vegan/raw diet - Is Paul Bergner out there?

[Guest guest]

, Jamie Koonce

<untothewholeperson> wrote:

> One possible problem with the O-Mega-Zen is that it doesn't contain EPA. Can

anyone

comment on this?

 

 

I was curious about this myself.

 

 

> As to the issues you brought up, how does one address vegan and raw

foodist

patients who present with problems that are obviously due to their diets? With

the vegan

and raw food movement in the mainstream, some followers of this regimen treat it

like a

religion and are likely to attribute their health problems to detox symptoms.

Would you

try to treat such a patient solely with herbs, or would you mention that his/her

diet is

probelematic?

 

Jamie

 

You bring up a critical issue, not just with regard to veganism, but also

obesity. Neither of

these issues was a health concern in ancient china. While diet was an issue,

neither

obesity nor voluntary veganism were widespread. So all chinese therapies are

applied with

the defacto assumption that the patient was also eating a wholesome cooked foods

diet.

If the patient is either malnourished (veganism) or toxic (obesity), I believe

no amount of

any TCM therapy can give lasting relief. If the causes are not eliminated, then

all therapy

is ultimately palliative. Symptoms of internal imbalance will invariably return

to those who

do not eat properly. If someone's conditon is caused or aggravated by diet,

they must be

informed. At this point, we have ample evidence from both chinese history and

modern

research from which to draw our conclusions. If such a patient refuses to make

dietary

changes under any circumstances, I will not see them as patients. It is just a

waste of

everyone's time and money.

 

Let me give an example. I have a 200 pound 5 foot woman who is complaining of

phlegm

in the nose. Her whole body is a pool of phlegm. There is no way that this

condition will

be rectified as long as she is fat. Sure I can give herbs that relieve

symptoms, but no long

term health benefit. When a chinese doc sees a slim person who eat a reasonably

balanced diet, but still has a blocked nose, I expect the herbs to work great

and they

usually do. But we need to be clear that there is no historical evidence to

support the idea

that chinese herbs will work as well in those who are obese (or starving

themselves to

death). First, there is the body weight issue. But more important, obesity or

malnutrition

both are factors that seriously impact health and were not typical factors that

had to be

dealt within ancient texts. Personally, I think many of the health problems we

treat, from

DJD to autoimmunity, often diaappear with proper diet and body weight. It is

thus

somewhat ironic that an entire field of CAM has developed to treat the diseases

that WM

has failed at. However, I predict we will also fail if we make the same mistake

as them and

ignore the lifestyle issues at play. Anyone who can master weight loss will

probably do

more good for the US healthcare system than the most skilled herbalist. In

fact, the need

for TCM herbology would virtually disappear under the auspices of good

lifestyle, IMO.

Luckily, that won't happen any time soon. :-)

 

> And from a TCM perspective, what kind of imbalances are created by the

long-term

consumption of " faux " meats made from soy and wheat gluten, and concentrated

vegetable protein powders?

 

 

I think all of these items may interfere with mineral absorption. However

perhaps a

mineral supplement take away from these foodsmay help. Soy protein may also

have

feminizing effects on men.