5 tips on HOW and WHAT to eat for a more beautiful you - The TCM way

Unless you were born with perfect skin, tender loving care is required to upkeep its condition and prevent it from premature aging. Slapping and piling on various expensive super-rich creams and serums with “results-promising” claims will not miraculously redeem the harm done to your skin if no effort was made to maintain its well-being. I strongly believe that beauty is from the inside out. Did you know you could actually eat your way to a more lustrous and healthier complexion? What, and more importantly, how to eat then?

7 to 9 am: Breakfast.

According to TCM, this period belongs to our Stomach Meridian. It is the best time for breakfast. You should not skip breakfast, but it does not mean that you can consume whatever you crave for. Breakfast is so termed because it is the first thing we take in after at least six hours of abstaining from food, therefore whatever goes in your mouth first thing in the morning would be most absorbed by the stomach. Choose oily stuff for the first meal of the day and you will soak up the maximum oil imaginable, and it will most likely be reflected outwardly on your skin. Oil ignites fire and might cause you to suffer from bad breath, ulcers, cracked lips, oily T-zone and scalp and even chronic acne problem. Cereal or whole grains are preferable, as they are easily digestible and kinder to your digestive system.

9 to 11 am: No food. Just sips of lukewarm water.

The Spleen Meridian governs this couple of hours. While your Spleen zang organ does its work of converting breakfast into nutrient and sustenance for your body, it is not recommended that you put a strain on it by wolfing down what was meant for the earlier 7 to 9 am period. TCM theory also infers that the condition of your skin reflects the state of your Spleen, so give it (and your Pancreas) a brief respite. Let your complexion be rejuvenated and allow your cells to be hydrated by drinking sips of lukewarm water.

11 am to 1 pm: No hot and spicy.

It is not recommended to “fire up” your Heart zang organ with hot and spicy food that “burns”. In addition, it is not advisable to exercise during this period as qi and blood “fills” the Heart Meridian at this time, risking the predicament of “blood not returning to the channels” when carrying out vigorous activities.

Lunch from 1 to 3pm.

The small intestine is a long and convoluted tube, part of the digestive system and it absorbs about 90% of the nutrient from the food you eat. In TCM, 1 to 3 pm is the Small intestines Meridian’s rule. In general, lunch should be relatively more substantial and wholesome than dinner, but 70% full should suffice. Less meat, more grains and vegetables.

If you are prone to water retention, refrain from gulping water from 9 to 11 pm.

You are what you eat, and in this case, how you eat as well. Be responsible for your body’s wellness and it will reward you with health and glow accordingly. Take heart!