Serve. *Both lotus and burdock root oxidize very easily, to prevent discoloration soak in vinegar water or lemon water. Yin: Lotus root is cool and benefits the heart, spleen and stomach Yin: Burdock is cool and benfits the stomach and intestines. Yin: Watercress is cool it is used as a remedy for coughs

Gluten Free Chestnut Cake 50 grams corn flour 50 grams of chestnut flour 8 eggs separated 140 grams granulated sugar 45 g of butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Sift the flour and chestnut flour into a bowl. Mix egg yolks until light and creamy in color. Slowly sprinkle ½ the sugar (approximate is ok) into the egg yolks, while mixing, add vanilla, mix until egg yolks double in size. Set aside Beat egg whites with the remaining sugar on high until light and fluffy. Bake in a parchment and floured 9 in spring form pan for 20- 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean. Set aside to cool and serve with fresh fruit, whipped cream, etc. Yang: Chestnuts are sweet in taste, warm in nature, nourishing to the stomach, and strengthening to the spleen, stomach and kidneys. “Dr. Benjamin Kong “

Five Grain Rice Serves 6- 8 ¼ cup dried black soybeans ¼ cup dried red beans 3½ cups water (for beans ) ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup coix, Job’s tears (sometimes incorrectly labled as dried pearl barley) 1 cup raw brown rice (soaked for at least 30 minutes) ¼ cup millet Combine beans together and rinse well. Place beans in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, turn off heat, place a lid on pot and allow beans to soak for 1 hour. Drain beans and rinse well with cold water. Place beans back in pot with 3 ½ cup of water and salt. Bring the pot of beans up to a boil, place a lid on the pot and cook for 45 minutes. Add coix into pot and stir well, cover and cook for 10 minutes. After the barley has cooked for 10 minutes, stir in the millet. Drain the rice and add it into the pot, stir well. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and leave the cover on for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork before serving. Yin: Job's Tears Seed has cool properties. It is use for treating the spleen, stomach and lung. Balanced yin and yang: Beans help with urination, they are considered a neutral food Yin: Millet is a cooling food and is good relieving thirst and restlessness, not ideal for one who is deficient in Qi and has cold symptoms. It is considered salty and benefits/ affects the kidney and bladder

Chicken with Ear Wood Fungus , Shitake and Lily Buds Serves 6- 8 1 lb chicken breast, diced 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 teaspoon grapeseed oil, divided into 1 teaspoon/ 1 teaspoon 5 shitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water, destemmed and sliced 2 teaspoons minced ginger 1 tablespoons minced garlic 2 oz dried lily bulbs, soaked 2 oz dried black fungus/ear wood mushroom, soaked and cut small 1 tablespoon goji berries 1 tablespoon soy sauce ½ cup water mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ cup diced green onions, for garnish In a sauté pan heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken into pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, brown on all sides, remove and set aside. Return the same pan to the stove, add oil into the pan with mushroom, ginger and garlic, and cook over medium high heat, just until ginger begins to brown. Add the chicken back into the pan then add lily bulbs, fungus and soy sauce. Cook for 3- 5 minutes. Stir water and cornstarch with a spoon until well mixed, add into pan and stir well. Cook just until mixture thickens. Taste and season with more soy sauce if needed. Turn off heat, sprinkle with green onions and serve with rice. Balanced yin and yang: Shitake mushrooms have a neutral property while all other mushrooms are cooling. Shitakes are sweet and affect the stomach and spleen Yang: Garlic and ginger are warm, pungent and affects the lung and large intestine. Yang: Goji Berry is yang or warm while the leaves of the plant is yin or cool. Chinese traditional medicine believes Goji berry will promote the health of liver and stomach. Yin: Lily bulbs are cool and fall in the bitter family and affect the heart and small intestine.

Element Wood Fire Earth Metal Water Taste Sour – astringent

and contracting (yin) generates fluids and Yin

Bitter - drying (yin) strengthening, clear heat and damp heat, subdues rebellious qi. Warm – dry damp Cool – clears heat and damp heat

Sweet Warm – tonifies qi, Yang, nourishes Yin and Blood Cool – tends to cleanse and moisten

Pungent (spicy, acrid) and aromatic (yang) expels pathogenic factors, disperses and directs qi upwards and out, move Phlegm, invigorates qi and Blood also dispersesqi/Blood stagnation

Salty (yin) Softens hardness, diuretic, purgative Moves inward and downward and tends to be cooling and moistening

Eating Too Much Creates dampness as well as affecting the tendons

Creates SP qiDeficiency damaging the Yin and Blood associated with dryness

Creates accumulation of damp and phlegm affects muscles (tightens) creating deficiency patterns

Creates dryness due to its dissipating qi and Yin in the Lungs and Stomach

Creates an aggravated dampness that can affect body fluids, bones and Blood

Counterbalance using foods with

Pungent taste Salty taste Sour taste Bitter taste Sweet taste

Example of foods

Black Pepper Cayenne Garlic Onion Fennel Fresh ginger

Millet Miso Barley Seaweed Kelp Crab Ham

Lemon Chicken Tomatoes Hawthorne berry Lemon, lime Pickles Rosehip Sauerkraut

Lettuce Endive Turnip Watercress Celery Alfalfa Kale

Beef Chicken Tofu Almond Barley Black Sesame Seeds

What is Chinese Food Therapy

• Using the 5 elements and their 10 interrelationships between the elements to determine what to eat

Color

Taste

Wood Green, yellowish-green Sour Fire Red Bitter Earth Yellow Sweet Metal White Pungent/Acrid Water Black Salty

What is Chinese Food Therapy

Sour – astringent, absorbing, alters blood condition, benefit the Liver

Bitter – Drying, benefit the Heart

Sweet – tonifying, nourishing, soothing, benefits the Spleen

Acrid/Spicy –

dispersing, decongesting, stimulating, benefit the Lungs

Salty – diuretic, softening, purgative, benefit the Kidneys

Bland – calming, soothing, diuretic

Yin Taste: bitter, sour, salty Temp: cool, cold

Yang Taste: sweet, spicy, pungent Temp: warm, hot