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Nutrition, Diet and Lifestyle
Beth Bright, Acupuncturist, Lakewood, Colorado

When we understand that the invisible "go power" of our body is energy, then we can help ourselves nourish our energy appropriately for our individual needs. Chinese Medicine deeply respects food as medicine.  Nutrition is the combination of food and digestion. 

Food is digested and transformed into qi (physical energy).  In order for this to happen, digestive energy must be healthy. The goal of healthy digestion is a state of balance in the function of organs, cells, tissues of the body.

It makes sense that what we eat influences how we digest.  Different people may have different needs in this.  Also, the various organs of the digestive process feed other organs and energies in our bodies.  It is a beautiful and intricate, inter-related dynamic system. There are many diet programs and conflicting nutritional reports in Western nutrition.  Chinese Medicine is unique in its approach to diet and nutrition from a deep, energetic knowledge of food and the body.  We understand food as having energy properties that influence and work with the body in specific ways.  Because of this understanding, we are able to work within any nutritional approach to gain balance and health.  For example, in treating constipation, whether a patient eats a vegetarian diet, or vegan, or paleo diet , is celiac or allergic, or is seeking how to eat at all, Chinese Medicine understands the energetic properties of food  and so we can help establish proper bowel function no matter what diet the patient is dedicated to.  

Many health problems occur after prolonged digestive issues.  The Chinese medicine perspective is that the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy systems in our bodies are nourished by what we take in – meaning food, air and water, along with sounds, sights, and our interpretations and feelings about our life events.  All input influences how our energy moves. 

Nutrition deals with food and digestion.  We acquire good nutrition when the food we eat provides what we need, and our digestive process is strong and clean.  ALL digestive issues are related to food!  How else could it be?  There are often secondary problems with digestive concerns that are essential to address, however, it all goes back to what we ingest primarily.  Our digestive system is also about digesting emotions, life experiences, and thoughts.  The energy of digesting is about taking in - physical substance (food), and life experiences, as well as our emotional and thought responses to life experiences. This is obvious to anyone who has experienced acute digestion upset due to strong emotions.  This is a factor in all prolonged and more serious digestive problems.  

In Chinese medicine, for each organ and energy system, there is a specific food, spice, flavor, or drink to balance its needs.

There was a restaurant associated with the hospital where I interned in Shanghai (Longhua Hospital).  Doctors would sometimes prescribe food cures for illnesses and write a nutrition prescription, which patients would take to the restaurant in order to receive the appropriate food for their ailments.  This demonstrates the deep understanding and respect of food as medicine. After years of clinical experience I have found that for some health issues, a change in what we eat and how we eat it is all that is required for complete care! Obviously, there are more difficult issues, too, and then combinations of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and qi gong and time are needed. 

I have written a Chinese Medicine Cookbook, soon to be published in 2022. It is entitled Embody Eating - Recipes, Chinese Medicine, and Beyond! After years of clinical experience, I hope this is helpful to my patients and anyone else interested in how and what to eat!

For help with Crohn's Disease, Celiac disease, I.B.S., acid reflux and other digestive issues, please consider acupuncture and Chinese Medicine with Beth Bright at 303-445-1114.

 

Beth Bright, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac., M.S.
Rocky Mountain Acupuncture
303-445-1114 bethbrightacupuncture@gmail.com 3000 Youngfield St. Suite 157, Wheat Ridge, CO 80215