Food - A Few Words of Advice

The oriental model tells us that we live in bodies that are controlled and regulated by an energetic system. The energy which flows around our bodies (called Chi or Qi) is essential as it directs the functioning of our organs, it protects us from sickness and it gives us the motive energy to live. One of the ways in which we produce Qi is through the food we eat.

Food energetics is a vast subject in itself and there are books available for those who have a deeper interest, however, for most people in normal situations, a few sensible principles will help ensure efficient use of food by the body.

Efficient transformation of food into good quality Qi depends on a number of factors, all of which are basic common sense, and probably the sort of thing your mother used to tell you. Firstly, the food we eat is itself is a product of Qi. Any foodstuff, be it animal or vegetable is a product of a living system and has, therefore carries that system's Qi within it. The closer the food is to its original state, the better the quality of that Qi will be. For this reason, the less processed food is, and the less it has been treated with pesticides, antibiotics and so on, the better it will be. Therefore, rule number one is always eat the best quality food you can afford. Cheap food is cheap for a reason, and that reason is that it is adulterated, impure, and basically poor quality. If possible eat organic or free range, ideally grow or raise your own, but always strive for quality over price. The occasional ready meal won't kill you, but a constant diet of them will have a profound negative impact on your health.

Secondly, it is important to have a ‘balanced' diet. This is an often used, yet ill defined paradigm, but there are some basic rules to follow. Eating more carbohydrate than vegetables, more vegetables than high protein foods, and more protein than fat should keep you pretty well there.

Thirdly, the body requires time and space to digest and transform food properly. In the modern headlong rush of life, few people make time for eating as an end in itself. All of us are pushed by the ever present time imperative into eating on the run, at the desk or even in the car. The result is that the body is not given the time to properly digest and assimilate the food we eat, and poor quality Qi is produced, even if we eat good quality food. It is important therefore to take time for meals. Make time for breakfast (which really is the most important meal of the day), lunch and tea. Devote that time exclusively to eating, not work, not travelling, not making phone calls. Eating with the family is good from a social point of view, but try to keep it as quiet and amicable as possible, arguing injures the energies required to transform food into Qi.

Finally, a little of what you fancy actually does do you good. Leaving aside unhealthy and habitual cravings, generally, your body knows what it needs, and will tell you. This does however require a certain level of awareness that can take a while to attain once you start eating sensibly and well.

Food and diet can also be used to alleviate some symptoms of internal disharmony once it has occurred. One of the ways in which a person's condition can be described in Traditional Chinese Medicine is in terms of internal heat or cold, dryness or dampness. For instance hot conditions may manifest as flushed skin, fever and constipation, while cold conditions would manifest in such symptoms as a pale complexion, chills and diarrhoea. Dampness and dryness have other indications such as phlegm or dry skin, and either can associate with heat or cold to produce a wide variety of conditions depending on the relative amounts of each present within the system.

There are some points on the body that can be used to eliminate internal conditions such as heat and cold, but often the most effective way to eliminate excess heat and cold is through a change in diet. Shiatsu practitioners are trained to give advice on which foods can affect the internal condition of their clients, and a few examples are given below. This may appear a rather eclectic list, and is in no way complete, but is rather an illustration of the types of foods that have different energetics.

This rather strange list is illustrative, but there are some general rules. For instance, the more ‘peppery' the flavour, the warmer the food is. This doesn't include curry which is, perversely although heating, considered as being too immediate and fierce in its effect and therefore not much use as a warming food.

Cooking can alter the energetics of food. For instance, boiling and steaming cools whilst smoking, frying and roasting have a warming effect.

Other points to remember are that some foods, particularly dairy products and, sadly, beer can cause damp to build up in the body, while others have a drying effect.

All this is very confusing, and specific advice will be given as necessary by your practitioner. If, however, you follow the basic rules of good, balanced diet, eaten calmly at set times, then your Qi, and therefore your general health will improve.