Week Five: Specific Diets

Question 1

What is vegetarianism?

Answer 1

The practice of a diet that exclude meat, fish and poultry. Most vegetarians consume dairy products and many eat eggs.

Question 2

What are some reasons for choosing to be a vegetarian?

Answer 2

• health
• morality/ethics
• religion/culture
• economy

Question 3

Lacto-vegetarianism

Answer 3

includes a variety of raw and cooked vegetables, grains, fruits, seeds, nuts, soy and dairy products but excludes eggs

Question 4

Ovo-vegetarianism

Answer 4

includes eggs but not dairy

Question 5

Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism

Answer 5

includes both eggs and dairy products

Question 6

Semi-vegetarianism

Answer 6

consists of a diet largely of vegetarian foods but may include fish and poultry as well as dairy and eggs

Question 7

Positive qualities of vegetarianism

Answer 7

Introduces people to a variety of whole foods and seasonings as well as new ways to prepare food.

Question 8

Negative qualities of vegetarianism

Answer 8

Health problems from excessive consumption of dairy products and carbs. Strong cravings for sweets leading to over consumption of flour, dairy and soy products.

Question 9

Vegan

Answer 9

Vegan diet excludes all animal products from the diet such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs and honey. Strict veganism also excludes the use of animal products such as wool, silk, leather and fur.

Question 10

Negative qualities of veganism

Answer 10

Vegans, especially children, suffer from nutritional deficiencies including

• B12 deficiency
• chronic yeast infections
• compulsive eating habits due to lack of nutritional satisfaction
• dependency on stimulants
• digestive distress
• fatigue
• hormone problems
• tooth decay
• hair loss
• loss of bone density
• loss of muscle tone
• weight gain

Question 11

What is a raw food diet?

Answer 11

This is usually a vegetarian approach to diet that includes only uncooked foods with the belief that raw foods are superior because they are alive.

Question 12

What are some extremist version of a raw food diet?

Answer 12

• Consuming only fruit
• Eating food directly from the source or soil without washing it
• Eating raw meat

Question 13

What are some positive qualities of raw foodism?

Answer 13

It has introduced a wide variety of edible plant foods high in enzymes and vitamins and creative ways of preparing them

Question 14

What are some negative qualities of a raw food diet?

Answer 14

Health problems similar to vegetarians and vegans as well as parasites.

Question 15

Where does the word macrobiotic come from?

Answer 15

Greek roots, it means long life

Question 16

Who developed the macrobiotic diet?

Answer 16

George Ohsawa

Question 17

Who is responsible for popularizing the diet in North America?

Answer 17

Michio Kushi (Kushi Institute in Boston 1978)

Question 18

Give an overview of the macrobiotic diet

Answer 18

It involves plant-based whole foods often selected according to season. Fish and seafood can be added on occasion.

Question 19

Macrobiotic philosophy

Answer 19

Some people see it as a more broad based philosophy involving spiritual aspects

Question 20

Positive qualities of the macrobiotic diet?

Answer 20

• Traditional methods of food prep
• Chewing well, whole meals, fermented foods
• Incorporates TCM principles about yin/yang and five elements

Question 21

Negative qualities of the macrobiotic diet?

Answer 21

• Tendency toward categorizing foods as good and bad
• Tendency for followers to binge eat with sweets or overeat
• Considered to be too restrictive and lacking in certain nutrients such as protein, B12, iron, magnesium and calcium
• Coffe and stimulants are common as well

Question 22

TCM Dietetics

Answer 22

Nutritional therapy closely related to acupuncture and medicinal plants. Follows diagnostic principles and focuses on the qualitative effects of food in the body.

Question 23

What are the five main focuses of TCM dietetics?

Answer 23

• Food quantity
• Food quality
• Classification follows the same criteria as for TCM herbs: temperature, flavour, organ network and direction of energy flow
• Heating and preparation exert an influence on qi and thermal energy of foods
• Inner attitude and environment create excellent conditions for good regeneration of qi from food

Question 24

What are the benefits of developing eating habits in tune with the seasons?

Answer 24

Integrate into these rhythms
Promote natural qi flow
Compensate for weather effects Prevent potential development of disorders.

Question 25

What is the first step of seasonal eating?

Answer 25

Choosing foods that are local and in season.

Question 26

What are the characteristics of spring?

Answer 26

Small yang, growth, movement, expansion. The body's qi flows strongly again and seeks to expand freely.

Question 27

Food during the spring should...

Answer 27

supplement qi, allow it to course freely, support spleen and liver function

Question 28

What type of foods are recommended in the spring?

Answer 28

- Mildly warming foods with up bearing movement: Fennel, rice buckwheat, acrid flavours like garlic, paprika and ginger - Sour flavours that stabilize liver yin and can regulate up bearing liver yang - Foods from the wood phase, green, neutral, cool or warm

Question 29

What seasonal pathogen is most prevalent in the spring?

Answer 29

Wind may cause recurring external wind disorders (colds, flus) which can be balanced with the mildly acrid flavours of green onions and ginger

Question 30

What should be avoided in the spring?

Answer 30

Energetically hot and fatty foods that block liver qi | Avoid an excess of sour flavours

Question 31

What are the characteristics of summer?

Answer 31

Big yang, heat, fire phase | Bitter flavour corresponds

Question 32

What seasonal pathogen is most prevalent in summer?

Answer 32

Heat which feeds on bodily fluids and harms yin.

Question 33

What are general food recommendations for summer?

Answer 33

- Predominantly cooling, yin-providing foods to disperse heat and build of BF - Bitter-cool and bitter-cold foods should be consumed in moderation

Question 34

What are some examples of the types of foods that are useful in summer?

Answer 34

Fruits: apple, lemon, kiwi, melon, pear, pineapple Cooling: cucumber, endive, spinach, tomato, raw foods, salads, yogurt, wheat, tea, beer, mussels, rabbit

Question 35

What is an ideal beverage for summer?

Answer 35

Green tea because it disperses summer heat, expels toxins, cools the heart fire, calms the mind, removes heat from LV/GB, relieves ST and LU.

Question 36

What should be avoided in the summer?

Answer 36

- Dry and energetically hot foods such as coffee and acrid spices - Ice cold foods and beverages as they block the stomach's digestive energy

Question 37

Why are children especially sensitive to cold foods and beverages?

Answer 37

They have a physiologically weak middle burner until they are 8.

Question 38

What are symptoms of too much cold for a child? Treatment?

Answer 38

Sudden diarrhea and vomiting after swimming or ice cream or both. Fennel tea with spices.

Question 39

What are the characteristics of autumn?

Answer 39

Small Yin, yang decline, inward movement of energy. External decline of nature Drying and cooling.

Question 40

What are recommended autumn foods?

Answer 40

- Foods with a down bearing movement and sour flavour support inner composure - Mildly acrid and energetically warm foods compensate for the onset of external col

Question 41

Examples of mildly acrid and warm foods

Answer 41

Beef, carrots, cauliflower, corn, lamb, leeks, millet, oats, radishes, rice

Question 42

What foods can be used for inner cold, shivering or the beginning of a cold?

Answer 42

Acrid flavours of garlic, cinnamon, chilli, ginger, onions | These stimulate qi circulation and rapidly bring defensive energy to the surface.

Question 43

What foods can be used for external dampness?

Answer 43

Warm, dry foods to support the middle burner (millet, rice) and lungs (acrid spices).

Question 44

What foods can be used if dryness predominates?

Answer 44

Moistening foods like pear, tofu and peanuts

Question 45

What foods should be avoided in autumn?

Answer 45

Fatty, oily, cool or cold dairy products as these burden the spleen and cause dampness and spleen disorders (bronchitis, spleen is the mother of lung)

Question 46

What are the characteristics of winter?

Answer 46

Big Yin, Qi in deeper layers | Body is more susceptible to cold disorders

Question 47

What foods should be incorporated in the winter?

Answer 47

- Acrid and sweet flavours build up and move qi, protect against old stagnation - Warm meats supplement qi, yang and blood as do legumes, grapes and red wine - Focus on strengthening the kidney and spleen yang with lamb, venison, prawns, alcohol, acrid spice, anise, cloves, fennel

Question 48

What foods should be avoided in the winter?

Answer 48

Excess of energetically hot, warm, acrid foods because they dry up BF, weaken yin and encourage yang repletion disorders

Question 49

Why are alcoholic beverages beneficial in the winter in moderation?

Answer 49

Bitter, acrid, hot in nature, regulate blood flow, qi circulation, stimulate the mind.

Question 50

When should breakfast be eaten?

Answer 50

Between 7-9am when the stomach qi is at its peak

Question 51

What are optimal breakfast foods?

Answer 51

Energetically warming, warm cooking methods that stimulate the body, strengthen stomach and spleen qi and yang for the day, do not spread dampness. Black tea or coffee in moderation are suitable to support yang.

Question 52

During summer what could you eat for breakfast?

Answer 52

The slightly cooler wheat is recommended.

Question 53

What foods should be avoided for breakfast?

Answer 53

Energetically cold and damp producing foods that suppress the expanding morning yang and weaken digestive fire eg. fruit, fruit juices, raw foods, excessive diary

Question 54

What is the paleo diet?

Answer 54

Paleolithic era, primal. This diet includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, roots, and meat while excluding foods such as dairy products, grains, sugar, legumes, processed oils, salt, and alcohol or coffee.

Question 55

What are some benefits of the Paleo diet?

Answer 55

• One is introduced to whole foods, lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and other healthy fats, which is a massive improvement over the average Western diet; and further, an awareness of how processed our 21st century food has become.

Question 56

What two factors are at the root of most diet related health problems?

Answer 56

Digestive problems | Blood sugar imbalances

Question 57

What are some drawbacks to the Paleo diet?

Answer 57

•We are a different human species since the Paleolithic era suggesting that the evolutionary arguments do not hold up. Strictly following the “good/bad”, “allowed/not allowed” foods tends to be problematic for some people. This diet may be lacking in calcium.

Question 58

What is gluten?

Answer 58

Gluten is a protein component of wheat (including durum, semolina, and spelt), rye, barley, and related grain hybrids such as triticale and kamut.

Question 59

What is celiac disease?

Answer 59

Celiac disease is a medical condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten. This results in an immune reaction; an inability of the body to absorb nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Question 60

What are common symptoms of celiac disease?

Answer 60

``` Anemia Bloating Chronic diarrhea Cramps Irritability Fatigue Weight loss ``` A burning rash called Dermatitis herpetiformis may result from gluten intolerance, with or without GI sx

Question 61

What are some diet suggestion for those with gluten intolerance?

Answer 61

* Friendly ancient whole grains include: quinoa, millet, buckwheat, brown rice * Include in the diet blackstrap molasses, which is high in iron and the B vitamins. * Read labels carefully

Question 62

What are the proper ratios of food quantities according to TCM dietetics?

Answer 62

45-50% grains 35% vegetables 5-10% fruit 5% meat

Question 63

What is a food combining tip for protein?

Answer 63

Try to eat green/non starchy vegetables at the same time as your protein. Eat protein and veggies at start of the meal.

Question 64

What happens with too much elaborate food or poor food combining?

Answer 64

This will often cause people to overindulge leading to digestive fermentation, contaminated blood and a confused mind.

Question 65

What are some common digestive disturbances from poor food combining?

Answer 65

Bloating, gas, abdominal pain, decreased nutrient assimilation eventually leading to degenerative conditions

Question 66

What is plan A, combining for better digestion?

Answer 66

1) Place highest protein foods at the beginning of the meal as they require the most digestion 2) Salty foods should be eaten before foods of other flavours as they have a descending action and stimulate gastric juices that will help with the digestion of other food 3) Proteins, fats and starches combine best with green/non-starchy veggies 4) Fruits and sweetened foods should be eaten alone or in small quantities at the end of a meal

Question 67

How is Plan B different from Plan A?

Answer 67

Some features of plan A but more restrictive. Good for the person with sensitive or poor digestion and best plan for anyone in times of sickness.

Question 68

What is Plan B: Combining for maximum digestibility?

Answer 68

1) At most take either one protein or one starch per meal 2) Take melons alone 3) Take milk alone 4) Lemon, lime and tomato combine well with green non-starchy vegetables 5) Lettuce and celery combine well with all fruits 6) Nuts, oil rich seeds, kefir, yogurt, cheese and other fermented dairy foods combine well with acid fruits 7) Sweet and acid fruits do not combine well with each other

Question 69

Both proteins and starches combine well with green non-starchy vegetables but what is the caveat?

Answer 69

Not at the same meal

Question 70

Plan C: One pot meal

Answer 70

- Good for those that are weak or chronically ill - Instead of focusing on the order of foods eaten it calls for cooking all ingredients to be eaten in a single pot with ample water (eg. stews, soups, congee)