Chinese Medicine Nutritional Therapy

Traditional Chinese Medicine nutritional therapy utilizes food as medicine to improve health and wellbeing and improve a wide variety of conditions. Dietary suggestions are carefully crafted and individualized to achieve each patient's health and wellness goals.

How TCM Nutrition is different from Western

In Western nutrition, food is described as containing certain amounts of protein, fats, minerals, vitamins, etc. Individual ingredients of each food are analyzed, and nutritional value is assessed by the sum total of its chemical ingredients before they enter the body.

In TCM nutrition, food is described as possessing certain qualities, such as being ‘warming’ or ‘cooling’ in nature. This information is obtained by observing the behavior of the body after food is consumed. The nutritional value of a food is explained as a set of energetic properties that describe the actions a food has on the human body.

There are five flavors in TCM nutrition that describe an essential quality inherent in food. Each flavor arises from one elemental power and enters one particular organ, and describes the food’s action within the body. A balanced diet includes the use of all flavors, with the sweet flavor occupying a central position. The use of flavors should be adjusted based on personal diagnosis.

In TCM nutrition, the ‘energetics’ of the food is also taken into consideration. For example, a patient with low energy or fatigue may be prescribed chicken, instead of beef. Why? Think about the energy of a chicken: moves quickly, lots of energy, versus that of a cow: slow-moving, low energy. Beef would be more appropriate for a patient with anxiety, looking to “slow down” or calm racing thoughts.

Customized Nutrition Plans

If interested in nutritional therapy, each client will receive a food list that is unique to them and their current condition. This may change throughout the course of treatment and can be adjusted at any time by the practitioner, based upon their progress.