Energetics of Food

Chinese Medicine is a big umbrella term that encompasses not only acupuncture, but Chinese Herbal medicine, bodywork, lifestyle and diet counseling, and "energy exercise" like qi gong, tai chi and meditation. As practitioners of Chinese Medicine, once we make a diagnosis, any of these branches can be used to help restore the energy in the body.    Just like Chinese herbs, which are essentially very powerful food that you only a small quantity of to get a powerful effect, anything we put in our bodies can keep us alive, move us towards greater health and balance, or move us farther away from it. And since most people eat at least 3x/ day, that's multiple opportunities to keep steering in the direction of health.  Listen as Brodie and fellow Chinese Medicine expert Ellen Goldsmith, L.Ac., explore the dietary branch of Chinese Medicine. Ellen teaches on this very topic: Chinese Dietetics and its application in western society and in their Masters of Nutrition program and in the Classical Chinese Medicine Department at National University of Natural Medicine. She's a Licensed Acupuncturist has been in the field for over 25 years a recognized educator, health advocate, and practitioner of all the branches of Chinese medicine. Ellen Goldsmith is a co-founder of Pearl Natural Health in Portland, Oregon. She's also the creator and host of Health Currents Radio and co-host of Healthwatch on KBOO in Portland, Oregon.   In this episode we explore:  Intuitive eating  How Chinese Medicine conceives of food differently than the West  Yin and Yang as related to food and body type  Bioindividuality   Respecting the energy of digestion  Warming vs. Cooling foods  The importance of rhythm in our diets  Eating on the go vs. at the table  Trying new foods in new ways  Like increases like and what you're craving isn't necessarily what you need  Balanced taste = balanced meal    Resources:  Babette's Feast  Rouxbe Cooking School  http://www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com/  To contact Ellen, you can e-mail her at [email protected], on the Pearl Natural Health Facebook page, or on Twitter @goldsmith_ellen.   For more information on Chinese Medicine and to stay in touch with Brodie, visit brodiewelch.com. For a deep-dive into Chinese Medical theory including the energetics of food, check out her Basics of Chinese Medicine course. You can also follow her on twitter @brodiewelch or shoot us an email at Brodie at brodiewelch.com