Lecture 9: LV/GB Patterns and Food Therapy Flashcards
Stagnation of Cold in Liver Channel Etiology
- Invasion of Exterior Cold, EPF Cold Invasion
- Maybe preexisting Liver Qi Stagnation
Stagnation of Cold in Liver Channel Dietary Therapy
Thermal nature: Warm
Cooking: Warming - baking, long simmering in liquid
Flavours: warm-sweet, warm-pungent, warm sour
Stagnation of Cold in Liver Channel Dietary Avoidances
Thermal Nature: Cool, Cold
Cooking: Cooling - steaming, salting
Flavours: Bitter, Salty, Cold-Sour
Eg. Asparagus, Banana, Clam, Coffee, Dandelion, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lettuce, Lime, Peppermint
Stagnation of Cold in Liver Channel
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Warm the Liver
- Dispel Cold
- Move qi (if Liver Qi stagnation is a complicating factor)
Ginger (dried)
- Hot
- Pungent
- Dispels Cold
- Moves qi
- Promotes sweating
Goat:
- Warm/Hot
- Sweet; Bitter
- Warms Liver
- Supplements Spleen, Liver and Kidney Yang
Stagnation of Cold in Liver Channel
Herbs
Lifestyle Suggestions
- Eat less
- Rejuvenate with chlorophyll, micro-algae and Omega 3’s
Stagnation of Cold in Liver Channel
Lifestyle Avoidances
- Eliminate poor quality and processed foods
- Eliminate or reduce foods high in saturated and poor quality fats
- Avoid alcohol and intoxicants
- Limit intake of nuts and seeds
Liver Qi Stagnation Etiology
- Emotional disharmony, especially repressed anger, resentment, frustration, over a long time, which impairs the circulation of Liver Qi.
- Invasion of pathogenic factors
- 1 & 2 —> Stagnation of liver qi —> accumulation of phlegm, blood stasis
- May have preexisting LV BL Xu
- May have preexisting KI Xu
Liver Qi Stagnation Dietary Therapy
- Thermal Nature: Cool, Neutral, Warming…tend to warming if it is not complicated by heat signs… need to assess whether deficiency, cold or heat are bound up with it.
- Cooking: Warming and Cooling balance
- Flavours: Neutral-Warm Pungent, Neutral-Warm Bitter, Neutral-Warm Sour, Neutral-Warm Sweet
Best therapy
- moderate pungent foods eg. turmeric, ginger
- Brassica genus
- raw foods, cool on occasion
Liver Qi Stagnation Dietary Avoidances
Thermal nature: Cold, Extreme Hot
Cooking: Excess cooling, Extreme warming (deep fry, barbecue)
Flavours: Excess Bitter, Excess salty, Excess sweet, Extreme hot pungent
Avoid: Refined sugar, alcohol
Liver Qi Stagnation
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Regulate and move qi
- Resolve stagnation
Turmeric:
- Neutral/Warm
- Pungent; Bitter
- Resolve liver stagnancy
- Moves qi
- (Dries dampness)
- (Dries phlegm-cold)
Kohlrabi:
- Neutral
- Sweet; Pungent
- Moves qi
- Supplements Liver, GB, KI
- Dries dampness
- (Eliminates blood stagnation)
Liver Qi Stagnation
Herbs
Lifestyle Suggestions
- Xiao Yao San - Free and Easy Wanderer Powder
- Chai Hu Shu Gan San - Bupleurum Powder to Spread Liver
- Eat less food
- Chew carefully
- Supplement with chlorophyll rich foods, micro-algae and Omega 3’s
- Use ACV with honey
- Movement is very important, incorporate regular exercise
- Spend time in nature/greenery to support the liver
- Express emotions verbally or through creative processes such as art therapy
- Try counseling and/or journaling for processing emotions
- Qi Gong moving meditation
- Avoid excess nuts and seeds
Liver Qi Stagnation Lifestyle Avoidances
- Avoid poor quality and processed food
- Avoid preservatives and food colouring
- Avoid poor quality fats, foods high in saturated fats, greasy and oily foods
- Limit or eliminate dairy intake
- Avoid coffee
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid exposure to pathogens when possible
- Avoid exposure to overly emotional and stressful situations - cultivate healthy friendships and relationships
Liver Fire Blazing Etiology
- Emotion: Long-standing state of anger, repressed anger or frustration which causes Qi to stagnate and form Heat.
- Depression of Gan Qi, Stagnation gives rise to Heat that flares up as fire
- Diet: Excessive consumption of alcohol, fried foods, meat also tend to cause Liver Heat. Especially meats such as beef and lamb, which are attributed to hotter energy.
- Past history of Internal Heat or Deficient Gan Yin
- EPF Pathogenic heat attacking liver channel
Liver Fire Blazing Diet Therapy
Temperature: Cooling to Cold
Cooking method: Cooling (eg. blanching, boiling in plentiful water)
Flavour: cool-cold sweet, cool-cold bitter, cool-cold sour, cool-cold pungent
Aloe leaf, Artichoke, Asparagus, Avocado, Blue-green algae, Bitter melon, Borage, Broccoli, Celery, Chicory, Chlorophyll, Daikon, Dandelion greens, Kelp, Lettuce, Mung Bean/Sprouts, Lemon, Lime, Mushrooms, Quinoa, Rhubarb root, Rye, Romaine, Tomato, Zucchini
Liver Fire Blazing Dietary Avoidances
Temperature: Warming to Hot
Cooking Method: Warming (eg. deep frying, frying)
Flavours: excess salty, excess sweet, warm-hot sour, warm-hot pungent
Avoid: Alcohol, Allspice, Cayenne, Cheese, Cinnamon, Dill, Eggs, Fatty foods, Garlic, Lamb, Meat, Mustard seed, Red Chili, Venison
Liver Fire Blazing
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Cool liver heat/fire
- Regulate qi
- Nourish yin fluids
Plum:
- Neutral
- Sweet; Sour
- Cools Liver heat
- Regulate qi
- Nourish body fluids
Artichoke:
- Cool
- Sweet; Bitter
- Cools Liver Heat
Spinach:
- Cool
- Sweet; Sl. Bitter
- Cools Liver Heat
- Nourish yin and blood
Liver Fire Blazing
Herbs
Lifestyle Suggestions
- Long Dan Xie Gan Tang - Gentiana Draining the Liver Decoction
- Eat less food
- Chew food carefully
- Regulate eating habits
- Find an outlet for anger and emotion through exercise, perhaps kickboxing!
- Spend time in nature/greenery to help liver
- Try to express emotions and not let them build up
- Art therapy
- Biofeedback training
- Supplement with chlorophyll, micro-algae and Omega 3’s
Liver Fire Blazing Lifestyle Avoidances
- Avoid chemicals and artificially ripened foods
- Eliminate highly processed or refined foods
- Avoid foods high in saturated, hydrogenated and poor quality fats
- Avoid fried and deep-fried food
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid caffeine
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid irregular eating habits (eating while worrying, eating while rushed, standing while eating, etc.)
Rebellious Liver Qi Etiology
Same as for Liver Qi Stagnation.
- Eating under stress or while standing exacerbates LV Qi stagnation
- Emotions exacerbate LV qi stagnation
Rebellious Liver Qi Dietary Therapy
*
Rebellious Liver Qi Dietary Avoidances
Rebellious Liver Qi
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Reduce excessive liver
- Sedate rebellious qi
Peas:
- Neutral-Cool
- Sweet
- Reduce excessive liver
- Calm rebellious liver qi
- Supplement Spleen
- Strengthen MJ
Rye:
- Neutral/Warm
- Sweet; Bitter
- Soothes excess liver
- Strengthens qi
Saffron:
- Neutral-Cool
- Sweet; Pungent; Bitter
- Harmonizes Liver qi
- Balances liver and spleen
Rebellious Liver Qi
Lifestyle
Use same lifestyle suggestions as for Liver Qi Stagnation
Liver Yin Xu Etiology
- Emotional frustration —> depression of qi –> fire
- Liver diseases —> injure liver yin
- Febrile diseases –> injure liver yin
- Excessive activity
- Improper diet eg. excessive intake of extremely warming foods
- Excessive sexual activity
- Sleep deprivation
- Excessive drug and medication use
- Depletion of blood/body fluids
- Heart or Liver Blood Xu, predisposing patterns
- Kidney Deficiency predisposing pattern
Liver Yin Xu Dietary Therapy
Thermal Nature: Cool, Cold
Cooking: Cooling - steaming, blanching
Flavours: neutral-cool sweet, neutral-cool sour, neutral-cool salty
Avocado, Black Sesame, Green tea, Mung beans, Pistachio, Spinach, Tomato
Liver Yin Xu Dietary Avoidances
Thermal nature: Warm, Hot
Cooking: Warming - frying, grilling, searing
Flavours: warm-hot pungent, warm-hot bitter, excess salt
Alcohol, Black tea, Coffee, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Cloves, Garlic, Chili Pepper, Leek, Lamb
Liver Yin Xu
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Nourish Liver Yin
- Cool deficient heat
Mung Bean:
- Cool-Cold
- Sweet
- Nourishes Liver Yin
- Cool Liver deficiency heat
Spinach:
- Cool
- Sweet; Bitter
- Nourishes Liver Yin
- Cools Liver heat
- Cools blood
Avocado:
- Cool-Cold
- Sweet
- Nourishes Liver Yin
- Nourishes Lung Yin
- Nourishes LI (colon) Yin
- Builds blood
Pistachio:
- Neutral
- Sweet; Bitter; Sl. Sour
- Nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin
- Cleanses the blood
- Moistens Lung and skin
Liver Yin Xu
Herbs
Lifestyle Suggestions
- Yi Guan Jian - Linking Decoction
- Angelica root (Dang Gui)
- Angus castus berries (Chasteberry)
- Eat less food
- Supplement with chlorophyll rich foods, micro algae (spirulina) and Omega 3’s
- Try to create a calm, peaceful space and mind state during mealtimes
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Eat congees as they are cooling, demulcent and tonifying
- Establish good sleep habits
- Find proper pacing for activities to maintain energy reserves
- Try to find a good work and life balance
- Find restorative practices such as Restorative or Yin yoga
- Qi Gong moving or sitting meditation
- Eat animal products in small amounts to avoid liver heat or stagnation
- Regulate sex life, not too much
Liver Yin Xu Dietary Avoidances
- Avoid poor quality and processed foods
- Avoid preservatives and artificial colours
- Avoid foods high in saturated fats, poor quality fats, trans fats
- Avoid deep fried, greasy food
- Avoid intoxicants
- Avoid excess of nuts and seeds
- Avoid irregular eating habits like skipping meals, eating late at night, overeating
- Avoid worrying while eating
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid caffeine
- Caution with medications
*
Liver Blood Xu Etiology
- Xu of SP/ST (not enough protein or diet lacking in nutrients or an irregular/poor diet can weaken Spleen) —> Insufficient production of Blood —> Liver does not have enough Blood to store —> LV Blood Xu
- Emotional strain like grief, worry, sadness affecting spleen and then liver
- Excessive activity
- Prolonged illness or blood loss from serious hemorrhage will injure liver blood (eg. GI bleeding or menstrual bleeding)
- Injury of Gan, Yin or Jin Ye by heat (fever or Blazing Gan Fire)
- Kidney Qi or Kidney Jing Deficiency can cause Deficient Blood as Kidneys play an important role in production of Blood and Qi (less common)
- Overuse of energetically hot drinks such as coffee, alcohol, chai tea.
- Overuse of hotter cooking methods, and thermally hot foods. Overuse of bitter and pungent foods as they dry out blood.
Liver Blood Xu Dietary Therapy
Thermal Nature: Neutral, Cool, Warm
Cooking method: Cooling
Flavours: neutral-warm sweet, neutral-cool sour
Asparagus, Avocado, Blackberry, Beet, Cherry, Chicken, Cuttlefish, Goji berry, Grape, Mulberry, Oyster, Pork, Rabbit, Spelt, Spinach
Liver Blood Xu Dietary Avoidances
Thermal Nature: Cold, Hot
Cooking: Warming
Flavours: Bitter, Warm-Hot Pungent
Avoid: Alcohol, Cayenne, Coffee, Garlic, Ginger (dried), Mustard seed, Red chili, Pepper, Tea
Liver Blood Xu
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Nourish Liver Blood
- Strengthen Liver
- Iif spleen qi deficiency is a factor Spelt is great option
- If KI Xu is a factor could use Black Sesame
Spinach:
- Cool
- Sweet; Sl. Bitter
- Nourishes Liver yin and blood
- Builds blood (and stops bleeding)
Spelt:
- Neutral, Cool, Warm depending on source
- Nourishes Liver Blood
- Supplements Spleen Qi
- Strengthens middle jiao
Black Sesame:
- Neutral
- Sweet
- Nourishes Liver blood and yin
- Nourishes Kidney blood and yin
Liver Blood Xu
Herbs
Lifestyle Suggstions
- Bu Gan Tang - Tonifying the Liver Decoction
- Eat less food
- Chew food carefully
- Supplement with chlorophyll-rich foods, microalgae and Omega 3’s, especially spirulina
- Supplement with iron, folic acid and B12
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Eat congees as they are cooling, demulcent and tonifying
- Establish good sleep habits
- Find proper pacing for activities to maintain energy reserves
- Try to find a good work and life balance
- Find restorative practices such as Restorative or Yin yoga
- Qi Gong moving or sitting meditation
- Eat animal products in small amounts to avoid liver heat or stagnation
Liver Blood Xu Lifestyle Avoidances
- Avoid overuse of energetically hot drinks such as coffee, alcohol, chai tea.
- Avoid overuse of hotter cooking methods, and thermally hot foods
- Avoid overuse of bitter and pungent foods as they dry out blood.
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid irregular eating habits
- Avoid poor quality and processed food
- Avoid poor quality fats, foods high in saturated fats, greasy and oily foods
- Limit intake of nuts and seeds
Liver Yang Rising Etiology
Liver Yang Rising Dietary Therapy
Thermal Nature: Neutral, Cool
Cooking: Cooling - steaming, boiling in plentiful water
Flavours: neutral-cool sweet, neutral-cool sour, neutral-cool salty, neutral-cool bitter
Liver Yang Rising Dietary Avoidances
Thermal Nature: Warm, Hot
Cooking: Warming - frying, grilling, BBQ
Flavours: warm-hot pungent, warm-hot bitter, excess salt
Alcohol, Black tea, Coffee, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Cloves, Garlic, Chili Pepper, Leek, Lamb
Liver Yang Rising
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Subdue Liver Yang
- Tonify Liver Yin
Peas:
- Cool
- Sweet
- Reduce excessive liver (subdue liver yang)
- Subdue rebellious qi
- (Supplement SP, Strengthen MJ)
Spinach:
- Cool
- Sweet
- Cools Liver and blood
- Nourishes Liver yin
Liver Yang Rising
Herbs
Lifestyle Suggestions
- Liver Windclear formula (Tian Ma Gou Teng Ying)
- Eat less
- Chew food carefully
- Supplement with chlorophyll-rich foods, microalgae and Omega 3’s
- Spend time in nature/greenery
- Find work life balance
- Find ways to release emotions, esp. anger
- Self care - yoga, tai chi, meditation
- Yin nourishing things like sleep, rest, reduce sex, reduce overwork
Liver Yang Rising Lifestyle Avoidances
- Avoid highly processed and poor quality food
- Avoid food high in saturated fats, trans fats, greasy and oily food
- Limit intake of nuts and seeds
- Eat protein in small portions to avoid liver heat or liver qi stagnation
- Avoid exposure to extreme emotional situations
- Cultivate healthy relationships
- Avoid alcohol and intoxicants
- Avoid overeating
- Avoid or limit caffeine
- Avoid smoking
- Limit warming foods and avoid extremely hot foods
- Avoid irregular eating habits
Liver Blood Stasis Etiology
- Liver Qi Stagnation will occur first
- Invasion of cold or heat pathogen
- Liver Qi Xu –> Liver Qi Stgn
- Phlegm
- Aging
Liver Blood Stasis Dietary Therapy
Temperature: This will depend on whether deficiency, cold, or heat is bound up with stagnation. If not then we can choose a balance of temperatures or tend toward warming
Cooking method: Avoid cooking and eat fresh raw vegetables and sprouts when possible. When cooking use a balance of cooling (eg. pickling in brine) to warming (eg. grilling)
Flavour: neutral-warm pungent, neutral-warm sour, neutral-warm sweet
Liver Blood Stasis Food Examples (same as for Liver Qi Stagnation)
If Liver Blood Stasis with Heat choose: Barley, Celery, Cress, Eggplant, Radish, Spearmint, Sprouted raw foods (grains, beans, seeds), White Pepper
If Liver Blood Stasis with heat and cold or neither choose neutral: Aduki bean, Kohlrabi, Peach seed
If Liver Blood Stasis with Cold choose: Apple Cider Vinegar, Basil, Brassica genus foods, Broccoli, Beets, Cereal Grasses, Chive, Clove, Fennel, Leek, Micro-algae, Paprika, Pine Nut Kernel Congee, Sweet Rice, Turmeric
Eat the following in moderation: Horseradish, Garlic, Ginger, Pepper
Liver Blood Stasis Dietary Avoidances
Temperature: Cold, Hot
Cooking Method: Excess Cooling, Extreme warming (eg. deep-frying, barbecuing)
Flavour: cold sour, excess or cold bitter, excess salty, extreme hot pungent
Alcohol, Banana, Cayenne, Cheese, Chili Pepper, Crab, Milk, Sugar
Liver Blood Stasis with Heat
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT for Liver Blood Stasis with Heat:
- Disperse liver qi stagnation
- Move and regulate blood
- Clear liver heat
Eggplant:
- Cool
- Sweet; Sl. Bitter
- Cools blood
- Clears stagnant blood from Liver and uterus
Celery:
- Cool
- Sweet; Bitter
- Moves qi stagnation
- Cools ST and LV heat
Liver Blood Stasis with Cold
POT
2 foods for Exam
POT:
- Resolve liver stagnation
- Move and regulate blood
- Warm liver
Turmeric:
- Warm
- Bitter; Pungent
- Moves qi and blood
- Clears liver stagnation
Chives:
- Warm
- Pungent; Bitter
- Enters LU, KI, LV, ST
- Expels cold
- Moves qi and blood
- Promotes digestion
Liver & Gallbladder Damp Heat Etiology
- Almost always Spleen Xu as precursor
- This pattern is a combination of Heat in Liver and Dampness in Spleen. There must be Dampness in Spleen for the pattern to manifest.
- Too much raw, cold, sweet, or mucus-forming food; food that is refined or highly processed, rotten, stale, parasite-infested, or chemically treated; too many ingredients in a meal (poor food combining); late-night eating; overeating, rushed meals, inadequate breakfast, poorly combined foods, eating too much
- Overeating and late-night eating
- Overexposure to dampness in the environment.
Liver/GB Damp Heat Pathogenesis
- Dampness in Liver and Gallbladder channel causes Liver Qi to stagnate by obstructing the smooth flow of Liver Qi. This results in distention/pain of hypochondrium and chest. Then the Liver Qi invades Stomach, with symptoms such as (nausea, vomiting, loss of Appetite and abdominal distention.
- Accumulation of Dampness can obstruct the flow of bile and cause jaundice.
- Damp-Heat causes low grade continuous fever. Dampness can flow down and settles in Lower Burner and give rise to symptoms such as vaginal discharge and itching or pain/swelling and redness of scrotum
LV/GB Damp Heat Diet Therapy
Thermal Nature: Neutral, Cool
Cooking: Cooling
Flavours: bitter-cool, salty-cool, sometimes pungent-cool and sweet-cool
Bitter-cool: asparagus, broccoli, celery, wild rice, lettuce, dandelion, tea (white and green)
Salty-cool: oysters, carp, seaweed
Sweet-cool: corn, corn silk, pear (Asian pears) best for phlegm in the lungs, mung bean, soy milk
Pungent-cool: daikon radish, peppermint
LV/GB Damp Heat Diet Avoidances
Thermal Nature: Warm, Hot
Cooking: Warming
Flavours: Excess Sour, Hot Bitter, Hot Pungent, Excess Salt, Exces Sweet
Avoid: Alcohol, Cayenne, Dairy, Greasy foods
LV/GB Damp Heat
POT
2 Foods for Exam
POT:
- Resolve dampness
- Clear heat
- Disperse stagnation in LV and GB
- Tonify SP to resolve dampness (next slide)
Kohlrabi:
- Neutral
- Pungent, Sweet; Bitter
- Courses GB, LV and KI
- Moves qi
- Resolves dampness
- Eliminates stagnation
Rye:
- Neutral
- Bitter; Sweet
- Enters LV/GB, SP/ST channels
- Benefits LV and GB
- Supplements Spleen
- Resolves dampness
- Moves qi
LV/GB Damp Heat
Herbs
Lifestyle Suggestions
- Long Dan Xie Gan Tang - Gentiana Draining the Liver Decoction
- Eat less
- Chew carefully
- Add in chlorophyll-rich foods, micro-algae
- Supplement with Omega 3’s
*
LV/GB Damp Heat Lifestyle Avoidances
- Avoid poor quality, processed, highly refined foods
- Avoid poor quality fats, foods high in saturated fats, trans fats
- Avoid overly greasy foods and fried foods
- Limit intake of nuts and seeds
- Avoid intoxicants
If there is damp heat in the Liver as well as in the GB what signs will you see?
- Excessive vaginal discharge
- Skin rashes
- Itching of genitals
- Swelling or heat in scrotum
Differentiate between Liver Yang Rising and Liver Heat
In the Liver Fire you will see red eyes, bitter taste, scanty dark urine. In Liver Yang Rising you will not see these.
What would a headache from Liver Yang Rising feel like?
- Throbbing in nature
- Usually one sided
- Often at the temple, side of head or above eye
If a headache is more excess which side will it usually be on?
Right side
What are some symptoms/characteristics of someone with a deficient GB?
- Overly timid and shy
- Lack of courage or initiative
- Indecisive
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Fear when going to bed at night
Etiology for Deficient GB
Always arises from a state of deficiency
LV BL Xu or LV Qi Xu
Liver Wind Agitating Within Etiology
- Liver Blood/Yin Xu
- Extreme Heat producing Wind (EPF)
- Liver Yang Rising (underlying Liver Yin Xu maybe from excessiv sex or menstruation)
- Liver Fire
Liver Wind Beneficial Foods
Basil
Black Soybeans
Celery
Oats
Sesame
What foods aggravate Liver Wind?
Buckwheat
Crab
Eggs
