Product Description

Used as a reference by students of acupuncture, Healing with Whole Foods is an invaluable guide to the theory and practice of Chinese medicine. With facts about green foods such as spirulina and blue-green algae and information about the "regeneration diets" used by cancer patients and arthritics, it is also an accessible primer on nutrition—and a inspiring cookbook with more than 300 mostly vegetarian, nutrient-packed recipes.

The information on Chinese medicine is useful for helping to diagnose health imbalances, especially nascent illnesses. It's smartly paired with the whole-foods program: because the Chinese have attributed various health-balancing properties to foods, you can tailor your diet to help alleviate symptoms of illness. For example, Chinese medicine dictates that someone with low energy and a pale complexion (a yin deficiency) would benefit from avoiding bitter foods and increasing "sweet" foods such as soy, black sesame seeds, parsnips, rice, and oats. (Note that the Chinese definition of sweet foods is much different from the American one!)

Pitchford says in his dedication that he hopes the reader finds "healing, awareness, and peace" by following his program. The diet is certainly ascetic by American standards (no alcohol, caffeine, white flour, fried foods, or sugar, and a minimum of eggs and dairy) but the reasons he gives for avoiding these "negative energy" foods are compelling. From the adrenal damage imparted by coffee to the immune dysfunction brought on by excess refined sugar, Pitchford spurs you to rethink every dietary choice and its ultimate influence on your health. Without being alarmist, he offers dietary tips for protecting yourself against the dangers of modern life, including neutralizing damage from water fluoridation. There's further reading on food combining, female health, heart disease, pregnancy, fasting, and weight loss. Overall, this is a wonderful book for anyone who's serious about strengthening his or her body from the inside out.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4043 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-28
• Released on: 2003-02-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 784 pages

From Amazon.com
Used as a reference by students of acupuncture, this is a hefty, truly comprehensive guide to the theory and healing power of Chinese medicine. It's also a primer on nutrition--including facts about green foods, such as spirulina and blue-green algae, and the "regeneration diets" used by cancer patients and arthritics--along with an inspiring cookbook with more than 300 mostly vegetarian, nutrient-packed recipes.

The information on Chinese medicine is useful for helping to diagnose health imbalances, especially nascent illnesses. It's smartly paired with the whole-foods program because the Chinese have attributed various health-balancing properties to foods, so you can tailor your diet to help alleviate symptoms of illness. For example, Chinese medicine dictates that someone with low energy and a pale complexion (a yin deficiency) would benefit from avoiding bitter foods and increasing "sweet" foods such as soy, black sesame seeds, parsnips, rice, and oats. (Note that the Chinese definition of sweet foods is much different from the American one!)

Pitchford says in his dedication that he hopes the reader finds "healing, awareness, and peace" from following his program. The diet is certainly acetic by American standards (no alcohol, caffeine, white flour, fried foods, or sugar, and a minimum of eggs and dairy) but the reasons he gives for avoiding these "negative energy" foods are compelling. From the adrenal damage imparted by coffee to immune dysfunction brought on by excess refined sugar, Pitchford spurs you to rethink every dietary choice and its ultimate influence on your health. Without being alarmist, he adds dietary tips for protecting yourself against the dangers of modern life, including neutralizing damage from water fluoridation (thyroid and immune-system problems may result; fluoride is a carcinogen). There's further reading on food combining, female health, heart disease, pregnancy, fasting, and weight loss. Overall, this is a wonderful book for anyone who's serious about strengthening his or her body from the inside out. --Erica Jorgensen

Review
"Healing with Whole Foods contains a wealth of information on health, diet, alternative medicine, natural food presentation, and recipes, researched by an expert in the field. Readers will learn how to apply Chinese medicine and the five-element theory to a contemporary diet; treat illness and nervous disorders through diet; and make the transition to whole vegetable foods. The most detailed source book yet published on preparing food and eating consciously, Healing with Whole Foods includes complete sections on Ayurvedic principles of food—combining; the treatment of disease conditions through meals; transition from animal products to whole vegetable foods; micro-algae; selection of waters and salts; the extremely complex varieties of oils, sugars, and condiments; vitamins and minerals; fasting and purification; food for children, food presentation and proportions; vibrational cooking; the physiology of nourishment; color diagnosis and therapy; consciousness in diet changes; plus descriptions of the nature and uses of various grains, legumes, miso, tempeh, tofu, seaweeds, nuts and seeds, sprouts, and fruits. Also featured are sections on chutneys, relishes, pickles, different milks, rejuvelac, yogurt, salads, and desserts."
—Midwest Book Review

Ingram
In this book, healer, teacher, and nutrition researcher Paul Pitchford brings together Western nutritional science and Chinese medicine to create a comprehensive, one-volume diet resource. Valuable information on health, diet, alternative medicine, presentation and preparation of foods, and delicious recipes are provided. 77 line drawings. 56 charts.

Customer Reviews

healing with whole foods
If everyone in this country follows the suggestions about food and health in this book, I believe, there will be much fewer health problems in America.

As an organic integration of Chinese healing practice and western nutrition, this book provides one of the most systematic and comprehensive discussions of the relationship between food and health. Basically, there are three aspects I find most helpful about this book. First, the large scope it covers: from raw food to cooked food, from herbs to animal product, from water to minerals, from food combination to the art of chewing...the book explores these topics in an unhurried, sensible, and lucid manner. The analysis on each of the major foods near the end of the book is useful for the reader to select meal ingredients that can best help improve his/her health. Second, I like the "middle path" approach the author takes, without going to extremes with either his theory or practice. For instance, the author himself practises vegetarianism, as shown by some parts of the book, but he also acknowleges the effectiveness of meat in treating certain deficiencies. Third, I like its flexibility in tuning into each reader's different individual need and condition. For instance, raw vegetables and fruits may help the person who has "heat" signs, but may be too cooling for the person who feels cold constantly, especially in the colder season. So each person can use this book to fit his/her individual needs.

Because of my interest in food, health, and nutrition, I have read widely in these fields. But more often than not, I encounter books that take a narrow-minded, absolute, almost fanatic approach that makes you wonder what they are really selling. Paul Pitchford's book, however, impresses me as honest, intelligent advices given by a trusted friend, who has a full grasp of the eastern (mostly Chinese) food healing art, and discusses it from the perspective of western nutrition.

I only wish my copy of this book were a hard-cover so it probably could better withstand my frequent consulting (for almost three years).

Groundbreaking, here's why:
A very valuable book, as it summarizes and mixes the Western calorie-counting, "5g of iron per serving" nutritional knowledge with a more broad-view traditional medicine (east and west) perspective. No system is perfect, of course. Pitchford makes good use of each one's strengths. There's even a little spirituality in the mix, but it isn't offensive, it's welcome. Healing needs a little spirit.

Paul Pitchford seems like a good doctor. He's very knowledgeable, and yet teaches a balanced natural approach to health like that of the of the great past physicians (ancient or modern, east or west). His view on global issues and how they relate to individual choices put the work of healing in proper perspective. Despite being a bit of a "melting pot", this book is, in a word, GROUNDBREAKING.

Later authors will surely build on Pitchford's work, hopefully addressing some of its shortcomings. The author's style is pretty "wordy", (I'm guilty of this too) I suppose this is necessary to describe such foreign concepts as "sheng" "deficiency" etc, but it makes for pretty dense reading. Also, the long lists of foods, syndromes etc could be better organized on the pages, maybe with more headers or pictures. Some of his advice, especially the "hot and cold" potency of foods can contradict other authors and systems. This is confusing and it does not inspire confidence in that particular method of prescribing healing foods.

But this is still an excellent book, good for those thirsty for a balanced approach in this age of extremes.

Here's few other glowing comments:
-If you want to learn to be a healthy Vegan or Vegetarian, this book could help you very much.
-Gives the uneducated reader excellent tools with which to make their own "nature cure".
-De-emphasizes highly refined supplements and extracted nutrients and emphasizes whole foods, herbs and algaes. Refreshing in a world where almost everyone is trying to sell you something.

Good for your body, mind, and spirit

I found this book in a health food store together with "Can We Live 150 Year?" Since then I have gradually incorporated more and more of the knowledge and principles presented in both books into my lifestyle. I have learned how to properly combine, prepare and cook foods in a healthy way. I have become aware of the numerous toxins that we are all exposed to on a daily basis. I have cleansed my body and I have cleaned my environment and I continue to make more improvements as time goes on. I have used this book to learn basic understanding of energetic balances between my diet, my psyche, and my spirit. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in taking charge of their own life, spirituality, and health. The other book, "Can We Live 150", is a very important addition to this book. I think everybody should by them together, as I did, as they very much complement each other.