Chinese Food Therapy
The Chinese food therapy (simplified Chinese: 食疗 traditional Chinese: 食疗, Pinyin: Shi Liao “) is a practice of healing with natural foods rather than drugs.
Chinese food therapy is a form of traditional Chinese medicine, also known as Chinese Nutrition therapy. It is especially popular among the Cantonese, who enjoy simmering soups. One of the most commonly known is the rice soup known by many names including congee and Jook. It is a traditional breakfast of Asian people worldwide. The congee recipes has many variations, depending on the health benefits you want, and taste.Chinese food therapy dates back to 2000 BC. However, proper documentation was only found around 500 BC. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, also known as the Niejing, which was written around 300 BC, was most important in forming the basis of Chinese food therapy. Foods are classified into four food groups, five tastes and its nature and characteristics.
The ideas of yin and yang are used in the field of food and cooking. Yang foods are believed to increase body heat (eg, increase metabolism), while Yin foods are believed to decrease the heat of the body (for example, lower the metabolism). As a generalization, Yang foods tend to be energy-dense foods, especially energy from fat, while Yin foods tend to have high water content. Ideal for the Chinese is to eat both types of food to keep body in balance. A person who eats too much Yang food might suffer from acne and bad breath, while a person who eats too much yin foods may be lethargic or anemic.
One example is the following remedy for cough.
Dried duck gizzards, watercress, almonds (南北杏 陈 肾 西洋菜 汤)
Assumptions purposes: to alleviate both Yin (the result of cold) and Yang (as a result of dryness) the type of cough.
Berro (西洋菜) is used for removing excess yang in the body.
Sweet almond kernels (南 杏仁) and bitter almond (北 杏仁) relieve the lungs.
Dried duck gizzards (干 鸭 肾) are used to balance the Yin Yang of the recipe.
Watercress is available in most supermarkets, while the rest of the ingredients can be found in the shops of Chinese herbs.
The ingredients are cooked slowly for a couple of hours in a soup, you can add a small piece of pork for flavor.
Do not use meat type Yang, like beef or chicken in this recipe, and nullify the effects of watercress.
Source: http://productosecologicossinintermediarios.blogspot.com/2010/04/terapia-de-comida-china.html
image source: http://kimchiwestern.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/details5ff3fa918b3401f6c1a0.jpg
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