DIETARYÂ THERAPY
"You Are What You Eat!"
We are born with a certain constitution (pre-natal qi) and this is supplemented and supported by our lifestyle and the food we eat.
In Chinese medicine the stomach is viewed as a cooking pot and our spleen/pancreas is likened to the fire beneath the pot that cooks the food. If we consume too many cold/raw foods we can damage this fire/cooking process and the food cannot be transformed and transported around the body and 'sludge' is left in the bottom of the cooking pot! This 'sludge' is called damp or phlegm and is often stored in the lung system or can manifest as water in the body.
'You are what you eat'
Your digestive system is the source of your blood and energy (post-natal qi) and if it is malfunctioning this can have an impact on all aspects of your health. Your constitution will benefit from certain foods but others will be damaging. A consultation will be able to advise a personalised diet plan which will enhance your health now and in the future.
'Small changes now make for a healthier future'
The importance of keeping a healthy digestive system is paramount when maintaining our health. The problem is we are often too busy to allow our systems to function correctly: we don't take the time to eat our meals in a relaxed manner away from screens and other stimulations, we have irregular mealtimes and many often skip meals altogether. These bad habits are equally as important as the food that we eat when encouraging our digestive function!
When we are stimulated or stressed its our sympathetic nervous system that kicks in and enables us to 'deal' with things. When we eat, we need our parasympathetic nervous system to switch on to allow our digestive function to operate efficiently. Any distraction, stimulation or stress will turn this off and activate your sympathetic nervous system, leaving your digestion bereft of positive guidance.
So if you're health conscious and have a 'good' diet, please consider your environment and make some decisions to engage with your food: regular meals, allowing 15 minutes to eat away from your daily routine. Yes that means NO screens.... You can do it!