Let’s Ask Alex The Acupuncturist:
Question: Alex, In an attempt to avoid a triple-bypass surgery I’ve recently committed myself to a medical diet. This diet is a combination of Dr Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr Dean Ornish’s work. I’m struggling with intense cravings, in particular, for Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Kettle Chips, and even an old life-long fave, Coca-Cola. Any Chinese Medicine tips to assist in reducing the cravings?
Answer:
1. Focus on Proper Meals: The best way to avoid chips/junk food is to focus on eating proper meals on-time. Any skipped, or light-snack, meal can often then result in seeking out snacks and sweets. For example, if you eat a solid cooked grains, cooked vegetables, and small amounts of meat for lunch, you will reduce the physical urge to snack before or after dinner. Sure, you’re a little tired after eating a proper meal and use that relaxed feeling as a good opportunity to take a break after a productive morning. It’s all very well to rely on discipline and the mind – but if you can reduce the physical urge – life gets a whole lot easier! Focus on eating three-times-a-day on-time and make it part of your daily rhythm, so it’s one less thing you have to think about.
2. Balance The Flavors: To avoid ice-cream, it’s often an issue of balancing flavors. You will note that Chinese rarely eat dessert and in Chinese medicine it is a kind of insult to a cook to need dessert. They claim that simple dinners of meat and potatoes (with primarily just sweet-salty flavors), and no matter how much you eat, make you feel like a sweet snack after. On the other hand, if the meal is sweet-salty-sour-spicy (and even some bitter) – think Kung-Pao Chicken or a Pad-Thai or a Curry with rice – then you are full satisfied and have no urge for dessert. Maybe using dessert or sweets for a little enjoyment, sure, but it is best to reduce your physical cravings with a proper diet. Communal eating helps as it increases the variety of dishes and flavors. Oh, and don’t forget to eat cooked grains in the morning at breakfast. This really helps with full-sweet flavors and reduces the need to crave hollow-sweet flavors later in the day.
3. Strategy: Reality check – this is not easy to do without someone full-time on planning-buying-preparing-cooking proper meals. Hats off to the grandmas and head-chefs of our ancestors – what a critical role this plays in the health or our community! If you are struggling, my tip is to focus on preparing breakfast and dinner. Outsource lunch if you need to – but often if you prepare and cook an adequate dinner, you can plan on eating left-overs for the following lunch. This way you can still enjoy cooking at night while focusing on a light dinner, with the majority of the meal being packed away for tomorrows larger lunch the following day.
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
