Understanding the Energetics of CBD & Mushrooms

Have you ever wondered what it means when someone says a food or supplement is ‘too warming’ or ‘too cooling’ for your dog? If so, you’re not alone! In this blog, we’ll explore the concept of Chinese food energetics and their role in supporting pet health, with a focus on Full Spectrum Hemp Extract, medicinal mushrooms, and other beneficial herbs.

What is TCVM?

TCVM, or Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, is a practice that relies on the expertise of practitioners who use energetics to guide the selection of food and other supplements. While TCVM is often associated with acupuncture and tui na, its true power lies in understanding how substances affect the body on a deeper level than just chemical reactions.

This includes observing how food impacts all bodily functions and behavior. You’d expect spicy food like pepper to make you sweat when you eat it, or a watermelon would cool you off on a hot day. This is a very basic example of food energetics.

A Quick Look At Food Energetics

All food, whether it be meat, vegetables, grains, herbs, or mushrooms, has an energetic quality to it. Here’s a short list of some common food energetics:

Cooling:

• Rabbit
• Cucumber
• Cannabis
• Lavender

Neutral:

• Pork
• Sweet Potato
• Rice
• Arnica

Warming:

• Lamb
• Cherry
• Kale
• Frankincense

This is just the tip of the iceberg, however. These substances all have additional energetic properties that give them more complexity. For example, Frankincense is considered a warming herb. Still, it also has unique properties such as circulating blood, drying dampness (think hot spots and eye goop), and dispersing wind (wind is harmful and is a co-factor in disease).

This also goes for tumeric, which is considered warming even from an outside and fundamental perspective. However, turmeric also has most of these secondary properties (circulating blood and dispersing wind). So, looking at a substance from a warming/cooling perspective is not enough. 

Energetics of Full Spectrum Hemp Extract

When discussing energetics of cannabis from a TCVM perspective, we consider cannabis to be a neutral-cooling herb. Interestingly, initially cannabis can be warming to the body, but over time actually has a net cooling effect.

FSHE’ strong anti-inflammatory properties make it an excellent dispeller of heat within the body. Other properties include nourishing and moistening the intestine, nourishing Yin, consolidating spleen qi, and promoting the healing of sores.

Another beneficial aspect of FSHE is its impact on yin and blood. FSHE CBD oil contains amino acids and naturally occurring nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, C, and E, B-complex vitamins, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and beta-carotene. These nutrients directly support yin and blood, promoting overall health, healthy tissue formation, and strong nails and coat—all of which are connected to a balanced state of yin and blood.

Just as different parts of an animal yield different energetics (beef liver is neutral but beef kidney is warming, etc), different parts of cannabis also change in their energetics. The hemp seed is considered cooling and drying, while high THC flower is considered warming. When considering FSHE CBD, the cooling aspect is still the main energetic component. However, since THC tends to be warming, a higher THC content in a Full Spectrum Hemp Extract may balance the formula and make it more neutral overall.

This is just another example of the complexity of TCVM and why sticking to basic “warming/cooling” principles is not a thorough way to choose what herb to give your pet. Cannabis’ special/secondary properties are incredibly beneficial when considering an imbalanced animal, as these properties are all extremely beneficial for almost any animal. 

It is worth noting that just because cannabis is cooling does not mean it doesn’t need to be balanced. Chronic consumption of pure cannabis can be overly cooling and drying by itself, so balancing the FSHE CBD with complementary adaptogens and mushrooms is key to finding the perfect balance of energetics for your pet. Consider our EASE CBD oil to be a more balanced option, or pair our HEAL CBD oil with Vitality for a nicely balanced combo of both warming and cooling herbs, medicinal mushrooms and adaptogens.

The Energetics of Medicinal Mushrooms

Mushrooms have their own set of energetics, and cannot be lumped in to one category of energetics. Here’s a basic list of the most common medicinal mushrooms and their energetic properties, as well as their special/secondary properties:

• Lion’s Mane – Neutral – neuroprotective, nourishes heart, spleen, stomach
• Maiitake – Neutral – replenishes spleen qi, drains dampness, tonifies the liver and kidneys, disperses heat, calms the mind
• Shiitake – Neutral – replenishes Qi, nourishes blood, dissolves dampness and mucus
• Reishi – Neutral – nourishes heart, lung, liver, neuroprotective
• Oyster – Warm – Resolves dampness, replenishes spleen qi, drain moisture, eliminate wind chill
• Cordyceps – Warm – replenishes kidney yang, transforms mucus, nourishes kidneys, calms the mind
• Chaga – Warm – nourishes liver, kidneys, heart, transforms mucus, revives blood, calms the mind
• Turkey Tail – Cooling – Drying, nourishes  liver, lung, spleen
• Button – Cool – Clears heat, resolves phlegm

Our Fave Herbs & Adaptogens and Their Energetics

Some of our favorite herbs and adaptogens, and their primary and secondary energetics.

• Ashwagandha – Warm – Tonifies Qi, Tonifies Wei Qi, Tonifies Lung Qi, Tonifies Spleen, Tonifies Jing, Calms Shen
• Astragalus – Warm – Major Qi Tonic, Tonifies the Spleen, Raises Yang Qi of the Spleen and Stomach, Tonifies Qi and Blood, Regulates Fluid Metabolism, Promotes Discharge of Pus, Generates Flesh
• Rhodiola – Cool – Clears Heat, Nourishes Lung Yin, Tonifies Lung Qi, Tonifies Spleen Qi, Tonifies the Kidney, SupportsYang, Moves Blood, Clears Channels, Stops Bleeding, Nourishes the Heart, Calms Shen
• Bacopa Monieri – Cool – Clears Heat, Dries Damp, Purifies Blood, Cools Blood, Stops Bleeding
• Lavender – Cool – Clears Heat, Expels Toxicity, Expels Wind, Relieves Itching, Reduces Inflammation, Circulates Q
• Frankincense – Warm –  Moves Qi, Invigorates Blood, Prevents Stagnation, Relaxes the Sinews, Reduces Swelling, Generates Flesh
• Turmeric – Warm – Moves Blood, Breaks up Blood Stasis, Dissolves Accumulations, Alleviates Pain.
• Jiang Huang – Invigorates Blood, Promotes Movement of Qi, Relieves Pain, Expels Wind, Moves Blood, Breaks up Blood Stasis, Moves Qi, Alleviates Pain, Dissolves Accumulations, Relieves Pain.

Balancing Energetics in Formulas

Even if your pet is considered ‘hot’, certain herbs and fungi can still be beneficial. When considering the overall effect of everything you give your pet, some herbs that may seem ‘unsuitable’ may actually be very helpful. The other foods or herbs you’re giving will cancel them out energetically.

So, even if our EASE CBD oil for dogs contains some warming herbs, these are in small amounts, and the cooling effect of the cannabis will balance the product to be neutral-cooling in its overall nature. The same principle applies to our mushroom extracts; while a mushroom may be slightly warming, the herbs it is combined with may not be, and vice versa. 

Now, depending on the TCVM practitioner you see, they may have a different perspective. Even when researching substances to find out their energetics, you may see differing results.

The Influence of Sourcing on Energetics

Sourcing can significantly impact the energetic quality of food or herbs. A great example is beef. Why does one source say beef is warming and yet another says neutral? Reasons can vary, but usually there are two reasons: the sourcing (the way the animal was raised, what it was fed, what climate it lived in), or the combination effect (beef liver is cooling, while beef kidney is warming so overall beef can be considered neutral).

Another example is pork. Pork is considered a neutral food when raised properly (pasture raised, unconfined) but if it is factory farmed, it is considered warming and stagnating, which changes its energetic effect in the body considerably. 

Trial and Observation: A Practical Approach

After reading all this, you may feel like TCVM and chinese energetic principles are confusing, and for good reason! It’s a lot of data and ancient principles to remember! That’s why using a TCVM practicing veterinarian is a great resource to have, and will help you decide what will work best for your pet.

Trying things out to see how they work with your pet will likely do no harm. Many people find that since these substances have so many complexities, trying out something will really help decide what’s best for your pet, instead of simply disqualiying a supplement based on one energetic property. 

TCVM, FSHE, and Your Pet’s Well-Being

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine provides a fascinating lens through which to view your pet’s health, emphasizing balance and harmony. With tools like FSHE, medicinal mushrooms, and complementary herbs, you can address your pet’s unique needs while promoting overall wellness. Always consider working with a TCVM-practicing veterinarian to fine-tune your approach and ensure your pet receives the best care possible.

By leveraging the ancient wisdom of TCVM alongside modern insights, we can offer our pets the holistic support they need to thrive.