The ideas and health perspectives that arise from the East and the West are based on quite different assumptions about reality. Western science sits squarely on the shoulders of Descartes’ Mind Body Split – “I think, therefore I am” – and a propensity for breaking things down into smaller and smaller individual parts.
By contrast, Eastern philosophies about life and well-being are based on recognizing patterns of relationship and interconnection – and recognizing concurrent levels of experience that are not merely physical, but may have emotional and spiritual dimensions as well.
Nutrition as an Example
In the West, the benefits of foods and herbs are described as containing certain amounts of protein, fat, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, anti-oxidants, chemicals, molecules and so on. This information is obtained in a laboratory by analyzing foods, separating them into their basic ingredients. The nutritional value of this food or medicine is a statement of the sum total of its chemical ingredients before they enter the body.
Food, and herbal medicine, in the East are described as possessing certain qualities such as a warming or cooling nature, possessing certain flavors or acting on the body in a certain way. This information is obtained by observing the behavior of the body after a food/medicine has been consumed. The nutritional value of a food/medicine is stated as a set of energetic properties, which describe the actions that a particular food has on the human body.
Some food/medicines activate our metabolism, some food/medicines slow us down, others generate warmth in the body, some generate coolness, some foods/medicines are moistening, some drying, some nourish our kidneys, others our Liver or Heart. In Chinese thinking, food and medicine are inseparable, part of the same continuum – they both come from the same source and have predictable effects on the body, it is just a matter of degree.
Eastern medicine also recognizes that how and when a person eats or drinks is equally as important as what one eats and drinks – recognizing the spiritual and social dimensions that have very real and measurable effects on digestion and absorption of nutrients and the ensuing states of health.
Tea as an Example
Consider the quality of handpicked, seasonally available tea, the care and focus that goes into growing, picking and processing on a small tea farm compared to the mass-produced, machine-harvested, pulverized ‘floor-sweepings’ that end up in the supermarket teabag. Then think about the awareness, care and patience that goes into the tea ceremony prepared carefully and lovingly in a relaxed setting, between friends and family, or by a professional tea scholar with many years of expertise to share – compared to simply adding, over-boiled water to a teabag, mixing it with milk and sugar and sloshing it down in a take-away cup – which one do you think provides greater nourishment, body and soul?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Tan L.AC. is a licensed Acupuncturist. After completing his degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Alex lived and practiced Chinese Medicine for 10-years in Beijing, China. A native-born Australian, the son of his Australian mother and Chinese father, Alex’s bi-cultural heritage helps him skillfully bridge Eastern and Western health perspectives. He believes the true power of Chinese medicine lies in a balanced approach towards prevention and treatment. Rooted in Chinese Medicine observation based theory & methodology over millenniums, Alex’s talent lies in delivering these Eastern healing modalities to his modern Western clients. For more about Alex click here
Alex runs a clinic in Flagstaff, Northern Arizona. Alex welcomes comments and questions to his articles. To schedule an appointment in person or telco-appointment click here
