Chinese Dietary Therapy for Emotional Blockages and Stress

3. Chinese Dietary Therapy for Emotional Blockages, Depression and Stress

“Liver Qi Stagnation” is the Chinese term for blockages and constriction of Liver energy (Qi). It refers to blockages in the “Emotional Metabolism” which is embodied in Chinese Medicine by the human organs of Liver and Gall bladder.

In terms of modern medicine there are many syndromes resulting from Liver Qi Stagnation including :

Fibrocystic diseases, menstrual cramps, PMS cramps, depression, indigestion and stress.

If Liver Qi “invades” the digestive system there will be digestive problems such as vomiting, nausea, sour regurgitation, heart burn, bloating, abdominal gas and diarrhoea, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, diabetes and stomach ulcer. Other syndromes may include: bipolarity (depression alterating to mania), facial ticks, weight changes, migraine headache, trigeminal neuralgia and all of the one-sided phenomenas affecting the upper body such as Bell’s Palsy (facial paralysis), CVA (stroke) and many others.

Although the digestive system is compromised, the root of the problem is disorders in Liver Qi.

The therapeutic principle will dissolve stagnant Qi and soothe the Liver. The source of this syndrome is emotional, and a wrong diet will typically cause worsening of the symptoms. So nutrition is not the main healing method here, but it helps the main treatment done by Chinese Herbal Medicine, changes in lifestyle and Acupuncture.

However, dietary adjustments will prevent the problem from growing and wil contribute to the process of healing.

To soothe the Liver, there is an emphasis on avoiding food that "upsets" the Liver.

This includes alcohol, coffee, very spicy food, fatty red meat, fats, white sugar, candies and sweets, chemicals and drugs such as medications, food additives and preservatives. It is very important also to avoid eating to excess in general because it may cause Liver problems. This is true for all qualities of food, although food that is heavy and fatty is much more harmful than light non-fat foods.

Soothing foods that act directly on the Liver are turkey liver (stronger) and/or chicken liver, black sesame, celery, lettuce, broccoli, sea-weed, strawberries, snails, molluscs and plums. Since the intention is to disperse the stagnant Liver Qi, which causes swelling, lumps and pain, you should eat food that moves or stimulates energy.

Many of these kinds of foods are spices and one should not eat too much of them, otherwise they will continue to damage the Liver.

Foods that stimulate the Qi are basil, beets, black pepper, cabbage, dill seeds, garlic, fresh ginger, kohlrabi, leeks, lychees, marjoram, peach, rosemary, turmeric and green onions.

Many people with Liver Qi Stagnation tend to eat large amounts of garlic, red pepper or chili peppers or Japanese Wasabi (horseradish) because all of these condiments strongly cause movement of Qi. Remember that if using too much of spicy foods, it may be harmful and may exacerbates the problem. The same warning applies to alcohol consumption.

4. Press here for Chinese nutritional guide for strengthening the Kidneys System

It is important to mention that the information offered in this website is not a substitute for a full face to face diagnosis done at the clinic of Effi Kfir L.Ac. A full body diagnosis is a very special process and its findings may prevent, if treated right away, many problems evolving along one's life if not treated now.

The diagnosis is very personal and unique to every person, each with his own private history and habits. Only after the diagnosing process is completed can the treatment with Acupuncture, chinese herbs, chinese diet and changes in lifestyle be determined and employed successfully.

As a service to the community, Effi Kfir L.Ac is giving a free of charge, special preventative treatment against CVA (Stroke) to anyone of his patients, regardless of the problem they come to treat.

Effi Kfir L.Ac will be happy to share with you his vast International clinical experience as well as his life experience while listening fully with his ears and heart to your health needs.

For appointments or for an initial consultation please call 054-4804538 and startfeeling better today!

Effi Kfir L.Ac – All rights reserved

Mobile – 054-4804538
Email - effi@kfir.net

Website - www.kfir.net

Professional Background

About Me

I was born in Israel, in the city of Tel Aviv, where I was raised and educated. I served in the army in the Nachal unit as a tank commander and studied in Tel Aviv University at the Social Science Faculty, receiving a B.A. degree in Economics and Accounting.

During my studies I established a company for T.V. and Film Productions and in the next few years I took part in some feature films, T.V. news, and documentaries in Israel and Europe. Within that exciting period I became very interested in other cultures. Eventually I went for a 2 years journey to South East Asia and Australia. The Asian part of the journey went through India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and Japan. It was a very special, free and educating period of time for me in which people from different walks of life shared their humanity and experiences with the strange and curious traveler that I was (and probably still am...). One of those "coincidences" was meeting with Dr. Yoshiharu Ikeda in Shodo Shima (an island off the Japanese Sea and Shikoku). Dr. Ikeda is a veteran practitioner of Chinese Medicine. He became the sole responsible for my unexpected exposure to Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at his home.

That meeting was rather dramatic by its effect and led to a few major events in the years that followed. First, 4 years of studying Chinese Medicine in San Francisco at "ACTCM" - "The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine", where I’d completed a Master Program of Traditional Chinese Medicine (while working for a living as a diamond dealer...). The college, probably one of the best in the nation, had given us a very deep level of qualification in Acupuncture, but mainly in the much more sophisticated field of Chinese Herbal medicine.

After passing the Californian State Board Exam I received the Californian Physician’s license. Soon after, I passed the exam of "NCCAOM" - "The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine", and received a practitioner’s license Dipl. Ac in another 30 States in the U.S.

I felt that the end of formal studies in San Francisco, including 4 years of working with patients at the college public clinic, was only the beginning. It had called for more experience. So the natural move was to go to China and Japan for a specialization period of almost a year on the treatment of Internal Medicine disorders and with a special emphasize on Gynecological and Obstetric problems . The training occurred at two hospitals in China and one in Japan. In China, at the Chengdu #1 Hospital in the south - where the treatment consists mainly of Chinese Herbal Medicine & at the Tian Jin #1 Hospital in the north, near Beijing - where the treatment is based on Acupuncture (in the emergency rooms as well). In Japan it was the Tsukuba Hospital near Tokyo. There the treatment is given traditionally by blind doctors and is based on Japanese Medicine.

The exposure to the clinics at these three hospitals, treating so many patients with Chinese Medicine (1,700 beds in Chengdu #1 Hospital...) contributed greatly to my confidence in the qualities and scope of Chinese Medicine and to my expertise as a practitioner. Press here to see the Photo Gallery.

To seal off the qualification and learning period I finally went back to the island of Shodo Shima to study the unique Japanese Acupuncture techniques under the personal guidance of Dr. Ikeda... yes, the same one whom it had all begun with 5 years earlier at his home. These Japanese techniques differ very much from the stronger Chinese style Acupuncture. The Japanese, being smaller in size and relatively delicate people, developed a very gentle, pain-free and yet very powerful needling style, which I respect and use frequently.

After all that massive training period I was ready to work on my own at last. So I went back to California and started to work as a physician at the "ACTCM" public clinic in San Francisco. But the wish to share all that great knowledge and experience in my homeland got the upper hand. I decided to get back to Israel after years abroad. I’d established my clinic in Tel Aviv and started teaching Chinese Medicine at a local College and at a special course of Chinese Medicine for M.D. doctors given by the Bar-Ilan University. A year later, the need for a Hebrew textbook had pushed me to write and publish the book "Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine - Materia Medica" which is used as a textbook but also is welcomed by the general public. Later, I worked at the Tel Aviv Ichilov Hospital in the Department of Complimentary Medicine, known as "MALRAM". Press here to see Magazine Clips.

After a few years, I lived for a while at Moshav Sede Eliezer in the Upper Galilee near Rosh Pinna and established the second clinic in the Galilee. Not long after, I published my second book "Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine - Formulas" which is used as an advanced textbook by students and practitioners. The 2 books are sold by Amazon after they were accepted as the second Hebrew books to be sold there (after the Bible...). During the year 2014 these 2 books will be offered to practitioners and the general public in a digital app version.

The time had called for another big trip. I had started from France and down to the Basque Country in Spain and later to Portugal. The idea was to go from the colonial states and arrive in the "New World" - The South American continent, by the sail. This did not work out because I had not found the right sailboat in Tenerife where I had arrived mainly for this purpose. Instead I had taken a flight directly to Buenos Aires, Argentina. From there mainly by buses to Ushuaia at the tip of the continent and then to Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Panama.

After a few more years of working in my Tel Aviv clinic, I had taken on along a few years to work as a Chinese Medical International Specialist aboard 3 American Cruise Ships. The Celebrity "Solstice", The Royal Caribbean "Liberty of the Seas" and the Celebrity "Summit". This was a most demanding practice. I had treated guests, staff and crew from over 70 different nationalities for various conditions with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. If you wish to learn more about my life aboard the cruise ships, behind the scenes of the glamorous front, please press here and read my telenovela "Solstice my Love".

This period was by far a very interesting one and extremely challenging. To this day I keep receiving thank you letters and very positive testimonials from people I had treated onboard. They are to be seen at my clinic upon request. Press here to see onboard patients' Testimonials.

Back from the stormy oceans to Israel I practice now at my clinic in the heart of Tel Aviv close to Ichilov Hospital and Weitzman City Mall.

On this informative website you'll find a few common clinical problems and the unique Chinese medical view about them. The medical issues discussed are under the section of Syndromes. You may also find some very Useful Tips.

It is important to mention that the information offered in this website is not a substitute for a full face to face diagnosis done at a clinic of Effi Kfir L.Ac. A full body diagnosis is a very special process and its findings may prevent if treated right away many problems along one's life. The Diagnosis is very personal and unique to every person with his own private history and habits. Only after the diagnosing process is completed the treatment with Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Chinese Diet and Changes in Lifestyle can be determined and employed successfully.

As a service to the community Effi Kfir L.Ac is giving a special preventative treatment against CVA (Stroke) to anyone of his patients, regardless of the problem they come to treat.

Effi Kfir L.Ac will be happy to share with you his vast International clinical experience as well as his life experience while listening fully with his ears and heart to your health needs.

For appointments or for an initial consultation please call 054-4804538 and start feeling better today!

Email: effi@kfir.net

Website: www.kfir.net