What is food therapy?
Food Therapy is one of the five branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is a practice of healing using natural foods along with or instead of medications. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine was most important in forming the basis of Chinese food therapy. It classified food by Yin and Yang food group and five tastes and by their natures and characteristics
Food is a major determinant of health that is directly under our control
However, most people do not realize the power of foods. The body is often being abused with wrong and junk foods, instead of healing and strengthening the body with good and proper foods. The only way to fully understand whether a food is good or bad for the body is through proper education. The of knowledge combined with the practice can be applied many times a day to help strengthen the body, balance vital organs, normalize the internal temperature of each organ system, boost the immune system, and normalize bodily functions.
Chinese nutrition uniquely differs from modern Western nutrition in that it determines the energies and therapeutic properties of foods instead of analyzing the chemical constituents of them. The advantage of this approach lies in its ability to customize to every individual's needs. Furthermore, Chinese nutrition takes into consideration such factors as method of preparation, body type, properties, season, and one's geographical location in determining the appropriate diet.
Food Therapy is the preparation of using selected food ingredients and superior herbs. Each recipe was developed under the supervision of TCM theory (Yin-yang, Five Elements, Eight Principles and Zang-fu physiology and pathology) and is designed to treat specific health conditions. The recipes can be classified into the following categories:
Health Promotion and Prevention
Disease Treatment
Adjunct Therapy
Observe the principles of food medicine and incorporate this natural and powerful component into daily living .As the famous Hippocrates said, "Let food be our medicine, and medicine our food." Please see our page on nutritional therapy for more information.