Diet

Diet

When food and water enter the stomach, the turbid portion becomes waste and exits through the pylorus, traveling to the small and large intestines to form feces, ultimately being expelled through the anus. The clear portion, however, quickly transforms and rises to the lungs via the spleen. The purest and most refined part then spreads throughout the body via the lungs, becoming sweat and saliva, supporting blood circulation, boosting energy, and sustaining life. The clearer part of the clear portion enters the bladder to become urine, as described in Yu Tianmin's "Medical Canon" (1), which provides a very clear explanation of the digestive process of food and water. Therefore, we quote it in full. For indigestion, the blame lies with the spleen, and Liu Junzi Tang is the primary remedy. For water not being digested, the blame lies with the lungs, and Er Chen Tang combined with Fangji, Sangpi, Jiegeng, and Mutong is recommended. For diabetes, it is lung fire, so Ganlu Yin combined with flower pollen is recommended. For hunger, it is stomach fire, so Baihu Tang combined with Huanglian, Renshen, Zhike, Houpu, and Shengdi Huang is recommended. For drinking one and urinating two, it is lower-level diabetes, and Shenqi Wan is the primary remedy. For eating and immediately vomiting, it is heart fire, so Xie Xin Tang combined with ginger and bamboo sap is recommended. However, for those who rinse their mouths with water but do not wish to drink, it is often due to blood stasis in the meridians, so Siwu Tang combined with Honghua, Xu Tong, Ganqi, Bingpian, Congbai, and Taoren is recommended. For those who eat for a long time but end up vomiting or experiencing indigestion and subsequent diarrhea (2), it indicates that the spleen is not grinding food properly, so Liu Junzi Tang combined with Rou Dou Kou, Po Gu Zi, Wu Zhu Yu, and Wu Wei Zi is recommended.

The reason people can digest food and crave it is entirely due to the gastric juices in the stomach, as I have explained in detail in the general discussion. With gastric juices, food can be digested and ingested; without them, food stagnates and cannot be digested. Observing cases of food stagnation, where food is eaten and then vomited, with feces resembling sheep droppings, clearly shows that without gastric juices, food cannot be digested. Similarly, observing cases of locked-mouth dysentery, where the throat is dry and gastric juices are depleted, making it impossible to swallow food, also demonstrates that without gastric juices, food cannot be ingested. Dysentery with locked mouth will be discussed separately in the section on hematochezia. For cases of food not being digested and blood deficiency with depleted gastric juices, leading to a lack of appetite, Zuo Gui Yin combined with Tianhua Fen, Renshen, Yuzhu, Dangshen, Lianmi, Baishao, and Sesame is recommended.

Generally speaking, for ordinary people whose diet is disrupted, it is often due to cold invasion and internal leakage, which requires treatment with Lizhong Tang and Pingwei San to warm and dry the body. However, for those who have lost blood and whose diet is disrupted, it often leads to stagnation and heat buildup, resulting in hot hands and feet, dry mouth, reversed qi, and coughing. Using warming and drying medicines in such cases not only fails to digest food but also exacerbates the heat. Therefore, Xiao Chaihu Tang combined with Zhike, Houpu, and Dahuang is recommended, with lighter options like Laibozǐ and MaiYa, or adjustments to Yueju Wan.

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[Note]

(1) "Medical Canon": written by Yu Tianmin during the Ming Dynasty.

(2) Diarrhea: refers to loose stools containing undigested food residues.

When external pathogenic factors trigger illness, or when summer heat lingers into autumn, Qingzao Jiufei Tang should be used for treatment. If dryness is deeply embedded and causes hemoptysis in late autumn, Qingzao Jiufei Tang combined with Shengdi, A Jiao, and Bai Mao Gen is recommended. During autumn, when the air is crisp and the lungs are clear, if blood-deficient individuals have inherently weak lung qi and cannot adapt to the autumnal cooling, they may experience reverse qi and coughing, with blood accompanying the cough. In such cases, Baihe Gujin Tang combined with Xingren, Pipa Ye, and Wu Wei Zi can help consolidate the qi.

Winter is a season of closure, governed by kidney qi. As winter approaches, blood-deficient individuals experience a decline in yang qi. If kidney yin is insufficient and cannot seal the body, yang qi may escape and blood may move, so Du Qi Wan combined with Longgu, Mu Li, and A Jiao is recommended to contain the yang qi. If winter brings cold water and kidney yang is insufficient, water may rise and affect the heart and lungs, causing hemoptysis. In such cases, Zhenwu Tang combined with Ganjiang, Xixin, and Wu Wei Zi is recommended to warm and transform the qi.

[Commentary] Recurrent illnesses arise when the body's qi and blood are imbalanced, corresponding to seasonal imbalances. Spring illnesses affect the liver, summer illnesses affect the heart and Yangming, autumn illnesses affect the lungs, and winter illnesses affect the kidneys. Treatment should be tailored to the imbalance of each organ's qi, balancing yin and yang to resolve the illness.

When external wind meets internal heat, triggering coughing and bleeding, it is particularly easy to occur. Both patients and doctors need to manage this carefully to restore balance and rebuild the body. If illness occurs in autumn, it is often rooted in the lungs, and if the organ is not adequately nourished during the autumn season, it may relapse into dryness and coughing (1). In such cases, Qingzao Jiufei Tang combined with Shengdi and Pu Huang is recommended, or Ren Shen Xiefei Tang combined with Ziyuan, Danggui, and Pu Huang can also be used. Ge Kejiu TaiPing Wan not only nourishes lung yin but also clears wind-phlegm, making it an excellent remedy for lung problems. If lung qi is stagnant and not dispersed, wei yang cannot reach the surface, gastric juices do not descend, and skin and hair feel chilly while coughing occurs, Xiao Chaihu Tang combined with Jingjie, Fangfeng, Jiegeng, Xingren, Pu Huang, Sumu, Gualou Gen, Mai Dong, Sangpi, Chenpi, and Pipa Ye is recommended. For those whose lungs are invaded by cold wind and suffer from prolonged coughing, Qian Jin Mai Men Dong Tang is recommended, with Ma Huang crushed and roasted to dispel lingering cold, or TaiPing Wan can be heavily used with added peppermint, which also helps disperse the cold.

Winter is a season of water, governed by kidney qi. At this time, yin qi is solidified, while yang qi is hidden, and dragon and thunder do not occur. If yin qi is insufficient, yang qi will not be hidden, and since yang qi is now fully absorbed into the body, those with yin deficiency will experience increased internal heat. Combined with the influx of yang qi, the two types of heat will merge, resulting in a loss of the typical winter cold and heat characteristics. This is no different from having summer in winter, leading to forced blood movement and recurrence of illness. To address this, treatment should focus on nourishing kidney yin and releasing internal heat, allowing yin to solidify and yang to be concealed, thus restoring the true winter conditions and curing the illness. For those who have already experienced bleeding, Yu Nu Jian combined with Pu Huang, Danpi, and Sumu, followed by Da Bu Yin Wan and Liu Wei Wan, can help consolidate the effects. Before the illness recurs, use Mai Wei Di Huang Tang to nourish the kidneys. If yang qi is not contained, it's like three winters without snow, with thunder in December. To absorb yang qi, you can add Longgu and Mu Li, as I have explained in detail regarding the pulse, so please refer to that.

Everything has roots, and when the time comes, it will sprout. For blood loss, the root is blood stasis. Therefore, for those who experience recurrence, many cases involve hidden blood stasis, and when encountering seasonal changes or rainy weather, the heat may suddenly surge. In such cases, blood stasis is the underlying cause, so Xuefu Zhu Yu Tang combined with Ganqi and Taonu is recommended, or use Zhongjing's Dahuang E Chong Wan in small doses. It is important to understand this principle so that blood-related illnesses are not overlooked.

[Note] (1) Dryness and fatigue: refers to the dry climate in autumn, where dry heat damages the lungs, leading to dual damage to yin and yang. Symptoms include dry throat, dry cough without phlegm, and a red tongue without coating.

[Commentary] This article highlights the close relationship between the human body and nature by pointing out that blood-related illnesses recur in connection with seasonal climate changes. The author states, "The yin and yang of heaven determine human diseases; it is not heaven that makes people sick." This demonstrates the influence of nature on the body, which is fundamentally different from feudal superstition about the unity of heaven and man. Each season has specific factors that can trigger the recurrence of blood-related illnesses. For example, spring recurrences are often caused by excessive liver fire, so treatment should focus on reducing fire, using Xie Xin Tang-type remedies. Autumn recurrences are often due to inadequate lung qi, so treatment should focus on the lungs, using Ren Shen Xiefei Tang-type remedies. Winter recurrences are often caused by insufficient kidney water and rising yang qi, so treatment should focus on the kidneys, using Liu Wei Di Huang Wan and Da Bu Yin Wan-type remedies.