Maria Teresa De Donato, PhD, RND, CNC, CMH, CHom
In
my January 2016 article we have considered the Yin and Yang Theory
and the concept of duality it represents. In this one, we will see
how this theory is applied to our health and well-being.
We
should have understood by now that in Nature nothing is completely
either Yin or Yang, but that everything and everybody is rather a
combination of these two elements, which are present – at any given
time – in different amount, thus generating a different result.
Important is also to realize that when one of the two overshadows the
other or, so to speak, is present in excess, it consumes the other
causing a state of imbalance by determining excess on one hand and
deficiency on the other. This is known as 'The Principle of
Extremes' according to which when the element in excess – either
Yin or Yang – reaches its climax, transforms itself in the
opposite, so that, for instance, extreme cold generates great heat,
and extreme heat generates intense cold.
Reaching
and maintaining a state of balance is, therefore, paramount in order
to enjoy optimum health and wellness. It's important to know,
however, that what we call “balance” is not a standstill point
that we are supposed to reach, but rather a state that can fluctuate
within a certain range and which can vary from one person to the
other.
The
concept of the “Six Divisions of Yin and Yang” can help us to
better grasp the dynamics of imbalance which can be summarized as
follows:
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This
basically means that what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) calls “a
Yin condition” is
measured according to how cold, interior and
deficient one is, while what is defined as “a Yang
condition”
depends, to the contrary, on its level of heat, exterior and excess.
When
applying Yin and Yang Theory to anatomy & physiology we can sum
up by stating that,
physically
speaking, all upper, exterior and back parts of the body are Yang
while all the
lower and interior
ones along with the abdomen are Yin, and that, physiologically
speaking, all
substances can be classified
as Yin and all functions as Yang.
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TMC
divides body's functions in two major groups:
a) zàng,
which refers to five organs considered to be Yin, such as heart,
liver, spleen, lung and
kidney and
b) fǔ,
which refers to six organs viewed as Yang, such as small intestine,
large intestine, gallbladder, urinary bladder, stomach and sānjiaō,
with the latter referring to a triple-burner (triple warmer or three
warmers) mechanism which can be identified as part of the lymphatic
system. (NOTE: TCM
sees the human body and the systems that make it work differently
compared to Western Medicine, hence, sometimes, rather than trying to
identify Chinese organs with their non-existent westerner ones, it is
necessary to understand the role they play and to what they may
correspond in the western system).
The activity and
functionality of zàng
and fǔ organs, however, are much more complex than what the above
classification allows for, since each zàng
teams up with a fǔ and each pair corresponds to one of the Wǔ Xing,
that is the “Five Elements” (also called Five Phases, Five
Agents, Five Movements, Five Processes, Five Stages and Five Planets)
and which are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Furthermore, the
zàng-fǔ
are also linked to the twelve standard meridians (used in
Acupuncture, which is part of TCM), with each yang meridian being
connected to a fǔ organ and each yin meridian to a zàng
organ.
The
principles of heat and cold, hence of warming and cooling, as well as
of dryness and
dampness and
excess and deficiency are paramount in TCM. Most chronic
degenerative
diseases will end up being
associated with yin deficiency with the latter including
hypoglycemia, diabetes, tuberculosis, anxiety
and states of inflammation and infection
caused by virus, bacteria, fungi, parasites and other pathogenic
microbes.
Excess
heat and dampness due to the overuse of rich, fatty, highly seasoned,
processed, refined
and/or junk
foods which include the overuse of meat, especially red meat, eggs,
cheese and
diary products, fried and
salty foods, sweet foods, along with chemicals, drugs and alcoholic
beverages characterize, in fact,
developed countries and their mostly unhealthy lifestyle habits.
It's interesting to notice that whenever
the body becomes unable to tolerate and somehow to
counterbalance the excess it faces, it starts to
fall apart manifesting signs of deficiency. Diseases
such as
diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other
degenerative conditions then occur as a result of it.
In these
cases bitter foods and herbs along with a detoxification program
which may help to
cleanse and
purify will be very useful to getting rid of the excess, hence of the
state of toxicity.
These treatments
will all contribute to the restoration of a state of balance by
reducing or even
eliminating problems
such as any blockage that might have occurred and caused conditions
such as hypertension, constipation,
overweight, circulatory problems, heart disease and stroke.
Herbs
such as goldenseal, echinacea, chaparral, dandelion, burdock – just
to name a few –
along with Vitamin
C, increased use of raw foods, juices, celery, lettuce, asparagus,
rye and
amaranth are all recommended
to fight a state of excess.
A
deficiency state, on the other hand, requires working on
repristinating a level of higher
strength and energy,
which can be accomplished by adding to one's own diet “sweet
foods”,
and no, we are not referring
to cakes, sugar and alike, but rather to products such as rice, oats,
millet, nuts, seeds, dates and
molasses, just to name a few. The best approach to treat severe
deficiency may require longer time and is
usually associated with chronic conditions. In fact,
while trying to
repristinate a state of balance, we may
want to avoid to induce a state of shock
in the body but rather
starting to gradually replace the foods
which should be reduced or even
eliminated and which contributed to
the health problem in the first
place.
In
conclusion, although each one of us has different needs, hence in
order to correct any
imbalance a
customized diet is required, there are, however, some useful
guidelines which can
be generally applied. They
include a limited consume of animal proteins (chicken, turkey and
alike; red meat and cold cuts should be
avoided especially if you suffer from any degenerative
disease, including cancer, and/or from
hypertension), eggs and dairy products but rather switch
to a more vegetarian (if not even vegan) diet
which includes primarily fresh fruits and a
combination of raw or
light or steamed vegetables, some soy
products to be consumed in
moderation every once in a while, nuts,
seeds and plenty of juices,
better if made by using a
mix of vegetables and fruits, along
with drinking plenty of fresh
water each and every single day
(usually between 8 and 10 glasses
each day are recommended, with more
to be added in case of
overweight or sweating). A healthy and
balanced diet should also include a
rotation as for the
ingredients consumed and the use of whole grain
rather than processed and refined
foods.
The table
below might help you to better understand how frequent and in what amount each
food should be consumed so that you can
avoid both excesses and deficiencies and maintain
and/or restore optimum health.
The
material presented in this article is for educational purpose only
and not intended as a
medical advice.
If you have any health condition you are concerned with, consult
with your
physician first. To know
more about how TCM and naturopathy can help you, you can contact
Thank
you. I look forward to working with you.
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