The Tzu Chi Free Clinic TCM department organized a “Health and Vegetarianism” talk on 22 March 2014, explaining the topic from both the standpoints of western nutritional science and the eastern approach to medicine（Photo by Pua Poo Toong）
“Is it hard to follow a vegetarian diet?” “Are vegetarian foods all bland?” “Will a vegetarian diet be lacking in nutrients?”
These questions are usually posed by those who are thinking of becoming vegetarians or who may already be vegetarians themselves, but still have misconceptions about the practice.
To educate the public about the benefits of a vegetarian diet, the Tzu Chi Free Clinic TCM department organized a “Health and Vegetarianism” talk on 22 March 2014. The topic was explained from both the standpoints of western nutritional science and the eastern approach to medicine, and with a cooking demonstration included as well, the point was brought home that a vegetarian diet can be healthy, appetizing and visually appealing. Due to enthusiastic signup, all seats were taken by second day of registration.
At two in the afternoon, 81 members of the audience gathered at the Tzu Chi Free Clinic's western medicine section. Nutritionist Shen Xin Yue started off by presenting statistics from the 2010 report of the World Cancer Research Fund that showed that an increase in fruit and vegetable intake together with a decreased consumption of meat, can lower the risk of developing some forms of cancer, especially colorectal cancer.
Shen explains that one should consume a variety of fresh and natural foods such as whole grains, beans, mushrooms, leafy vegetables and fruits as staples in order to ensure that a vegetarian diet can be sustained over the long term. Variety at mealtimes will ensure that one achieves a balanced diet. It is also important to avoid consumption of too much processed mock meats, fried or oily food, and to decrease the amounts of salt and sugar used in cooking. Shen also advised the audience to opt for healthy plant-based oils while lacto-ovo vegetarians should go for low fat products.
The next speaker TCM doctor Zhou Qi Shi, who 28 years of practice and 30 years of experience in the study and use of herbs shared with the audience the benefits of a vegetarian diet from the TCM perspective. Nowadays, many people have diets that consist of mostly meat and its derivatives, thus their bodies tend towards higher acid levels. It is also becoming more common for people to suffer from illnesses, the top three ailments being high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. On the other hand, vegetarians usually have more alkaline pH levels in their bodies, possess more stable metabolisms and do not become as easily sick.
Dr. Zhou explained the concept of the “four qualities, five flavours and five colours”as applied to vegetarian foods, whereby foods can be categorized according to their qualities, flavours and colours. For example, the four qualities refer to the cold, hot, warm and cool effects that the food we eat have on the body; the five flavours refer to the sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent taste of different foods, while their five colours—red, yellow, green, black and white, can act to specifically nourish the different organs in the body. He also mentioned the importance of a balanced diet and the negative consequences on the body resulting from consumption of a diet that is not in equilibrium in terms of the five flavours. Finally, Dr. Zhou shared two recipes with his audience—one to strengthen the “qi (vital energy)” of the body and nourish the blood, bones and back, and the other, to improve immunity and protect against cancer.
The last speaker to take the floor was culinary instructor Wu Hui Li. Wu has been a vegetarian for more than ten years and she promotes healthy vegetarian cooking with great enthusiasm. Emphasizing the point that serving up simple, delicious and healthy vegetarian meals is not a difficult task, she demonstrated on-site how to cook tasty dishes that are complete and varied in their range of colours, smells and tastes. The freshly cooked vegetarian soup and Huai Shan (Chinese yam) was later ladled out for the audience to sample. Wu hoped that everyone can go vegetarian and cultivate a heart of compassion as all creatures of creation are born equal. In addition, modern-day animal farming practices employs the use of growth hormones which are injected into animal bodies, thus the consumption of such meat is not healthy.
Member of the public Chen Rui Xiang felt that she learnt a lot from the talk. “In the past though I had seen some books (on the topic) and attended some classes, they had not made such a deep impact on me. Dr. Zhou went into great details in his talk, especially in the part where he exhorts us to pay attention to our nutritional intake of foods of the five colours as they have specific beneficial effects on our organs.” Chen notes that she can afford to improve upon her selection of foods of various colours and their culinary combinations so that she can eat more healthily and achieve a balanced nutritional intake.
Volunteer Luo Pei Qing is a vegetarian but thinks that this presents some difficulty in Singapore as vegetarian food stalls offer few varieties and the food neither looks nor tastes good. Sometimes, she would rather be flexible about her choices by consuming the non-meat items that have been cooked alongside meat products. After attending the talk however, she realized that it is not difficult to whip up tasty, healthy vegetarian dishes and is keen to start cooking for herself at home.
The TCM department at the Tzu Chi Free Clinic regularly holds talks of medical interest for the public and hopes that the “Health and Vegetarianism” talk can help to educate the public about the benefits of vegetarianism and allow volunteers to be more confident in sharing their knowledge with others. It is their hope that many more people will eventually adopt a vegetarian lifestyle.
Nutritionist Shen Xin Yue explains that one should consume a variety of fresh and natural foods such as whole grains, beans, mushrooms, leafy vegetables and fruits as staples in order to ensure that a balanced vegetarian diet can be sustained over the long term. (Photo by Pua Poo Toong)
TCM doctor Zhou Qi Shi, who 28 years of practice and 30 years of experience in the study and use of herbs shared with the audience the benefits of a vegetarian diet from the TCM perspective. (Photo by Pua Poo Toong)
Culinary instructor Wu Hui Li has been a vegetarian for more than ten years and demonstrated on-site how to cook simple and healthy dishes that are complete and varied in their range of colours, smells and tastes. (Photo by Pua Poo Toong)
Wu’s freshly cooked vegetarian soup and Huai Shan (Chinese yam) was ladled out for the audience to sample. (Photo by Pua Poo Toong)
Volunteer Luo Pei Yi used to think that following a vegetarian diet is difficult in Singapore but after the talk, her interest in cooking healthy and delicious vegetarian meals has been kindled. (Photo by Raymond Koh Fu Yuan)
Share 
