Download Week Five – Chinese_culture_time_health – how culture affects eating

Chinese Health: Diet
The Chinese diet is generally regarded as a healthy one. The Chinese are very
concerned about eating habits which are seen as an important factor affecting health.
There is a Chinese proverb "Illness starts from what goes into one's mouth while
trouble starts from what comes out of it."
A typical Chinese diet, which includes a lot of vegetables, fish and seafood but very
little sugar or dessert, is proved to be healthy. Besides stir fry and deep fry, the
Chinese use a wide variety of cooking methods: steam, boil, stew, roast, bake, and
generally avoid excessive greasy food.
The majority of Chinese are not vegetarian. Some are vegetarian because of personal
choice and some because of their religion. But many Buddhists still eat a lot of meat.
There are several Chinese concepts of healthy eating habits. The most basic one is the
balance of yin (feminine) and yang (masculine). Failure to maintain this balance is the
root to many illnesses: excessive yin leads to weakness and excessive yang to
restlessness manifested in inflammation and ulcers. Yin food includes fruits and
vegetables whilst yang food includes meat.
It is a fact that the Chinese pay attention to what they eat. Healing by eating
(following an appropriate diet) is very popular and widely accepted by the Chinese.
Occasionally they prepare a soup of special ingredients to maintain the balance of yin
and yang.
Diet is a particular concern for people who have fallen ill. It is rare to see Chinese
patients refusing to take meals from the hospital and often their families bring in food
especially prepared for them.
The yin yang symbol
COLD
COOL
WARM
HOT
Banana
Watermelon
Bok Choi
Turnip
Celery
Califlower
Crab
Bean Sprouts
Asparagus
Eggplant
Cucumber
Grapefruit
Pineapple
Tangerine
Zucchini
Seaweed
Tofu
Pear
Peppermint
Green Tea
Oolong Tea
Bitter Gourd
Cooked Lettuce
Green Apple
Snow Pea
White Corn
Oranges
Cabbage
Soybean
Sprouts
Apples
Cooked Onion
Strawberries
Cheese
Cherries
Mushrooms
Miso
Rice
Noodles
Bread
Pork
Chicken
Turkey
Broccoli
Green Pepper
Green Beans
Egg Whites
Yellow Corn
Egg Yolk
Fish
Pepper
Ginger
Garlic
Cooked Tomato
Spinach
Black Tea
Nectarines
Milk
Nuts
Grilled Foods
Avocado
Lichee
Turtle
Chocolate
Cocoa
Raw Onions
Coffee
Lamb
Duck
Eggplant
Red Pepper
Venison
Deep Fried
Foods
The Chinese believe that foods can restore the balance of our health in our bodies
through the forces on yin and yang.
As the populations of medieval towns and cities increased, hygienic conditions
worsened, leading to a large amount of health problems. Medical knowledge was
limited and, despite the efforts of medical practitioners and public and religious
institutions to provide help, medieval Europe did not have an adequate health care
system (Like the NHS today). Antibiotics weren't invented until the 1800s and it was
almost impossible to cure diseases without them.
There were many myths and superstitions about health and hygiene as there still are
today. People believed, for example, that disease was spread by bad odors. It was also
assumed that diseases of the body resulted from sins of the soul. Many people sought
relief from their ills through meditation, prayer, pilgrimages, and other non-medical
methods.
The body was viewed as a part of the universe, a concept first made by the Greeks and
Romans. Four humors, or body fluids, were directly related to the four elements: fire
= yellow bile; water = phlegm; earth = black bile; air = blood. These four humors had
to be balanced. Too much of one was thought to cause a change in personality – for
example, too much black bile could create depression. So to cure each problem meant
the body had to be drained of these fluids!
Yellow bile: a person who is bad tempered and has a short fuse: to stop this yellow
fluid from the liver has to be drained from the person!
Phlegm: these people are either shy, lazy, or show no emotions, and they could be
cured by draining the salivary glands in the neck!
Black bile: these people are often
depressed (or melancholy). See the
picture below which was drawn to
represent melancholy in the middle
ages.
Blood: too much blood causes
optimism and confidence. It is the best
humor to have but if people are manic
then they need to be drained of some
blood!
Trepanning is the oldest surgery known to man. It is basically boring, cutting, and
scraping open holes in a human skull. It was practiced as early as 10,000 B.C. in
Europe, South America, and some parts of Northern Africa.
Many trepanned skulls have been found, from the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Eastern,
Chinese, Indian, and African cultures. Historians think that holes were cut in the skull
to cure headaches, treat brain disorders, let out evil spirits, or treat insanity. Scientists
have evidence that people actually survived the surgeries and sometimes came back
for many more!
In trepanned skulls, the bone began to heal and form new bone, so the patient lived
after the procedure! These surgeries were done without anaesthesia (deadening),
probably while the patient was fully awake. Pieces of bone cut from the skull were
carried as good luck charms for doctors
For more than 4,000 years, Chinese doctors have been using acupuncturethe art of needle therapy. Needles traditionally were made of stone, fish
bones, or bamboo, but later were made of metal. A tomb from 113 BC
contained four gold and five silver needles. Today, they are steel or silver.
Very thin needles are inserted at certain points of the body, 900 positions
that are believed to be where the forces of the body flow.
According to one legend, acupuncture began when a hunter, accidentally
shot in the bridge of the nose by an arrow, realized his painful headache
suddenly disappeared! While the Chinese perfected the art, similar
techniques have been used by the ancient Egyptians, Eskimos, and
Africans. One tribe in Brazil used blowpipes to inject arrows into points of
the body used for acupuncture! The Mongolians have used acupuncture on
animals for centuries.
Some of the points seem unrelated to what they are used to relieve. A
headache can be treated by a needle in the toe and indigestion by a needle in
the shoulder! Where do you treat a fear of needles? Acupuncture is used
often as an anaesthetic (pain reliever.) An American heart specialist once
watched an operation in China, in which a man's lung was removed. The
only pain deadener was one needle, inserted into the left arm! The man was
awake and talking during the operation and felt nothing.
The needles range from 3-24 centimeters long. Get a ruler and check that
out! They are injected and "twirled" until they're in position. Some are even
connected to mild electrical currents. Today in America, there are about
8000 acupuncturists, 16 acupuncture schools, and 2 medical schools
teaching acupuncture as a way to maintain health.
What is Ayurveda?
The word Ayurveda comes from two Sanskrit words - 'Ayur' meaning life, and 'Veda' meaning
knowledge. This traditional Indian life science is the oldest form of medicine known to man,
with written texts dating back to 3500 years. Ayurveda still forms the basis of much medical
practice today in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, where orthodox doctors work alongside
Ayurvedic physicians. Following an Ayurvedic diet is considered to be an important way of
maintaining health and preventing illness and disease.
Ayurvedic medicine is a complete healthcare system and involves detoxification, diet,
exercise, herbs as well as techniques to improve mental and emotional health.
The central tenet of Ayurvedic science is that each human being is unique, having a distinct
individual constitution, genetic inheritance and predisposition to certain diseases. Our
constitution is determined by the balance of three vital energies in the body, known as the
three doshas or 'tridoshas'. The three doshas are known by their Sanskrit names of Vata,
Pitta and Kapha. Everyone's constitution is governed by the three doshas in varying degrees,
but each individual is also controlled by one or possibly two dominant doshas.
Health is maintained when all three doshas are in balance. Each one has its role to play in
the body. For example, Vata is the driving force: it relates mainly to the nervous system and
the body's energy. Pitta is fire; it relates to metabolism, digestion, enzymes, acid and bile.
In Ayurveda good digestion is considered the key to good health. Poor digestion produces
'Ama' toxins believed to cause disease. ' Ama' occurs when the metabolism is impaired due to
an imbalance of 'agni'. Agni, when working normally maintains all functions. Imbalance agni
is caused by irregularities in the doshas and such things as eating and drinking too much of
the wrong food and repressing emotions. Agni affected by too much Kapha can slow the
digestive process making you feel heavy and sluggish, while too much Vata can cause
flatulence, cramps, alternating constipation and diarrhoea.
Toxins which cause illness can be produced by emotional as well as physical factors. For
example, fear and anxiety relate to Vata and the large intestine. When held inside these
emotions can cause bloating and intestinal pain.
Every living body possesses three vital energies known as VATA, PITTA and Kapha, in
unique proportions. This is known as your PRAKRITI (the proportion you are born with).
VATA
This is the Driving force within the body and its functions are similar to the functions of the
nervous system. When Vata is low, it leads to accumulation of fluids, bowel infections,
tiredness and poor circulation. When in excess, it can lead to dry skin, brittle hair, bone
problems, flatulence, bowel disorders such as Irritable bowel syndrome, worry, fear, anxiety,
insomnia and depression.
PITTA
This is the metabolic force within the body. It controls appetite, thermoregulation, digestion
and absorption. When balanced, people can eat and drink well without becoming over/under
weight. When it is low it can cause indigestion, poor appetite, weight loss and lethargy.
When in excess, stomach ulcers, inflammation, skin disorders (acne/eczema), liver,
pancreatic or gall bladder disorders, burning stools and urine, anger and irritability may result.
KAPHA
This constitutes water and bodily fluids. Excess Kapha leads to asthma, sinus problems, fluid
retention, obesity. Low Kapha leads to weight loss, dry chest, dehydration, thirst etc.
Vata
Pitta
Kapha