Published October 22, 2024 While Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can seem daunting due to the sheer amount of teachings, concepts and herbs it contains, there are eight main principles that lie at the foundation of TCM philosophy. These principles help practitioners identify any patterns or imbalances in their clients and identify physical, spiritual and emotional manifestations of these imbalances. They are: Yin and Yang Interior and Exterior Hot and Cold Deficiency and Excess It’s important to note that these are binary opposites, but they also exist on a spectrum. So it’s absolutely possible to have a bit of both going on in your body at once. The Principle of Hot and Cold Even if you aren’t super familiar with TCM, there’s a high likelihood that you’ve heard of the hot and cold principle before in some way or another or that you’ve grasped it intuitively. In either case, here’s the basic premise. Your body operates at any given “temperature”, which can fall anywhere on the hot-cold spectrum. Oftentimes, we have a tendency to lean in one direction or the other, naturally, depending on our individual constitution. For instance, some of us might fall on the more fiery side, embodying a more Pita, or hot, body in the Ayurvedic tradition. Now, say someone presents with things like a fever or a rash. These are hot conditions, signifying that there is excess heat in their body. Other signs of excess heat include: acid reflux, burning, high blood pressure, sores, ulcers, acne, infections, and anxiety – really anything that is characterized by inflammation and looks angry or red. On the other hand, someone who runs cold or has poor circulation might have a cold pattern, meaning that there is excess cold in their body. Cold symptoms would include things like: phlegm, chills, weak digestion, loose stools, muscle aches, edema (swelling), menstrual issues, a sluggish thyroid, low pulse, and clear urine. In the fall and winter months, the cold air and wind (Yin) makes it much easier for us to experience excess cold in our bodies. This can stagnate and constrict both our Qi (energy) and our blood flow, which can lead to some of the cold symptoms we mentioned above. That’s why it’s critical that we keep ourselves warm (Yang), internally and externally, during the cold season. And if you know that you have a tendency to run cold, you’ll want to be extra cautious of staying warm during this time. Cold vs Hot Foods Like us humans, the foods we eat naturally fall somewhere on the hot–cold spectrum as well. According to TCM, energetically cold foods would be: Raw vegetables Leafy greens Juices Ice cream Sugar Sweet fruits Peppermint Tofu Mushrooms Bitter herbs (like dandelion) Wheat Kelp and seaweed When we consume too many of these cold foods (or drinks!), our bodies have to work extra hard to heat them up and process them, weakening our digestive fire. This puts a lot of strain on our spleen and stomach, or “middle burner” in TCM. Yet when we opt for cooked foods or energetically hot foods, we are not only keeping our digestive fire nice and stoked but we are also able to extract more nutrients from our food while using less energy to digest them. Some examples of energetically hot foods are: Red meat Root vegetables Soups Stews Fennel Leeks Onions Orange peel Garlic Pepper Nutmeg Cayenne Ginger Cinnamon Alcohol Tips for Keeping Your Internal Fire Stoked Avoid cold drinks and, instead, opt for room-temperature water, hot teas, coffees and broths. Add warming spices to your meals. Cook all of your foods, even your greens! Eat with the seasons. This will keep you reaching for foods that are aligned with what your body needs during any given month. If you’re craving a juice, include a chunk of ginger and/or lemon to warm it up. Don’t add frozen fruit or ice to your smoothies. Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Cover your abdomen, lower back, feet and neck, especially when you go outside. Slow down, rest, and sleep as much as you need. Take digestive bitters that contain warming herbs (like Digestive Juice!) before all of your meals. Stay out of cold bodies of water!
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