Flavour and nature
You may not be aware of it, but the flavour of your food can tell you a lot about what’s in it. Our bodies are programmed to sense and react to the chemicals in our food; in fact your taste buds are really just the gateway to the taste sensors in the rest of your body.
What are the ‘channels’ in Chinese medicine?
Ancient Chinese doctors had no modern technology, so developed simple techniques to read what was happening inside the body via external changes, such as changes in the pulse, skin, muscles, temperature, emotions and so on. They noticed how changes in each organ affect certain external areas more strongly than others, and mapped these channels across the whole body. This understanding was developed until the channels connected the whole body in a flowing circulatory network, linking the internal organs to the external tissues and limbs; this is the channel network that we use in traditional acupuncture and tui na massage.
In my view the key to good health and longevity, whether that’s via diet, exercise or any other aspect of lifestyle, is to know what’s appropriate at any given moment; in this article I hope to give some pointers in that direction, relating particularly to exercise.
It can be hard sometimes to know what, how much and when to eat. There is a huge variety of advice available, and new research often seems to contradict previous recommendations. On top of this we have our own habits and preferences acquired over years. Even if one is being mindful, it can be hard to see through habits, to feel that you don’t need to eat that last morsel, or have that extra piece of cake.
So how can we know what is appropriate? Here are a few ideas about optimum nutrition you can mix and match, in order to feel your way around what’s best for you.