CAc Nutrition and Dietary Therapy in Chinese Medicine 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In TCM dietary therapy, which food is classically used to nourish Lung Yin and generate fluids for dry cough?
- Lamb
- Pear (Correct answer)
- Garlic
- Black pepper
Correct answer: Pear
Pears are classified as cooling and moistening in TCM, making them ideal for nourishing Lung Yin and generating fluids, particularly for dry cough or thirst from dryness.
Question 2: Which Five Element correspondence correctly pairs the bitter taste with its organ system?
- Lung and Large Intestine
- Spleen and Stomach
- Heart and Small Intestine (Correct answer)
- Kidney and Urinary Bladder
Correct answer: Heart and Small Intestine
In Five Element theory, the bitter taste corresponds to the Fire element and its associated organ pair, the Heart and Small Intestine.
Question 3: A patient with Phlegm-Damp accumulation should be advised to limit which category of food?
- Lightly cooked vegetables
- Lean proteins like fish and chicken
- Dairy products and greasy or fatty foods (Correct answer)
- Whole grains and legumes
Correct answer: Dairy products and greasy or fatty foods
Dairy and fatty/greasy foods are known in TCM to generate Phlegm and Dampness by obstructing the Spleen's transforming function.
Question 4: According to TCM, which dietary choice would WORSEN a Blood stasis pattern?
- Hawthorn berries (Shan Zha)
- Turmeric added to meals
- Excessive consumption of cold and stagnating foods (Correct answer)
- Black fungus (Mu Er)
Correct answer: Excessive consumption of cold and stagnating foods
Cold foods cause Qi and Blood to stagnate further; moving and warming foods are preferred for Blood stasis patterns to promote circulation.
Question 5: In TCM, the pungent/acrid taste is associated with which organ system and primary action?
- Liver; softening hardness
- Lung and Large Intestine; dispersing and moving Qi (Correct answer)
- Spleen and Stomach; tonifying Qi
- Heart; calming Shen
Correct answer: Lung and Large Intestine; dispersing and moving Qi
The pungent/acrid taste corresponds to the Lung and Large Intestine in the Metal element and has a dispersing, moving action on Qi and Blood.
Question 6: Which dietary approach best supports a patient with both Qi and Blood deficiency according to TCM?
- Intermittent fasting with cold smoothies
- Regular warm meals with blood-building foods like dark leafy greens, red dates, and bone broth (Correct answer)
- High-fiber raw diet with minimal protein
- Elimination of all grains and cooked foods
Correct answer: Regular warm meals with blood-building foods like dark leafy greens, red dates, and bone broth
Regular, warm, nourishing meals with blood-building foods like dark leafy greens, red dates (Da Zao), and bone broth support both Qi and Blood production.
Question 7: When counseling a patient with Stomach Heat, which food should the acupuncturist advise them to AVOID?
- Mung bean soup
- Tofu
- Spicy chili peppers and alcohol (Correct answer)
- Steamed fish with ginger
Correct answer: Spicy chili peppers and alcohol
Spicy foods and alcohol generate Heat and worsen Stomach Heat patterns, causing symptoms like burning epigastric pain, thirst, and foul breath.
CAc Nutrition and Dietary Therapy in Chinese Medicine 2
In TCM dietary therapy, which food is classically used to nourish Lung Yin and generate fluids for dry cough?