What is Warming Food?
To understand warming food, you first much understand some of the basics of Chinese food therapy.
In Eastern food therapy, the terms warming and cooling don’t necessarily refer to a food’s temperature or spiciness.
Instead, it refers to the food’s energy. In Chinese medicine, food energy is a very powerful tool.
In fact, Chinese medicine experts say food has the power to heal and harmonize the body, mind, and Qi (life force).
The theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine Food Therapy classify food into the categories of:
- Warming Food (Yang)
- Cooling Food (Yin)
- Neutral Food
In this article, we are going to discuss food in the warming category.
Food in the warming category helps balance the cold and sluggish.
For example, a warming diet:
- Tonifies Yang Qi
- Activates channels
A warming diet is especially helpful for pets suffering from:
- Yang Deficiency
- Qi Deficiency
- Cold bi (painful bi)
- Water/Earth Constitution Imbalances
- Excess Cold.
Use caution when feeding a warming diet to pets with Yin Deficiency and Excess Heat.
Food List
Meat & Dairy
- Chicken
- Venison
- Mutton
- Shrimp
- Lobster
- Beef Kidney
- Lamb Kidney
- Lamb Liver
- Chicken Egg Yolk
- Chicken Liver
- Ham
- Prawn
- Pheasant
- Goat Milk
Grains & Beans
- Oats
- White Rice
- Glutinous Rice
- Sorghum
- Broad Bean
Vegetables & Fruits
- Ginger
- Sweet Potato
- Pepper
- Peach
- Apricot
- Blackberry, Raspberry
- Sunflower Seed
- Cherry
- Chestnut
- Citrus, Tangerine
- Plum
- Coconut
- Walnut
Herbs
- Garlic
- Chives
- Coriander
- Horseradish
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Nutmeg
- Turmeric
- Thyme
- Mustard
- Fennel
- Clove
Others
- Olive Oil
- Vinegar
- Brown Sugar
Want to try cooking a neutral diet for your dog or cat?
Get Slow Cooker Recipes and Learn More About Food Therapy for Pets
