Guest guest Posted April 3, 2002 Report Share Posted April 3, 2002 Some things about Ayurveda that cause problems with TCM: Use of dairy products. " Ghee " , clarified butter, is highly valued in Ayurveda for most people except for extreme Pitta types. It is considered the best way to increase the " Agni " or, " digestive fire " in order to stimulate proper digestion and the metabolism of harmful substances. Dairy products are recommended to increase cold/damp elements whereas TCM seems to avoid dairy for most things. There is also a strong classification and great priority given to the " amas " or, body toxins, and the " Ojas " or, translated to something like " Pure nutrients " , meaning, the final by-product, the very essence of what is drawn from food. Beans are also contraindicted for people with dryness problems, (I _had_ to stop taking them when I had gas) whereas TCM considers beans the " Water " grain. Ayurveda is also not as extremely concerned with prana (Qi) flow among organs caused by diet, it goes right to the cold/hot/dry/moist nature of foods. I would be very grateful if someone found prana information in Ayurveda. Most notably, Ayurveda does not share the same flavor/element relationship. There are 6 flavors, (Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, astringent, pungent) Wood (Ether) - bitter, astringent Air - pungent, bitter, astringent Fire - pungent, sour Water - sweet, salty Earth - Sweet, sour astringent Anyway, I thought that I should pay more attention to Qi because as you can see, if you're diagnosed as having too much Vata (Air/Ether) and too much Kapha (Earth/Water), there's not much you can stricylu avoid and liberally take without upsetting one or the other. Hence I was jumping from too much gas and anxiety to having nausea, infrequent bowels, slow digestion and sluggishness on waking in the morning. TCM takes the seasons into account more readily and the organ energies which is what I think I need, whereas Ayurveda provides a much more physically obvious diagnosis such as eye color, fingernail/lip/skin/ hair texture, emotional diagnosis, etc. etc., none of which I fit into entirely. Let me say, I WAS getting the predicted effects, but it was an overdosage. In short, I would really recommend an experienced diagnosis for Ayurvedic medicine since it doesn't deal as specifically with exactly which organs are involved with which diseases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 3, 2002 Report Share Posted April 3, 2002 In a message dated 04/03/2002 11:10:07 AM Pacific Standard Time, lr4444lr writes: << Some things about Ayurveda that cause problems with TCM: Look for similarities .... not differences. In other words, focus on what can be gained by utilizing both where one can ... rather than on where they appear to conflict. << Use of dairy products. " Ghee " , clarified butter, is highly valued in Ayurveda for most people except for extreme Pitta types. It is considered the best way to increase the " Agni " or, " digestive fire " in order to stimulate proper digestion and the metabolism of harmful substances. My understanding is that ghee doesn't create the problems that most oils can because it's cooling rather than heating .... yet strengthening to digestion because it is a fat. Both Pittas and Kaphas need to restrict fat intake since both are oily in nature, Kaphas moreso since " fat " increases substance. Fat is a Yin food in this sense. Because Pitta is Heat ... ghee is more suitable for Pitta types because of its cooling nature. << Dairy products are recommended to increase cold/damp elements whereas TCM seems to avoid dairy for most things. TCM " seems " to avoid dairy for most things only because dairy creates alot of moisture ... which inevitably stresses the digestive process. TCM utilizes dairy when one is in good health, but not when digestion has weakened. << Beans are also contraindicted for people with dryness problems, (I _had_ to stop taking them when I had gas) whereas TCM considers beans the " Water " grain. Beans are diuretic and therefore not recommended for Vatas due to the dry nature of the body type and lack of substance. The Water Element in TCM is cold and damp. It contains both Yin and Yang yet ... when someone has a strong natural affinity to this element ... they have more water in their tissues. Water is cold. Water is wet. Therefore ... beans regulate Water by decreasing what is overabundant. Beans are highly recommended for Kaphas because of this as well. Kapha is a mix of Earth and Water .... Earth is also Damp. << Ayurveda is also not as extremely concerned with prana (Qi) flow among organs caused by diet, it goes right to the cold/hot/dry/moist nature of foods. I would be very grateful if someone found prana information in Ayurveda. I have never seen this addressed either .... but ... by addressing the issues of hot/cold/damp/dry .... the Qi can be restored to a smooth flow. Heat can create Stagnation .... Dryness can create Heat which can cause Stagnation ... Cold creates Stagnation .... and Damp creates Stagnation. << Anyway, I thought that I should pay more attention to Qi because as you can see, if you're diagnosed as having too much Vata (Air/Ether) and too much Kapha (Earth/Water), there's not much you can stricylu avoid and liberally take without upsetting one or the other. Hence I was jumping from too much gas and anxiety to having nausea, infrequent bowels, slow digestion and sluggishness on waking in the morning. Meet in the middle. As you stated ... " there's not much you can strictly avoid and liberally take " . << TCM takes the seasons into account more readily and the organ energies which is what I think I need, Ayurvedic diet recommendations change according to season for all of the body types. Even myself as a very strong Vata ... am much more prone to the same symptoms you are experiencing during Kapha season along with late summer when the Earth energies peak. I still follow a Vata diet ... yet I adjust slightly being careful not to overdo sweet moistening foods during these months. Mixed types like Vata/Kaphas as you are .... would favor pacifying Kapha from December through April and favor pacifying Vata from may though November. Not eating a completely Vata or Kapha diet in each season .... but favoring them ..... adjusting slightly. << whereas Ayurveda provides a much more physically obvious diagnosis such as eye color, fingernail/lip/skin/hair texture, emotional diagnosis, etc. etc., none of which I fit into entirely. This is exactly where I have found Ayurveda to be so very helpful. By understanding ones constitution by how the elements manifest themselves in physical traits, natural tendencies, symptoms of imbalance etc ... we can fine tune strategies and treatments to meet the individual needs more effectively. No one will ever fit neatly into a mold of " type " but it need not be as confusing as it appears. Constitution will be reflected in physical characteristics and natural tendencies (like whether a person has a love of the arts or a love of accounting). Imbalance will be reflected in symptoms of disease and things that change (like weight, moods, sleeping habits etc etc). It's very easy to get the two confused (constitution and imbalance) if is not viewed in these terms. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 4, 2002 Report Share Posted April 4, 2002 ><< Dairy products are recommended to increase cold/damp elements whereas >TCM >seems to avoid dairy for most things. > >TCM " seems " to avoid dairy for most things only because dairy creates alot >of >moisture ... which inevitably stresses the digestive process. TCM utilizes >dairy when one is in good health, but not when digestion has weakened. Good points. There are some cases where dairy can be beneficial for an individual. I want to remind readers who are new to TCM that there are few if any foods which are " forbidden " for all individuals at all times. Even sugar has some uses. You will see formulas in which sugar is one of the ingredients. Just like some Kidney formulas call for them to be taken with salt in order to increase its effectiveness. It depends on the individual and what imbalances the person has. Someone with a weak Spleen who has Dampness problems should severely limit or stay away from dairy all together. On the other hand, if a person is too Dry, because dairy is moistening, dairy can be helpful in SOME of these cases. If the person is both too Cold and Damp, dairy can create some severe problems. Something else to consider is the form of the dairy. Most Chinese - like most people in the world - lack the enzyme to digest milk sugar. So milk is not a good food for these people. But, yogurt and most cheeses do not contain lactose (milk sugar) and can be eaten. How much dairy is also a factor. Some people do very well with limited amounts of dairy whereas more dairy would become destructive. Diet needs also change. I went through a period for many years during which I could not eat any dairy in any form. This year I discovered that not only could I eat some dairy (cheese and yogurt), the reintroduction of these foods in limited amounts were helping me. I don't dare drink a class of milk, but having pizza or yogurt occasionally is beneficial. After we get moved, one of the things I want to look at in more detail is the relationship between Yin and Yang and how each needs the other for optimal functioning. Some additional information on problems with dairy from a Western standpoint: Milk intolerance is the term for a person who lacks the enzyme to digest milk sugar. Most of the adults of the world lack this enzyme. The exception is people of northern European descent. Even among them, there are a lot of individuals who lack this enzyme. People who are lactose intolerant usually can digest cheese and yogurt. But, people who are allergic to milk protein and/or milk fat have problems with ALL dairy, including cheese and yogurt. For some strange reason, most pills manufactured in the U.S. use lactose as a filler/binder - even the pills for digestive system problems even though digestive system problems often are due to problems with milk! If a person has a very severe problem with milk in all forms, even the tiny amount contained in a pill can create big problems for the person. For this reason, some people with severe problems with milk may need to switch to a form of medication which does not contain any milk sugar - liquids, injections, patches, or suppositories. Medications do list inert ingredients on the package. However, many pharmacies use pill dispensing machines and buy generic medications from different companies. Some of these companies use lactose in the pills they make whereas others do not. All of these pills go into the same dispenser, and after they are mixed, it's impossible to tell which are the ones with lactose and which are not. Also, in the U.S., it often is hard to find a pharmacist who is willing to work with a person who has severe problems with milk in all forms, even the little bit of lactose contained in a pill. (I don't know about other countries.) Sometimes milk " allergies " are not true allergies at all but the result of Dampness. The person's lungs may become congested after s/he consumes dairy not because of an allergic reaction in which histamine is being released and inflammation and swelling result but because dairy is Dampness-engendering. The same comments apply to wheat. In some cases the person may have a real allergy to milk plus have Dampness problems. People with severe intolerances/ allergies to dairy and/or severe Dampness problems can be bothered greatly by just a little bit of dairy in any form - the small amount in some pills or prepared foods that use just a little bit of dairy. In prepared, packaged foods, " hidden " milk can be present. The package lists the ingredients in the food but does not list the ingredients in the ingredients. One of the foods milk can be hidden in is margarine. Some margarines are made with milk, some are not. When the package says " margarine " , it's impossible to know if the margarine was made with milk or without. Margarine is not a good food for a lot of reasons. It turns out that butter actually is a much safer food than margarine. (Additinal info on the health hazzards of margarine can be found on Dr. Mercola's website.) Victoria _______________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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