Dietary Therapy
Dietary Therapy
This form of therapy is a highly sophisticated and ancient specialism in TCM terms and quite unlike any western, contemporary approximation.
It involves careful monitoring of food and drink intake in order to eliminate disease and speed recovery.
The TCM practitioner can advise a patient regarding the type of food eaten, the time and manner in which it is eaten, or the manner in which it is prepared, in order to promote cure and enhance health.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ dietary advice in TCM, instead the advice is carefully put together based on a full TCM diagnosis, and on the client’s lifestyle and inherited constitution.
To be skilled at nurturing life is to treat disease before it arises.
First, modify the patient’s diet and lifestyle and only then, if these do not effect a cure, treat with medicinals and acupuncture.
Doctors should first understand the cause of disease, then treat it with diet. Medicine should only be used if diet fails.
– Sun Si-Miao, Master Physician ca. 600AD
General Dietary Guidelines
These pertain to the quality of the Qi (‘energy’) of the food that is consumed, and to the time and manner in which the food is eaten.
In summary, food ought to be fresh clean, and cooked from the scratch. Meals should be regular and eaten with plenty of time, calmly without quarrels and upsets.
Individually Tailored Dietary Advice
The foods which will improve one person, will make another one worse depending on their individual condition.
Therefore foods to exclude or include and increase need to be carefully selected according to a thorough TCM diagnosis.
Seasonal and Lifestyle Considerations
TCM provides specific advice for the different seasons. What is needed in the midst of the winter will be inappropriate in the heat of the summer.
Diet also needs to be adjusted to the age of the person, and to the level and type of activity they engage in.
Dietary Therapy Consultations
Dietary therapy always forms a part of full Chinese Medical treatment plan, as an adjunct therapy alongside acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
Dietary Therapy can be applied on its own, typically with Yangsheng Medical Advice. This is done, for example, when the client is unable to attend regular appointments for one reason or another. Or perhaps they simply want to overhaul their diet and lifestyle to optimise health and prevent problems in the future.
You can find a booking link for appointments above. Note that the clinics tend to be very busy. If you cannot find a suitable appointment, you can send in a request to join the waiting list here.