Using Traditional Chinese Medicine to Make Healthy Eating Choices

Changing your diet today can help you start feeling healthier tomorrow.  We now know that eating too much sugar and refined foods can lead to diabetes and that foods high in sodium can cause high blood pressure.  How can we use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to make healthy eating choices?

In TCM, eating foods high in sodium can cause water retention leading to "kidney deficiency" and diets high in sugar, starch, and cream can contribute to "dampness".  These are just a couple examples of patterns that are identifed and addressed by using TCM.

Food Choices Can Affect Meridian Balance

In Western Medicine, the body is divided into organs and systems.  In TCM, the body is viewed in 12 meridians (channels), which influence body systems. Foods are classified by their different qualities such as temperature, flavor, dampening, or drying.  Each quality has an affect on the balance within the meridians.  Eating too much of one type of food will create an imbalance within the body.  This is why eating too much sodium creates "kidney deficiency" or eating too much starch creates "dampness".

Evaluating Your Diet

When you set up a consultation with Tracie Hinton-Chavez, Licensed Acupuncturist, a complete intake of your symptoms, health history, tongue and pulse diagnosis will be done.  This will give Tracie the information needed to treat those meridians that are out of balance as well as to what dietary habits may contribute to the imbalance and symptoms.  In addition to dietary changes, she will also give you recommendations that may include acupuncture, customized herbal formulas, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, or stress management suggestions.

Tracie utilizes TCM, 5 element, and Dr. Tan's method for pain management.  She has learned many different styles of acupuncture during her years of practice and will use the best form to treat your unique needs.

Call our office at 773.878.7330