So much is said about eating to lose weight, but some of the most effective weight loss diets are not actually good for general health. Nor are the impacts of food choices limited to personal wellness; in fact, the way each of us eats can affect not only our fellow human beings but the entire planet. As the late Dr. Jane Goodall observed, every time we make a choice, there are consequences, good and bad. Given the effects of food production on the natural world, the global prevalence of food insecurity, and the close relationship of diet to health and healthcare, eating smarter is one of the best ways to try to make the world a better place each and every day.
But how can we improve the way we eat to better support individual and collective wellness?
Meal Time
In 2017, the Nobel Prize for Medicine was given to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young for their study of circadian rhythms, research which opened new doors in medicine, specifically in the fields of endocrinology and psychology. For those familiar with the history of medicine, it is a rather embarrassing turn of events for Western science which long discredited, at times even ridiculed, the idea that all things in nature shift and fluctuate with cycles in time. Of course, for those of us in Chinese medicine, these newest developments in chronobiology are just contemporary confirmation of ancient principles which have been utilized for millennia by traditional societies.
Recent research has taken circadian rhythms a step further by demonstrating their relevance to the microbiome in the gut. The primary takeaway from these findings is to follow the old adage “eat your breakfast alone, share lunch with a friend, and give your dinner to your enemy”. In Chinese medicine, we explain the emphasis on eating breakfast by observing that the stomach channel is most active from 7 AM to 9 AM, allowing for optimal digestion. During the rest of the day, we advise meals be regularly spaced, with any evening eating before bed kept consciously small and readily digestible, and thus appropriate for a period of rest and inactivity.
Freshening Up
Freshness is often discussed in terms of palate appeal, but eating the freshest possible foods is also indispensable for good health. To understand why Chinese medicine views freshness as necessary for wellness, it is helpful to consider the Chinese idea of the six flavors which not only facilitate optimal food choices but also play a key role in formulating Chinese medicines. In English, the six basic flavors are acrid, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and bland.
When food is at its freshest, it should be aromatic or pungent—a synonym for acrid. Like all of the six flavors, acridity is described as having an effect on the human body. Specifically, acridity moves, dissipates, and disperses, meaning it can activate and stimulate physiological functions. In the digestive tract, the acrid flavor of fresh food supports and encourages complete digestion, allowing for better absorption and utilization of all the nutrients in the food.
This principle applies equally to ingredients, like vegetables and meat, and to complex prepared foods like bread. Imagine, if you will, the smell of home baked bread, wafting temptingly from the kitchen, compared to that of a store-bought loaf that is too old to smell like much of anything. The exciting fragrance of fresh foods actually reveals an abundance of enzymes, active proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. To make the most of these dynamic properties of freshly made food, you are encouraged to enjoy it within the first 24 hours. Once a day old, Chinese medicine views the foods we have prepared as “wrecked”, so use the freshest ingredients and eat dishes as soon as possible after they are served.
What You Buy Is What You Eat
It is a simple fact: most of us buy all of the food we eat, either in the form of ingredients or as ready-to-eat foods. So, while we may talk about the bad decisions made during momentary impulses, the choices about what to eat or what not to eat actually occur when we shop for groceries. If you make up lists before you shop, the decisions you make about eating might actually happen even before stepping foot out of the house.
Since we are generally less motivated by cravings when shopping than we are, for example, at one in the morning rummaging through the refrigerator, we can set ourselves up for successful eating that benefits us (and the planet). Consider how you aspire to eat and make shopping lists that match your dietary goals. If you think it is appropriate to reward yourself, you might include a goodie or two on the list to help your resolve when at the store. Also, ask yourself where you can get the most suitable foods to eat well with less temptation to buy things you prefer to minimize. If you go shopping in a store where you find yourself surrounded by the “bad choices”, you might be asking for trouble.
Once you have habituated yourself to eating well with hearty and nutritious breakfasts, fresh ingredients, and the foods your better self wants you to eat, wise choices that can make you healthier and happier and support communal wellness will become easier and easier. It is true that we are what we eat, so make sure that you eat in a way that reflects a vision of you at your best. In the process, you will be eating more local, or at least regional, real food, much of it plant-based—and that is good for everything that lives on planet earth.