Grants Pass, OR (PRWEB) October 09, 2015
Most people assume that Chinese food is more nutritious than American food because it is less processed with more vegetables and less meat. While noted T’ai Chi Master and integrative medicine guru Steven Aung, MD agrees with that assessment, he believes there is a “Yin and Yang” relationship between the two cuisines and that they potentially complement one another, with each supplying nutritional elements the other may lack. Aung made his comments during an interview on a recent Sharon Kleyne Hour® Power of Water® radio show.
Kleyne and Aung discussed T’ai Chi, Qigong, integrative medicine, a balanced diet and American versus Chinese food on her radio show of October 5, 2015. The globally syndicated broadcast is heard weekly on VoiceAmerica (Health and Wellness and Variety channels) and Apple iTunes. For a podcast of the October 5 show, or any other show, go to http://www.SharonKleyneHour.com.
The Sharon Kleyne Hour® Power of Water® is sponsored by Bio-Logic Aqua® Research – Water Life Science®, founded by fresh water advocate Sharon Kleyne and specializing in fresh water, the atmosphere, body surface evaporation and dehydration. The Research Center’s signature product is Nature’s Tears® EyeMist® for dry eye.
“Yin and Yang” is a fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy and medicine, according to Aung. It is the bringing together of opposite or contrary forces to form a balanced unity. “Balance,” according to Aung, is a basic concept in Chinese medicine that tends to be deemphasized in Western medicine. Yin and Yang are considered interdependent and complimentary rather than opposing.
“Yin,” Kleyne explains, represents the negative, passive, female, moon, winter, hidden and subtle. “Yang” represents the positive, aggressive, male, sun, summer and blatant. This is not sexual stereotyping, Kleyne adds. Each contains elements of the other and it is normal and acceptable for a woman to be predominantly Yang and man to be predominantly Yin.
With respect to diet and nutrition, Kleyne describes Chinese food as predominantly Yin and American food as predominantly Yang. Chinese food, according to Aung, contains a high percentage of easily digested foods such as vegetables, roots, fungi, and fruits, balanced by small amounts of either lean meat or seafood. Aung points out that specific Chinese dishes can be either Yin or Yang and that bamboo is a Yang-summer food.
For balance and harmony, Aung advises to eat a little bit of summer food in winter and a little bit of winter food in summer.
American food, according to Aung , tends to be higher in carbohydrates than Chinese food. Also, dietary supplements are far more readily available in the United States and are becoming increasingly important in China as their culture continues to evolve. The US also leads the world in nutritional labeling and the availability of gluten free foods.
The drawbacks to Chinese food, according to Kleyne, are a tendency to be low in carbohydrates, a tendency to be cooked in a wok in coconut oil at high temperatures, and a tendency, when cooking for the American palate, to use too much corn starch. Chinese cuisine also tends to be overly reliant on high gluten noodles. American food, on the other hand, says Kleyne, often contains far too much meat, fat, processing, packaging, sugar and preservatives.
In other words, says Aung, Chinese cuisine contains elements that American cuisine lacks and vice versa. Used wisely, both have much to contribute to a balanced diet.
Overall, Aung recommends eating locally and in harmony with nature, and the seasons. The objective of T’ai Chi and Chinese medicine are to seek balance in all aspects of life, including diet.
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