Ideas, theories, trends and science around nutrition are continually changing to sell the next fad. One kind of diet will always remain constant - focus on seasonal, local, whole, unprocessed foods, vegetables, fruit and not over eating. Stick to a weekly calorie budget - if you overeat on one day, under eat on another to stay within your calorie range. 

 

A high proportion of a raw foods that includes bitter, high moisture content, and cooling fruits and vegetables can be useful.     Smaller meals and vegetarian meals can be helpful. Aim for 9 servings a day of fruit and vegetables. Supplementation with fiber may be useful. Short cooking times, stir frying, and more liquids in general can be consumed. This is the one therapeutic diet where smoothies - especially vegetable heavy - may be consumed. Also juiced vegetables can be consumed. Over eating will make this condition worse. A mindfulness practice like setting your fork down between bites can help.

 

Therapeutic foods:  Bitter greens, celery, spinach, chard, cucumber, lettuce, radish (daikon), asparagus, eggplant, cabbage, tomato, broccoli (all brassicas), zucchini, apple, pear, watermelon, bitter melon, millet, barley, whole wheat, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, yoghurt, bean sprouts, chia seeds, sea vegetables, crab. Fermented foods at meal time can help if you suffer from indigestion, burping, or flatulence.

•Stomach heat: mucilaginous foods like porridges made from oats, rice, barley, millet, banana, avocado, cucumber, spinach, lettuce, arugula, watercress, juiced cabbage, tofu, soy milk, yoghurt

•Liver heat: radicchio, dandelion greens, mints, mung beans and sprouts, celery, radish (daikon), sea vegetables, cucumber, millet, tofu, persimmon

•Lung Heat: apple, pear, daikon, lemon, carrot, pumpkin, white mushrooms, cabbage cauliflower

•Blood heat: eggplant, radicchio, spinach, chard, celery, lettuce, olive, prunes, sun chokes, chia seeds, pearl barley, sea vegetables

 

Restrict or avoid: BBQ, deep frying, or roasting foods. Hot spices like chilies, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, garlic, etc. Coffee, chocolate, red meat (especially lamb), chicken, prawns & shrimp, alcohol, cheese, eggs, peanuts, excessive salt. Use sparingly vinegar, better to substitute with a sour fruit like lemon or lime.

 

Example meal: Salad Nicoise with addition of bitter greens like arugula, radicchio, or endive, substitute sun chokes for potatoes