diet

[Guest guest]

With our recent discussion of syndrome X, insulin resistance, growth

hormone and longevity, the issue of diet is implicit. Many in the

western life extension movement have rallied around the idea of a low

carbohydrate, moderate protein, low fat diet. this ranges from the

atkins diet to the so-called paleolithic prescription. On the face of

it, this would seem to fly in the face of high carb diets like

macrobiotics and the prevailing interpretation of chinese dietetics,

which seems to concur with the basic idea that diets should be high carb

and low protein. The questions that come to mind is whether TCM

actually recommends such a diet and how we interpret the qualities of

such diets in TCM terms.

 

The most common dietary recommendation in TCM is to avoid overly greasy,

spicy and sweet foods. For some reason, this is usually interpreted to

mean a grain centered diet. Now it is true that chinese culture like

most traditional cultures centered around grains rather than meats. But

was this a health choice or a matter of economic necessity? grains are

easier and cheaper to produce than meat and they store well. So a grain

centered diet prevents starvation in the population at large, but is it

the most healthy? Many of you may be familiar with studies of cultures

such as the Hunza and Vilcabambans. These supposedly very long lived

peoples ate a grain centered, low protein diet. Well, it turns out that

the longevity of these peoples was somewhat a fraud perpetrated by the

subjects themselves. they were not living to be 120, but just into

their 70's and 80's. granted, they were in superb health even at this

age, but another factor may be important here. despite eating a grain

centered diet, they were eating a very nutritious and very low calorie

diet. Low calorie diets, as long as they supply adequate nutrition,

have been shown to dramatically reduce morbidity and increase lifespan

in lab animals. so it may be that ANY low calorie high nutrition diet

would work in this regard. However, perhaps a low calorie diet that

ALSO maintains low insulin, low insulin resistance and thus promotes

higher levels of growth hormone would be even better.

 

So when one considers the chinese diet prohibitions mentioned above, it

seems that lean meats might just as easily fit the bill of food that is

neither greasy, spicy nor overly sweet. I also suggest that the fact

that animal foods like pork and beef supplement the yin be considered

here as well. It is generally accepted that decline of yin is one of

the key factors in aging according to TCM. Lean meats supplement the

yin without clogging the free flow of blood. Now grains are said to

promote spleen function, which would seem to be central (no pun

intended). So in what basket are we to put our eggs, so to speak? I

read somewhere once that part of some taoist longevity techniques

involved abstention from grains. Since one could promote spleen

function with herbs and spices, are grain centered diets desirable or

necessary? I guess the question I want answered is where does it say

that in TCM that a grain centered diet is best for longevity? While

whole grains do not cause insulin spikes like refined grains, meat is

even better in this regard? And this certainly calls into question the

use of white rice, which has a very glycemic index and is very hard on

blood sugar mechanisms.

 

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Chinese Herbal Medicine

 

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