NMDE211 Energetics of Food · PDF fileNMDE211 Energetics of Food Week 1 Brief History: ......

© Endeavour College of Natural Health www.endeavour.edu.au 1

NMDE211 Energetics of Food

Week 1

Brief History: European

traditional medicine,

Chinese medicine and

Ayurveda

Nutritional Medicine

Department

© Endeavour College of Natural Health endeavour.edu.au 2

Session Summary

• Introduction to the concept of constitution and

constitutional medicine.

• Introduction to the four humours of European traditional

medicine.

• Introduction to the theory of yin and yang and the five

elements of Chinese medicine.

• Introduction to the five elements and three doshas of

Ayurveda.

• Introductory comparison/contrast of these three

systems and how they are used in dietary prescription.


Introduction to Constitution and

Constitutional Medicine

(Source: http://www.humannaturenaturalhealth.com/

IndividualizedConstitutionalMedicine)


Introduction


• Some systems of healing such as European traditional

medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda

adopt a holistic approach which focuses on the individual

person and his or her unique experience of disease or

illness.

• These systems of healing are based on the belief that

people are not identical in their make-up and, therefore,

each person has his or her own special requirements for

the maintenance of health and treatment of disease.

They are underpinned by a constitutional approach.


Constitution

Definition:

“Of or proceeding from the basic

structure or nature of a person or thing;

inherent.”

(The American Heritage Medical Dictionary, 2007)



Constitutional medicine is an approach

to administering therapeutic agents

based on the recognition of patterns of

imbalance.


Body, Mind and Spirit

• European traditional medicine, Chinese medicine and

Ayurveda are all based on theoretical frameworks that

provide insight into the functioning of body, mind and

spirit together.

• Understanding the mind-body type is essential to

diagnosis and treatment.

• Emphasis is placed on the therapeutic effects of diet and

healthy digestion, as well as techniques to balance

behaviour and emotions.

• There is detailed understanding of biological rhythms,

which form the basis for daily and seasonal routines.

(Micozzi, 2011)



Healing can take place locally, such as a specific

tissue or organ, but the aim of constitutional

approaches is to heal at the level of the whole

organism.(Ventegodt, Kandel & Merrick, 2005)


Introduction to the Four

Humours of European

Traditional Medicine


The Four Humours

• Humoral theory began in Greece in the 5th century BC

with the body of work attributed to the physician,

Hippocrates.

• It then continued with Galen, the Roman doctor who

adopted the Hippocratic doctrine in the 2nd century AD.

• For over 2000 years, humoral theory was the dominant

medical paradigm in western countries. It provided a

model for explaining most things about a person’s

character, psychology, medical history, tastes,

appearance and behaviour.

(Arikha, 2007)


The Four Humours

(http://i3.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/012/684/250px-4_body_fluids.PNG)


The Four Humours

“Man's body has blood, phlegm, yellow bile and

black bile. These make up his body and through

them he feels illness or enjoys health. When all the

humours are properly balanced and mingled, he

feels the most perfect health. Illness occurs when

one of the humours is in excess, or is reduced in

amount, or is entirely missing from the body.”

(British Broadcasting Corporation, 2014)


The Four Humours

Humours Elements Qualities Temperament Associated

organs

Blood Air Hot and wet Sanguine Heart

Phlegm Water Cold and wet Phlegmatic Brain

Yellow bile Fire Hot and dry Choleric Liver

Black bile Earth Cold and dry Melancholic Spleen

(Jackson, 2001)


The Four Temperaments

• Temperament traits can be defined as “constitutionally

determined dispositional characteristics that influence

the manner in which a person’s actions are expressed” (Stelmack & Stalikas, 1991).

• The Four Temperaments are the basic constitutional

body-mind types of Greek Medicine from which

European traditional medicine developed.

• Each of the Four Temperaments can be recognised by

certain basic traits of physique, physiology, digestion and

metabolism, personality and character.


The Four Temperaments

• ‘The Four Temperaments’ is a proto-psychological theory

that suggests that there are four fundamental personality

types: Sanguine (optimistic leader-like); choleric (bad-

tempered or irritable), melancholic (analytical and quiet),

and phlegmatic (relaxed and peaceful). Most

formulations include the possibility of mixtures of the

types.

• Knowing a person’s constitutional type was essential in

this system in order to give advice on what and how to

eat, lifestyle practices to adopt and medications to take

for optimum health maintenance and disease prevention.


Four Temperaments

(http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~kihlstrm/PersonalityWeb/Ch2TypesTraits.htm)


Humoral Medicine and Diet

• Diet was very important in humoral medicine.

• Each food was classified according to its qualities.

• Overindulgence of certain foods was believed to produce

excessive quantities of one particular humour.

• Warm, moist food (e.g. chicken broth) was considered to

be particularly suitable for invalids.

• Fish was cold and wet and believed to be difficult to

digest.

• Meat and wine was believed to be good for making

blood.

(Jackson, 2001)


Introduction

Chinese Medicine


Introduction – Chinese Medicine

• Chinese medicine is rooted in the ancient philosophy of

Taoism and dates back more than 2,500 years.

• Chinese medicine encompasses many different

practices, including acupuncture, moxibustion (burning

an herb above the skin to apply heat to acupuncture

points), Chinese herbal medicine, Tui Na (Chinese

therapeutic massage), dietary therapy, and Tai Chi and

Qi Gong (practices that combine specific movements or

postures, coordinated breathing, and mental focus).

(National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2013)



Sun Shu Mao (581-682), a Chinese physician,

published the pioneer Chinese diet classic in 652

AD entitled One Thousand Ounces of Gold Classic (Lu, 1986)

“To treat an ailment, first use nutritional therapy.

Only when that is inadequate should drugs be

used.” (Lam, 2006)



Yin and Yang

• The basic principles of Chinese medicine are rooted in

the Taoist philosophy of yin and yang. These two polar

opposites organise and explain the ongoing process of

natural change and transformation in the universe.

• In the theory of yin and yang, all things and phenomena

of the cosmos contain these two complementary

aspects.

• The energy field between the poles of yin and yang gives

rise to the universal primal force, qi.

(Kastner, 2009)



Yin and Yang

Yin Yang

Moon Sun

Shadow/night Light/day

Dark Light

Passive Active

Water Fire

Down Up

Structure Function

Right Left

Cold Hot

Plant-based foods Animal-based foods

(Kastner, 2009)



Yin and Yang

Five principles of yin and yang:

• All things have two facets: a yin aspect and a yang

aspect.

• Any yin or yang aspect can be further divided into yin

and yang.

• Yin and yang mutually create each other.

• Yin and yang control each other.

• Yin and yang transform into each other.

(Kaptchuk, 2000)


Yin and Yang: Mutually creative

and transformative

o http://i.imgur.com/pOj5dDe.gif

o http://i.imgur.com/pnzbQEr.gif

(Image sourced Imgur, 2017)

http://i.imgur.com/pOj5dDe.gif

http://i.imgur.com/pnzbQEr.gif



Qi

• The Chinese symbol for qi is formed by two elements –

one element means “air”, “breath”, “steam”; the other

element means “rice”, “grains”.

• According to ancient Chinese belief, vital – or life force –

qi (sheng qi) is the primary source of all living processes

in the cosmos.

• The concept and meaning of qi is only partially

translatable into Western languages.

(Kastner, 2009)


Qi



Qi

The Qi that is directly involved in a person’s life has three

sources:

• Original Qi (Yuan Qi) – also called prenatal qi –

transmitted by parents to their children at conception.

This qi is partly responsible for an individual’s inherited

constitution.

• Food Qi (Gu Qi) which is derived from the digestion of

food.

• Gathering Qi (Zong Qi) which is formed from Food Qi

interacting with Air.

(Kaptchuk, 2000)



The Five Elements

• The Taoist model of the Five Phases (or Elements) is an

extension of the concept of yin and yang.

• This model relates the entire spiritual, emotional,

material and energetic phenomena of the universe to five

basic phases - earth, metal, water, wood and fire

• These phases do not exist in isolation from each other,

but influence each other in a constant, dynamic

interaction.

(Kastner, 2009)



The Five Elements

Element Correspondences

Earth Fertility, ripening, harvest, inner core (centre), stability

(being grounded), sweet flavour

Metal Reflection, change, death, acrid flavour

Water Flow, clarity, cold, birth, salty flavour

Wood Growth, bending, childhood, expansion, sour flavour

Fire Heat, flare-up, upbearing, bitter flavour

(Kastner, 2009)



Seasons

Season Spring Summer Late Summer Autumn Winter

Element Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

Environmental

Influence

Wind Heat Dampness Dryness Cold

Development Birth Growth Transformation Harvest Storing

Colour Green Red Yellow White Black/dark

Taste Sour Bitter Sweet Pungent Salty

Orientation East South Middle West North

Grain Wheat,

oats

Corn,

amaranth

Millet, barley Rice Beans

(Pitchford, 2002)


Introduction to the Five Elements

and Three Doshas of Ayurveda


Introduction - Ayurveda

• The term “Ayurveda” combines the Sanskrit words ayur

(life) and veda (science or knowledge).

• Ayurvedic medicine, as practiced in India, is one of the

oldest systems of medicine in the world.

• Many Ayurvedic practices predate written records and

were handed down by word of mouth.

• Three ancient books known as the Great Trilogy were

written in Sanskrit more than 2,000 years ago and are

considered the main texts on Ayurvedic medicine:

Caraka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Astanga

Hridaya.(National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2015)



• Ayurveda considers that the universe is made up of

combinations of the five elements (pancha mahabhutas).

• These are akasha (ether), vayu (air), teja (fire), aap

(water) and prithvi (earth). The five elements can be

seen to exist in the material universe at all scales of life

and in both organic and inorganic things.

• In biological systems, including human, elements are

coded into three forces which govern all life processes.

These three forces (kapha, pitta and vata) are known as

the three doshas or simply the tridosha.(Patwardhan, Warude, Pushpangadan, & Bhatt, 2005)



• In Ayurveda, humans are seen as a microcosm of nature

and as such are also comprised of the five basic

elements.

• The five elements manifest within the body as the

Tridosha (dosha means protective, or when out of

balance, disease-producing).

• The Tridosha are known as Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

• These three control all biological, psychological and

physiopathological functions of the body, mind and

consciousness.



Each dosha is composed of two elements:

• Vata is composed of space and air, pitta of fire and

water, and kapha of water and earth.

‒ Vata dosha has the mobility and quickness of space

and air.

‒ Pitta dosha has the metabolic qualities of fire.

‒ Kapha dosha has the stability and solidity of water

and earth.

• The tridosha regulate every physiological and

psychological process in the living organism.(Patwardhan, Warude, Pushpangadan, & Bhatt, 2005)



• The interplay among the doshas determines the

qualities and conditions of the individual.

• A harmonious state of the three doshas creates

balance and health; an imbalance, which might

be an excess (vriddhi) or deficiency (kshaya),

manifests as a sign or symptom of disease.

(Patwardhan, Warude, Pushpangadan, & Bhatt, 2005)



For each dosha, there is a balanced and imbalanced expression.

• Balanced Vata - a person is lively and creative. When there is

too much movement in the system a person tends to

experience anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation and

difficulty focusing.

• Balanced Pitta - a person is warm, friendly, disciplined, a good

leader and a good speaker. When Pitta is out of balance a

person tends to be compulsive, irritable and may suffer from

indigestion or an inflammatory condition.

• Balanced Kapha - a person is sweet, supportive and stable.

When Kapha is out of balance a person may experience

sluggishness, weight gain and sinus congestion.



• Ayurveda focuses on the unique qualities of individuals,

pointing out that diseases differ mainly because people

are so different.

• Ayurveda teaches that all health-related measures —

whether an exercise program, dietary plan or herbal

supplement — must be based on an understanding of an

individual’s unique mind-body constitution or dosha.

By knowing a patient’s dosha, an Ayurvedic practitioner

can tell which diet, physical activities, and medical

therapies are most likely to help, and which might do no

good or even cause harm.



Watch this short video to gain a better understanding of

Ayurvedic nutrition philosophy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEkOZ9GDios

Ayurveda Nutrition | Ayurvedic Nutrition by definition and perspective. (5.12 minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEkOZ9GDios


Case Studies Viewed Through

Each of the Systems


Case Study – Humoral Medicine

Sarah

• Age 44 years old, overweight (BMI 29 kg/m2)

Carries excess weight mainly on hips, thighs and

buttocks (pear shaped)

• Outgoing, social and gregarious

• She loves to party and drinks spirits when she goes out.

• She has a hearty appetite and usually has good

digestion. She craves rich fatty foods, especially

desserts and rich, heavy sauces.

• She has a pink rosy, blushing complexion.

(Continued on next slide)



• As a child she suffered from nose bleeds.

• For the past few months she has been

experiencing dysmenorrhoea and heavy

menstrual bleeding.

• Her recent blood tests revealed elevated blood

glucose and high cholesterol, and she also has

recorded high blood pressure.

• According to the Humoral Medicine system,

Sarah is classified as having a Sanguine

temperament and her current diet and lifestyle

choices are aggravating her constitutional type.



• The Sanguine temperament is prone to “excesses of

Blood”. When Blood gets excessive, it tends to

become stagnated and/or congested; when this

happens, its circulation and vital function are

compromised.

• In order to restore balance Sarah will be advised to cut

down on the amount and frequency of her meals, opt

for light foods (such as a vegetarian diet), start

exercising (social or team exercise is likely to be best).

• Sanguine is characterised by the qualities of Warm

and Moist (or Hot and Wet) so foods and practices that

are Cooling and Dry will be recommended to restore

balance.


Case Study – Chinese Medicine

Steve

• Age 39 years old; moderately obese.

• One-year history of recurrent abdominal cramps,

alternating diarrhoea and constipation. Flare-ups

occurring on average every three days, aggravated by

stress and caffeine.

• Main source of stress is new engineering job.

• Diagnosed by a gastroenterologist as having irritable

bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Medications have been prescribed.

(Continued next slide)



• All investigations, including colonoscopy, were negative

(NAD).

• History of childhood mild asthma with allergy to dog and

cat dander. Rarely needed to use his inhaler.

• Mother diagnosed with diverticulosis, and one sister had

peanut allergy.

• Non-smoker, he likes sweets and cold drinks.

• Quiet and nervous demeanour, perspires easily.

• The tongue is swollen, with a red tip and anterior edges.

• The pulse is slippery, with diminished Lung, Spleen and

Kidney positions.

(Lam, 2006)



• Chinese medical syndromes: Spleen (and Kidney)

deficiency, Qi stagnation, and Stomach Qi retroflow.

• Treatment plan: regular and smaller meals; simplify the

diet; eliminate coffee; reduce sweets and avoid cold and

damp foods (such as salads); and instead opt for more

cooked vegetables and fish, with some very lean meats.

• Excessive sweet, cold and damp foods damage the

Spleen system, according to Chinese medicine.

• Acupuncture, exercise and stress management

techniques were also prescribed.

(Lam, 2006)


Case Study - Ayurveda

Sandra:

• Age: 60 years, height 161 cm, weight 48 kg

• Constitution: Vata

• Retired 6 months ago

• She has had no serious illness, but for most of her life

has suffered frequent indigestion, variable appetite,

flatulence and alternating bouts of constipation and loose

stools.

• She has dry skin, a dry cough and often feels cold,

especially her feet.

(Continued next slide)


Case Study - Ayurveda

• She sleeps fitfully and feels weary most of the time.

• She has general anxiety that makes it difficult for her to

relax.

• Sandra has a coated tongue and often has bad breath.

• She has little routine in her life, going to bed at any time

between 8 pm and midnight depending on how she

feels.

• Occasionally she takes a walk. She says she does no

other exercise, but is always running around.

• Her mind jumps from idea to idea and she starts more

projects than she will ever finish.

(Morrison, 2013)


Case Study -Ayurveda

• Sandra’s constitution is Vata and she is displaying many

behaviours, signs and symptoms that indicate excessive

Vata.

• Retirement has contributed to the excessive Vata

because Sandra now has less routine.

• The bad breath and coating on her tongue indicate

“ama” due to poor digestion arising from increased Vata

and poor food combinations.

• Sandra needs to follow Vata-pacifying practises and

emphasise Vata-pacifying foods in her diet.


Examples of Foods Viewed

Through Each of the Systems


Food ClassificationSystem of Medicine Food Qualities

European traditional medicine Hot and Cold

Wet and Dry

Heavy and Light

Increase or decrease blood, phlegm, yellow

bile or black bile

Chinese medicine Yin and yang

Hot, warm, neutral, cool, cold

Sweet, sour, bitter, salty and acrid (pungent)

Upbearing, floating, down-bearing, falling

Organ effect: Spleen/pancreas, stomach,

lung, large intestine, kidney, bladder, liver,

gallbladder, heart, small intestine.

Ayurveda Hot and cold

Sweet, sour, bitter, salty, pungent, astringent

Increase or decrease vata, pitta or kapha.


Lamb – Humoral Medicine

• In Greek humoral medicine, red meat is generally

considered to be the heaviest and hardest to digest and

also considered to leave toxic residues after digestion. It

can easily aggravate bilious problems.

• The heaviest is beef, followed by pork and lamb. To

neutralize the toxins from red meat and aid in its

digestion, it should be either cooked with or eaten with

hot, pungent spices and condiments like cloves,

mustard, black pepper, garlic, onions or horseradish.

(Greekmedicine.net, 2015)


Lamb – Chinese Medicine

LAMB – CHINESE MEDICINE PERSPECTIVE

Thermal nature Warm to hot

Flavour Sweet

Organ network Spleen, kidney

Direction Upbearing/floating

Element Earth

Effect Warms centre burner and kidney network, supplements

qi and blood, supports jing

Contraindications Heat symptoms – agitation, insomnia, reddened itching

skin disorders, excessive menstrual bleeding.

(continued on next slide)


Lamb – Chinese MedicineLAMB - CHINESE MEDICINE PERSPECTIVE

Beneficial

effects

Lamb is especially recommended during the cold months as a

warming food, served well spiced. Very good for kidney yang

deficiency (vacuity): feeling of coldness in body; cold

extremities; aversion to cold; weakness or pain in legs, back

or knees; increase of symptoms with cold; weak libido;

impotence; frequent nocturnal urination with clear urine. Blood

deficiency (vacuity) with cold symptoms after childbirth:

abdominal pains, reduced milk flow, cold lower extremities.

(Lamb with fresh ginger.) Stomach and spleen yang

deficiency (vacuity): lack of appetite, exhaustion, persistent

chills, cold extremities, fatigue.

Cooking

method

Fried/roasted, grilled or well-cooked in liquid with ginger,

Chinese leek (garlic chives), walnuts, garlic and carrots,

preferably seasoned with rosemary, thyme and oregano.

(Kastner, 2009)


Lamb - Ayurveda

• In Ayurveda, lamb is classified as sweet.

• It is not recommended for Vata, Pitta or Kapha.

• It’s qualities are described as cool, heavy to digest and

contributing to weight gain.


Lamb - Discussion:

o How is Lamb viewed as similar in the systems?

o How is Lamb viewed differently?

o From what you have learnt so far can you rationalise

why these similarities or differences exist?


Spinach – Humoral Medicine

• In the Humoral Medicine system green leafy vegetables

are considered to be good for “building the blood”.

• Bitter greens are considered to be good for promoting

bile flow and supporting the liver.

(Greekmedicine.net, 2015)


Spinach – Chinese Medicine

SPINACH – CHINESE MEDICINE PERSPECTIVE

Thermal nature Cool

Flavour Sweet

Recommended for Lubricates dryness, arrests bleeding, used as a blood

tonic; affects large and small intestines. Has a

“sliding” nature which facilitates internal body

movements such as bowel action and urination and

thus is recommended for constipation and urinary

difficulty. Spinach is good for many hot skin eruptions

and itchy skin (cook with seaweed or kelp).

Contraindications Not recommended for persons with premature

ejaculation or diarrhoea (because it is sliding, also

referred to as glossy).

(Kastner, 2009)


Spinach - Ayurveda

SPINACH – AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE

Thermal nature Cool

Flavour Pungent

Recommended for Spinach cools, nourishes and soothes with light, dry

attributes and a pungent vipak. In large quantities it

is aggravating to pitta and vata and best served to

kapha. Small amounts are well tolerated by all and

are useful therapeutically in the treatment of lung

and liver disorders.

Contraindications Aggravating to pitta and vata in large quantities.

(Morningstar, 1991)


Spinach - Discussion:

o How is spinach viewed as similar in the systems?

o How is spinach viewed differently?

o From what you have learnt so far can you rationalise

why these similarities or differences exist?


Session Summary

• Introduction to the concept of constitution and

constitutional medicine.

• Introduction to the four humours of European traditional

medicine.

• Introduction to the theory of yin and yang and the five

elements of Chinese medicine.

• Introduction to the five elements and three doshas of

Ayurveda.

• Introductory comparison/contrast of these three systems

and how they are used in dietary prescription


ReferencesArikha, N. (2007). Passions and tempers: A history of the humours. New York, NY: Ecco

Harper Collins.

British Broadcasting Corporation. 2014. History: Greek knowledge about the body and

disease. Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/shp/ancient/greekknowledge

rev2.shtml

Greek Medicine.net. (2015). The Four Humors. Retrieved from:

http://www.greekmedicine.net/b_p/Four_Humors.html

Jackson, W. A. (2001). A short guide to humoral medicine. Trends In Pharmacological

Sciences, 22(9), 487-489.

Kaptchuk, T. (2000). The web that has no weaver: Understanding Chinese medicine (2nd

ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education.

Kastner, J 2009. Chinese nutrition therapy: Dietetics in Traditional Chinese Medicine

(TCM) (2nd ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Georg Thieme Verlag.

Lam, C. (2006). Nutrition and Medical Acupuncture: Three Case Presentations. Journal

Of Orthomolecular Medicine, 21(4), 200-204. Retrieved from

http://www.ebscohost.com

http://www.greekmedicine.net/b_p/Four_Humors.html


References

Lu, H. (1986). Chinese system of food cures: Prevention and remedies. New York, NY:

Sterling Publishing.

Micozzi, M. (2011). Vital healing: Energy, mind and spirit in traditional medicines of India,

Tibet and the Middle East-Middle Asia. London, England: Singing Dragon,.

Morningstar, A. (1991). The Ayurvedic cookbook: A personalised guide to good nutrition

and health. Santa Fe, NM: Lotus Press.

Morrison, J. (2013). The book of Ayurveda: An interactive guide to using Indian healing

for personal wellbeing. London, England: Octopus Publishing.

National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2013). Traditional Chinese

Medicine: An Introduction. Retrieved from

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm

National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2015). Ayurvedic Medicine:

An Introduction. Retrieved from

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/ayurveda/introduction.htm

Patwardhan, B., Warude, D., Pushpangadan, P., & Bhatt, N. (2005). Ayurveda and

traditional Chinese medicine: a comparative overview. Evidence-Based

Complementary And Alternative Medicine: Ecam, 2(4), 465-473.

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/ayurveda/introduction.htm


References

Pitchford, P. (2002). Healing with whole foods: Asian traditions and modern nutrition (3rd

ed.). Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Stelmack, R. M., & Stalikas, A. (1991). Galen and the humour theory of

temperament. Personality And Individual Differences, 12(3), 255-263.

The American Heritage medical dictionary. (2007). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Ventegodt, S., Kandel, I., & Merrick, J. (2005). Principles of holistic medicine: Quality of

life and health. New York, NY: Hippocrates Scientific Publications.

World Health Organisation. (2015). Traditional and complementary medicine. Retrieved

from http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/traditional/en/

http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/traditional/en/

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