Better breast health naturally with Chinese medicine~ book By Honora Lee Wolfe

I recently picked up a used copy of this book this book on Amazon for a few bucks.... really interesting and a lot of it is available free through google books:

http://tinyurl.com/3k6pv6o


I found the discussion on diet to be particularly interesting, esp. the idea of "sodden wheat foods" given my current preoccupation with the evils of gluten.
According to TCM, I am eating wrong given my predisposition to breast disease. I eat way too much raw food, and way too much fruit(sugar)... these foodstuffs require too much energy to digest. That's my summer diet, anyway...feels light and cleansing....

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from page 78 of the book, "good dietary habits":

"In Chinese Medicine, the function of the spleen and stomach are likened to a pot on the stove or a still. The stomach receives the foods and the liquids which then "rotten and ripen" like a mash in a fermentation vat. The spleen then cooks this mash and drives off (i.e., transforms and upbears) the pure part. This pure part collects in the lungs to become the qi and in the heart to become the blood. In addition, Chinese medicine characterizes this transformation as a process of yang qi transforming yin substance. All the principles of Chinese dietary therapy, including what women with breast disease should and should not eat, are derived from these basic "facts". "

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Here's more info on this concept, follow link for complete text:

http://old.bluepoppy.com/press/download/articles/dysbiosis.cfm


INTESTINAL DYSBIOSIS, LEAKY GUT SYNDROME, CANDIDIASIS & YIN FIRE

by BOB FLAWS, DIPL. AC. & C.H., FNAAOM

Since this scenario may lead to a wide range of tissues and organs being affected, some Western clinicians have referred to this as polysystemic chronic candidiasis (PSCC), but whatever we call it, in Chinese medicine, we are talking about Li Dong-yuan's concept of yin fire. All the foods that typically negatively affect this condition are those that Chinese medicine says either damage the spleen, engender dampness, aggravate heat, or impede the free flow of qi. For instance, we have seen above that sugars and sweets damage the spleen and engender dampness. Likewise, foods that are high in wei or flavor (a technical concept in Chinese medicine) tend to be hard to digest and have a high proportion of turbidity to clear qi. If clear and turbid are not thoroughly separated and turbidity eliminated from the body, then turbidity may also lead to evil dampness. Foods high in wei which tend to be dampening include milk, cheese, and dairy products in general as well as yeasted, steamed, or boiled wheat flour products. According to Li, "sodden wheat foods damage the spleen." Alcohol and oil are both damp and hot. They engender dampness but may also create evil heat or damp heat. The sour flavor enters the liver and is astringing. Astringing implies inhibiting the free flow of the qi. Thus sour flavored foods, such as vinegar, may damage the liver's coursing and discharge and cause or aggravate liver Depression qi stagnation, ultimately transforming into depressive heat. Add sweet and sour together, as in orange juice or tomato sauce and we have a perfect recipe for damp heat.

Hence Chinese dietary therapy agrees with all the foods that Western clinicians say to avoid if one suffers from intestinal dysbiosis, leaky gut syndrome, or candidiasis. Again, these are all foods that damage the spleen and engender dampness, engender or aggravate heat, or impede the free flow of qi. A logical extension of this is that one must complement Chinese medicinal therapy for yin fire conditions with correct dietary therapy. If one does not adhere to the clear bland (qing dan) diet of Chinese dietary therapy and avoid those foods which are known to aggravate candidiasis, then no combination or no amount of Chinese herbs will ever get a really satisfactory result. I have achieved many very startling clinical results with very strict anti-candida, hypoallergenic, clear bland diets even without any Chinese medicinals.

Therefore, patients with yin fire scenarios need to understand the importance of proper diet and be willing to stick to such a diet for at least three months. After even only two weeks of such a clear bland diet, most candidiasis/leaky gut patients will experience improvement in their conditions across the board. After three months, their condition should be greatly improved. However, the patient should also understand that, if they revert to their previous diet, their symptoms will probably quickly come back. For more lasting results, patients need to stick with the clear bland diet for 6-9 months or even a year. And even then, lapses from this diet should only be occasional exceptions and not the daily rule. For more information on the clear bland diet of Chinese medicine, readers may see my The Tao of Healthy Eating, published by Blue Poppy Press.

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Synopsis of the "clear, bland diet" from Honora Lee Wolfe:

~high in unrefined grains esp rice and beans
~high in lightly cooked vegetables.
~low in fatty meats, oily, greasy fried foods and very sweet foods.
~not vegetarian. 1 to 2 oz various meat 2-4x per week.
~some fresh or cooked fruits, no fruit juice.

problem foods:

~coffee
~chocolate
~alcohol
~spicy, peppery, "hot" foods (waaah!)
~sour foods
~chilled foods
~sugars
~dairy

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So, what to eat? I understand that the Chinese medical system is based on Chinese physiology. I am not Chinese, I am of Northern European descent.
I'm not sure that a grain- heavy diet would be the optimal for me!

Forever trying to figure it all out~

Yours truly~

Wombat