What and how we eat can make a big difference to our digestion. Here are some general and specific tips to help you if you’re experiencing Blood Stagnation as diagnosed by your Chinese Medicine practitioner.
• Include a large variety of foods in the diet.
• Live on a mainly vegetarian diet of light, simple foods.
• Eat largely whole, unprocessed foods.
• Chew and swallow slowly.
• Relax whilst eating; avoid eating while reading, watching TV or rushing.
• Eat regularly. The amount of food and time of meals should be similar every day. Optimal is breakfast at about 7 A.M., lunch around 12 noon and supper at 6 P.M.
• Food intake should be greatest in the morning, a moderate amount at lunch, and a small amount at the evening meal.
• Eat small amounts of food frequently rather than large amounts of food infrequently.
• Avoid eating when in any kind of extreme emotional state.
• Eat moderately at each meal; eat until only 2/3 full.
• Eat clean, fresh, organic and seasonally ripe produce as often as possible.
• Avoid extremes in the diet, such as too hot, spicy, too raw, too cold, or too greasy.
• Balance the five flavours; sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty, to the best of your ability. Ask your practitioner for clarification on flavour categorisation.
• Avoid eating anything 2-3 hours before sleep.
Specific advice for Blood Stagnation
Have:
A small amount of chives, cayenne, eggplant, saffron, safflower, basil, brown sugar and chestnuts to improve circulation. Also have turmeric, adzuki beans, rice, spearmint, garlic, vinegar, scallion, leeks, ginger, rosemary, nutmeg, kohlrabi, white pepper, trout, small amounts of chicken and chicken liver, mussels, wheat germ, and millet.
Avoid:
Duck, alcohol, fatty foods and sweets. If you have an aversion to cold, also avoid citrus fruits and tomatoes.
