Heart  (Fire) and Kidney  (Water ) should
complement each other so that warmth (Yang) and moisture (Yin)
are evenly distributed throughout the body. If friction or conict
ensues, warmth will turn to Heat in the upper regions, leading to
Dryness  and thirst, and Moisture  will accumula te below, leading to
Dampness  or Cold in the lower regions. Reorganizing these patterns
of conict is the purpose of the harmonizing formulas, theTherapeutic goal:usefulness of which is clearer after having read the typology section
of this book, which elaborates upon the psychological and
physiological manifestations of Organ Network  disharmonies. METAL-WOOD. LUNG-LIVER                            
To harmonize Lung-Liver  is to reconcile Metal  and Wood . This is
accomplished by tonifying Blood  and Moisture , dispersing Blood  and
Qi, and purging Heat and Wind . This formula contains bupleurum,
white peony, and cyperus, which keep the Liver cool, relaxed,  and
decongested. These same herbs relieve spasm of blood vessels,
nerves, and muscles, especially in the diaphragm, and fullness or
pain of the liver and gallbladder. Chrysanthemum and Morus  resolve
inammation and congestion of the upper-respiratory tract and
eyes; and platycodon, fritillary, and licorice soothe and moisturize
the Lungs  and eliminate phlegm. tonify Blood  and Moisture
disperse Blood  and Qi
purge Heat, Wind , and phlegm
WOOD-EARTH. LIVER-SPLEEN                            
This formula harmonizes Liver-Spleen  and makes peace between
Wood  and Earth . The herbs used here regulate digestion, blood
circulation, and the distribution of Nutritive Essence , the source of Qi
and Blood . The herbs bupleurum, peony, and angelica relax Liver QiTherapeutic goal:and nurture and distribute Blood . Ripe citrus and saussurea warm
and activate the Spleen  and Stomach , promote digestion, and relieve
accumulated Moisture . Peppermint and licorice dispel Wind  and Heat
and counteract  spasm and tension. This formula adjusts and subdues
the appetite and corrects indigestion associated with gas, acidity,
and queasiness. It also relieves constipation due to tension in the
abdomen and allays the irritability, bloating, and lethargy of
premenstrual distress. tonify Blood
disperse Qi, Blood, Moisture
disperse food accumulation purge Wind  and Heat
EARTH-WATER. SPLEEN-KIDNEY                            
The formula to harmonize Spleen-Kidney  stabilizes Earth  and Water . By redistributing Moisture  and promoti ng circulation  of Qi and
Blood , the herbs in this formula help to overcome stiness, swelling,
and inertia. Poria, atractylodes, and ripe citrus rid the Spleen  of
Dampness  and circulate Qi, while alisma and cinnam on remove
surplus uids (Moisture  and Blood ) from cavities , joints, and tissue. Astragalus and euryales support the Qi of both Spleen  and Kidney
and protect them from being overly drained. This formula relieves
dryness of skin and mouth, soreness of the joints, pun ess of the
face, hands, and feet, the feeling of heaviness in the head and limbs,
diarrhea, and dicult urination.Therapeutic goal:
Therapeutic goal:consolidate Moisture  (Essence ) and Qi
disperse Qi, Moisture , and Blood
purge Moisture  (Dampness )
WATER-FIRE. KIDNEY-HEART                            
To harmonize Kidney-Heart  a formula must reunite Essence  (Jing)
and Spirit  (Shen), Water  and Fire. Cooked rehmannia and schizandra
nurture and consolidate Essence, Blood , and Moisture , while salvia
and polygala soothe the Spirit  and vitalize the Blood . As assisting
herbs anemarr hena protects  Yin by supplementing Moisture  and
clearing Heat, while  motherwort and cardamom respectively
encourage the downward ow of Blood  and stabilize and warm the
Qi. This recties the lack of concordance between Heart  and Kidney
that results in problems like insomnia, sexual and emotional
anxiety, excessive perspiration and nervousness, lumbar weakness,
fatigue, and intense mood swings. tonify Blood  and Moisture
consolidate Moisture  (Essence ) disperse Blood
purge upper Heat, lower Cold
calm SpiritTherapeutic goal:FIRE-METAL: HEART-LUNG                            
The Heart-Lung  harmonizing formula soothes and cools the friction
that antagonizes Fire and Metal , calmin g the mind and freeing the
breath. Lily bulb, trichosanthes fruit, and licorice lubricate and
moisturize the Lungs , skin, eyes, nose, throat, and intestines. Ganoderma, polygala, and schizandra quiet the psyche, settle the
nerves, nurture the Blood , stabilize the Qi, and regulate perspiration. To give support, ripe citrus, platycodon, and pinellia mobilize and
disperse Qi and phlegm from the chest and throat, reducing
congestion, constriction, and pain. This formula eases mental stress,
adjusts body temperature by adjusting perspiration and respiration,
stops coughing, aids expectoration, and quenches thirst. It also
relieves dryness and inammation of the skin, throat, bronchi, and
intestines. tonify Blood  and Moisture
consolidate Qi and Moisture
disperse Qi and Blood
purge Heat and phlegm
Organ Network  Disharmonies: Key PatternsSELF-ASSESSMENT  PROFILE
Some of you may nd this chapter most useful after you have begun
working with a practitioner—you will then be motivated to
understand the thinking behind the choices that have been made in
your treatment . Others of you may choose to educate yourselves in
advance of working with a professional and will appreciate being
able to increase your self-un derstanding with the aid of the charts
that follow. SYMPTOM  PATTERNS OF  DEPLETION AND  CONGESTION
Patterns of Depletion: Deciency and Slackness
Symptoms of Deciency
General:  weakness, fatigue, malaise, sensitivity, poor resistance
Decient Qi:
___ weakness, lethargy, or weariness
___ lowered libido
___ decreased motivation
___ dull thinking, sensing, or feeling (lack of aect)
___ poor appetite
___ weak digestion
___ susceptible to colds or us
___ prolonged recovery following illness
___ pasty, pale complexion
___ limp hair
___ shortness of breath
___ averse to talking
___ perspires easily with exertion___ weak muscles
___ chills easily
___ frequent, profuse urination
___ infertility
___ miscarriage
___ dull, soft nails
___ pale, enlarged tongue with thin fur
___ weak, soft, slow pulse
Therapy:  herbs to tonify Qi
Decient Moisture:
___ dry and thirsty
___ dryness of mucous membranes secretions and urination
___ constipation
___ uncomfortable feeling of heat in the body
___ restlessness and insomnia
___ low fever in the afternoon or evening
___ parched and cracked skin
___ emotional lability
___ hot ashes
___ night sweats
___ constant hunger, sometimes with loss of weight
___ unstable blood sugar
___ persistent dry cough
___ dry or sore throat
___ dry, brittle nails
___ ushed face with dry skin and lips
___ dry, reddened tongue without fur
___ rapid, thin, or weak pulseTherapy:  herbs to tonify Moisture
Decient Blood:
___ restless fatigue
___ irritability
___ poor sleep
___ itching, prickling skin or scalp
___ dryness without thirst
___ blurred or weak vision
___ loss or thinning of hair
___ dizziness
___ dry or hard stool
___ premature aging of skin
___ dry skin, eyes, hair
___ anemia
___ numbness of hands and feet
___ muscle cramps
___ lack of semen
___ scanty or irregular menstruation
___ pale, waxy, sallow complexion
___ easy bruising
___ poor skin healing
___ palpitations
___ postpartum weakness or anemia
___ pale, opaque, thin, weak nails
___ pale pink or orange tongue and lips
___ weak, thin, or irregular pulse
Therapy:  herbs to tonify BloodSymptoms of Slackness
General:  lack of tone (prolapse, accidity), lack of focus,
dissipation (wasting or ebbing of strength), loss of tissue
integrity, vulnerability, instability
Slack Qi:
___ atony or prolapse of stomach, intestines, anus
___ fecal incontinence or constant diarrhea
___ hemorrhoids
___ dizzy or weak after meal or bowel movement
___ loose or accid muscles
___ abby tongue
___ very weak or disappearing pulse
Therapy:  herbs to consolidate Qi
Slack Moisture:
___ excess secretion from eyes, nose, mouth, skin, vagina
___ seminal incontinence or premature ejaculation
___ frequent urination, enuresis, or incontinence
___ dizzy or weak following sex
___ very buoyant but thin pulse
Therapy:  herbs to consolidate Moisture
Slack Blood:
___ excessive or prolonged bleeding from skin, nose, lungs,
stomach, intestines, bladder
___ ulcers of skin, mucous membrane, stomach, intestines
___ excessive bleeding during menses, pregnancy, or postpartum
___ bleeding hemorrhoids___ anemia associated with inammation of stomach, small
intestine, or large intestine
___ very thin and irregular pulse
Therapy:  herbs to consolidate Blood
Patterns of Congestion: Stagnation and Obstruction
Symptoms of Stagnation
General:  soreness, tenderness, spasms, retention, irregularity
Stagnant Qi:
___ head feels stuy
___ distension or fullness in chest or abdomen
___ mild nausea
___ gas pains, cramps, tension in stomach or intestines
___ hiccups, belching, or atulence
___ constipation with gas
___ vague or migratory pains
___ taut pulse
Therapy:  herbs to disperse Qi
Stagnant Moisture:
___ soft or loose stool
___ bloating with water retention
___ puy eyes, face, hands, or ankles
___ frequent but scanty urination
___ feels swollen, tender, lethargic in humid weather
___ soft swellings or enlarged lymph nodes
___ premenstrual soreness and swelling of breasts
___ soft pulseTherapy:  herbs to disperse Moisture
Stagnant Blood:
___ mottling or chilliness of limbs from poor circulation
___ sharp pains in head, eyes, joints, internal organs
___ irregular or painful menses
___ premenstrual pain and hardness of breasts
___ painful hemorrhoids or cysts
___ elevated cholesterol
___ uneven pulse
Therapy:  herbs to disperse Blood
Symptoms of Obstruction
General:  severe pain and discomfort, emotionally distraught
Obstructed Qi:
___ generalized discomfort, fullness, pressure in the head, chest,
limbs, or abdomen
___ belching and atulence
___ wheezing
___ diculty swallowing
___ stitch or acute pain in abdomen
___ thickened tongue fur
___ fullness under ribs
___ tense, full pulse
Therapy:  herbs to purge Qi
Obstructed Moisture:
___ swollen or heavy head, limbs, or abdomen
___ tender muscles and joints___ thick or sticky saliva or phlegm
___ sticky perspiration
___ lumps, nodules, and cysts
___ sticky or slimy stool
___ scanty urine
___ generalized water retention
___ edema of hands and feet
___ thick nauseated feeling in mouth and stomach
___ congestion in the eyes and sinuses
___ enlarged or swollen tongue with thick, cheesy fur
___ slippery or soft, large pulse
Therapy:  herbs to purge Moisture
Obstructed Blood:
___ traumatic bruises, swellings, and sprains
___ persistent localized, stabbing, or throbbing pains (especially in
joints or viscera)
___ pain aggravated at night or from inactivity
___ severe cramping, numbness, or paralysis
___ severe headache
___ dark red complexion
___ red or purple lesions on skin and mucous membrane
___ angina
___ severe menstrual cramps with dark blood or clots
___ pain worse from pressure or massage
___ hard, xed lumps
___ purplish or dark red tongue or spots on tongue
___ strong or tense, intermittent pulse
Therapy:  herbs to purge BloodPatterns of Penetration or Accumulation of Adverse Climates
Heat:
___ fever, associated with infection or inammation
___ pain, soreness, swelling, or dryness accompanied by a
sensation of heat or burning
___ sores or infections with green or yellow pus
___ yellow or green mucous  discharges from ears, nose, throat,
anus, vagina, or urethra
___ extreme thirst with a craving for cold foods and liquids
___ reddening of eyes, ears, nose, lips, face, skin, mucous
membrane, or tongue
___ yellow tongue fur
___ worse from exposure to heat or dryness
___ red tongue and/or yellow fur
Therapy:  herbs to purge Heat
Cold:
___ cold feeling in the limbs, head, chest, or abdomen
___ inertia or weakness with pallor, cold or clammy face, hands, or
feet
___ loose stool after eating raw or cold foods
___ profuse urination or swelling of face or limbs upon exposure to
cold climate or after drinking cold liquids
___ craving for warm, cooked foods and hot drinks
___ pain in head, chest, limbs, or joints when exposed to cold air
___ pale skin, nail beds, lips, mucous membrane, or tongue
___ thickened, white tongue fur
___ soft or tense, slow, and deep pulse___ purplish tongue and/or thick white fur
___ very slow and/or tense pulse
Therapy:  herbs to purge Cold
Wind:
___ erratic spasms, cramps, or contractures of skin, nerves, vessels,
muscles, and viscera
___ itching, prickling, twitching, and other discomting sensations
in the skin and muscles
___ migrating pains appear or retreat suddenly and unpredictably
___ dizziness, uncoordinated movement, and disequilibrium
___ itchy, painful ears, eyes, nose, sneezing, headache, muscle
soreness, or shivering when exposed to wind or drafts
___ trembling or shaking of the hands, feet, head
___ spasm or quivering of tongue
___ taut or wiry pulse
Therapy:  herbs to purge Wind
Phlegm (congealed Dampness):
___ dizziness or fullness in head with mucus congestion or nausea
___ nausea or dicult breathing with fullness in upper abdomen or
chest
___ thick , sticky secretions or discharges from the skin, mucous
membrane, ears, eyes, nose, throat, mouth, anus, vagina, or
urethra
___ soft, mobile lumps or enlarged lymph nodes
___ worse in humid environment or from eating sticky,  greasy,
fatty foods, milk products, eggs, or sugar
___ sticky or oily tongue fur
___ full, sliding pulseTherapy:  herbs to purge phlegm
Symptom Patterns of Organ Network Deciency  or Disturbance
Liver Network:
___ easily irritated*
___ sensitive to wind, noise, strong odors, and tastes
___ muscle tension or cramps, especially in neck, shoulders, lower
abdomen, hips, calves*
___ weak or blurry vision
___ dry eyes
___ coarse brittle nails or hair
___ numbness or tingling in limbs when asleep or inactive
___ easy chilling of arms, hands, legs, feet*
___ dicult elimination, dry stool, tense colon*
___ weak, dizzy, ushed from hunger, tension, or anger*
___ irregular and/or scanty menstruation
___ nausea or queasiness from hunger or fatigue*
___ genital organ hypersensitivity
___ stitching pains in ribs, beneath diaphragm, groin, and pelvic
region*
___ cravings for sour, spicy, fatty foods
___ tinnitus characterized by whistling or ringing
___ PMS characterized by symptoms marked above with asterisk*
___ aggravations from heat, wind, and drafts
___ very tense or wiry pulse
Therapy:  herbs to supplement and protect the Liver
Heart Network:___ easily confused
___ fatigue with anxiety and restlessness*
___ slight exertion or excitement causes heat, perspiration*
___ insomnia or palpitations when nervous, worried, or overtired*
___ frequent urination and bowel movements from nervousness
___ burning, sensitivity, or irritation of mouth, tongue, urethra,
vagina, or anus*
___ dry mouth or throat with craving for cool drinks and juicy
foods
___ easy blushing of face and ears
___ easily hot, easily cold*
___ anxiety and fatigue cause light, restless sleep and vivid dreams
or nightmares*
___ cravings for spicy, hot, and sweet foods
___ PMS characterized by symptoms marked above with asterisk*
___ aggravations from heat and dryness
___ large or bounding pulse
Therapy : herbs to supplement and protect the Heart
Spleen Network :
___ easily worried
___ upset by changes*
___ overwhelmed by details*
___ lethargy and inertia*
___ slow digestion of food
___ frequent abdominal gas and bloating*
___ lingering hunger after meals
___ cravings for sweets and starchy foods*
___ heaviness of head and limbs*___ water retention and puness*
___ loose stool from eating raw or cold foods and liquids
___ tender muscles*
___ easy or frequent bruising
___ lack of muscle tone or strength, especially of abdome n, back,
or neck
___ prolapse of stomach, intestines, uterus, vagina, bladder
___ hemorrhoids
___ frequent but scanty urination
___ PMS characterized by symptoms marked above with asterisk*
___ aggravations from cold and dampness
___ full and soft or sliding pulse
Therapy : herbs to supplement and protect the Spleen
Lung Network :
___ frequent colds
___ frequent rhinitis or sinusitis*
___ cough with or without phlegm
___ frequent throat clearing or laryngitis*
___ morn ing attacks of coughing or sneezing with clear phlegm or
mucus discharge*
___ sensitive to wind, cold, and dryness*
___ dry skin and mucous membrane, especially of face, nose, and
mouth*
___ shortness of breath, chest pain, or wheezing in chest from
fatigue or exertion
___ easily disappointed or oended*
___ craves spicy, juicy, sweet foods and stimulants
___ PMS characterized by symptoms marked above with asterisk*___ aggravations from heat, cold, and dryness
___ tense and buoyant pulse
Therapy:  herbs that supplement and protect the Lung
Kidney Network:
___ sore throats from fatigue*
___ frequent or dicult urination*
___ puness or swelling of feet and ankles*
___ puness around eyes*
___ dull hearing
___ tinnitus characterized by low humming
___ low back pain or soreness*
___ weakness or soreness of hips, knees, ankles, or feet*
___ diminished libido*
___ diminished motivation*
___ lack of sexual secretions
___ infertility or diculty conceiving and/or going to term
___ loss or thinning of pubic hair
___ loss of stamina
___ needs to sleep a lot*
___ easily depressed and disgruntled*
___ anemia
___ amenorrhea
___ menopause or PMS characterized by symptoms marked above
with asterisk*
___ forgetful and dull-minded
___ aggravations from cold, sex, and lack of rest
___ deep and small or rm pulse
Therapy:  herbs that supplement and protect the KidneySymptom Patterns of Organ Network  Relationships
Liver-Spleen Disharmony:
___ cold hands and feet
___ hot ashes
___ indigestion with nausea, bloating, atulence, belching
___ erratic elimination with constipation or diarrhea
___ spasm of esophagus
___ dryness and water retention
___ thirst for alternately cold and hot liquids
___ sensitivity and/or aversion to strong avors
___ cravings for fatty, sour, sweet, or sticky foods
___ erratic appetite with diculty knowing what to eat or feeling
dissatised with food
___ tenderness, tension, or heaviness in muscles, especially head,
neck, shoulders, jaw, arms, and legs
___ fullness or pressure in head or behind eyes
___ headaches with nausea, visual disturbances, or dizziness
___ sensitivity or aversion to light, noise, heat, and humidity
___ abdominal tension or distension with belching or atulence
___ vascillates between assertiveness and ambivalence
___ alternates between nervous tension and languid lethargy
___ sometimes irritable and hostile, sometimes tolerant and
sympathetic
Characteristic health problems:
Hypoglycemia
Diabetes
cirrhosisjaundice/hepatitis
eating disorders
food allergies
hives
colitis
migraine
Therapy: herbs that  harmonize Liver and Spleen
Spleen-Kidney:
___ slow digestion and sluggish intestines
___ weak gums and loose teeth
___ dryness of skin and mouth
___ sore or swollen joints or muscles, especially of face, hands, or
feet
___ heaviness of head or limbs
___ weakness or soreness of low back and sacrum
___ feet, legs, and back tire easily
___ diarrhea or dry, small stools with bloating
___ frequent, scanty, or dicult urination
___ alternately strong and diminished libido
___ easy chill of back, legs, and arms
___ constipation and water retention follow overeating
___ craves salty or sweet foods
___ nervous and distractible
___ apathetic and insecure
Characteristic health problems:
edema
rheumatismadrenal insuciency (Addison’s disease)
leucorrhea
chronic gingivitis
chronic cystitis or urethritis
prostatic hypertrophy or prostatitis
Therapy:  herbs that harmonize Spleen  and Kidney
Kidney-Heart:
___ insomnia or restless sleep alternating with heavy slumber
followed by diculty awakening and arising from bed
___ nervousness and mood swings along with fatigue and lumbar
weakness
___ easily overheated or chilled
___ hot chest, head, and hands with cold buttocks and feet
___ easily excited but dicult to sustain eort and enthusiasm
___ strength easily dissipated by hyperactivity
___ depressed or melancholy after sustained mental or physical
activity
___ sexually excitable but unable to sustain desire or achieve
satisfactory release
___ lack of muscle tone and joint mobility
___ anxiety and apathy
___ tension and weakness of muscles along the spine
___ nausea, diarrhea, urinary frequency associated with anxiety
___ craves salty, spicy food and stimulants (nicotine, caeine)
Characteristic health problems:
manic-depressive syndrome
ileitis (Crohn’s disease)
bulimiaphobias
chronic endometritis/cervicitis/urethritis
chronic sleep disturbances
hyper-/hypothyroid syndrome
Therapy:  herbs that harmonize Kidney  and Heart
Heart-Lung:
___ sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity
___ easily overheated but can’t sweat
___ dry cough
___ ushes when coughing
___ coughing when nervous or embarrassed
___ anxiety with laryngitis, chest pain, or wheezing
___ heat triggers sneezing, itchy throat, or rashes
___ dry skin with cracking, redness, and itching, especially upper
back, elbows, knees, and hands
___ light sleeper and wakes easily
___ itching and inammation of vagina or urethra without
discharge
___ alternately euphoric and melancholic
___ emotionally hypersensitive yet reserved
___ craves spicy, hot foods and stimulants
Characteristic health problems:
acne or dry eczema
sun allergy
psoriasis
asthma
hyperthyroidismhysteria
chronic pharyngitis/rhinitis chronic vaginitis
Therapy:  herbs that harmonize Heart  and Lung
Lung-Liver Disharmony:
___ tension and stiness of muscles of neck, shoulders, chest,
abdomen, and hips
___ irregular bowel movements
___ irregular, heavy, or shallow breathing
___ wheezing or sighing
___ sensitive, easily inamed skin or mucous membranes of upper
respiratory or genitourinary tissues
___ sensitivity and/or aversion to heat, dryness, wind, and
droughts or sudden changes in weather
___ awkward and sti expression of personal feelings
___ unpredictably reactive or indierent, angry or sad, friendly or
distant
___ craving for fatty and spicy foods
Characteristic health problems:
acne
asthma
irritable bowel syndrome
generalized pruritus
allergic sinusitis or rhinitis
seasonal hay fever
bursitis
headaches involving eyes and sinuses severe or chronic
torticollis (neck spasm) depression characterized by quiet
melancholy or passive rageTherapy:  herbs that harmonize Lung and Liver
PREPARING  HERBAL TEA
Herbal formulas may be taken as tea, concentrated uid extracts,
syrup, tablets, powder, or in combination with food. Although
freshly brewed medicinal herbs are gradually giving way to
industrial methods of extraction and tableting, drinking a decoction
or infusion is still an eective way to derive the benet of herbs. The ritual of personally cooking the herbs may be labori ous, but it
can be worth the investment of time and energy—herbs are easily
assimilated in this form, producing rapid results. Some formulas are
bitter, so Americans unaccustomed to drinking beverages that do
not taste pleasant have the option of ingesting these same formulas
as powders or pills. To make an herbal tea (a water extract or decoction), the herbs
are boiled in a glass, ceramic, or stainless-steel container so that the
metal or plastic in iron, alum inum, or nonstick cookwar e does not
spoil the tea. A formula usually consists of ½ to 2 ounce s of herbal
material. To cook the herbs, simmer them in 4–6 cups of water (depending
on the quantity of ingredie nts) for 30–60 minutes in a covered
vessel until 1 cup of liquid  remains after straining. Repeat the
cooking process using the same herbs with 1 cup less water. Combine the 2 cups from both boilings and drink the liquid while
warm in four equal doses over the Course of two to four days. The
tea can be refrigerated for up to four days and reheated as needed. It is best to drink herbs in the morning and evening ½ hour before
or 1½ hours after a meal. Varying the quantity and frequency of an herbal tea determines
the force of its eects. This controls the rate and intensity of the
healing process according to individual needs and tolerances. People
who are genera lly healthy and robust can tolerate stronger tea more
often than those who are chronically ill or debilitated. Young and
middle-aged adults can handle a higher dosage and greaterfrequency of herbal medicine than infants, children, or the elderly;
and those with serious complaints may require more aggressive
treatment than those who have mild or transient disturbances. Children under age four have ¼ the standard dose; those  from age
ve to twelve have ½ the standard dose. Dose (concentration) can
be altered either by giving a smaller amount or by diluting with
water and giving the same amount: adding an equal quantity of
water reduces the concentration by half, adding twice  as much
diminishes it by three-fourths , and so on. Dilution may also improve
the palatability of the tea. Chinese Herbal Teapot and Scale
Cold (refrigerated), greasy, spicy, and sour foods should generally
be avoided during the proce ss of taking medicinal herbs, especially
in acute or debilitating illnesses, since they may undermine or
neutralize the eects of the herbs. The simpler and more moderate
the diet during  the treatment process, the greater the benet of the
herbs. USING CHINESE  PATENT MEDICINES
Herbal prescriptions are either tailored to t the individual patient
or designed to t general conditions. Ready-made formulas for
general condit ions are called patent medicines. As with footwear or
clothes before the advent of factories, a shoemaker or dressmaker
drew a pattern  from the individual and cut the leather and cloth to
match that shape, customizing each shirt, skirt, trouser, and boot. Then mass production developed, and as general sizes and shapes
became available to the public, people chose what best t them. Chinese pharm acists still measure single ingredients on hand-held
scales, mixing  formulas for individual patients to take home and
brew into tea. But herbal pharmaceutical factories also compress
raw ingredients or extracts into pills, which are then bottled and
sold in apoth ecary shops, side by side with individual herbs. Because they are ready to use without brewing, patent medicines
are convenient. Because individualized prescriptions conform
exactly to the problem and person being treated, they are sometimes
indispensable. The use of patent medicines dema nds some
familiarity with their indications, while formulating a prescription
from scratch usually requires knowledge of the properties and
qualities of many individual herbs. When I traveled to the Chinese city of Guangzhou in 1985, a
Chinese friend who had owned his own herbal factories in 1946
(which were nationalized following the revolution in 1949) invitedme to observe the processing , extraction, and manufactur e of herbal
patent medicines at three factories that his nephew now managed. In the factory, chemists and workers dressed in snowy white
aprons, hats, masks, and slippers worked below towering stainless-
steel vats in which extracts were made from cooking herbal
decoctions. In another area, tumblers resembling Laundromat dryers
mixed powdered raw herbs with honey into a thick paste to be
shaped into pellets. The factory managers were very proud of the
sophisticated packaging equipment that stamped out the nished
product. I was as impressed by how tasty some of these medicines
were—like a sort of licorice- molasses candy. At lunch, some of the
same herbs in the pellets were served at the restaurant. The taste of
some herbs allow their inclusion in soups, whereas others demanded
ingestion as pills. Patent medicines are marketed worldwide from factories in Hong
Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China. Hundreds
of remedies are available in Chinatown herb shops,  the vast
majority of which are based on traditional formulas. Gradually,
however, industrious Ameri can herbalists and entrepre neurs are
developing and manufacturing their own products. Remedies exist
for a vast array of disorders ranging from high cholesterol to
arthritis, PMS, migraine, infertility, and the common cold. A number
of the most useful and available Asian and American products, their
recommended uses and sources, are listed at the end of this chapter. Since some products from Asia are made from extracts and others
from raw herbs, the dosage  varies from as few as 3–5 pills for
extracts to 10–20 pills at a time for formulas using raw materials. The American tablets tend to be somewhat larger (500–750 grams)
than their Asian counterpart s in order to decrease the number of
tablets for each dose: generally 2–4 tablets at a time, 1–3 times per
day. Dosages for uid extracts are about 1–4 milliliters (¼–1
teaspoon), depending on the concentration, 2–3 times per day. As with herbal teas, pills or uid extracts are usually taken on an
empty stomach ½ hour before or 1 to 2 hours after eating. They are
most eective swallowed with warm water since cold drinks inhibitthe digestive function of the stomach. Dosages for children are
proportionately less than for adults. Intelligence, eort, and history permeate these piquant mixtures,
and it is part of the alchemy of herbs that the body assimilates their
value through sight, skin, and smell as well. In any form, Chinese
herbal medicine provides wisdom you can swallow. NO HOME SHOULD  BE WITHOUT  HERBAL FIRST AID
No home should be without certain formulas that help people
overcome common problems like coughs, sore throats,
stomachaches, bruises, fever, insomnia, and headaches. Chinese rst
aid can replace the need for many Western over-the-counter
pharmaceuticals and remove the worry of their unpredictable
adverse eects. Chinese herbs can be considered dierently: they
can do us good, along with getting rid of what bothers us. Using
herbs is a positive gesture toward health as well as a means to
soothe discomfort. For this reason some formulas can be used
generously, like nutritional supplements, whereas  Western
pharmaceuticals are to be used sparingly and with caution. For example, Yin Chiao Chieh Tu Pien (“yin chow chee dew
peein”), a formula developed during the Ching dynast y and still
popular today, is appropriate for symptoms such as sneezing,
snies, and a sore, swollen  throat associated with the common
cold. Generall y, symptoms of a cold or u are regar ded as an
invasion of Wind  and Heat attacking the surface, and Yin Chiao  is a
purging formula that expels Heat and Wind  from the skin, muscles,
upper-respiratory tract, and head. Honeysuckle and forsythia are the primary herbs in Yin Chiao ,
used together for their powerful antitoxic and antiinamma tory
eect. They are assisted by arctium, lophatherum, and soja
(fermented black soybeans), which also clear Heat and relieve thirst,
muscle ache, sore throat, and swollen glands. Peppermint and
schizonepeta clear Wind  and promote perspiration, allaying
headache and dizziness. Platycodon relieves cough and dispelsphlegm. Licorice harmonizes these herbs, soothes the throat, and
counteracts toxins. Since the Lung governs the skin, respiration, and
perspiration, these herbs assist it in warding o noxious external
inuences like Wind  and Heat. This formula is used during the rst stages of acute illnesses like
colds and allergies, which are characterized by fever, headache,
nasal congestion, thirst, cough, chills, sore throat, itching, and
rashes. Many patients have been impressed by the quick demise of a
cold after taking this remed y. They are pleased not to experience
any of the unpleasant eects of pharmaceutical antihistamines or
decongestants, like drowsiness or drying of the mucous membranes. COMMON  COLD
Taken at the very rst signs of a runny nose or scratchy throat, six
tablets of Yin Chiao  or Gan Mao Ling (“gon mow ling”), repeated
every three hours, can avert a cold before it has taken root. These
remedies can really impres s the novice who has not yet tried
Chinese herbs. Once a cold or u is in progress, if symptoms are
primarily chills, body sorenes s, and headache, then the same dosage
of Zhong Gan Ling (“jong gan ling”) is appropriate. With nausea and
diarrhea, Lopanthus Anti-Febrile pills (also known as Huo Hsiang
Cheng Chi Pien [“hwa shang chung chee pien”]) are used. For a dry
cough, or thirst with the cold or u, a delicious instant beverage tea
called Lo Han Kuo (“low han gwo”) will soothe the throat, relieve
the dryness, and assist expectoration. For coughs with sticky or
yellow phlegm , Pinellia Expectorant (also known as Qing Qi Hua Tan
Wan [“ching chee hwa tahn wahn”]) plus Fritillary-Loquat cough
syrup are appropriate. TRAUMA . INJURY OR  SURGICAL
The Chinese province of Yunnan produces a secret “herbal treasure”
of international fame called Yunnan Pai Yao (“you nahn bye yow”),
known to be a lifesaving remedy for wounds, hemorrhages, shock,
and infections. On many occasions we have given two capsules,three times a day, to our patients who undergo surgery  or suer
traumatic injury. Several women took Yunnan Pai Yao following
extensive cosm etic surgery, and the surgeon remarked on the low
incidence of bruising and swelling and the rapidity of their
recovery. This was also true for patients who had prostate,
abdominal, foot, and denta l surgery. In each case the attending
Western physician was impressed by speedy recuperation and
diminished loss of blood during the operation. This remedy is also
useful for gum infections, menstrual cramps, hemorrhoids, ulcers,
sprains, and other sorts of pain or inammation. It can be taken two
days before surgery to prevent postoperative swelling and infection;
for seven to ten days after trauma or surgery; and during the period
for menstrual cramping or excess bleeding. Yunnan Pai Yao should
be used short-term for acute problems; it is not suitable during
pregnancy or as a long-term tonic. INDIGESTION
Curing Pills, both benign and versatile, are suitable for indigestion,
diarrhea, hangovers, motion sickness, nausea, headache, reactions to
MSG contaminated food, or overeating, and are indispensable for
the traveler as a buer against dysentery, jet lag, and the
consequences of irregular sleeping and eating. For travelers in
places where the water is of questionable quality, a vial with each
meal can be taken prophylactically, along with the ordinary
precautions. We have given this remedy to patients coming down
with symptoms of stomach u, and in many cases their nausea and
headache have cleared within ten minutes. The appropriate dosage,
one to three vials (as needed), strengthens digestion, clears
congestion, detoxies, and facilitates elimination. Each vial costs
about fteen cents. Curing Pills are a sort of digestive cure-all—a
simple wonder in terms of versatility, low cost, and eectiveness.Some Patent Remedies
WOMEN’S PROBLEMS
To ameliorate menstrual and other reproductive problem s, Wu Chi
Pai Feng Wan pills (“woo chee bye fung wan”) address many
common comp laints, includin g fatigue, water retention, moodiness,
cramps, irregu lar cycle, and anemia. This formula can be used as a
tonic before ovulation to replenish Blood  and Qi, after ovulation to
disperse preme nstrual buildup of uid and tension, and during the
menstrual ow to relieve cramps and distension. For acute
symptoms, ten pills four times a day is appropriate, whereas ten
pills two times a day is adequate for long-term tonication. ALLERGIES
For respiratory allergies with sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, cough,
wheezing, postnasal drip, sore throat, and headache, Bi Yan Pian(“bee yan pien”) is invaluab le. In acute crisis, use six tablets four
times a day until symptoms are relieved. To prevent attacks, use six
tablets twice a day. This has helped countless people when pollen
and grasses abound, in some cases, reducing or eliminating
sensitivity to environmental irritants. Fifty Common Patent Herbal Remedies and Their Uses
Colds
Two of the best cold remedies,
especially good for head colds
and sore throatsYin Chiao Chieh Tu Pien  
Gan Mao Ling
Flu with headache, body ache,
fever, chillZhong Gan Ling
Flu or cold with nausea, diarrhea,
or digestive upsetCuring Pills
Upper-respiratory symptoms and
gastrointestinal symptoms
combinedLopanthus Anti-Febrile  
Huo Hsiang Cheng Chi Pien
Thirst and dehydration Lo Han Kuo  tea
Coughs
Dry cough Lo Han Kuo  tea or  
Lo Han Kuo  Cough Juice
Cough with profuse phlegmPinellia Expectorant Pills and
Fritillary-Loquat syrup
Headaches
With colds or chillsChuan Xiong Chao Tiao Wan
With hay fever-sinusitis Bi Yan Pian
Curing PillsWith indigestion
With fever Yin Chiao Chieh Tu Pien  or
Zhong Gan Ling
Migraine Corydalis Yan Hu Suo Analgesic  
*Head-Q (HC)
Muscle tension-spasmHsiao Yao Wan
Mental tension or cerebral allergy
syndrome*Cyperus 18 (SF)
Digestive
Overeating, nausea, stomach
upset, gas, dysentery, acute
diarrhea or mild constipation,
motion sicknessCuring Pills
Constipation (habitual) Fructus Persica
Constipation with cramps, gas, or
bloatingMu Xiang Shen Qi Wan
Chronic diarrhea Liu Jun Zi Wan  and Wu Ling
San
Dysentery or food poisoning Curing and Huang Lian Su
Ulcers Bao He Wan
Ulcers with painAdd Wei Te Ling
Ulcers with bleeding Add Yunnan Bai Yao
Insomnia
With anxiety and fatigueHealthy Brain Pills
With tension-stress *Schizandra Dreams (HC)
GenitourinaryAcute cystitis, prostatitis,
urethritisLung Tan Xie Gan Wan
Chronic-recurring prostatitisKai Kit Wan
Chronic-recurring urethritis Passwan
Acute vaginitis Yu Dai Wan
Chronic-recurring vaginitis Chien Chin Chih Tai Wan
Rheumatic Pain
With muscle or joint pain Qi Ye Lien  Analgesic
With numbness or nerve pain *AC-Q(HC)
Pain
Of internal organs Corydalis Yan Hu Suo
Analgesic
Due to trauma or infection-
inammationYunnan Pai Yao
Hemorrhoids
Painful Fargelin High Strength
Bleeding Yunnan Pai Yao
Trauma
Postsurgical recovery, injury,
sprain, fracture, inammation,
infection, menstrual pain with
excessive bleeding,
hemorrhage, shock, painYunnan Pai Yao
AllergiesGeneralized hay fever, sinusitis *Cyperus 18 (SF)  
Bi Yan Pian
Food sensitivities Lopanthus Anti-Febrile pills
(Hou Hsiang Cheng Chi Pien )
Menstrual Problems
Irregularity, scanty or excessive
ow and weaknessWu Chi Pai Feng Wan
(condensed)
PMS Hsiao Yao Wan
Generalized abdominal-pelvic-
lumbosacral painQi Ye Lian  
Corydalis Yan Hu Suo
Analgesic
Acute uterine cramps
*American-manufactured products:
HC = Health Concerns; SF = Seven ForestsSome Patent Remedies
*For further information on individual herbs, the reader is referred to the Materia Medica
prepared by Bensky and Gamble called Chinese Herbal Medicine . This text details the
traditional properties and functions of more than four hundred herbs, summarizing
abstracts regarding modern pharmacological and clinical research. OceanofPDF.comCulinary Alchemy: Herbal Food, Kitchen MedicineCHAPTER FIFTEEN
CULINARY  ALCHEMY : HERBAL FOOD, KITCHEN
MEDICINE
In the misty era before the Han tribes coalesced into the
beginnings of the Chinese race, the rst mythical hero to
emerge was Fu Hsi. The main activities of this god-like fabled
gure were hunting and shing, and to him is attribute d the
invention of the kitchen and cooking. The next legendary gure
in early Chinese mythology was Shen Nung, the Divine
Husbandman. To him goes credit for the plow, the hoe and the
care of farm animals. Huang Ti, the Yellow Emperor and the
patron saint of Taoism, is worshipped still for the conception of
planting grain  and the invention of the pestle and mortar to
crush it to make our. The hunter, the husbandman and the
farmer—it is no accident that the rst three objects of worship
of the ancient Chinese should all have to do with food. China: The Beautiful Cookbook
REGARDLESS OF WHAT ELSE WE MAY OR MAY NOT DO TO MAINTAIN OUR health,
we all need to eat, regularly . Like amoebas, we human animals are
digesting tubes. We move through the world by eating it. We
swallow it, taking bits and pieces for ourselves, and push the rest
out. One of the principal organizing processes of a living organism is
its eatin g behavior. Food is the means by which we re-create the
world as ourselves. Through eating we embody sun and rain, heat
and cold, dryness and wetness, we feed the cosmic interac tion of Yin
and Yang that we are, regenerating our Essence  and Spirit . Our own
nature interacts with the properties of the foods we eat. This
relationship is the subject of this chapter.FOOD IDEOLOGY  WEST AND  EAST
In the West the value of food is determined by the presence of
proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Foods that
contain similar quantities and proportions of these nutrients are
considered equivalent in biological value. According to this
principle, a bowl of spaghetti with tomato sauce is equivalent in
protein and calories to a two-egg omelet, and a peanut-b utter-and-
jelly sandwich  is equivalent to a chocolate éclair with a glass of
milk. In addition, peopl e are assumed to be the same
physiologically, so the choice of diet is simply a matter of preference
within these quantitative guidelines. Health-conscious Americans
also evaluate their diet on the basis of whether foods are fresh,
unrened, without articial ingredients, or too high in cholesterol,
calories, sugar, and salt. In Chinese medicine, who we are determines what is most
benecial for us to eat. And what we eat is considered to aect the
expression of who we are. Both food and people are understood
within the language of Yin-Yang  and Five Phases . Foods are selected
on the basis of their correspondence with individual patterns,
modied by the climate, the season, and acute illness. People who
are cold and dry need warm, moisturizing food; people who are hot
and damp need cool, dryin g food; people with congestion need
decongesting food; and people who are depleted need replenishing
food. The appropriateness of a food cannot be establishe d without
knowledge of the context—not everyone will benet equally from
foods that contain the same measure of nutrients. In other words,
“one man’s meat is another  man’s poison” means there is not a
universal standard of what constitutes “good food.”
A diet consisti ng mainly of raw fruits and vegetables cools (Yin),
not because these foods have been refrigerated, but because they
promote the loss of body heat and the secretion of uid. For a
person who is Cold, Damp , and depleted, this diet exaggerates
internal  climate, aggravating symptoms of chilliness, puness,
phlegm, fullness, and fatigu e. Similarly, a diet consisting of fried,broiled, fat-ric h, and spicy foods warms (Yang), since these foods
have absorbed the heat of cooking and because they generate body
heat and stimulate circulatio n. For a person who is Hot, Dry, and
congested, these foods exacerbate existing problems such as
nervousness, sweating, tension, pain, constipation, and thirst. The
same salads and juicy fruits that undermine an already cool, moist
person are therapeutic for someone who is hot and dry; and the
warm stimulation of spicy, broiled, and enriching foods that congest
one person strengthen another. Another factor that guides food selection is a person’s particular
condition at a given time. When someone is recovering from a u,
diet should counterbalance the sickness: for a high fever with
parched mouth and throat, moisturizing, cooling foods are
appropriate, whereas for a fever with aches and chills, foods that are
warming and stimulating are helpful. Climate may also play a role:
a cooling diet of raw, juicy foods is more appropriate in the summer
when it is hot and dry, whereas in the winter, when it is damp,
windy, and cold, a warming, enriching diet stokes our internal re
and protects us. To the majorit y of Americans these considerations are alien. Our
diet conforms more to the dictates and demands of the marketplace
—we eat quick, easy, tasty meals and buy what advertising sells us. We’ve lost touch with what feels good or is good for us. We have a
distorted relationship to food: starving ourselves to cast o
unwanted weight and overeating as a substitute for real pleasure
and satisfaction. To meet our demand for intense, constant
productivity, we relentlessly overstimulate our bodies with high-
protein, high-fat, high-sugar foods that have become associated with
auence and the good life. In reaction to this, within the holistic health movement, there’s
been an overemphasis on purication and eliminatio n through
fasting, juice diets, and raw foods. Here, too, we’ve disconnected
from how this makes us feel long term, relying more on our belief
that this is good for us. These cleansing regimens often promote
prolonged or intense disch arge through sweating, purging the
bowels, and increasing urination. This program is based on thepremise that a “clean machine” is a well-running machine, that
“cleanliness is next to godliness,” and that “toxicity” is the primary
culprit in poor health. In the Chinese  view what is considered “toxicity” in the popular
holistic vocabu lary (mucus, cholesterol, yeast, infection, or chemical
pollution) is dened as excesses  of undesirable inuences such as
phlegm, Heat, and Wind . Chinese food therapy emphasizes restoring
wholesome digestion, increasing Qi, Moisture , and Blood , and
reinvigorating Organ  function. Especially where weakness exists, the
priority is to use supplementing herbs and foods to restore and
strengthen Qi and only later to use eliminative therapy if our
organism hasn’t already detoxied itself. In the alternative health movement and in mainstream Western
medicine, dietary recommen dations are applied in a standardized,
uniform way without particular regard for individual dierences. A
variety of systems oer the “perfect diet” for everyone, regardless of
one’s condition. Pritikin protects you from heart disease, cancer, and
aging; raw food advocates rescue you from a life that is “dead,”
“toxic,” and unnatural; and macrobiotics aspires to transform you
from an aggressive, overexcited, greedy person into a peaceful,
altruistic, righteous one. Each disagrees with the other about how to
go about this: Pritikin recommends pure and fresh foods high in
ber and low in fat, salt, and sugar; hygienic raw-fooder s insist on
only uncooked organic fruits and vegetables; and macrobiotic
followers eat primarily cooked grains and vegetables avored with
salty or pickled condimen ts and eschew many fruits and all
concentrated sweets. There is substantial merit in each of these
diets; each has helped some people some of the time. But each
program is limited by a narro w and xed way of thinking . Although
ideology and method dier, the principle is the same: Feed everyone
according to the same rules. When modern  medicine considers diet in the case of special
diseases like diabetes and hypertension, sugar or salt are excluded,
but aside from that food is not regarded to contribute
therapeutically. In Chinese medicine, in keeping with Yin-Yang
thinking, it’s crucial to disce rn whether a person with diabetes isweak or strong , heavy or thin, Hot or Cold, Damp  or Dry. A diet high
in complex carbohydrates, excluding simple sugars, and low in
protein and fat decongests an overweight diabetic with excess Heat
and Dampness , whereas a diet rich in protein and high-quality fats
may be necessary for a weak, emaciated, Dry diabeti c. Diabetes is
understood to arise from deciency  of Moisture  and Essence  (Yin) of
either the Lung, Spleen , or Kidney  or all three. Herbs and foods that
nourish Yin as well as clear Heat, dispel Dampness , and replenish Qi
are an integral part of the treatment for a diabetic. People with hypertension are advised to eliminate salt and
saturated fats to reduce water retention and prevent arteriosclerosis. But again a person with high blood pressure can be strong or weak,
congested or depleted, Hot or Cold, with disturba nces of the Heart,
Spleen, Liver, or Kidney Network . The proper diet for these
individuals must incorporate all of these considerations to be truly
eective as a therapeutic aid. The general strategy is to decongest
Blood , strengthen the Kidney , and eliminate Wind, Heat, and
Dampness  from the Liver, Heart , and Spleen . Because macro biotics uses Yin-Yang  terminology to classify foods
and people, it appears to be similar to Chinese medicine. It shares
the words but not the thinkin g, neglecting the relational, interactive
paradigm. In Chinese medicine foods cannot be classied as being
Yin or Yang except in relation to the person and circumstance. Just
like people, foods have a character and a set of tendencies
depending on the context. A raw carrot tends to be a little sour, moisturizing, cooling, and
dispersing and because of this is good for decongesting Qi and Heat
in the Liver and Stomach . A cooked carrot becomes relatively sweet,
warming, and consolidating and is good for replenishing Qi of the
Spleen, Lung, and Kidney . A raw or cooked carrot is Yang compared
with a watermelon and Yin compa red with an egg. Cooked carrots
are included in supplementin g food recipes that are either warming
or cooling because they are neutral in this context. For someone
who is very Cold and depleted, even a cooked carrot may need to be
combined with cardamom or dried ginger, stir-fried or broiled to
make it more warming. Foods are adaptable, depending on howthey are combined and prepared. Ordinary foods familiar to your
kitchen can serve therapeutic ends, especially by including edible
herbs that enhance potency and specicity. HOW IS YOUR DIGESTION? Evident from a hungry infant’s shrill cry and the contented calm
that follows after suckling, there is a primal sense of satisfaction and
security that comes from adequate nourishment. Throughout our
lives, food is basic to our comfort as well as our survival. Yet in our
culture we are educated to ignore messages from our body, to be
indierent to the sensations of our internal organs unless they give
us pain. We mask signs of poor digestion rather than seeking their
cause. If our breath smells, we chew mints. If gas erupts from our
stomach or bowels, we swallow antacids. We either endure
constipation or resort to a laxative; and for loose bowels we gulp
milk of magnesia between meals. We’d rather take medications than
change our diet. However, by examing the situation more carefully,
we can determ ine the signs of digestive comfort and discomfort and
take appropriate action to sustain our health. EATING:  DIGESTION OR  CONGESTIONIn Chinese medicine, healthy digestion is synonomous with a happy
Spleen . A good diet supports the work of the Spleen  and counters
idiosyncratic patterns of disharmony. An unsuitable diet will give
rise to or aggravate the eects we saw above for poor digestive
function. What is the role of the Spleen Network ? How can particular
foods restore our equanimity? DIGESTION
The role of the Spleen  is to transform  and absorb food in order to
generate and distribute Qi, Moisture , and Blood . The Spleen  governs
all activities along the diges tive tube from the mouth to the large
intestine, including those functions of the liver, gallbladder, and
pancreas that enter into the process of digestion and assimilation. This Organ Network  is dierentiated into a Yang aspect, the Stomach ,
which tends to be warm, dry, and moves Qi downward, and a Yin
aspect, the Spleen , which tends to be cool, wet, and send Qi upward. Food enters into this dynamic balance and either supports or
sabotages its harmony. The Spleen  is like a crucible, a cooking pot, warmed by the living
re from the body’s core, the Kidney . The Spleen  depends on the
ascension of heat from below to convert food to Qi and Blood . The
rened Qi from food rises from the Spleen  to the Lung, where  it joins
with the Qi from air. This pure essence of food and air then begins
its journey through the channels and viscera. Denser, unrened Qi
descends from the Stomach  by way of the Small Intestine  to the
Kidney  and Large Intestine . The Kidney  further puries the liquid
portion, storing some and eliminating the rest by way of the Bladder ,
while the Large Intestine  receives the coarse, solid, unusable products
of digestion and discharges them. Here are some signs of good digestion:
• No discomfort in your stomach or intestines.• Regular, easy elimination, feeling better after than before. • Satisfaction after meals, without lingering hunger or
craving. • Feeling alert and clear-headed after eating rather than
lethargic or spaced out. • A pleasant taste in your mouth and fragrant breath. Here are some signs of indigestion:
• Discomfort in stomach and intestines. • Belching and atulence. • Foul taste in mouth and oensive breath. • Unpleasant odor of urine and feces. • Dicult bowel movements and urination. • Fatigue, depression, irritability, and fuzzy-headedness after
meals. • Lack of satisf action with what you eat or not knowing what
to eat to gain satisfaction. • Uncon trollable cravings or lingering hunger for stimula nts
and fats or cold, spicy, salty, sweet, or sour foods. • Headaches, nausea, nasal and sinus congestion, sudden
perspiration, sores in the mouth, skin eruptions, unpleasan t
hot or cold sensations. Of all these factors, the most important dietary rule to keep
in mind  is to eat only what you can digest eectively . This
means you feel better after eating than before. The function of the Spleen Network  can be impeded by
incompatible food, overeatin g, emotional turmoil, stress, or extreme
hunger. This interrupts the rhythmic movement along the digestive
tube, which is the same as saying that the Qi of the Spleen  andStomach  is obstructed. Obstructed Qi leads to congested foods and
uids, which in turn can generate conditions of deciency  and
excess . Congestion prevents the Spleen  from doing its job well: when
the Spleen  cannot generate Qi and Blood , this results in weakness;
when it cannot distribute Qi and Blood , stagnation occurs, which
creates excesses  such as Heat, Cold, Dampness , and Wind . Either of
these outcomes will aggra vate the other Organ Networks . For
example, stagnant Qi in the Spleen  agitat es the Liver; an
accumulation of Heat overstimulates the Heart ; congestion of uids
produces phlegm in the Lung; and excess Cold depresses the re of
the Kidney . CONGESTION
Congestion and disharmony of the Spleen-Stomach Network  may give
rise to a variety of physical complaints. This can be viewed in
relation to the ow of Qi and Blood , which must move upward and
downward through the center of the body, the province of the
Spleen  and Stomach . The Spleen  helps raise Qi, and the Stomach  helps
bring it down. With congestion, Qi cannot move up and down
properly. The warm dry Qi of the Lung and Heart  cannot descend,
and the cool moist Qi of the Kidney  cannot rise. Sometimes this
accounts for the fact that the upper body becomes overheated and
dehydrated while the lower body becomes cold and waterlogged. This may make a person crave cool, moistening foods to counteract
the upper body’s discomfort , and warm, drying foods to remedy
discomfort in the lower body. When Qi is blocked, it follows the
path of least resistance, sometimes reversing patterns of proper
movement. When the Stomach  is overly hot, dry, or congested with
food, Qi rises instead of descending, and belching, hiccups, dicult
swallowing, or heartburn occur. When the Spleen  is too Cold and
Damp, Qi collapses  downward instead of ascending, and distension,
prolapse, atulence, and diarrhea occur. The solution is to avoid
congestion so that the Qi can travel freely. For this reason, the
Chinese sugge st that a person never eat until they are full butinstead always leave some space in the Stomach  for the movement of
Qi. Foods that move Qi, remove Heat from the Stomach  and Cold from
the Spleen , and tonify Qi and Moisture  are good for the Spleen
Network . Vegetables and fruits with abundant roughage such as
cabbage, beets, radishes, apples, pears, mushrooms, and whole or
sprouted grain s move Qi and ease the passage of food. Sweet,
starchy vegetables and grain s like yams, barley, and rice, and fruits
like dates, gs, papaya, and coconut increase Qi and Moisture . The Stomach  tends to become Hot and Dry, whereas the Spleen
tends to become Cold and Damp . So the Stomach  likes cooling foods
that dispel Heat and replenish  Moisture , and the Spleen  likes warm
foods that dry Dampness  and generate Qi. Generally, eating a variety
of foods—cool and warm, moist and dry, nourishing and
decongesting—is what pleases the body. Often food cravings are the result of Spleen-Stomach  disharmonies. If the Spleen  is undermined by Cold and deciency , cravings for foods
like coee, chocolate, and alcohol are likely to occur. These are
warming, bitter foods that stimulate the Liver and Heart , producing a
temporary feeling of increased energy and circulation. If the
Stomach  is overheated  and congested, cravings for iced drinks and
ice cream are likely. Ice cream and frozen yogurt are cold, sweet
foods that relax and expan d the Stomach , relieving feelings of
tension and agitation. It is common for people to have both
deciency  of the Spleen  and excess  of the Stomach , so depending  on
which condition is most prevalent, these cravings alternately
demand satisfa ction. Fullling these desires may do more harm than
good. If the Spleen  is already weak and Cold, ice cream will steal its
warmth and squelch the re of the Kidney , exacerbating symptoms
like poor circulation and water retention in the legs and feet. Because the Kidney ’s moisture becomes conned  to the lower body,
the inner membranes of the chest, neck, and head becom e dry and
sticky, manifesting as irritati on and mucus congestion of the nose,
throat, and bronchi. If the Stomach  is already overheated and
congested, roasted cocoa or coee bean will create more  heat or, if
mixed with sugar and milk, more phlegm. This increased heat driesup the body’s moisture, which weakens the Kidney, Liver, Heart , and
Lung. Alcoh ol’s extreme heat especially overexcites the Liver and
Heart , which genera tes Wind , exhausts the Blood , and undermines
the Spirit . This is why alcohol can cause high blood pressure, strok e,
impotence, and dementia. ESTABLISHING THE  CONDITION OF  EARTH: STOMACH AND  SPLEEN
The overall body picture does not always reect the status of the
Stomach  or Spleen . Someone might be depleted and have a congested
Stomach  or Spleen , overheated in general, but have a Cold Spleen ,
and retain excess uids yet have a Dry Stomach . Restoring the
warmth (Yang) of the Spleen  or the moisture (Yin) of the Stomach
harmonizes the center. This has a ripple eect throughout the
organism as a whole. If there  is a conict between the Organs  of Earth  in which the
Stomach  is Hot and the Spleen Cold, the Stomach Dry and the Spleen
Damp , then each needs remedying without exacerbating the other. Faced with this dilemma, identifying which pattern is more chronic
or severe, and which most ts the overall state, helps someone
decide what to eat: otherwis e, foods with a neutral nature (not too
cooling warming, juicy, or dry) are used. Changes in weather and season can mask the prevailing internal
climate. Even though a person with Cold-Damp Earth  may feel less
chilly and lethargic as the sun beats down in the heat of summer,
and even though there is a strong urge then to eat raw, juicy,
cooling foods, a predominantly warming, drying diet is best. Similarly, someone with Hot-Dry Earth  should resist the temptation
to consu me hot, spicy, rich foods, even during a wet, snowy winter. Eating in accord with the climate and season is appropriate when
compatible with the existing Stomach-Spleen  pattern. Combinations of patterns such as Hot-Damp  and Cold-Damp  can
occur within the same person, as can depletion and congestion. Someone who is weak and depleted needs thicker, more enriching
food (avoid thin soups), whereas someone who is congested andagitated needs  to avoid sticky and rich foods (dairy products, fats,
casseroles). Reect on how dierent foods (or the same foods
prepared dierently) make you feel. This will train your instincts
and help you to follow them. DEFINING THE  RELATIONSHIP  BETWEEN  FOOD AND  FUNCTION
Plump apple, smooth banana, melon, peach
gooseberry … How all this auence
speaks death and life into the mouth … I sense …
Observe it from a child’s transparent features
while he tastes. This comes from far away. What miracle is happening in your mouth? Instead of words, discoveries ow out
from the ripe esh, astonished to be free. Dare to say what “apple” truly is. This sweetness that feels thick, dark, dense at rst;
then, exquisitely lifted in your taste,
grows claried, awake and luminous,
double-meaninged, sunny, earthy, real—
O knowledge, pleasure—inexhaustible. Rainer Maria Rilke           
(Stephen Mitchell, trans.) To determine what foods best suit us, it is helpful to know how our
Qi, Moisture , and Blood  are behaving within the parameters of Yin-
Yang and Five-Phase  correspondence. The basic guidelines for food
therapy are generated by how the qualities and properties of foodsaect the quality and quantity of Qi, Moisture , and Blood . Foods are
classied loosely on the basis of
• texture and density: crunchy, soft, heavy, light
• avors: sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, salty
• nature: warm, cool, dry, moist
• properties: supplementing (replenishes Qi, Moisture , and Blood )
or decongesting (eliminates stagnation of Qi, Moisture , and
Blood  and dispels Heat, Cold, Wind, Dryness , and Dampness )
As with herbs, the medicina l use of a food is determined by the
relationship between its observable qualities and its experienced
eects. A cooked yam is yellow, moist, soft, slightly sticky, and sweet. Yams are considered to be excellent food for supplementing Qi and
strengthening the Spleen  and Stomach . Because they are so
nourishing and digestible, they are good food for relieving
weakness, fatigue, and building tissue. Cooked eggplants are dark
purple, rich, pungent, gelatinous, and moist. Eggplant is eaten to
enrich and move the Blood  and especially benets the Kidney  and
Liver. A radish is white, crisp, juicy, and pungent and feels fresh and
cooling in the mouth and stomach. Radishes disperse Qi and
phlegm, relieving congestion in the throat, chest, and digestive
tract. Radishes  promote the function of the Lung and Large Intestine
by precipitating Moisture  and Qi downward. Because raw celery and
green pepper are green, crunchy, juicy, and sour, they moisturize,
consolidate, cool, and relax the Qi, which benets the Liver,
Stomach , and Gallbladder . Cooked asparagus is pulpy, slightly salty,
and sweet and has a strong diuretic eect, which makes it good for
eliminating Heat and Dampness , beneting the Heart  and Kidney . Characteristics and eects do not always t neatly together to
designate the property of a food. It is dicult to denitively pin
down specic properties for most foods, but some do cross over the
line between food and herb because of specicity and potency: lycii
berries nurture Blood  and Essence , red dates build Qi and Moisture ,pearl barley (similar to the herb coix seed) builds Qi and eliminates
Dampness , seaweed clears phlegm, and black fungus disperses Blood
and lubricates the intestines. It is possible to generalize and say that one person will benet
from a supplementing diet, another a decongesting one, that warm
foods are bette r for one perso n, moist and cool ones for another, but
it is more likely that combinations of food will be appropriate for
each of these people, and that what is right at one time may not be
so on a permanent basis. Variety accommodates changing needs. The same avor or food that feels good in moderation may be
damaging in excess. Sweet foods generally supplement Qi and Moisture  but in excess
produce phlegm and Heat. Bitter foods clean and empty but in
excess dissipate Qi and Moisture . Spicy foods activate and decongest
Qi and Blood  but in excess exhaust them. Salty foods supplement
Blood  and Essence  but in excess congeal them . Sour foods tone the
viscera and nerves but in excess cause cramping and pain. A sweet,
nourishing food like milk “does a body good” if the body is Dry and
weak but can do another body harm if it is Hot and Damp ,
producing mucus congestion and inammation. Yams or rice are
sweet and nourishing, yet rich cake is so sweet that it tends to
create more Dampness  and Heat than Qi and Blood . Our interaction
with food is aected by the avor and nature of what we eat, its
concentration and quantity, as well as by our preexistin g internal
environment. Flavors
Understanding the eects of various avors is one guide in choosing
appropriate foods. salty—densifying, concentrating
sour—astringent, contracting
bitter—eliminating, descending
sweet—expanding, relaxing
spicy—accelerating, dispersing
WHAT SHOULD  I E AT? The answer to the question, “What should I eat?” is based on an
evaluation of your current status. It is programmatic rather than
dogmatic. The rst step is to determine if you are Cold, Wet, Hot, or
Dry.
_OceanofPDF.com_Between_Heaven_and_Earth_-_Harriet_Beinfield.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Heart  (Fire) and Kidney  (Water ) should
complement each other so that warmth (Yang) and moisture (Yin)
are evenly distributed throughout the body. If friction or conict
ensues, warmth will turn to Heat in the upper regions, leading to
Dryness  and thirst, and Moisture  will accumula te below, leading to
Dampness  or Cold in the lower regions. Reorganizing these patterns
of conict is the purpose of the harmonizing formulas, theTherapeutic goal:usefulness of which is clearer after having read the typology section
of this book, which elaborates upon the psychological and
physiological manifestations of Organ Network  disharmonies. METAL-WOOD. LUNG-LIVER                            
To harmonize Lung-Liver  is to reconcile Metal  and Wood. This is
accomplished by tonifying Blood  and Moisture, dispersing Blood  and
Qi, and purging Heat and Wind. This formula contains bupleurum,
white peony, and cyperus, which keep the Liver cool, relaxed,  and
decongested. These same herbs relieve spasm of blood vessels,
nerves, and muscles, especially in the diaphragm, and fullness or
pain of the liver and gallbladder. Chrysanthemum and Morus  resolve
inammation and congestion of the upper-respiratory tract and
eyes; and platycodon, fritillary, and licorice soothe and moisturize
the Lungs  and eliminate phlegm. tonify Blood  and Moisture
disperse Blood  and Qi
purge Heat, Wind, and phlegm
WOOD-EARTH. LIVER-SPLEEN                            
This formula harmonizes Liver-Spleen  and makes peace between
Wood  and Earth. The herbs used here regulate digestion, blood
circulation, and the distribution of Nutritive Essence, the source of Qi
and Blood. The herbs bupleurum, peony, and angelica relax Liver QiTherapeutic goal:and nurture and distribute Blood. Ripe citrus and saussurea warm
and activate the Spleen  and Stomach, promote digestion, and relieve
accumulated Moisture. Peppermint and licorice dispel Wind  and Heat
and counteract  spasm and tension. This formula adjusts and subdues
the appetite and corrects indigestion associated with gas, acidity,
and queasiness. It also relieves constipation due to tension in the
abdomen and allays the irritability, bloating, and lethargy of
premenstrual distress. tonify Blood
disperse Qi, Blood, Moisture
disperse food accumulation purge Wind  and Heat
EARTH-WATER. SPLEEN-KIDNEY                            
The formula to harmonize Spleen-Kidney  stabilizes Earth  and Water. By redistributing Moisture  and promoti ng circulation  of Qi and
Blood, the herbs in this formula help to overcome stiness, swelling,
and inertia. Poria, atractylodes, and ripe citrus rid the Spleen  of
Dampness  and circulate Qi, while alisma and cinnam on remove
surplus uids (Moisture  and Blood ) from cavities, joints, and tissue. Astragalus and euryales support the Qi of both Spleen  and Kidney
and protect them from being overly drained. This formula relieves
dryness of skin and mouth, soreness of the joints, pun ess of the
face, hands, and feet, the feeling of heaviness in the head and limbs,
diarrhea, and dicult urination. Therapeutic goal:
Therapeutic goal:consolidate Moisture  (Essence ) and Qi
disperse Qi, Moisture, and Blood
purge Moisture  (Dampness )
WATER-FIRE. KIDNEY-HEART                            
To harmonize Kidney-Heart  a formula must reunite Essence  (Jing)
and Spirit  (Shen), Water  and Fire. Cooked rehmannia and schizandra
nurture and consolidate Essence, Blood, and Moisture, while salvia
and polygala soothe the Spirit  and vitalize the Blood. As assisting
herbs anemarr hena protects  Yin by supplementing Moisture  and
clearing Heat, while  motherwort and cardamom respectively
encourage the downward ow of Blood  and stabilize and warm the
Qi. This recties the lack of concordance between Heart  and Kidney
that results in problems like insomnia, sexual and emotional
anxiety, excessive perspiration and nervousness, lumbar weakness,
fatigue, and intense mood swings. tonify Blood  and Moisture
consolidate Moisture  (Essence ) disperse Blood
purge upper Heat, lower Cold
calm SpiritTherapeutic goal:FIRE-METAL: HEART-LUNG                            
The Heart-Lung  harmonizing formula soothes and cools the friction
that antagonizes Fire and Metal, calmin g the mind and freeing the
breath. Lily bulb, trichosanthes fruit, and licorice lubricate and
moisturize the Lungs, skin, eyes, nose, throat, and intestines. Ganoderma, polygala, and schizandra quiet the psyche, settle the
nerves, nurture the Blood, stabilize the Qi, and regulate perspiration. To give support, ripe citrus, platycodon, and pinellia mobilize and
disperse Qi and phlegm from the chest and throat, reducing
congestion, constriction, and pain. This formula eases mental stress,
adjusts body temperature by adjusting perspiration and respiration,
stops coughing, aids expectoration, and quenches thirst. It also
relieves dryness and inammation of the skin, throat, bronchi, and
intestines. tonify Blood  and Moisture
consolidate Qi and Moisture
disperse Qi and Blood
purge Heat and phlegm
Organ Network  Disharmonies: Key PatternsSELF-ASSESSMENT  PROFILE
Some of you may nd this chapter most useful after you have begun
working with a practitioner—you will then be motivated to
understand the thinking behind the choices that have been made in
your treatment. Others of you may choose to educate yourselves in
advance of working with a professional and will appreciate being
able to increase your self-un derstanding with the aid of the charts
that follow. SYMPTOM  PATTERNS OF  DEPLETION AND  CONGESTION
Patterns of Depletion: Deciency and Slackness
Symptoms of Deciency
General:  weakness, fatigue, malaise, sensitivity, poor resistance
Decient Qi:
___ weakness, lethargy, or weariness
___ lowered libido
___ decreased motivation
___ dull thinking, sensing, or feeling (lack of aect)
___ poor appetite
___ weak digestion
___ susceptible to colds or us
___ prolonged recovery following illness
___ pasty, pale complexion
___ limp hair
___ shortness of breath
___ averse to talking
___ perspires easily with exertion___ weak muscles
___ chills easily
___ frequent, profuse urination
___ infertility
___ miscarriage
___ dull, soft nails
___ pale, enlarged tongue with thin fur
___ weak, soft, slow pulse
Therapy:  herbs to tonify Qi
Decient Moisture:
___ dry and thirsty
___ dryness of mucous membranes secretions and urination
___ constipation
___ uncomfortable feeling of heat in the body
___ restlessness and insomnia
___ low fever in the afternoon or evening
___ parched and cracked skin
___ emotional lability
___ hot ashes
___ night sweats
___ constant hunger, sometimes with loss of weight
___ unstable blood sugar
___ persistent dry cough
___ dry or sore throat
___ dry, brittle nails
___ ushed face with dry skin and lips
___ dry, reddened tongue without fur
___ rapid, thin, or weak pulseTherapy:  herbs to tonify Moisture
Decient Blood:
___ restless fatigue
___ irritability
___ poor sleep
___ itching, prickling skin or scalp
___ dryness without thirst
___ blurred or weak vision
___ loss or thinning of hair
___ dizziness
___ dry or hard stool
___ premature aging of skin
___ dry skin, eyes, hair
___ anemia
___ numbness of hands and feet
___ muscle cramps
___ lack of semen
___ scanty or irregular menstruation
___ pale, waxy, sallow complexion
___ easy bruising
___ poor skin healing
___ palpitations
___ postpartum weakness or anemia
___ pale, opaque, thin, weak nails
___ pale pink or orange tongue and lips
___ weak, thin, or irregular pulse
Therapy:  herbs to tonify BloodSymptoms of Slackness
General:  lack of tone (prolapse, accidity), lack of focus,
dissipation (wasting or ebbing of strength), loss of tissue
integrity, vulnerability, instability
Slack Qi:
___ atony or prolapse of stomach, intestines, anus
___ fecal incontinence or constant diarrhea
___ hemorrhoids
___ dizzy or weak after meal or bowel movement
___ loose or accid muscles
___ abby tongue
___ very weak or disappearing pulse
Therapy:  herbs to consolidate Qi
Slack Moisture:
___ excess secretion from eyes, nose, mouth, skin, vagina
___ seminal incontinence or premature ejaculation
___ frequent urination, enuresis, or incontinence
___ dizzy or weak following sex
___ very buoyant but thin pulse
Therapy:  herbs to consolidate Moisture
Slack Blood:
___ excessive or prolonged bleeding from skin, nose, lungs,
stomach, intestines, bladder
___ ulcers of skin, mucous membrane, stomach, intestines
___ excessive bleeding during menses, pregnancy, or postpartum
___ bleeding hemorrhoids___ anemia associated with inammation of stomach, small
intestine, or large intestine
___ very thin and irregular pulse
Therapy:  herbs to consolidate Blood
Patterns of Congestion: Stagnation and Obstruction
Symptoms of Stagnation
General:  soreness, tenderness, spasms, retention, irregularity
Stagnant Qi:
___ head feels stuy
___ distension or fullness in chest or abdomen
___ mild nausea
___ gas pains, cramps, tension in stomach or intestines
___ hiccups, belching, or atulence
___ constipation with gas
___ vague or migratory pains
___ taut pulse
Therapy:  herbs to disperse Qi
Stagnant Moisture:
___ soft or loose stool
___ bloating with water retention
___ puy eyes, face, hands, or ankles
___ frequent but scanty urination
___ feels swollen, tender, lethargic in humid weather
___ soft swellings or enlarged lymph nodes
___ premenstrual soreness and swelling of breasts
___ soft pulseTherapy:  herbs to disperse Moisture
Stagnant Blood:
___ mottling or chilliness of limbs from poor circulation
___ sharp pains in head, eyes, joints, internal organs
___ irregular or painful menses
___ premenstrual pain and hardness of breasts
___ painful hemorrhoids or cysts
___ elevated cholesterol
___ uneven pulse
Therapy:  herbs to disperse Blood
Symptoms of Obstruction
General:  severe pain and discomfort, emotionally distraught
Obstructed Qi:
___ generalized discomfort, fullness, pressure in the head, chest,
limbs, or abdomen
___ belching and atulence
___ wheezing
___ diculty swallowing
___ stitch or acute pain in abdomen
___ thickened tongue fur
___ fullness under ribs
___ tense, full pulse
Therapy:  herbs to purge Qi
Obstructed Moisture:
___ swollen or heavy head, limbs, or abdomen
___ tender muscles and joints___ thick or sticky saliva or phlegm
___ sticky perspiration
___ lumps, nodules, and cysts
___ sticky or slimy stool
___ scanty urine
___ generalized water retention
___ edema of hands and feet
___ thick nauseated feeling in mouth and stomach
___ congestion in the eyes and sinuses
___ enlarged or swollen tongue with thick, cheesy fur
___ slippery or soft, large pulse
Therapy:  herbs to purge Moisture
Obstructed Blood:
___ traumatic bruises, swellings, and sprains
___ persistent localized, stabbing, or throbbing pains (especially in
joints or viscera)
___ pain aggravated at night or from inactivity
___ severe cramping, numbness, or paralysis
___ severe headache
___ dark red complexion
___ red or purple lesions on skin and mucous membrane
___ angina
___ severe menstrual cramps with dark blood or clots
___ pain worse from pressure or massage
___ hard, xed lumps
___ purplish or dark red tongue or spots on tongue
___ strong or tense, intermittent pulse
Therapy:  herbs to purge BloodPatterns of Penetration or Accumulation of Adverse Climates
Heat:
___ fever, associated with infection or inammation
___ pain, soreness, swelling, or dryness accompanied by a
sensation of heat or burning
___ sores or infections with green or yellow pus
___ yellow or green mucous  discharges from ears, nose, throat,
anus, vagina, or urethra
___ extreme thirst with a craving for cold foods and liquids
___ reddening of eyes, ears, nose, lips, face, skin, mucous
membrane, or tongue
___ yellow tongue fur
___ worse from exposure to heat or dryness
___ red tongue and/or yellow fur
Therapy:  herbs to purge Heat
Cold:
___ cold feeling in the limbs, head, chest, or abdomen
___ inertia or weakness with pallor, cold or clammy face, hands, or
feet
___ loose stool after eating raw or cold foods
___ profuse urination or swelling of face or limbs upon exposure to
cold climate or after drinking cold liquids
___ craving for warm, cooked foods and hot drinks
___ pain in head, chest, limbs, or joints when exposed to cold air
___ pale skin, nail beds, lips, mucous membrane, or tongue
___ thickened, white tongue fur
___ soft or tense, slow, and deep pulse___ purplish tongue and/or thick white fur
___ very slow and/or tense pulse
Therapy:  herbs to purge Cold
Wind:
___ erratic spasms, cramps, or contractures of skin, nerves, vessels,
muscles, and viscera
___ itching, prickling, twitching, and other discomting sensations
in the skin and muscles
___ migrating pains appear or retreat suddenly and unpredictably
___ dizziness, uncoordinated movement, and disequilibrium
___ itchy, painful ears, eyes, nose, sneezing, headache, muscle
soreness, or shivering when exposed to wind or drafts
___ trembling or shaking of the hands, feet, head
___ spasm or quivering of tongue
___ taut or wiry pulse
Therapy:  herbs to purge Wind
Phlegm (congealed Dampness):
___ dizziness or fullness in head with mucus congestion or nausea
___ nausea or dicult breathing with fullness in upper abdomen or
chest
___ thick, sticky secretions or discharges from the skin, mucous
membrane, ears, eyes, nose, throat, mouth, anus, vagina, or
urethra
___ soft, mobile lumps or enlarged lymph nodes
___ worse in humid environment or from eating sticky,  greasy,
fatty foods, milk products, eggs, or sugar
___ sticky or oily tongue fur
___ full, sliding pulseTherapy:  herbs to purge phlegm
Symptom Patterns of Organ Network Deciency  or Disturbance
Liver Network:
___ easily irritated*
___ sensitive to wind, noise, strong odors, and tastes
___ muscle tension or cramps, especially in neck, shoulders, lower
abdomen, hips, calves*
___ weak or blurry vision
___ dry eyes
___ coarse brittle nails or hair
___ numbness or tingling in limbs when asleep or inactive
___ easy chilling of arms, hands, legs, feet*
___ dicult elimination, dry stool, tense colon*
___ weak, dizzy, ushed from hunger, tension, or anger*
___ irregular and/or scanty menstruation
___ nausea or queasiness from hunger or fatigue*
___ genital organ hypersensitivity
___ stitching pains in ribs, beneath diaphragm, groin, and pelvic
region*
___ cravings for sour, spicy, fatty foods
___ tinnitus characterized by whistling or ringing
___ PMS characterized by symptoms marked above with asterisk*
___ aggravations from heat, wind, and drafts
___ very tense or wiry pulse
Therapy:  herbs to supplement and protect the Liver
Heart Network:___ easily confused
___ fatigue with anxiety and restlessness*
___ slight exertion or excitement causes heat, perspiration*
___ insomnia or palpitations when nervous, worried, or overtired*
___ frequent urination and bowel movements from nervousness
___ burning, sensitivity, or irritation of mouth, tongue, urethra,
vagina, or anus*
___ dry mouth or throat with craving for cool drinks and juicy
foods
___ easy blushing of face and ears
___ easily hot, easily cold*
___ anxiety and fatigue cause light, restless sleep and vivid dreams
or nightmares*
___ cravings for spicy, hot, and sweet foods
___ PMS characterized by symptoms marked above with asterisk*
___ aggravations from heat and dryness
___ large or bounding pulse
Therapy : herbs to supplement and protect the Heart
Spleen Network :
___ easily worried
___ upset by changes*
___ overwhelmed by details*
___ lethargy and inertia*
___ slow digestion of food
___ frequent abdominal gas and bloating*
___ lingering hunger after meals
___ cravings for sweets and starchy foods*
___ heaviness of head and limbs*___ water retention and puness*
___ loose stool from eating raw or cold foods and liquids
___ tender muscles*
___ easy or frequent bruising
___ lack of muscle tone or strength, especially of abdome n, back,
or neck
___ prolapse of stomach, intestines, uterus, vagina, bladder
___ hemorrhoids
___ frequent but scanty urination
___ PMS characterized by symptoms marked above with asterisk*
___ aggravations from cold and dampness
___ full and soft or sliding pulse
Therapy : herbs to supplement and protect the Spleen
Lung Network :
___ frequent colds
___ frequent rhinitis or sinusitis*
___ cough with or without phlegm
___ frequent throat clearing or laryngitis*
___ morn ing attacks of coughing or sneezing with clear phlegm or
mucus discharge*
___ sensitive to wind, cold, and dryness*
___ dry skin and mucous membrane, especially of face, nose, and
mouth*
___ shortness of breath, chest pain, or wheezing in chest from
fatigue or exertion
___ easily disappointed or oended*
___ craves spicy, juicy, sweet foods and stimulants
___ PMS characterized by symptoms marked above with asterisk*___ aggravations from heat, cold, and dryness
___ tense and buoyant pulse
Therapy:  herbs that supplement and protect the Lung
Kidney Network:
___ sore throats from fatigue*
___ frequent or dicult urination*
___ puness or swelling of feet and ankles*
___ puness around eyes*
___ dull hearing
___ tinnitus characterized by low humming
___ low back pain or soreness*
___ weakness or soreness of hips, knees, ankles, or feet*
___ diminished libido*
___ diminished motivation*
___ lack of sexual secretions
___ infertility or diculty conceiving and/or going to term
___ loss or thinning of pubic hair
___ loss of stamina
___ needs to sleep a lot*
___ easily depressed and disgruntled*
___ anemia
___ amenorrhea
___ menopause or PMS characterized by symptoms marked above
with asterisk*
___ forgetful and dull-minded
___ aggravations from cold, sex, and lack of rest
___ deep and small or rm pulse
Therapy:  herbs that supplement and protect the KidneySymptom Patterns of Organ Network  Relationships
Liver-Spleen Disharmony:
___ cold hands and feet
___ hot ashes
___ indigestion with nausea, bloating, atulence, belching
___ erratic elimination with constipation or diarrhea
___ spasm of esophagus
___ dryness and water retention
___ thirst for alternately cold and hot liquids
___ sensitivity and/or aversion to strong avors
___ cravings for fatty, sour, sweet, or sticky foods
___ erratic appetite with diculty knowing what to eat or feeling
dissatised with food
___ tenderness, tension, or heaviness in muscles, especially head,
neck, shoulders, jaw, arms, and legs
___ fullness or pressure in head or behind eyes
___ headaches with nausea, visual disturbances, or dizziness
___ sensitivity or aversion to light, noise, heat, and humidity
___ abdominal tension or distension with belching or atulence
___ vascillates between assertiveness and ambivalence
___ alternates between nervous tension and languid lethargy
___ sometimes irritable and hostile, sometimes tolerant and
sympathetic
Characteristic health problems:
Hypoglycemia
Diabetes
cirrhosisjaundice/hepatitis
eating disorders
food allergies
hives
colitis
migraine
Therapy: herbs that  harmonize Liver and Spleen
Spleen-Kidney:
___ slow digestion and sluggish intestines
___ weak gums and loose teeth
___ dryness of skin and mouth
___ sore or swollen joints or muscles, especially of face, hands, or
feet
___ heaviness of head or limbs
___ weakness or soreness of low back and sacrum
___ feet, legs, and back tire easily
___ diarrhea or dry, small stools with bloating
___ frequent, scanty, or dicult urination
___ alternately strong and diminished libido
___ easy chill of back, legs, and arms
___ constipation and water retention follow overeating
___ craves salty or sweet foods
___ nervous and distractible
___ apathetic and insecure
Characteristic health problems:
edema
rheumatismadrenal insuciency (Addison’s disease)
leucorrhea
chronic gingivitis
chronic cystitis or urethritis
prostatic hypertrophy or prostatitis
Therapy:  herbs that harmonize Spleen  and Kidney
Kidney-Heart:
___ insomnia or restless sleep alternating with heavy slumber
followed by diculty awakening and arising from bed
___ nervousness and mood swings along with fatigue and lumbar
weakness
___ easily overheated or chilled
___ hot chest, head, and hands with cold buttocks and feet
___ easily excited but dicult to sustain eort and enthusiasm
___ strength easily dissipated by hyperactivity
___ depressed or melancholy after sustained mental or physical
activity
___ sexually excitable but unable to sustain desire or achieve
satisfactory release
___ lack of muscle tone and joint mobility
___ anxiety and apathy
___ tension and weakness of muscles along the spine
___ nausea, diarrhea, urinary frequency associated with anxiety
___ craves salty, spicy food and stimulants (nicotine, caeine)
Characteristic health problems:
manic-depressive syndrome
ileitis (Crohn’s disease)
bulimiaphobias
chronic endometritis/cervicitis/urethritis
chronic sleep disturbances
hyper-/hypothyroid syndrome
Therapy:  herbs that harmonize Kidney  and Heart
Heart-Lung:
___ sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity
___ easily overheated but can’t sweat
___ dry cough
___ ushes when coughing
___ coughing when nervous or embarrassed
___ anxiety with laryngitis, chest pain, or wheezing
___ heat triggers sneezing, itchy throat, or rashes
___ dry skin with cracking, redness, and itching, especially upper
back, elbows, knees, and hands
___ light sleeper and wakes easily
___ itching and inammation of vagina or urethra without
discharge
___ alternately euphoric and melancholic
___ emotionally hypersensitive yet reserved
___ craves spicy, hot foods and stimulants
Characteristic health problems:
acne or dry eczema
sun allergy
psoriasis
asthma
hyperthyroidismhysteria
chronic pharyngitis/rhinitis chronic vaginitis
Therapy:  herbs that harmonize Heart  and Lung
Lung-Liver Disharmony:
___ tension and stiness of muscles of neck, shoulders, chest,
abdomen, and hips
___ irregular bowel movements
___ irregular, heavy, or shallow breathing
___ wheezing or sighing
___ sensitive, easily inamed skin or mucous membranes of upper
respiratory or genitourinary tissues
___ sensitivity and/or aversion to heat, dryness, wind, and
droughts or sudden changes in weather
___ awkward and sti expression of personal feelings
___ unpredictably reactive or indierent, angry or sad, friendly or
distant
___ craving for fatty and spicy foods
Characteristic health problems:
acne
asthma
irritable bowel syndrome
generalized pruritus
allergic sinusitis or rhinitis
seasonal hay fever
bursitis
headaches involving eyes and sinuses severe or chronic
torticollis (neck spasm) depression characterized by quiet
melancholy or passive rageTherapy:  herbs that harmonize Lung and Liver
PREPARING  HERBAL TEA
Herbal formulas may be taken as tea, concentrated uid extracts,
syrup, tablets, powder, or in combination with food. Although
freshly brewed medicinal herbs are gradually giving way to
industrial methods of extraction and tableting, drinking a decoction
or infusion is still an eective way to derive the benet of herbs. The ritual of personally cooking the herbs may be labori ous, but it
can be worth the investment of time and energy—herbs are easily
assimilated in this form, producing rapid results. Some formulas are
bitter, so Americans unaccustomed to drinking beverages that do
not taste pleasant have the option of ingesting these same formulas
as powders or pills. To make an herbal tea (a water extract or decoction), the herbs
are boiled in a glass, ceramic, or stainless-steel container so that the
metal or plastic in iron, alum inum, or nonstick cookwar e does not
spoil the tea. A formula usually consists of ½ to 2 ounce s of herbal
material. To cook the herbs, simmer them in 4–6 cups of water (depending
on the quantity of ingredie nts) for 30–60 minutes in a covered
vessel until 1 cup of liquid  remains after straining. Repeat the
cooking process using the same herbs with 1 cup less water. Combine the 2 cups from both boilings and drink the liquid while
warm in four equal doses over the Course of two to four days. The
tea can be refrigerated for up to four days and reheated as needed. It is best to drink herbs in the morning and evening ½ hour before
or 1½ hours after a meal. Varying the quantity and frequency of an herbal tea determines
the force of its eects. This controls the rate and intensity of the
healing process according to individual needs and tolerances. People
who are genera lly healthy and robust can tolerate stronger tea more
often than those who are chronically ill or debilitated. Young and
middle-aged adults can handle a higher dosage and greaterfrequency of herbal medicine than infants, children, or the elderly;
and those with serious complaints may require more aggressive
treatment than those who have mild or transient disturbances. Children under age four have ¼ the standard dose; those  from age
ve to twelve have ½ the standard dose. Dose (concentration) can
be altered either by giving a smaller amount or by diluting with
water and giving the same amount: adding an equal quantity of
water reduces the concentration by half, adding twice  as much
diminishes it by three-fourths, and so on. Dilution may also improve
the palatability of the tea. Chinese Herbal Teapot and Scale
Cold (refrigerated), greasy, spicy, and sour foods should generally
be avoided during the proce ss of taking medicinal herbs, especially
in acute or debilitating illnesses, since they may undermine or
neutralize the eects of the herbs. The simpler and more moderate
the diet during  the treatment process, the greater the benet of the
herbs. USING CHINESE  PATENT MEDICINES
Herbal prescriptions are either tailored to t the individual patient
or designed to t general conditions. Ready-made formulas for
general condit ions are called patent medicines. As with footwear or
clothes before the advent of factories, a shoemaker or dressmaker
drew a pattern  from the individual and cut the leather and cloth to
match that shape, customizing each shirt, skirt, trouser, and boot. Then mass production developed, and as general sizes and shapes
became available to the public, people chose what best t them. Chinese pharm acists still measure single ingredients on hand-held
scales, mixing  formulas for individual patients to take home and
brew into tea. But herbal pharmaceutical factories also compress
raw ingredients or extracts into pills, which are then bottled and
sold in apoth ecary shops, side by side with individual herbs. Because they are ready to use without brewing, patent medicines
are convenient. Because individualized prescriptions conform
exactly to the problem and person being treated, they are sometimes
indispensable. The use of patent medicines dema nds some
familiarity with their indications, while formulating a prescription
from scratch usually requires knowledge of the properties and
qualities of many individual herbs. When I traveled to the Chinese city of Guangzhou in 1985, a
Chinese friend who had owned his own herbal factories in 1946
(which were nationalized following the revolution in 1949) invitedme to observe the processing, extraction, and manufactur e of herbal
patent medicines at three factories that his nephew now managed. In the factory, chemists and workers dressed in snowy white
aprons, hats, masks, and slippers worked below towering stainless-
steel vats in which extracts were made from cooking herbal
decoctions. In another area, tumblers resembling Laundromat dryers
mixed powdered raw herbs with honey into a thick paste to be
shaped into pellets. The factory managers were very proud of the
sophisticated packaging equipment that stamped out the nished
product. I was as impressed by how tasty some of these medicines
were—like a sort of licorice- molasses candy. At lunch, some of the
same herbs in the pellets were served at the restaurant. The taste of
some herbs allow their inclusion in soups, whereas others demanded
ingestion as pills. Patent medicines are marketed worldwide from factories in Hong
Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China. Hundreds
of remedies are available in Chinatown herb shops,  the vast
majority of which are based on traditional formulas. Gradually,
however, industrious Ameri can herbalists and entrepre neurs are
developing and manufacturing their own products. Remedies exist
for a vast array of disorders ranging from high cholesterol to
arthritis, PMS, migraine, infertility, and the common cold. A number
of the most useful and available Asian and American products, their
recommended uses and sources, are listed at the end of this chapter. Since some products from Asia are made from extracts and others
from raw herbs, the dosage  varies from as few as 3–5 pills for
extracts to 10–20 pills at a time for formulas using raw materials. The American tablets tend to be somewhat larger (500–750 grams)
than their Asian counterpart s in order to decrease the number of
tablets for each dose: generally 2–4 tablets at a time, 1–3 times per
day. Dosages for uid extracts are about 1–4 milliliters (¼–1
teaspoon), depending on the concentration, 2–3 times per day. As with herbal teas, pills or uid extracts are usually taken on an
empty stomach ½ hour before or 1 to 2 hours after eating. They are
most eective swallowed with warm water since cold drinks inhibitthe digestive function of the stomach. Dosages for children are
proportionately less than for adults. Intelligence, eort, and history permeate these piquant mixtures,
and it is part of the alchemy of herbs that the body assimilates their
value through sight, skin, and smell as well. In any form, Chinese
herbal medicine provides wisdom you can swallow. NO HOME SHOULD  BE WITHOUT  HERBAL FIRST AID
No home should be without certain formulas that help people
overcome common problems like coughs, sore throats,
stomachaches, bruises, fever, insomnia, and headaches. Chinese rst
aid can replace the need for many Western over-the-counter
pharmaceuticals and remove the worry of their unpredictable
adverse eects. Chinese herbs can be considered dierently: they
can do us good, along with getting rid of what bothers us. Using
herbs is a positive gesture toward health as well as a means to
soothe discomfort. For this reason some formulas can be used
generously, like nutritional supplements, whereas  Western
pharmaceuticals are to be used sparingly and with caution. For example, Yin Chiao Chieh Tu Pien (“yin chow chee dew
peein”), a formula developed during the Ching dynast y and still
popular today, is appropriate for symptoms such as sneezing,
snies, and a sore, swollen  throat associated with the common
cold. Generall y, symptoms of a cold or u are regar ded as an
invasion of Wind  and Heat attacking the surface, and Yin Chiao  is a
purging formula that expels Heat and Wind  from the skin, muscles,
upper-respiratory tract, and head. Honeysuckle and forsythia are the primary herbs in Yin Chiao,
used together for their powerful antitoxic and antiinamma tory
eect. They are assisted by arctium, lophatherum, and soja
(fermented black soybeans), which also clear Heat and relieve thirst,
muscle ache, sore throat, and swollen glands. Peppermint and
schizonepeta clear Wind  and promote perspiration, allaying
headache and dizziness. Platycodon relieves cough and dispelsphlegm. Licorice harmonizes these herbs, soothes the throat, and
counteracts toxins. Since the Lung governs the skin, respiration, and
perspiration, these herbs assist it in warding o noxious external
inuences like Wind  and Heat. This formula is used during the rst stages of acute illnesses like
colds and allergies, which are characterized by fever, headache,
nasal congestion, thirst, cough, chills, sore throat, itching, and
rashes. Many patients have been impressed by the quick demise of a
cold after taking this remed y. They are pleased not to experience
any of the unpleasant eects of pharmaceutical antihistamines or
decongestants, like drowsiness or drying of the mucous membranes. COMMON  COLD
Taken at the very rst signs of a runny nose or scratchy throat, six
tablets of Yin Chiao  or Gan Mao Ling (“gon mow ling”), repeated
every three hours, can avert a cold before it has taken root. These
remedies can really impres s the novice who has not yet tried
Chinese herbs. Once a cold or u is in progress, if symptoms are
primarily chills, body sorenes s, and headache, then the same dosage
of Zhong Gan Ling (“jong gan ling”) is appropriate. With nausea and
diarrhea, Lopanthus Anti-Febrile pills (also known as Huo Hsiang
Cheng Chi Pien [“hwa shang chung chee pien”]) are used. For a dry
cough, or thirst with the cold or u, a delicious instant beverage tea
called Lo Han Kuo (“low han gwo”) will soothe the throat, relieve
the dryness, and assist expectoration. For coughs with sticky or
yellow phlegm, Pinellia Expectorant (also known as Qing Qi Hua Tan
Wan [“ching chee hwa tahn wahn”]) plus Fritillary-Loquat cough
syrup are appropriate. TRAUMA. INJURY OR  SURGICAL
The Chinese province of Yunnan produces a secret “herbal treasure”
of international fame called Yunnan Pai Yao (“you nahn bye yow”),
known to be a lifesaving remedy for wounds, hemorrhages, shock,
and infections. On many occasions we have given two capsules,three times a day, to our patients who undergo surgery  or suer
traumatic injury. Several women took Yunnan Pai Yao following
extensive cosm etic surgery, and the surgeon remarked on the low
incidence of bruising and swelling and the rapidity of their
recovery. This was also true for patients who had prostate,
abdominal, foot, and denta l surgery. In each case the attending
Western physician was impressed by speedy recuperation and
diminished loss of blood during the operation. This remedy is also
useful for gum infections, menstrual cramps, hemorrhoids, ulcers,
sprains, and other sorts of pain or inammation. It can be taken two
days before surgery to prevent postoperative swelling and infection;
for seven to ten days after trauma or surgery; and during the period
for menstrual cramping or excess bleeding. Yunnan Pai Yao should
be used short-term for acute problems; it is not suitable during
pregnancy or as a long-term tonic. INDIGESTION
Curing Pills, both benign and versatile, are suitable for indigestion,
diarrhea, hangovers, motion sickness, nausea, headache, reactions to
MSG contaminated food, or overeating, and are indispensable for
the traveler as a buer against dysentery, jet lag, and the
consequences of irregular sleeping and eating. For travelers in
places where the water is of questionable quality, a vial with each
meal can be taken prophylactically, along with the ordinary
precautions. We have given this remedy to patients coming down
with symptoms of stomach u, and in many cases their nausea and
headache have cleared within ten minutes. The appropriate dosage,
one to three vials (as needed), strengthens digestion, clears
congestion, detoxies, and facilitates elimination. Each vial costs
about fteen cents. Curing Pills are a sort of digestive cure-all—a
simple wonder in terms of versatility, low cost, and eectiveness. Some Patent Remedies
WOMEN’S PROBLEMS
To ameliorate menstrual and other reproductive problem s, Wu Chi
Pai Feng Wan pills (“woo chee bye fung wan”) address many
common comp laints, includin g fatigue, water retention, moodiness,
cramps, irregu lar cycle, and anemia. This formula can be used as a
tonic before ovulation to replenish Blood  and Qi, after ovulation to
disperse preme nstrual buildup of uid and tension, and during the
menstrual ow to relieve cramps and distension. For acute
symptoms, ten pills four times a day is appropriate, whereas ten
pills two times a day is adequate for long-term tonication. ALLERGIES
For respiratory allergies with sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, cough,
wheezing, postnasal drip, sore throat, and headache, Bi Yan Pian(“bee yan pien”) is invaluab le. In acute crisis, use six tablets four
times a day until symptoms are relieved. To prevent attacks, use six
tablets twice a day. This has helped countless people when pollen
and grasses abound, in some cases, reducing or eliminating
sensitivity to environmental irritants. Fifty Common Patent Herbal Remedies and Their Uses
Colds
Two of the best cold remedies,
especially good for head colds
and sore throatsYin Chiao Chieh Tu Pien  
Gan Mao Ling
Flu with headache, body ache,
fever, chillZhong Gan Ling
Flu or cold with nausea, diarrhea,
or digestive upsetCuring Pills
Upper-respiratory symptoms and
gastrointestinal symptoms
combinedLopanthus Anti-Febrile  
Huo Hsiang Cheng Chi Pien
Thirst and dehydration Lo Han Kuo  tea
Coughs
Dry cough Lo Han Kuo  tea or  
Lo Han Kuo  Cough Juice
Cough with profuse phlegmPinellia Expectorant Pills and
Fritillary-Loquat syrup
Headaches
With colds or chillsChuan Xiong Chao Tiao Wan
With hay fever-sinusitis Bi Yan Pian
Curing PillsWith indigestion
With fever Yin Chiao Chieh Tu Pien  or
Zhong Gan Ling
Migraine Corydalis Yan Hu Suo Analgesic  
*Head-Q (HC)
Muscle tension-spasmHsiao Yao Wan
Mental tension or cerebral allergy
syndrome*Cyperus 18 (SF)
Digestive
Overeating, nausea, stomach
upset, gas, dysentery, acute
diarrhea or mild constipation,
motion sicknessCuring Pills
Constipation (habitual) Fructus Persica
Constipation with cramps, gas, or
bloatingMu Xiang Shen Qi Wan
Chronic diarrhea Liu Jun Zi Wan  and Wu Ling
San
Dysentery or food poisoning Curing and Huang Lian Su
Ulcers Bao He Wan
Ulcers with painAdd Wei Te Ling
Ulcers with bleeding Add Yunnan Bai Yao
Insomnia
With anxiety and fatigueHealthy Brain Pills
With tension-stress *Schizandra Dreams (HC)
GenitourinaryAcute cystitis, prostatitis,
urethritisLung Tan Xie Gan Wan
Chronic-recurring prostatitisKai Kit Wan
Chronic-recurring urethritis Passwan
Acute vaginitis Yu Dai Wan
Chronic-recurring vaginitis Chien Chin Chih Tai Wan
Rheumatic Pain
With muscle or joint pain Qi Ye Lien  Analgesic
With numbness or nerve pain *AC-Q(HC)
Pain
Of internal organs Corydalis Yan Hu Suo
Analgesic
Due to trauma or infection-
inammationYunnan Pai Yao
Hemorrhoids
Painful Fargelin High Strength
Bleeding Yunnan Pai Yao
Trauma
Postsurgical recovery, injury,
sprain, fracture, inammation,
infection, menstrual pain with
excessive bleeding,
hemorrhage, shock, painYunnan Pai Yao
AllergiesGeneralized hay fever, sinusitis *Cyperus 18 (SF)  
Bi Yan Pian
Food sensitivities Lopanthus Anti-Febrile pills
(Hou Hsiang Cheng Chi Pien )
Menstrual Problems
Irregularity, scanty or excessive
ow and weaknessWu Chi Pai Feng Wan
(condensed)
PMS Hsiao Yao Wan
Generalized abdominal-pelvic-
lumbosacral painQi Ye Lian  
Corydalis Yan Hu Suo
Analgesic
Acute uterine cramps
*American-manufactured products:
HC = Health Concerns; SF = Seven ForestsSome Patent Remedies
*For further information on individual herbs, the reader is referred to the Materia Medica
prepared by Bensky and Gamble called Chinese Herbal Medicine. This text details the
traditional properties and functions of more than four hundred herbs, summarizing
abstracts regarding modern pharmacological and clinical research. OceanofPDF. comCulinary Alchemy: Herbal Food, Kitchen MedicineCHAPTER FIFTEEN
CULINARY  ALCHEMY : HERBAL FOOD, KITCHEN
MEDICINE
In the misty era before the Han tribes coalesced into the
beginnings of the Chinese race, the rst mythical hero to
emerge was Fu Hsi. The main activities of this god-like fabled
gure were hunting and shing, and to him is attribute d the
invention of the kitchen and cooking. The next legendary gure
in early Chinese mythology was Shen Nung, the Divine
Husbandman. To him goes credit for the plow, the hoe and the
care of farm animals. Huang Ti, the Yellow Emperor and the
patron saint of Taoism, is worshipped still for the conception of
planting grain  and the invention of the pestle and mortar to
crush it to make our. The hunter, the husbandman and the
farmer—it is no accident that the rst three objects of worship
of the ancient Chinese should all have to do with food. China: The Beautiful Cookbook
REGARDLESS OF WHAT ELSE WE MAY OR MAY NOT DO TO MAINTAIN OUR health,
we all need to eat, regularly. Like amoebas, we human animals are
digesting tubes. We move through the world by eating it. We
swallow it, taking bits and pieces for ourselves, and push the rest
out. One of the principal organizing processes of a living organism is
its eatin g behavior. Food is the means by which we re-create the
world as ourselves. Through eating we embody sun and rain, heat
and cold, dryness and wetness, we feed the cosmic interac tion of Yin
and Yang that we are, regenerating our Essence  and Spirit. Our own
nature interacts with the properties of the foods we eat. This
relationship is the subject of this chapter. FOOD IDEOLOGY  WEST AND  EAST
In the West the value of food is determined by the presence of
proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Foods that
contain similar quantities and proportions of these nutrients are
considered equivalent in biological value. According to this
principle, a bowl of spaghetti with tomato sauce is equivalent in
protein and calories to a two-egg omelet, and a peanut-b utter-and-
jelly sandwich  is equivalent to a chocolate éclair with a glass of
milk. In addition, peopl e are assumed to be the same
physiologically, so the choice of diet is simply a matter of preference
within these quantitative guidelines. Health-conscious Americans
also evaluate their diet on the basis of whether foods are fresh,
unrened, without articial ingredients, or too high in cholesterol,
calories, sugar, and salt. In Chinese medicine, who we are determines what is most
benecial for us to eat. And what we eat is considered to aect the
expression of who we are. Both food and people are understood
within the language of Yin-Yang  and Five Phases. Foods are selected
on the basis of their correspondence with individual patterns,
modied by the climate, the season, and acute illness. People who
are cold and dry need warm, moisturizing food; people who are hot
and damp need cool, dryin g food; people with congestion need
decongesting food; and people who are depleted need replenishing
food. The appropriateness of a food cannot be establishe d without
knowledge of the context—not everyone will benet equally from
foods that contain the same measure of nutrients. In other words,
“one man’s meat is another  man’s poison” means there is not a
universal standard of what constitutes “good food. ”
A diet consisti ng mainly of raw fruits and vegetables cools (Yin),
not because these foods have been refrigerated, but because they
promote the loss of body heat and the secretion of uid. For a
person who is Cold, Damp, and depleted, this diet exaggerates
internal  climate, aggravating symptoms of chilliness, puness,
phlegm, fullness, and fatigu e. Similarly, a diet consisting of fried,broiled, fat-ric h, and spicy foods warms (Yang), since these foods
have absorbed the heat of cooking and because they generate body
heat and stimulate circulatio n. For a person who is Hot, Dry, and
congested, these foods exacerbate existing problems such as
nervousness, sweating, tension, pain, constipation, and thirst. The
same salads and juicy fruits that undermine an already cool, moist
person are therapeutic for someone who is hot and dry; and the
warm stimulation of spicy, broiled, and enriching foods that congest
one person strengthen another. Another factor that guides food selection is a person’s particular
condition at a given time. When someone is recovering from a u,
diet should counterbalance the sickness: for a high fever with
parched mouth and throat, moisturizing, cooling foods are
appropriate, whereas for a fever with aches and chills, foods that are
warming and stimulating are helpful. Climate may also play a role:
a cooling diet of raw, juicy foods is more appropriate in the summer
when it is hot and dry, whereas in the winter, when it is damp,
windy, and cold, a warming, enriching diet stokes our internal re
and protects us. To the majorit y of Americans these considerations are alien. Our
diet conforms more to the dictates and demands of the marketplace
—we eat quick, easy, tasty meals and buy what advertising sells us. We’ve lost touch with what feels good or is good for us. We have a
distorted relationship to food: starving ourselves to cast o
unwanted weight and overeating as a substitute for real pleasure
and satisfaction. To meet our demand for intense, constant
productivity, we relentlessly overstimulate our bodies with high-
protein, high-fat, high-sugar foods that have become associated with
auence and the good life. In reaction to this, within the holistic health movement, there’s
been an overemphasis on purication and eliminatio n through
fasting, juice diets, and raw foods. Here, too, we’ve disconnected
from how this makes us feel long term, relying more on our belief
that this is good for us. These cleansing regimens often promote
prolonged or intense disch arge through sweating, purging the
bowels, and increasing urination. This program is based on thepremise that a “clean machine” is a well-running machine, that
“cleanliness is next to godliness,” and that “toxicity” is the primary
culprit in poor health. In the Chinese  view what is considered “toxicity” in the popular
holistic vocabu lary (mucus, cholesterol, yeast, infection, or chemical
pollution) is dened as excesses  of undesirable inuences such as
phlegm, Heat, and Wind. Chinese food therapy emphasizes restoring
wholesome digestion, increasing Qi, Moisture, and Blood, and
reinvigorating Organ  function. Especially where weakness exists, the
priority is to use supplementing herbs and foods to restore and
strengthen Qi and only later to use eliminative therapy if our
organism hasn’t already detoxied itself. In the alternative health movement and in mainstream Western
medicine, dietary recommen dations are applied in a standardized,
uniform way without particular regard for individual dierences. A
variety of systems oer the “perfect diet” for everyone, regardless of
one’s condition. Pritikin protects you from heart disease, cancer, and
aging; raw food advocates rescue you from a life that is “dead,”
“toxic,” and unnatural; and macrobiotics aspires to transform you
from an aggressive, overexcited, greedy person into a peaceful,
altruistic, righteous one. Each disagrees with the other about how to
go about this: Pritikin recommends pure and fresh foods high in
ber and low in fat, salt, and sugar; hygienic raw-fooder s insist on
only uncooked organic fruits and vegetables; and macrobiotic
followers eat primarily cooked grains and vegetables avored with
salty or pickled condimen ts and eschew many fruits and all
concentrated sweets. There is substantial merit in each of these
diets; each has helped some people some of the time. But each
program is limited by a narro w and xed way of thinking. Although
ideology and method dier, the principle is the same: Feed everyone
according to the same rules. When modern  medicine considers diet in the case of special
diseases like diabetes and hypertension, sugar or salt are excluded,
but aside from that food is not regarded to contribute
therapeutically. In Chinese medicine, in keeping with Yin-Yang
thinking, it’s crucial to disce rn whether a person with diabetes isweak or strong, heavy or thin, Hot or Cold, Damp  or Dry. A diet high
in complex carbohydrates, excluding simple sugars, and low in
protein and fat decongests an overweight diabetic with excess Heat
and Dampness, whereas a diet rich in protein and high-quality fats
may be necessary for a weak, emaciated, Dry diabeti c. Diabetes is
understood to arise from deciency  of Moisture  and Essence  (Yin) of
either the Lung, Spleen, or Kidney  or all three. Herbs and foods that
nourish Yin as well as clear Heat, dispel Dampness, and replenish Qi
are an integral part of the treatment for a diabetic. People with hypertension are advised to eliminate salt and
saturated fats to reduce water retention and prevent arteriosclerosis. But again a person with high blood pressure can be strong or weak,
congested or depleted, Hot or Cold, with disturba nces of the Heart,
Spleen, Liver, or Kidney Network. The proper diet for these
individuals must incorporate all of these considerations to be truly
eective as a therapeutic aid. The general strategy is to decongest
Blood, strengthen the Kidney, and eliminate Wind, Heat, and
Dampness  from the Liver, Heart, and Spleen. Because macro biotics uses Yin-Yang  terminology to classify foods
and people, it appears to be similar to Chinese medicine. It shares
the words but not the thinkin g, neglecting the relational, interactive
paradigm. In Chinese medicine foods cannot be classied as being
Yin or Yang except in relation to the person and circumstance. Just
like people, foods have a character and a set of tendencies
depending on the context. A raw carrot tends to be a little sour, moisturizing, cooling, and
dispersing and because of this is good for decongesting Qi and Heat
in the Liver and Stomach. A cooked carrot becomes relatively sweet,
warming, and consolidating and is good for replenishing Qi of the
Spleen, Lung, and Kidney. A raw or cooked carrot is Yang compared
with a watermelon and Yin compa red with an egg. Cooked carrots
are included in supplementin g food recipes that are either warming
or cooling because they are neutral in this context. For someone
who is very Cold and depleted, even a cooked carrot may need to be
combined with cardamom or dried ginger, stir-fried or broiled to
make it more warming. Foods are adaptable, depending on howthey are combined and prepared. Ordinary foods familiar to your
kitchen can serve therapeutic ends, especially by including edible
herbs that enhance potency and specicity. HOW IS YOUR DIGESTION. Evident from a hungry infant’s shrill cry and the contented calm
that follows after suckling, there is a primal sense of satisfaction and
security that comes from adequate nourishment. Throughout our
lives, food is basic to our comfort as well as our survival. Yet in our
culture we are educated to ignore messages from our body, to be
indierent to the sensations of our internal organs unless they give
us pain. We mask signs of poor digestion rather than seeking their
cause. If our breath smells, we chew mints. If gas erupts from our
stomach or bowels, we swallow antacids. We either endure
constipation or resort to a laxative; and for loose bowels we gulp
milk of magnesia between meals. We’d rather take medications than
change our diet. However, by examing the situation more carefully,
we can determ ine the signs of digestive comfort and discomfort and
take appropriate action to sustain our health. EATING:  DIGESTION OR  CONGESTIONIn Chinese medicine, healthy digestion is synonomous with a happy
Spleen. A good diet supports the work of the Spleen  and counters
idiosyncratic patterns of disharmony. An unsuitable diet will give
rise to or aggravate the eects we saw above for poor digestive
function. What is the role of the Spleen Network. How can particular
foods restore our equanimity. DIGESTION
The role of the Spleen  is to transform  and absorb food in order to
generate and distribute Qi, Moisture, and Blood. The Spleen  governs
all activities along the diges tive tube from the mouth to the large
intestine, including those functions of the liver, gallbladder, and
pancreas that enter into the process of digestion and assimilation. This Organ Network  is dierentiated into a Yang aspect, the Stomach,
which tends to be warm, dry, and moves Qi downward, and a Yin
aspect, the Spleen, which tends to be cool, wet, and send Qi upward. Food enters into this dynamic balance and either supports or
sabotages its harmony. The Spleen  is like a crucible, a cooking pot, warmed by the living
re from the body’s core, the Kidney. The Spleen  depends on the
ascension of heat from below to convert food to Qi and Blood. The
rened Qi from food rises from the Spleen  to the Lung, where  it joins
with the Qi from air. This pure essence of food and air then begins
its journey through the channels and viscera. Denser, unrened Qi
descends from the Stomach  by way of the Small Intestine  to the
Kidney  and Large Intestine. The Kidney  further puries the liquid
portion, storing some and eliminating the rest by way of the Bladder,
while the Large Intestine  receives the coarse, solid, unusable products
of digestion and discharges them. Here are some signs of good digestion:
• No discomfort in your stomach or intestines. • Regular, easy elimination, feeling better after than before. • Satisfaction after meals, without lingering hunger or
craving. • Feeling alert and clear-headed after eating rather than
lethargic or spaced out. • A pleasant taste in your mouth and fragrant breath. Here are some signs of indigestion:
• Discomfort in stomach and intestines. • Belching and atulence. • Foul taste in mouth and oensive breath. • Unpleasant odor of urine and feces. • Dicult bowel movements and urination. • Fatigue, depression, irritability, and fuzzy-headedness after
meals. • Lack of satisf action with what you eat or not knowing what
to eat to gain satisfaction. • Uncon trollable cravings or lingering hunger for stimula nts
and fats or cold, spicy, salty, sweet, or sour foods. • Headaches, nausea, nasal and sinus congestion, sudden
perspiration, sores in the mouth, skin eruptions, unpleasan t
hot or cold sensations. Of all these factors, the most important dietary rule to keep
in mind  is to eat only what you can digest eectively. This
means you feel better after eating than before. The function of the Spleen Network  can be impeded by
incompatible food, overeatin g, emotional turmoil, stress, or extreme
hunger. This interrupts the rhythmic movement along the digestive
tube, which is the same as saying that the Qi of the Spleen  andStomach  is obstructed. Obstructed Qi leads to congested foods and
uids, which in turn can generate conditions of deciency  and
excess. Congestion prevents the Spleen  from doing its job well: when
the Spleen  cannot generate Qi and Blood, this results in weakness;
when it cannot distribute Qi and Blood, stagnation occurs, which
creates excesses  such as Heat, Cold, Dampness, and Wind. Either of
these outcomes will aggra vate the other Organ Networks. For
example, stagnant Qi in the Spleen  agitat es the Liver; an
accumulation of Heat overstimulates the Heart ; congestion of uids
produces phlegm in the Lung; and excess Cold depresses the re of
the Kidney. CONGESTION
Congestion and disharmony of the Spleen-Stomach Network  may give
rise to a variety of physical complaints. This can be viewed in
relation to the ow of Qi and Blood, which must move upward and
downward through the center of the body, the province of the
Spleen  and Stomach. The Spleen  helps raise Qi, and the Stomach  helps
bring it down. With congestion, Qi cannot move up and down
properly. The warm dry Qi of the Lung and Heart  cannot descend,
and the cool moist Qi of the Kidney  cannot rise. Sometimes this
accounts for the fact that the upper body becomes overheated and
dehydrated while the lower body becomes cold and waterlogged. This may make a person crave cool, moistening foods to counteract
the upper body’s discomfort, and warm, drying foods to remedy
discomfort in the lower body. When Qi is blocked, it follows the
path of least resistance, sometimes reversing patterns of proper
movement. When the Stomach  is overly hot, dry, or congested with
food, Qi rises instead of descending, and belching, hiccups, dicult
swallowing, or heartburn occur. When the Spleen  is too Cold and
Damp, Qi collapses  downward instead of ascending, and distension,
prolapse, atulence, and diarrhea occur. The solution is to avoid
congestion so that the Qi can travel freely. For this reason, the
Chinese sugge st that a person never eat until they are full butinstead always leave some space in the Stomach  for the movement of
Qi. Foods that move Qi, remove Heat from the Stomach  and Cold from
the Spleen, and tonify Qi and Moisture  are good for the Spleen
Network. Vegetables and fruits with abundant roughage such as
cabbage, beets, radishes, apples, pears, mushrooms, and whole or
sprouted grain s move Qi and ease the passage of food. Sweet,
starchy vegetables and grain s like yams, barley, and rice, and fruits
like dates, gs, papaya, and coconut increase Qi and Moisture. The Stomach  tends to become Hot and Dry, whereas the Spleen
tends to become Cold and Damp. So the Stomach  likes cooling foods
that dispel Heat and replenish  Moisture, and the Spleen  likes warm
foods that dry Dampness  and generate Qi. Generally, eating a variety
of foods—cool and warm, moist and dry, nourishing and
decongesting—is what pleases the body. Often food cravings are the result of Spleen-Stomach  disharmonies. If the Spleen  is undermined by Cold and deciency, cravings for foods
like coee, chocolate, and alcohol are likely to occur. These are
warming, bitter foods that stimulate the Liver and Heart, producing a
temporary feeling of increased energy and circulation. If the
Stomach  is overheated  and congested, cravings for iced drinks and
ice cream are likely. Ice cream and frozen yogurt are cold, sweet
foods that relax and expan d the Stomach, relieving feelings of
tension and agitation. It is common for people to have both
deciency  of the Spleen  and excess  of the Stomach, so depending  on
which condition is most prevalent, these cravings alternately
demand satisfa ction. Fullling these desires may do more harm than
good. If the Spleen  is already weak and Cold, ice cream will steal its
warmth and squelch the re of the Kidney, exacerbating symptoms
like poor circulation and water retention in the legs and feet. Because the Kidney ’s moisture becomes conned  to the lower body,
the inner membranes of the chest, neck, and head becom e dry and
sticky, manifesting as irritati on and mucus congestion of the nose,
throat, and bronchi. If the Stomach  is already overheated and
congested, roasted cocoa or coee bean will create more  heat or, if
mixed with sugar and milk, more phlegm. This increased heat driesup the body’s moisture, which weakens the Kidney, Liver, Heart, and
Lung. Alcoh ol’s extreme heat especially overexcites the Liver and
Heart, which genera tes Wind, exhausts the Blood, and undermines
the Spirit. This is why alcohol can cause high blood pressure, strok e,
impotence, and dementia. ESTABLISHING THE  CONDITION OF  EARTH: STOMACH AND  SPLEEN
The overall body picture does not always reect the status of the
Stomach  or Spleen. Someone might be depleted and have a congested
Stomach  or Spleen, overheated in general, but have a Cold Spleen,
and retain excess uids yet have a Dry Stomach. Restoring the
warmth (Yang) of the Spleen  or the moisture (Yin) of the Stomach
harmonizes the center. This has a ripple eect throughout the
organism as a whole. If there  is a conict between the Organs  of Earth  in which the
Stomach  is Hot and the Spleen Cold, the Stomach Dry and the Spleen
Damp, then each needs remedying without exacerbating the other. Faced with this dilemma, identifying which pattern is more chronic
or severe, and which most ts the overall state, helps someone
decide what to eat: otherwis e, foods with a neutral nature (not too
cooling warming, juicy, or dry) are used. Changes in weather and season can mask the prevailing internal
climate. Even though a person with Cold-Damp Earth  may feel less
chilly and lethargic as the sun beats down in the heat of summer,
and even though there is a strong urge then to eat raw, juicy,
cooling foods, a predominantly warming, drying diet is best. Similarly, someone with Hot-Dry Earth  should resist the temptation
to consu me hot, spicy, rich foods, even during a wet, snowy winter. Eating in accord with the climate and season is appropriate when
compatible with the existing Stomach-Spleen  pattern. Combinations of patterns such as Hot-Damp  and Cold-Damp  can
occur within the same person, as can depletion and congestion. Someone who is weak and depleted needs thicker, more enriching
food (avoid thin soups), whereas someone who is congested andagitated needs  to avoid sticky and rich foods (dairy products, fats,
casseroles). Reect on how dierent foods (or the same foods
prepared dierently) make you feel. This will train your instincts
and help you to follow them. DEFINING THE  RELATIONSHIP  BETWEEN  FOOD AND  FUNCTION
Plump apple, smooth banana, melon, peach
gooseberry … How all this auence
speaks death and life into the mouth … I sense …
Observe it from a child’s transparent features
while he tastes. This comes from far away. What miracle is happening in your mouth. Instead of words, discoveries ow out
from the ripe esh, astonished to be free. Dare to say what “apple” truly is. This sweetness that feels thick, dark, dense at rst;
then, exquisitely lifted in your taste,
grows claried, awake and luminous,
double-meaninged, sunny, earthy, real—
O knowledge, pleasure—inexhaustible. Rainer Maria Rilke           
(Stephen Mitchell, trans. ) To determine what foods best suit us, it is helpful to know how our
Qi, Moisture, and Blood  are behaving within the parameters of Yin-
Yang and Five-Phase  correspondence. The basic guidelines for food
therapy are generated by how the qualities and properties of foodsaect the quality and quantity of Qi, Moisture, and Blood. Foods are
classied loosely on the basis of
• texture and density: crunchy, soft, heavy, light
• avors: sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, salty
• nature: warm, cool, dry, moist
• properties: supplementing (replenishes Qi, Moisture, and Blood )
or decongesting (eliminates stagnation of Qi, Moisture, and
Blood  and dispels Heat, Cold, Wind, Dryness, and Dampness )
As with herbs, the medicina l use of a food is determined by the
relationship between its observable qualities and its experienced
eects. A cooked yam is yellow, moist, soft, slightly sticky, and sweet. Yams are considered to be excellent food for supplementing Qi and
strengthening the Spleen  and Stomach. Because they are so
nourishing and digestible, they are good food for relieving
weakness, fatigue, and building tissue. Cooked eggplants are dark
purple, rich, pungent, gelatinous, and moist. Eggplant is eaten to
enrich and move the Blood  and especially benets the Kidney  and
Liver. A radish is white, crisp, juicy, and pungent and feels fresh and
cooling in the mouth and stomach. Radishes disperse Qi and
phlegm, relieving congestion in the throat, chest, and digestive
tract. Radishes  promote the function of the Lung and Large Intestine
by precipitating Moisture  and Qi downward. Because raw celery and
green pepper are green, crunchy, juicy, and sour, they moisturize,
consolidate, cool, and relax the Qi, which benets the Liver,
Stomach, and Gallbladder. Cooked asparagus is pulpy, slightly salty,
and sweet and has a strong diuretic eect, which makes it good for
eliminating Heat and Dampness, beneting the Heart  and Kidney. Characteristics and eects do not always t neatly together to
designate the property of a food. It is dicult to denitively pin
down specic properties for most foods, but some do cross over the
line between food and herb because of specicity and potency: lycii
berries nurture Blood  and Essence, red dates build Qi and Moisture,pearl barley (similar to the herb coix seed) builds Qi and eliminates
Dampness, seaweed clears phlegm, and black fungus disperses Blood
and lubricates the intestines. It is possible to generalize and say that one person will benet
from a supplementing diet, another a decongesting one, that warm
foods are bette r for one perso n, moist and cool ones for another, but
it is more likely that combinations of food will be appropriate for
each of these people, and that what is right at one time may not be
so on a permanent basis. Variety accommodates changing needs. The same avor or food that feels good in moderation may be
damaging in excess. Sweet foods generally supplement Qi and Moisture  but in excess
produce phlegm and Heat. Bitter foods clean and empty but in
excess dissipate Qi and Moisture. Spicy foods activate and decongest
Qi and Blood  but in excess exhaust them. Salty foods supplement
Blood  and Essence  but in excess congeal them. Sour foods tone the
viscera and nerves but in excess cause cramping and pain. A sweet,
nourishing food like milk “does a body good” if the body is Dry and
weak but can do another body harm if it is Hot and Damp,
producing mucus congestion and inammation. Yams or rice are
sweet and nourishing, yet rich cake is so sweet that it tends to
create more Dampness  and Heat than Qi and Blood. Our interaction
with food is aected by the avor and nature of what we eat, its
concentration and quantity, as well as by our preexistin g internal
environment. Flavors
Understanding the eects of various avors is one guide in choosing
appropriate foods. salty—densifying, concentrating
sour—astringent, contracting
bitter—eliminating, descending
sweet—expanding, relaxing
spicy—accelerating, dispersing
WHAT SHOULD  I E AT. The answer to the question, “What should I eat. ” is based on an
evaluation of your current status. It is programmatic rather than
dogmatic. The rst step is to determine if you are Cold, Wet, Hot, or
Dry. Section summary: 

Please summarize briefly and clearly describe the relationships among different elements represented. Here's my attempt:


Summary

**Harmonic Formulas:** Aimless harmonic balancing restores equilibrium across opposing forces - Warm/Water & Cool/Moorhouse (), Heart/Kidneys (). These formulations combine complementary energies (). **Self-Assessment Profile**: Identify yourself first; learn concepts afterward



    Symptomatic profiles list deficiencies/depletio ns


| Pattern | Deficiency Symptoms |

Pattern          Weak         Loss/Loss            Irritation     Cravings       Other Signs |
---             ---                ---           ***      ---------|. |||||||||

    
***pattern name**

Then treat related issues separately;

We shall maintain consistency. Keep repeating key points. Let's discuss. Is something missing. Would love feedback. Best regards,

[Your Name]
```

Accurate Summary:

Section summaries include discussions on Harmonization Formula Therapy approaches addressing imbalances caused by contradictions in fire-water-fire-earth-metal interactions. Additionally, symptom categories detail patterns linked to deficiency (`Weak` `Loss`, etc. ), highlighting potential therapies required. Key Points:



Note: Your provided input lacks structure organization clarity, making concise summaries challenging. Please ensure headings separate sections effectively aiding comprehension. Suggestions:

Use numbered lists wherever feasible. Emphasize essential ideas utilizing bullet-points whenever applicable
Rephrase unclear sentences towards precision

If unsure please share revised versions. Thank You.
The purpose of the harmonizing formulas is to reorganize the patterns of conflict and restore balance to the body.
What is the purpose of the harmonizing formulas in Chinese medicine?
The goal of this formula is to tonify Blood and Moisture, disperse Blood and Qi, and purge Heat.
What is the goal of the formula used to harmonize Lung-Liver?
The Spleen's main function is to transform and absorb food in order to generate and distribute Qi and Blood.
What is the main function of the Spleen in the body?
The body's internal environment plays a significant role in determining the suitability of food, as certain foods can exacerbate or alleviate symptoms based on the individual's condition.
What is the relationship between the body's internal environment and food choices?
The 5 Elements and Yin-Yang principles are essential in selecting foods, as they help determine the eects of the food on the body and ensure that the body's internal environment is not disrupted.
What is the importance of considering the 5 Elements and Yin-Yang principles in food selection?