TCM Approach to Food & Diet

Food is an important aspect of Chinese culture and represents history, tradition, family and togetherness. Food is much more than just nutrients and sustenance; food can be medicine. I first heard about Chinese Medicine Diet Therapy (CMDT) in my 2nd year of university. It was one of those topics where they invited a guest speaker for a 2-hour lecture and then never touched on it again. Since graduating from university, I’ve realised that CMDT is more than a therapy; it’s a way of life.

What is Chinese Medicine Diet Therapy?

CMDT uses TCM principles and the idea that the food we eat has unique and specific properties that can resolve imbalances in our bodies. You can read more about the properties of food here. We can use food to maintain health, prevent disease and remove or slow illness. There is an emphasis on balance in terms of quantity and quality of food. CMDT recommends eating regular-sized meals at consistent times of the day. Under-eating or starving means there are fewer nutrients for our body to create vital substances, while over-eating can impair our digestive functions, cause blockages and lead to inefficient absorption of food and nutrients. The key is to incorporate a balanced diet according to the changes in the environment around us.

How can CMDT help me?

CMDT provides treatment/advice according to climate, location or the individual, so it’s essential to take a moment and consider your surroundings. Firstly, consider how you feel before you eat. How do you want to feel? Consider the environment; what is happening around you? Is it warm or cold, wet or dry? Let your body and your environment guide you.

According to TCM theory, you should sow in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn, and store in winter. Spring is a time of transition. The weather is warming up, but there are still cold days. It’s best to incorporate mostly warm foods to tonify yang qi. In Summer, yang qi is abundant with the hot weather. You can include more cooling foods such as watermelon, cucumber and mint into your diet. As the temperatures start to drop, Autumn is associated with dryness and cooler weather. You can incorporate sesame and pears into your diet during this time. During winter, there is an abundance of yin. Incorporate warming foods such as lamb, millet or corn to dispel the cold.

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Another aspect of CDT is to eat according to your locality. People who live in cold, dry high altitude areas should consume more pungent and nourishing foods such as ginger, perilla or mutton. In contrast, people who live in a hot, humid location should consume heat and damp-clearing foods such as cardamom and mint. A simple way to balance your diet is to include local seasonal food in the environment around you. 

The last aspect of CMDT treatment is to vary food/diet according to the individual. Each person has a different constitution, age, lifestyle and habits. Children generally have an excess of yang and are deficient in Yin, while older people are usually deficient in yin, qi or Xue. Women tend to be deficient in yin after their period, while men tend to have an abundance of yang qi. 

Where do I start?

The food we eat has it’s own unique properties. The key is to eat the balance of food that is appropriate to our individual needs. By eating to our body’s needs we can help to re-balance our body and achieve optimum health. Now that you know about the TCM approach to food and diet, check out my other articles to see how you can begin to incorporate this into your diet and lifestyle. 

Let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment below!