Two of the main diseases in which we have seen an enormous rise in recent decades are cancer and heart disease. The idea has been fairly accepted that a low fat and low cholesterol diet are optimal in helping to reduce the risks of these diseases. There are varying theories and philosophies that have lead to a trend towards vegetarian diets. But certainly the benefit of lowering the fat intake is often a big justification for its benefits. Many people think that the closer they are to being a vegetarian, the more optimal their diet. Also, there is an idea that fruits and vegetables are "natural" so the more one eats, the better. After an extensive exposure to the western holistic health ideas, and then, for the past several decades studying Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), I have come to some rather different conclusions.
One of the main problems I see in the vegetarian trend is the lack of understanding what we refer to in TCM as "yin" and "yang" energy. It seems to be addressed in passing as an important goal towards harmony in the body. But the true meaning of these words and the application to food properties seems misunderstood. The increase in large amounts of toxins and air pollution in our environment leads many to the conclusion that meats in the diet are bad due to the additives, etc. Although I do not want to argue that these processes and additives meats undergo are not harmful, an assessment needs to be taken on "risks" and "benefits". I think it is much more optimal to find sources of fresh "natural grown" meats. But if it is unavailable in an area or inaccessible to a family due to the higher prices, I feel it is still much better to eat commercial meat than to eat a vegetarian diet.
In Chinese medicine -- with its very extensive theories, and thousands of years of trial and error -- we see that a diet absent of all meats is far too low in what we call "yang energy". This may be related to the levels of B-12 and iron of which most vegetarians seem to receive an insufficient supply. In Chinese medicine we observe that many people live active lives in our modern society -- working hard, studying, caring for children, and exercise -- all these activities use up a large amount of yang energy. But if a person chooses a diet which does not include meats, then they are not putting in as much yang energy as they are using up each day. Therefore, they depend on what we call the "reserve" of yang energy in the body. For optimal health the reserve is best used in later years of life -- sixties, seventies, or eighties, etc. The digestion may be getting too weak to absorb a lot of the food we eat. If it is used by our daily activities at a young age, then the reserve gets weaker and weaker. Often vegetarians do not notice symptoms that we associate with this -- low energy, low resistance, difficulty concentrating, digestive problems, weak connective tissues, and others -- until they have been a vegetarian (or low meat eater) for a prolonged period of time. Therefore, it is seldom associated with the diet change that may have occurred many years previously. This makes it difficult for many vegetarians to accept this premise.
Most people report feeling "lighter" on a vegetarian diet, therefore it must be better for their life. When the digestive system is weaker from illness, aging, poor diet, genetics, or life style, people feel heavier after they eat. This especially occurs with meats and fatty foods. With Chinese medical treatment and/or dietary therapy, this can often be greatly decreased. A person can then eat a more varied and "balanced" diet and feel vibrant. The digestion needs strengthening. Then the patient should choose a more balanced diet.
There is an issue that most people who do not eat meats for a long period of time lose the enzymes to digest them. The thought or smell are often repulsive. This type of patient would need to have a very slow re-introduction to these foods before the body can accept an average portion without digestive difficulties.
The typical American diet has been far too high in meats and fats. We do not need meals of fifteen ounce prime rib at one sitting. But, at the other end, grains and vegetables do not fulfill all of our bodies' needs and demands. Many vegetarians will often eat very large amounts of fats/dairy products, etc. My idea on that is that it is better to get the fats one does ingest more from the animal meats -- eaten as lean as possible -- and cut down on the fats of cheeses, butter, and desserts. If balanced properly one could eat much less fat than many "average" vegetarians with eating lean meats that supply a lot of the other nutrients -- and yang energy -- that our bodies need.
There are many meats to choose from, and a variety is probably optimal. The amounts of yang energy varies in different meats. The least amounts of yang energy is usually found in fish, then progressing upwards is chicken, pork, beef, lamb, with wild meats being the highest. The amount someone needs varies with constitution and life style (sedentary vs. active). But the main premise is that the need is there. It is there a lot more than many modern "health trend" people believe.
It seems that many people -- especially easy to see in California -- are trying very hard to be "healthy". Often people have a belief that the closer they are to vegetarian, the more healthy of life-style they are leading. In TCM, this theory is not accepted. This is not to profess that a heart patient should have advocated a very high red meat diet. This is more to say that in evaluating a low fat diet one should consider these other factors and various other ways to cut out fats. From my experience with diet and treatment in TCM the theories of yin and yang are quite well-founded, extensively tried, and growing more acceptable by people who have experienced the benefits of treatment. This piece of information, however, is still far under publicized.
The theory of yin and yang also penetrates many other thoughts expounded by TCM. For the most part fruits and vegetables are considered to be very yin -- they are full of water. Therefore eating excessive amounts of them, especially, raw, can damage the yang energy. Lightly cooked vegetables -- and even adding a little fresh ginger, which has warming qualities, is better for more optimal health. Many profess that the vitamins are lost with cooking. A very quick cooking process, as lightly steaming or a light stir fry can break down the food just enough for easier digestion with out a large vitamin loss. In TCM it is said that the fire is yang, and when added to the yin of the produce, creates more of a balance. One could think of it as helping your stomach not have to "do the cooking". Many people get has and/or loose stools from excessive raw produce, especially elderly people whose digestion are often already weak. I have heard it called a "cleansing process". Cleansing, however, can also be weakening. We do not always want to be cleansing our bodies -- especially at the expense of what TCM calls the "true energy".
There is a wide acceptance among "health conscious" people that onions and garlic are almost a panacea of foods. They are said to be "natural" antibiotics. My response to patients is this, "I have a shelf full of 'natural' (herbal) antibiotics. I do not usually use them to prevent infection before it has occurred." They have cold property to fight the heat (infection). They can create what we call in TCM a "pathogenic wetness" ... essentially fluids that are not doing what they are supposed to do. They can create gas, bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, mucous, yeast, and many other more serious diseases with the passage of time. Therefore, based on TCM the advice on this matter is to largely avoid antibiotics (even "natural" ones) when there is no infection to treat.
TCM also advises patients to avoid excesses of cold foods and drinks. This is especially true when there is not extremely hot weather conditions. Again, this depresses the yang energy of the body slightly each time. The body is usually at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. If one ingests 40 degree water it takes a lot of energy from the body to bring it to bady temperature. I once was an asthma patient who followed this advice. She usually refrained from ingesting cold things. When she did take cold drinks (and could then isolate the incident) she reported feeling a large increase in chest tightness. Many people find frozen yogurt, with its low fat content to be a great alternative to ice cream. There is still the coldness, however. It should not be seen as a great "low calorie" option for lunch. Unless the weather is extremely hot, taking it only occaisionally along with a hot drink is optimal.
The theory in TCM of bodies having or creating "pathogenic wetness" can be tied to some dietary ideas. There are foods that are seen as creating excessive amounts of "wetness" in the body, which can congest and create "wet heat" (infection) -- which can, over prolonged periods, turn to roxin. Depending on how strong the toxins are, they can create tumors and other health threats. Following is a partial list of foods that are best ingested in moderation and are seen in TCM to create excessive wetness, wet heat, or toxins. This is true for "optimal health" or to aid in the treatment of various diseases:
It is, by now, clear that many of the ideas presented here are in conflict with what the new wave "health conscious" people believe. That is precisely why it seems so urgent to express this perspective, which has come out of trial and error of thousands of years of Chinese Medical theory. When presented to new patients of TCM this often seems like a big change of thinking to actually grasp the theories of "yin" and "yang" in their true sense in Chinese Medicine. However, when a patient gives Chinese Medical treatment a fair chance under careful guidance of a skilled practitioner, these ideas often begin to ring more thruth. Very frequently the patients experience such positive results from their treatment that it becomes easier to accept that these theories are well founded.