食疗（二）

吴宇琛

SUM WU

 

Sum Wu

Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner

Bachelor of Health Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine (UTS)

Bachelor of Science Majoring in Psychology (UOW)

Specialising in pain management and mental wellbeing through Tradition Chinese medicine in combination with modern science in mental health, dieting and nutrition.

 

吴宇琛，澳洲政府注册中医师、针灸师，五龙岗大学心理学学士、悉尼科技大学中医系学士，擅长用传统针灸理伤手法和中药治疗各种新旧损伤痛症，特别采用中医中药和现代心理学、营养学相结合调理治疗各种慢性病和亚健康。

 

 

Previously we touched on some basic ideas in TCM food therapy such as the 5 flavours and how the ancient practitioners came up with a dietary system based on balancing a variety of food groups for maximum dietary nutrients as well as employing TCM theory to assist in health maintenance.

之前我们简单介绍了中医食疗的一些基本理念，例如五味，以及古代中医如何提出平衡多种食物以获得最大膳食营养的饮食系统，并运用中医理论来辅助保持身体健康。

 

What I would like to talk about today is an extension of the previous ideas where certain foods based on its flavour, nature (warm, hot, cool and cold) and how they affect the organs and channel systems.

我今天想谈的是之前想法的延伸，也就是某些食物基于其味道、性质（温、热、凉、寒）以及它们如何影响器官和经络系统。

 

Besides this aforementioned factors there also a number of etiological factors that we need to consider when it comes to the right food therapy. These are divided into 3 categories: Climate and Time-oriented, locality-oriented and individual-oriented. This means to achieve the best possible therapeutic effect then we must select foods that are specifically tailored to an individuals constitution, their age and gender as well as their region as well as how the climate is affecting them and the environment.

除了上述因素外，在采取正确的食物疗法时，我们还需要考虑许多病因因素。这些分为三类：气候和时间导向、地点导向和个人导向（因时、因地、因人制宜）。这意味着为了达到最佳的治疗效果，我们必须选择适合个人体质、年龄、性别、地区以及气候如何影响他们和环境的食物。

 

Lets start off with Climate and Time. As there are four seasons in a year they are also split between warm, hot, cool and cold just like the properties of food and herbal medicine and as such we must also adjust accordingly to the seasons when providing medicinal treatment and foods as well. Naturally we all tend to eat more cold foods when it’s hot and warmer foods in the winter season.

让我们从气候和时间开始，一年有四个季节，就像食物和草药的性质一样，也有温、热、凉、寒之分，因此我们在用药和食物方面也必须根据季节进行调整。当然，在温暖的季节我们会倾向于吃寒凉的食物，而在冬季，我们会倾向于吃更多温热的食物。

 

To elaborate further, starting from Spring. This is the seasons associated with sowing and growth and TCM it is a good time to nourish the body and in accordance with the 5 elements we should be soothing the liver as Liver Qi tends to rise during this time, as spring is of the wood element and which is also the element of Liver. For example Chinese Chives is Spicy and warm in nature. The spicy flavour helps disperse liver Qi and its warm nature helps warm the yang and tonify the weak. At the same time it is recommended to reduce sour foods and increase sweet feeds. This is due to sour foods can lead to increased Liver Qi while the sweet foods like Chinese Yam and sweet potato will tonify the spleen.

进一步阐述，从春季开始，是播种和生长的季节，中医认为这是滋补身体的好时机，根据五行，我们应该疏肝，因为这个时候肝气容易上升，因为春季五行属木，肝亦是木性。例如韭菜，辛辣的味道有助于分散肝气，其温暖的性质有助于暖阳和补弱。同时中医会建议减少食用酸味的食物，增加甜食。这是因为酸味食物可以增强肝气，而山药、红薯等甘味食物可以补脾。

 

During the Summer months the temperature will be hot and here we will generally see an increase in heat related illness and of course this will be treated with coldness. Foods that can clear heat, nourish the Yin and promote moisture like watermelon and mung beans are essential during this period. It is recommended to reduce bitter foods as it is drying and add a bit spicier food to benefit the lung. Towards the tail end of Summer, we also see a lot of damp conditions so it is also important to eat more foods that invigorate the spleen and eliminate dampness such as Fu Ling or Winter Melon (this particular food is a perfect example of correct food therapy as it is cool in nature, is sweet and helps eliminate dampness).

在夏季，气温会很热，我们通常会看到与热有关的疾病增加，当然可以用寒性食物来治疗。西瓜、绿豆等清热、滋阴、利湿的食物在此期间必不可少。建议少吃苦味食物，因为会让身体变干燥，适当增加一点辛辣食物，以利肺。夏末的时候，湿气会比较重，多吃健脾祛湿的食物也很重要，比如茯苓、冬瓜这种食物就是正确食疗的最佳例子，性凉，味甘，祛湿。

 

During Autumn the air starts to cool and turn dry and is time to nourish the lungs with foods that moisten the body such as pears, lily bulbs and Loquat (Pi Pa). During these months Liver Qi tends to stagnate so foods that are sour and less spicy will benefit the Liver Qi.

秋季空气开始凉爽干燥，适宜吃梨、百合、枇杷等润肺食物。这几个月肝气容易郁结，所以吃酸、少辣的食物有利于肝气。

 

Finally during the Winter months we must expel cold with heat so naturally we would be eating more war and hot foods such as lamb and beef.

最后，冬季必须以热祛寒，自然要多吃羊肉、牛肉等热性食物。

 

The next etiological factor is a bit more complicated and sometimes harder to adjust to. Locality-orientated refers to using foods based on the region where you are currently living in as the location can affect the temperature and climate as well. If someone is from a cold and dry place then there is a prevalence of cold and dryness and you may find that they eat a lot more spicy and nourishing foods to fight the cold and nourish the lungs from dryness. People living in places that are hot and humid will benefit greatly foods that can cool and expel dampness like the Winter Melon previously mentioned. In Australia we are a bit lucky as the seasons are not too extreme and with an abundance of foods that grow all year there is less problems with finding the appropriate ingredients.

下一个病因因素相对比较复杂，有时比较难以调节。地域性是指根据当前居住的地区使用食物，因为位置也会影响温度和气候。如果一个人来自寒冷干燥的地方，那麽寒燥盛行，你会发现他们会吃很多辛辣、滋补的食物来御寒、润肺燥。生活在炎热潮湿的地方的人，吃一些像前面提到的冬瓜这样清凉祛湿的食物大有裨益。在澳大利亚的我们是比较幸运的，因为季节不太极端，而且全年都有丰富的食物，因此找到合适食材的问题较少。

 

During my last year of university, I interned at Chengdu University Traditional Chinese Medicine and the climate in Chengdu at that time was very cold and damp. Chengdu is located in a basin area so naturally all the cold air and dampness accumulates at the bottom of the basin where the city is located. One of the local staples is hot and numbing hotpot and spicy foods. Even the meat buns are made using peppercorn water. Normally if I was to eat spicy food on a daily basis then it would very quickly to excess heat and heat related illnesses but the local climate was very cold and damp, the spicy food actually helps my body from building up too much cold and dampness. The spiciness of the food warms the body and also disperse dampness.

大学最后一年，我在成都中医药大学实习，当时成都的气候非常寒冷和潮湿。成都地处盆地，自然所有的冷空气和湿气都聚集在城市所在的盆地底部。当地的主食之一是麻辣烫的火锅和辛辣的食物。连肉包子都是用花椒水做的。一般来说，如果我每天吃辛辣的食物，那麽很快就会导致实热和与热有关的疾病，但当地的气候非常寒冷和潮湿，辛辣的食物实际上可以帮助我的身体避免过多的寒湿。食物的辛辣可以温暖身体，还能祛湿。

 

Finally, we have foods that are individual-oriented. These foods are specifically chosen based on the person’s constitution, age and lifestyle. For example if someone’s constitution is Yang deficient then they would benefit more from warm foods such as red meat and congee. People who are Yin deficient will need to eat more foods that are nourishing like soups using Mai Dong or eating more oats and black beans. Qi deficient individuals can benefit greatly from soups made with Ginseng and Huang Qi as they tonify Qi and if someone is too damp then something like congee made with Yi Yi Ren and Chinese Yam can help eliminate the dampness while strengthening the spleen.

最后，我们说说针对个人的食物。这些食物是根据人的体质、年龄和生活方式专门选择的。例如，如果某人体质为阳虚，那麽他们更适合吃红肉和粥等温热食物。阴虚的人需要多吃一些滋补的食物，比如麦冬汤或者多吃燕麦、黑豆。气虚的人可以喝人参、黄芪汤，因为它们可以补气，如果身体太湿，可以喝薏苡仁、山药等粥，可以祛湿健脾。

 

Other associated factors include age. There is a saying that we should not invigorate Yang in children as they already have an abundance of Yang Qi and usually they tend towards the heat illness so cooling foods would be more appropriate than Yang warming foods while someone who is old and fragile will be the reverse and would function better with warmer foods. Obviously this is not set in stone and each individual at any given moment is different in what they require.

其他相关因素包括年龄。有句话说，小儿不宜补阳，因为他们阳气本来就盛，容易生热病，所以凉性食物比温阳食物更合适，而年老体弱的人则宜吃热性食物。显然这些选择并不是一成不变的，每个人在任何特定时刻的需求都是不同的。

 

This is but a brief introduction to food therapy in TCM as it can be as complex as treating someone with herbs or acupuncture but I hope it has broadened your view on foods.

这里只是中医食疗的简要介绍，因为它可能像用中药或针灸治疗某人一样复杂，但我希望它能拓宽大家对食物的看法。

 

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（吴宇琛中医师，澳洲政府注册中医师、针灸师，五龙岗大学心理学学士、悉尼科技大学中医系学士，悉尼好思维松轩药行主治中医师，本文仅供参考，具体诊疗应咨询专业人士。）