Chicken

Meat, including chicken, is acidic and should not be eaten in excess; in excess, it can easily contribute to/exacerbate Damp-Heat, Qi stagnation, etc., in the body.

Slow cooking (chicken and meats) in a soup or boiling vs. grilling, broiling, or frying is easier to digest and creates less Yang energy which can be overheating and congesting.

I recommend chicken fairly often to clients with digestive issues and/or fatigue. In terms of TCM, this could be a Spleen or Kidney deficiency. Symptoms may include, muscle weakness, bloat/distention after eating, loose stools, pale tongue, chills, sallow complexion, poor appetite, edema, infertility, etc.

Even for new moms that are deficient and have had Blood loss, I recommend as little as 2 oz of meat (i.e., beef, dark meat chicken & duck, beef/chicken liver, etc.) 3x per week; this is, of course in tandem with other Spleen and Blood nourishing foods and herbs. I also suggest hormone-free, free-range, organic chicken.

• 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲: Sweet

• 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: Warm

• 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀: Spleen & Stomach, Kidneys (Flaws)

• 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Upbearing

𝗧𝗖𝗠: Warms the Middle Burner, Nourishes the Spleen, Nourishes Qi, Blood, & Jing, Tonifies the Kidneys, Strengthens Tendons & Bones (Lu)

𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀: Protein, fat, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium, iron, magnesium

🐔Persistent illness, poor appetite - stewed chicken (add in astragalus and dang gui)

🐔Edema - stewed with red or adzuki beans

🐔Palpitations, dizziness, pale face, fatigue, muscle weakness, amenorrhea, weakness &/or lack of milk after childbirth (Qi & Blood deficiency) = boiled (simmer for a few hours) w/ dang gui & jujube dates

🐔Frequent urination, seminal emission, weak & painful knees, tinnitus (Kidney deficiency) = boiled with equal parts water & rice wine (Livingstone)

🐔Diabetes

🐔 Vaginal bleeding & discharge

🐔Rheumatism - boil 100 grams of pomegranate peel in water with chicken to make soup (Lu)

🐔Classic TCM soup for fatigue = prepare & cut the chicken into small pieces. Fry chicken in a pan, add a little vegetable oil & a few slices of ginger and continue to fry until cooked. Add 3 cups of water & ½ cup of rice wine & boil for 20 minutes. (Lu)

🐔Black boned chicken is considered the best energy tonic food (Lu)

🐔Chicken liver acts on the Liver & Kidneys = tonic = blurred vision, malnutrition in children, habitual miscarriage

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:

🐔 Eating fatty chicken soup may cause diarrhea in those with indigestion or weak digestion.

🐔 Nitrogen compounds in chicken become soluble in soup (creatine, creatinine, & purine) = avoid with gout, gouty arthritis, and high uric acid (avoid drinking soup, eat only the chicken).

🐔 Avoid at the beginning of a cold.

The Importance of Food in Maintaining Balance

Herbs are meant to assist the body back into homeostasis. To keep the body balanced we rely on diet, lifestyle, and healthy emotions. If any of these are out of balance, the physical body will become strained and the emotional body will eventually follow or vice versa. Let’s talk a bit about diet today. 

Unless urgency does not permit, prior to an initial consultation I ask clients for a current 5-day food log. This gives me an idea of what organ system might be in need of some care. If possible, I then try to give food recommendations (again, before the consultation). This gives me an idea of how compliant a client might be once we dig-in. This also gives the client a true look at what they are eating and allows them easily to see what might be missing and what might be in excess. It also serves as a reference point. Once the client feels better, they start to understand how specific foods make them feel, good or bad. Once this connection is made, most clients are more than ready to maintain the balance they find through herbs, diet, lifestyle, and emotional wellbeing. And if they stray from their balanced path, at a minimum they understand why they are feeling poorly again and choose whether to return to their balanced path ... at this point, they are making an informed decision.

The number one aha moment clients have is when they realize that eating certain healthy foods might not be right for them in their current state. There is NO one-diet-fits-all mode. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approaches diet through the organ system ... identifying what organ(s) is either in a state of excess or deficiency, and then amending, by eliminating the excess or nourishing the deficiency. This is such a valuable approach, because it works!

An example that comes up frequently in my practice is Spleen Qi deficiency. According to TCM one of the Spleen’s functions is to transform all foods and drinks we consume into nutrients and Blood for the entire body. If the Spleen is deficient it isn’t functioning properly and we might see symptoms of fatigue/tiredness, bloat, weight gain, loose stools, etc. Often in this situation, when we take a look at the foods eaten, we see raw and cold-natured foods like salads, smoothies, and fruits, which by their nutrient content are thought to be healthy. And they are for folks with healthy Spleen Qi, when eaten at certain times of the year, and in appropriate amounts. The Spleen is affected negatively by an excess of raw and cold-natured foods though, nutritional value aside. And if the Spleen is already deficient and not functioning properly, even a moderate amount of cold and raw food is likely to cause further decline.

Herbs can be immensely valuable in assisting the body back into homeostasis, but they are not meant to be used indefinitely.* If you are curious about how your diet, even if you eat healthily, may be affecting your body, contact me. I love to work with clients on diet, as well as herbs and lifestyle.

In the coming weeks, I will be sharing how diet and emotions affect specific organs.

* There are exceptions, however, these are for another post at another time.

What your elimination habits mean...

One of the most frequent requests for help I get from clients is related to poor digestion.  I always ask clients about their elimination habits and even what it looks like. Although it may not be a comfortable topic for some folks to discuss it's totally fascinating if you know what it means.

Take a moment after elimination and look at your stools - yes, take a look at your stools!  What you see can tell you a lot about what is going on with your digestion and which organ(s) needs some love.

Here's a quick 1 - 2 on what normal is:

1.  A normal bowel movement is 1-2x per day - I personally think if you eat a heavy plant-based diet and ingest a lot of fiber from vegetables and legumes and you eliminate 3x per day - this can be totally normal depending on other signs.

2.  The normal stool is well-formed, not loose, not too dry, and floating.

5 things to notice:  

Small round pellets that are hard: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) this usually indicates that your Liver Qi (energy) is stagnant. You probably have other symptoms such as a bloated feeling in your rib area, rumblings in the belly (that aren't hunger pains), or maybe it feels like you have a stuck piece of meat in your throat that makes it difficult to swallow, especially when you are stressed out. Quite likely you are stressed out! If those same small round pellet-like stools are also dry, it's a good sign you also have some heat in excess so perhaps you have a tendency to blow your top and have an occasional outburst?

Food in your stools: For some reason, some people seem to think it's normal to see undigested corn in their stools. I do not, it's food it should digest! What this means is that your Spleen isn't functioning optimally. One of the Spleens most important functions is that of transporting and transforming food and fluids. Some other signs of a weakened Spleen would be fatigue, muscle weakness, craving sweets, and loose stools.

 Loose stools: we just saw above that loose stools are an indication of a weakened Spleen. It can also be an indication of a weakness of the Kidneys depending on other symptoms. If you have loose stools that leave marks on the sides of the toilet or you notice some mucus in your stool this can indicate Dampness.

Odor to stools: Yes, everyone's eliminations have an odor,  it is odd or excessive odors that we are smelling for. What you smell will determine which organ is out of balance.

Color of stools: Light brown is considered normal. Other colors that might be noticed include pale or dark yellow, pale, dark, very dark or even black, red, green, or greenish-blue.  These colors can indicate heat, cold, Blood stasis, Rebellious Qi or a combination. The organs that are affected include the Spleen, Large Intestine, or the Liver.

Make an appointment with me if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, I will work with you to help you find relief. I am offering free consults while I am completing my 400 hours of clinical training. Contact me for more information.