Meal Requirements for Treating Xiao-ke In Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medical treatment of xiao-ke makes specific recommendations concerning meals:
- The body should be kept upright during meals, and for at least an hour after each meal.
- Liquids should be drunk sparingly with meals. Green tea is the preferred drink.
- Foods should be eaten when in season.
- A wide variety of foods should be consumed.
- Three to four light meals should be eaten every day, at regular hours; the largest meal should be eaten at mid-day, and the evening meal should be eaten at least two hours before bedtime.
- Light exercise should be taken in the fresh air after each meal, following the Chinese proverb, “100 paces after each meal will allow one to live a healthy 100 years.”
The TCM Approach to Diabetes
The attitude of Traditional Chinese Medicine is that diabetes can be kept under control, and the patient can lead a normal life style, with little need for inconvenient routines. This reflects the cultural heritage of TCM. Rooted in a culture that is devoted to harmony and balance, Chinese medical theory is based on the belief that health is largely a matter of restoring balance between the internal organs, as well as between the individual and his or her total environment.
Resources:
Torssell, P.
CTRL + Click to follow link” target=”_blank”>How to Regulate Yin and Yang Through Diet. (2012). Journal of Chinese Medicine. Accessed February 21, 2012.
Cho, W. C., Yue, K. K. & Leung, A. W. An Outline of Diabetes Mellitus and its Treatment by Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. (2005). Journal of Chinese Medicine. JCM 78-29. Accessed February 21, 2012.
Choate, C. J. Click to Return to Page One: Wasting and Thirsting Disease and TCM
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