Hi! Someone asked this in class and you requested that it be put on ask the professor and you could answer it here and put up some links and info, so I am re-asking it because I am interested as well. Thank you! Jessa

Andrew said: I would love to be able to go into this topic in more detail but it is quite a large subject! In general, the concept is to use treatments that move excess. For example, exercise moves excess and is quite important for excess types (possibly even more important than diet!). However, the type of exercise depends upon where the excess is. For example, if the yang/excess/fire is stuck in the head (sinus congestion, phlegm in the chest with cough, red eyes etc) doing handstands and shoulder strengthening is contraindicated. In this case the exercise would emphasize working the legs to descend the energy. If the excess is in the GI tract (gas, bloating, cramps, constipation etc) there is emphasis on twisting and abdominal work. Much of this is the foundation of qi gong/yoga theory. If you are interested in this topic you could look into yoga therapy books. Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming has a great book entitled The Root of Chinese Qigong. As far as nutrition goes, it would be best to look for a textbook on the subject. In general, if a person has a lot of excess the goal might be to slightly reduce calorie consumption unless they are underweight. The idea is to not put more into the body but to rest the GI and allow the body to process the excess. The types of foods selected are to help move the excess out of the body (via stool, urine, sweat etc). There are lists of foods that are specific to each pattern. Look for a post on "ask the professor"; I responded to Zaki and listed a few books that are useful. Here is a web page to get you started: https://www.easterncurrents.ca/for-practitioners/practitioners%27-news/eastern-currents-news/2015/08/26/dietary-nutritional-guidelines-from-the-tcm-perspective. Remember, it still comes down to pattern differentiation! Foods that move liver qi stagnation are not the same as those that cool and descend stomach fire, both of which are yang/excess-type patterns.