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.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter is the season of the Kidneys. The Kidneys are at their most vulnerable this time of year so it is the perfect time to nourish them. Here are four herbs to Tonify the Kidneys.

Walnut - Especially good for cold and weak back and knees. Also good for frequent urination, coughs/wheezing that is worse with exertion, and constipation. Note that eating in excess may cause canker sores.
Ashwagandha - Normalizes hormones including thyroid, testes, and adrenal glands. Also helps with anxiety, fatigue, muddled thinking, stress, low libido, lowers Blood sugar, insomnia, etc. A calming adaptogen. Note that it takes about a month to build up in your system so the effects of this herb won’t generally be noticed for a while.
Fenugreek - Especially useful when there is coldness in the body from a weakness of the Kidneys such as abdominal coldness and pain, pain and cold sensations in the knees and feet. Also helpful for fevers, asthma, emphysema, hernial pain, nervous exhaustion, anemia, and pain in the testicles. Note that it should not be taken during pregnancy.
Damiana - A Kidney tonic especially useful for decreased libido and impotence. Also used as an aphrodisiac. A nervine and mild antidepressant per David Winston it is useful for elderly people with mild depression. Note that this should not be taken during pregnancy.