Nutritional therapy, along with acupuncture and herbal therapy, can produce very good results during the onset, as well as the subsequent course of the disorder.

Acute Case of Flu

Wind–Cold Fettering the Lung (Feng Han Shu Fei) Wind–Cold Cough (Feng Han Ke Sou)

Symptoms

Stuffy or runny nose, with clear, watery phlegm, sneezing, cough, aversion to cold, aching limbs, headache, sore throat.

Causes

External invasion of wind–cold into the lung due to weak defense qi. Lung function and flow of qi are impaired by cold.

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw, cold, and cool foods, and dairy products (they encourage phlegm disorders).

Recommended:

At the first onset of sneezing, shivering, and cold symptoms, expel cold and wind with hot and spicy foods for one day.

As soon as symptoms shift from wind–cold to wind–heat (possibly overnight), with the predominant symptom of fever with sweating, immediately change nutritional therapy and choose cool and cold foods.

Acute Bronchitis

Wind–Heat Invading the Lung (Feng Re Fan Fei)

Symptoms

Burning sore throat, frequent cough, yellow secretion, fever, aversion to cold, stuffy nose, aching body and aching limbs, headaches.

Causes

Wind–heat attacks on the lung, summer flu, weakened defense qi or next stage of a wind–cold attack on the lung (transformation from cold to heat can occur within a few hours).

Therapy

Avoid:

Warm and hot foods, dairy products (encourage congestion).

Recommended:

Bronchitis, Sinusitis with Yellow Secretion

Phlegm–Heat Obstructing the Lung (Tan Re Zu Fei)

Symptoms

Cough with copious yellow, possibly green, sputum; bloating and feeling of pressure in chest, exhaustion, lack of appetite, soft stools.

Tongue: Red, with thick, sticky, yellow fur

Pulse: Fast, slippery

Causes

Long-term damage or constitutional vacuity of lung qi, combined with a spleen qi vacuity, promotes the formation of dampness and phlegm; inappropriate diet, excess of fatty, hot dishes.

Therapy

Avoid:

Dairy products (promote congestion), bananas, alcoholic beverages, reduce consumption of meat.

Recommended:

Chronic bronchitis is primarily a mixed syndrome of the above-mentioned primary syndromes. Treatment should target the primary syndrome. Treatment principles for nutritional therapy are supplementing the spleen for phlegm reduction and supplementing the lung and kidney to make up for chronic vacuity.

Chronic Lung Function Impairment; Recurrent Bronchitis/Chronic Bronchitis

Lung Qi Vacuity

Symptoms

Weak cough; thin, clear sputum; spontaneous perspiration, fatigue, susceptibility to infection.

Causes

Protracted and persistent cough weakens lung qi; constitutional weakness; general exhaustion (especially in old age).

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw, cool, and cold foods, and bitter flavor.

Recommended:

Spleen Qi Vacuity and Lung Qi Vacuity

Symptoms

Cough with excessive white sputum, sensation of fullness in chest, fatigue, lack of appetite, soft stools.

Causes

Protracted or constitutional damage to lung qi, chronic spleen qi vacuity caused by inappropriate diet and overwork.

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw, cold, and cool foods; dairy products, excess sweets, excess meat.

Recommended:

Lung Yin Vacuity and Kidney Yin Vacuity

Symptoms

Dry cough, dry throat, chronic shortness of breath, weakness in knee and back, hot hands and feet, subfebrile temperatures in the afternoon.

Causes

Protracted smoldering illness, chronic exhaustion, physiological process of aging.

Therapy

Avoid:

Warm and hot foods, excess bitter and acrid flavor.

Recommended:

Acute Weak Cough

Wind–Cold Fettering the Lung (Feng Han Shu Fei)

Symptoms

Weak, quiet cough with thin white secretion, sore throat, fever without sweating, aversion to cold.

Therapy

Avoid:

Cold and cool foods.

Recommended:

Acute Severe Cough

Wind–Heat Invading the Lung (Feng Re Fan Fei)

Symptoms

Frequent strong cough with yellow or greenish thin or viscous secretion, sore throat, fever, headaches.

Therapy

Avoid:

Warm and hot foods.

Recommended:

Radish juice, pear juice, radish juice with ginger

Phlegm–Damp Cough (Tan Shi Ke Sou)

Symptoms

Cough with excessive white sputum, exhaustion, bloating in thorax and epigastric region, loss of appetite.

Tongue: White, sticky fur

Pulse: Slippery

Causes

Chronic lung qi vacuity and spleen qi vacuity caused by external pathogenic factors and incorrect nutrition.

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw, cold, and cool foods, dairy products, meat, acrid and fatty foods, excess sweets.

Recommended:

Chronic Dry Cough

Lung Yin Vacuity with Dryness (Fei Yin Su, Fei Zao)

Symptoms

Persistent, dry, intense cough, little or no secretion, dry throat, thirst, fever in the afternoon, heat sensation in hands and feet.

Tongue: Red, dry, possibly thin, yellow fur

Pulse: Thin

Causes

Damage caused by external or internal heat, depletion of body fluids.

Therapy

Avoid:

Acrid and hot foods.

Recommended:

Acute Tonsillitis

Wind–Heat Invading the Lung (Feng Re Fan Fei)

Symptoms

Painful reddened and swollen throat, burning pain, trouble swallowing, hoarseness, thirst, sometimes cough with thick yellow sputum; reddened swollen, possibly yellow–whitish tonsils.

Causes

Penetration of external wind and heat factors that deplete body fluids (summer heat, central heating, steel workers).

Therapy

Remove external pathogenic heat

Avoid:

Foods with sour flavor, for example lemon, poultry (they draw pathogenic factors deeper into the body); foods with hot and warm thermal natures (too drying).

Recommended:

Wind–Cold Fettering the Lung (Feng Han Shu Fei)

Symptoms

Scratchy throat, hoarseness, weak cough with whitish sputum, aversion to cold.

Tongue: Thin, white fur

Pulse: Superficial

Causes

External wind–cold factors block qi, for example cold air, draft, air conditioners, cool storage rooms.

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw, cool, and cold, as well as sour foods. Thermal nature: Hot for a short time, then warm, neutral.

Recommended:

This syndrome can quickly change into wind–heat. If this happens, adapt therapy immediately!

Acute/Chronic Laryngitis

Dryness in Lung

Symptoms

Acute or chronic dry sore throat, hoarseness, dry cough, dry skin.

Causes

External dryness enters the lung, vacuity of body fluids, condition shortly before lung yin vacuity develops, dry surroundings, heated air.

Therapy

Avoid:

Acrid, sour, bitter foods with warm and hot thermal nature.

Recommended:

The main cause of sinusitis is repeated external attack of wind–heat or wind–cold (usually wind–heat). Sinusitis responds very well to acupuncture and herbal treatments, supported by dietary measures. Other causes of sinusitis are lung qi vacuity and spleen qi vacuity, both of which can be easily treated with nutritional therapy. Spleen qi vacuity, responsible for acute and chronic phlegm production, responds especially well to dietary measures.

Acute Sinusitis

Wind–Heat Invading the Lung (Feng Re Fan Fei)

Symptoms

Stuffy nose with white, mostly yellow secretion and crusting, partly blood-stained; headache, dry mouth, slight fever, aversion to wind.

Therapy

Avoid:

Foods with sour flavor, for example lemon, or poultry (which pull pathogenic factors deeper into the body), foods with hot and warm thermal natures (too drying).

Recommended:

Liver–Gallbladder Damp–Heat (Gan Dan Shi Re)

Symptoms

Stuffy nose, dryness, sticky and yellowish purulent secretion; foul-smelling, bitter taste in mouth; dry mouth and throat, headaches.

Causes

Combination of external wind–heat, excess heat and phlegm-producing foods (e.g., fatty and fatty foods, alcohol abuse); emotional strain, such as anger, rage, stress.

Therapy

Avoid:

Thermally hot and warm foods, grilled food, acrid spices, alcoholic beverages, very fatty dishes, dairy products.

Recommended:

Recurrent Sinusitis

Lung Qi Vacuity, Spleen Qi Vacuity

Symptoms

Stuffy nose, copious white–sticky or yellow–sticky viscous secretion, sometimes cough with watery or yellow–sticky sputum, loss of appetite, soft stools.

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw, cool, or cold foods, and bitter flavor.

Avoid:

Raw, cold, and cool food, dairy products, excess sweets, excess meat.

Recommended:

Raw, thermally hot and warm foods, excess sweets, dairy products, and alcoholic beverages.

Recommended:

Intrinsic (Nonallergic) Asthma

Phlegm–Heat Obstructing the Lung (Tan Re Zu Fei)

(Acute Heat-Type Asthma)

Symptoms

Thick yellow viscous sputum that is difficult to cough up, frequent flat respiratory sounds, hasty breathing, thirst for cold drinks, fever.

Causes

Inappropriate nutrition leading to spleen qi vacuity, external wind – heat factors.

Therapy

Avoid:

Cold and overly acrid foods, excess sweet flavor, excess dairy products and meat (promotes production of phlegm), foods of a hot thermal nature (e.g., acrid spices).

Recommended:

Extrinsic (Allergic) Asthma

Wind–Cold Fettering the Lung (Feng Han Shu Fei) (Acute Cold-Type Asthma)

Symptoms

Often copious whitish, watery sputum, gasping breathing sounds, aversion to cold, scratchy throat.

Causes

External pathogenic wind – cold binds qi in lungs, causing nondiffusion of lung qi; constitutional weakness.

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw, cool, and cold foods, foods that cause phlegm (dairy products, sweets, meat).

Recommended:

Chronic Asthma

Lung Qi Vacuity and Spleen Qi Vacuity

Symptoms

Copious white sputum, fatigue, swollen extremities, lack of appetite, bloating in epigastric region after eating.

Causes

Persistent cough, weakened lung qi, constitutional weakness, lack of exercise, inappropriate diet that weakens the spleen.

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw, cool, and cold foods, dairy products, excess sweet, excess meat.

Recommended:

General Nutritional Therapy

Rice, short-grain (glutinous) rice, millet, blueberries, button or crimini/portobella mushrooms, shredded apple; cooked, warm food.

Acute and Chronic Diarrhea

Stomach Qi and Spleen Qi Vacuity Stomach Yang and Spleen Yang Vacuity Large Intestine Qi and Yang Vacuity

Symptoms

Usually chronic diarrhea, watery and soft stools with undigested food particles, bloating after meals, improvement with pressure and warmth, flatulence after meals, physical weakness, lack of appetite.

Causes

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw and thermally cool or cold foods (salads, fruit, fruit juices), dairy products, denatured foods, frozen food, canned food.

Recommended:

Boiled or steamed warming foods that build up spleen and stomach, combined with mildly acrid spices.

Acute/Chronic Diarrhea

Damp–Cold in Spleen or Large Intestine

Symptoms

Tendency to clear watery stool with undigested food particles, gurgling bowel sounds; improvement of stomach aches with warmth, worsening with pressure; aversion to cold, headaches, sensation of heaviness.

Causes

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw, cold, and cool foods.

Recommended:

Infectious Enteritis, Traveler’s Diarrhea

Damp–Heat in Spleen or Large Intestine

Symptoms

Watery, soft, and foul smelling to stinking stools, tenesmus (constant feeling of the need to empty the bowel, accompanied by pain, cramping, and involuntary straining efforts), possibly bowel movement with blood, stomach aches that improve after bowel movement, hot burning sensation around anus, sparse dark urine, thirst.

Causes

Avoid:

Acrid, hot, and fatty foods.

Recommended:

Chronic Morning Diarrhea

Spleen Yang and Kidney Yang Vacuity

Symptoms

Chronic morning diarrhea! Stomach aches that improve with warmth, cold extremities, weakness in back and knees.

Causes

Therapy

Avoid:

Raw, cool, and cold foods.

Recommended:

Responds very well to consistent dietary therapy, and also to combination of acupuncture and herbal therapy.

General Nutritional Therapy

Give preference to fruits and vegetables rich in fiber.

Constipation in Elderly Patients and Postnatal Constipation

Qi Vacuity or Yang Vacuity

Symptoms

Thinly formed, long stools; exertion and exhaustion after defecation, pale face, cold extremities. Seen especially in elderly patients and post-partum.

Related posts:

Chinese Dietetics At a Glance Chinese Dietetics in Practice Theory Practical Application of Chinese Dietetics Food Classification Skeletal Deficits in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel

Join

Full access? Get Clinical Tree