The mystery of INFLAMMATION & food solutions (part 1)

We often think that the foremost cause of internal inflammation is directly linked to bad lifestyle choices, undesirable food intake, or the result of toxicity. Most of these impressions are wrong. Inflammation is part of the body’s defense mechanism. It is the process by which the immune system recognizes and removes harmful and foreign stimuli and begins the healing process. 

That process, however, can be prolonged or manifest as a chronic condition, and I have had clients walking into my arms with over twenty years of dealing with their dilemma, something that took less than five weeks to curb and normalize after I created an individualized nutritional plan for them.

I am a chef, not a doctor, yet my mind and studies have been tweaked for decades to research and learn modern medicine. I fuse the wisdom of knowing the powers of the foods we consume. I guide others to regain organ harmony and reduce the inflammatory side effects that can seriously burden a happy well-being. Friends point out I should be busy in a world where so many needlessly suffer. I rarely point out my observations.

You come to me when you’re ready…

50% of foods sold in developed countries do not belong in the human body (or our companions). Super-processed foods are becoming increasingly exposed for being banned in smart corners of the world; they are directly linked to early death and inflammation. The fact that you are reading my blog indicates that you have surely heard that before.

When I learn about a client complaining about “inflammation” or even sharing medical statistics that confirm a “diagnosis of inflammation,” my first approach is to communicate their current state of sleep, pain, and food intake. As much as internal or exterior inflammation is a painful and visible reality, the origin of this dilemma might have nothing to do with the one food source or combination of pharmaceuticals consumed in excess. Warning to people doing three or four “methods” at once!

Throughout my journey, the discovery that prescription drugs or supplements contribute to the imbalance is a serious reality, conflicting with my observation against pharmaceutical ideas that are catered to a “one fits all” tradition. Luckily, today’s information (not the Google sort of self-diagnostics) has adapted that the millennia of understanding the impact of what we consume, how we consume it, and lifestyle changes can help. There is no magic in embracing food-guidance and strictly focus on your recovery.

TCM knew then what we can prove today: consuming wisely what we intake through ears, eyes, skin, mouth, and nose is a powerful tool of forgotten wisdom. The psychological improvement that quickly follows is a bonus.

I hear the “…I eat only organic, healthy foods and no gluten…” – that sort of expression explains half of the diagnosis of a patient in distress. I adore their willingness (and wealth) to purchase only specific food items because someone sympathetic for various reasons told them to eat healthy (junk), but that’s catering to an industry that has little intention of making you wholesome. Health food stores are often staked with products that make me cringe. You are a consumer, often inundated with information bits that contain a fraction of facts but merely promote idiosyncratic care. All of that wrapped in plastics!

The psychology of “doing the right thing” alone is insufficient to end inflammation. The adjustment needed is often not a simple step, either. Without the willingness to fully invest in your health, any approach to just making amends when needed will not result in a curative solution.

An organic balanced diet refers to food choices that maintain the balance of internal organs. Since we all have different organic conditions, a balanced diet varies depending on these conditions. We all have organic strengths and organic weaknesses. One might display vital digestive functions but weak reproduction functions. Having an excellent appetite does not always correlate with a healthy heart. Being in good shape is not a standard for ideal organ function.

All internal organs are kept in good condition in a healthy, balanced system. When one organ is excessively strong, it tends to weaken another, creating imbalance. Imbalance is usually expressed in inflammation, a step before a more serious condition develops.

Even in the Western world, the understanding that our digestive tract is directly responsible for a healthy mind and can control psychological well-being is no longer secret. Modern medicine includes this wisdom when calculating an ideal nutritional journey for a patient treated with severe inflammation.

To me, the one with a chronic, consistent inflammatory interruption exposes a much more serious health profile versus a seriously ill patient who is under guided supervision (medicated) with a professional doctor. Like with burned victims, The one that screams in agony has not yet their nerves damaged, versus the quiet burn victim who silently sits aside. He is the one in need of immediate life-saving care with deep burns.

As much as Western medicine needs to adopt a more individually balanced approach to treating inflammation, from the perspective of Chinese medicine, a balanced and personalized diet has been important for as long as 2000 years. Different types of physical constitutions dictate a nutritional personalized chart: hot, cold, dry, damp, deficient, and excessive.

When you experience a change in physical appearance, I aim to determine a number of key factors, i.e., your subjective sensations, urine, stools, the tongue, and other factors. If you often feel hot and thirsty and, prefer cold drinks and have a reddish complexion, you probably have a physical constitution. You might discharge scanty urine and hard stools, and your tongue appears red with a yellow coating…

Cold Condition: If one expresses feeling cold and not thirsty and typically prefers hot or warm drinks, and if a client has a pale complexion, they likely have a cold physical constitution. Their urine could be clear, and the stool is soft; their tongue appears pale with a white coating.

Say you are thirsty, with lips, nose, throat, and skin appearing dry. Your physical expression reveals constipation even with a dry cough (no mucus). These clients are often skinny and cannot gain weight, complaining about itchy skin and dry eyes. These indicators might point to a problem in the large intestine.

When others self-describe as “heavy” and tired and their tongues appear glossy and greasy, it indicates a damp condition. There is a tendency for overweight and edema. Such a client might look fat but have no energy and complain about weakness. A lack of psychological motivation underlines this. In TCM, we encourage such a patient to eat aromatic foods, focus on breathing technique and perspiration, and promote urination to aid in drying internal organs. Candidiasis is often a side-effect associated here.

Energy deficiency is a complex physical condition that often leads to skin inflammation. Most of the patients in this category are skinny. They need more motivation and energy. Patients in this category display a pale complexion; they perspire excessively and have palpitations. I pay attention to their feet (bodily edema) and see if there is pain or discomfort standing. Advanced stages display shortness of breath and visible signs of inflammatory skin conditions. From a Chinese medicinal perspective, when the organs are weak, it is expressed in prolapse of the uterus and anus: “…the organs begin to fall…”

The most serious of all conditions is the excessive personality. They appear strong and energetic and display high spirits. Such clients have a reddish complexion, yet they suffer from constipation, hypertension, and heart disease. I compare their organ functions with a traffic jam, creating blockages of various kinds. These individuals have a combination of the above physical expressions and will convince you how healthy their lifestyle is. It pains me to deal with such clients; it starts with quarrels!

First, I have to convince a new patient to stop identifying with their conditions. Some hold on to the idea that expressing individualism requires having a health perk or hyper-focus on foods they have adapted as detrimental to their well-being. They will convince me that they know to be gluten intolerant or can’t eat this or that produce! It’s equal to being confronted with a flat-earther; their well-rehearsed points are hard to contradict.

However, their clarifications are often encouraged by social media quirks or friends who planted a notion into their minds that just feels “right.” This sense of being “special” by acquiring a food intolerance is unhealthy and difficult to correct. There is an underlying distrust of anything trying to confront this modification. In my professional life, I have encountered a ton of wonderful clients who were confused by friends and ideologies they wanted to be true and who religiously embraced them as “their” issue.

We are not the same. That should be the solution and response to shed off the avenue adapted that seemingly is not curbing inflammation.

The simplicity of my recommendations is not much liked at first: When damp, eat foods that counteract and promote liquid passage. When your physical deficiency is a handicap, eat more foods that enhance energy: such foods are tonics. Void bitter foods. Foods can promote energy, blood circulation, and hormonal balance. This is called an organic balanced diet.

‘Organic’ is a labeling method that should be ignored entirely – read my blog on this topic… (unless you know the source of your fresh produce or have your self-controlled garden). Yes, dig, plant, harvest, live!