herbs-lecture 2 deck 5

Food Therapy for Wind, Cold, Heat & Dryness

What are the Six External Pathogenic Factors in TCM?

• Wind

• Cold

• Heat

• Dryness

• Summer Heat

• Dampness

What are the treatment principles for external pathogens?

• Expel Wind

• Warm & Dispel Cold

• Clear Heat

• Moisten Dryness

What are the characteristics of Wind as an external pathogen?

• Sudden onset

• Symptoms change rapidly

• Often combines with Cold, Heat, or Dampness

• Attacks the exterior (head, face, skin)

• Aversion to wind

• Sweating

• Headache

What are the dietary principles for Wind?

• Disperse Wind

• Release the exterior

• Use pungent-warm foods for Wind-Cold

• Use pungent-cool foods for Wind-Heat

• Avoid sour, astringent foods

Which foods are recommended for Wind?

Wind-Cold

• Ginger

• Scallion (Cong Bai)

• Perilla leaf

• Cilantro

Wind-Heat

• Mint

• Chrysanthemum

• Mulberry leaf

• Honeysuckle 

What are the characteristics of Cold as an external pathogen?

• Yin pathogen

• Injures Yang Qi

• Causes stagnation and pain

• Contracts tendons

• Closes the orifices

• Cold pain

• Watery diarrhea

• Clear urination

What are the dietary principles for Cold?

• Warm the interior

• Support Yang

• Tonify Spleen-Kidney Yang

• Use pungent-warm foods

• Avoid raw and cold foods 

Which foods are recommended for Cold?

• Fresh ginger

• Cinnamon bark

• Dried ginger

• Sichuan pepper

• Lamb

• Chinese chives

• Longan

• Walnut

• Brown sugar ginger tea

• Dang Gui-Ginger-Lamb soup

What are the characteristics of Heat as an external pathogen?

• Yang pathogen

• Damages fluids and Qi

• Can stir Wind and disturb Blood

• Causes redness, swelling, sores

• Fever

• Flushed face

• Irritability

• Constipatio

What are the dietary principles for Heat?

• Clear Heat

• Drain Fire

• Generate fluids

• Use bitter-cold foods for excess Heat

• Use sweet-cold foods for deficiency Heat

• Avoid pungent-warm foods 

Which foods are recommended for Heat?

• Mung bean

• Watermelon

• Cucumber

• Bitter melon

• Pear

• Water chestnut

• Honeysuckle

• Chrysanthemum 

What are the characteristics of Dryness as an external pathogen?

• Depletes body fluids

• Easily injures the Lung

• Warm-Dryness presents with heat signs

• Cool-Dryness presents with cold signs

• Common in autumn

What are the dietary principles for Dryness?

• Nourish Yin

• Moisten Dryness

• Nurture the Lung

• Cooling-moistening foods for Warm-Dryness

• Warming-moistening foods for Cool-Dryness

• Avoid drying and fried foods

Which foods are recommended for Dryness?

• Pear

• Lily bulb

• White fungus (Tremella)

• Honey

• Sesame

• Chinese yam

• Soy milk

• Water chestnut

Match each external pathogen with its signature recipe.

Wind: Scallion & Ginger Soup

Cold: Dang Gui Ginger Lamb Soup

Heat: Mung Bean & Chrysanthemum Soup

Dryness: Snow Pear & White Fungus Soup 

Case: Chills, clear runny nose, no sweating. Which food therapy is most appropriate?

Ginger Scallion Tea.

Case: Fever, sore throat, yellow nasal discharge. Which food is most appropriate?

Pear and Chrysanthemum

Case: Dry cough, dry throat, dry skin. Which food therapy is most appropriate?

Tremella and Pear.