Meat, including chicken, is acidic and should not be eaten in excess; in excess, it can easily contribute to/exacerbate Damp-Heat, Qi stagnation, etc., in the body.
Slow cooking (chicken and meats) in a soup or boiling vs. grilling, broiling, or frying is easier to digest and creates less Yang energy which can be overheating and congesting.
I recommend chicken fairly often to clients with digestive issues and/or fatigue. In terms of TCM, this could be a Spleen or Kidney deficiency. Symptoms may include, muscle weakness, bloat/distention after eating, loose stools, pale tongue, chills, sallow complexion, poor appetite, edema, infertility, etc.
Even for new moms that are deficient and have had Blood loss, I recommend as little as 2 oz of meat (i.e., beef, dark meat chicken & duck, beef/chicken liver, etc.) 3x per week; this is, of course in tandem with other Spleen and Blood nourishing foods and herbs. I also suggest hormone-free, free-range, organic chicken.
𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲: Sweet
𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: Warm
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀: Spleen & Stomach, Kidneys (Flaws)
𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Upbearing
𝗧𝗖𝗠: Warms the Middle Burner, Nourishes the Spleen, Nourishes Qi, Blood, & Jing, Tonifies the Kidneys, Strengthens Tendons & Bones (Lu)
𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀: Protein, fat, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium, iron, magnesium
🐔Persistent illness, poor appetite - stewed chicken (add in astragalus and dang gui)
🐔Edema - stewed with red or adzuki beans
🐔Palpitations, dizziness, pale face, fatigue, muscle weakness, amenorrhea, weakness &/or lack of milk after childbirth (Qi & Blood deficiency) = boiled (simmer for a few hours) w/ dang gui & jujube dates
🐔Frequent urination, seminal emission, weak & painful knees, tinnitus (Kidney deficiency) = boiled with equal parts water & rice wine (Livingstone)
🐔Diabetes
🐔 Vaginal bleeding & discharge
🐔Rheumatism - boil 100 grams of pomegranate peel in water with chicken to make soup (Lu)
🐔Classic TCM soup for fatigue = prepare & cut the chicken into small pieces. Fry chicken in a pan, add a little vegetable oil & a few slices of ginger and continue to fry until cooked. Add 3 cups of water & ½ cup of rice wine & boil for 20 minutes. (Lu)
🐔Black boned chicken is considered the best energy tonic food (Lu)
🐔Chicken liver acts on the Liver & Kidneys = tonic = blurred vision, malnutrition in children, habitual miscarriage
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
🐔 Eating fatty chicken soup may cause diarrhea in those with indigestion or weak digestion.
🐔 Nitrogen compounds in chicken become soluble in soup (creatine, creatinine, & purine) = avoid with gout, gouty arthritis, and high uric acid (avoid drinking soup, eat only the chicken).
🐔 Avoid at the beginning of a cold.
