Traditional Chinese Diet & Nutrition

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the secret to good health is eating food according to the seasons and the needs of the individual. Foods may be categorized according to their warming (yang) properties or cooling (yin) properties.

A Warming Soup

Eating With the Seasons

In winter, foods should be warming such as soups and casseroles; in spring foods should be fresh, young vegetables; summer foods should be cooling beverages and foods; in autumn, foods should be easily digestible with lots of seasonal vegetables and fruit.

Warming Foods

Scallions

Warming foods are "yang" in character. The warming vegetables include garlic, ginger, chives, onions and scallions (spring onions); the warming fruits include cherries, apricots, mangoes and more.

Cooling Foods

Star Fruit

Cooling foods are "yin" in character. Cooling vegetables include beansprouts, cucumbers, lettuces, asparagus and black Chinese mushrooms; cooling fruits include coconuts, pineapples, watermelon, pears and star fruit.

Neutral Foods

Pumpkin

Neutral foods can be eaten in moderation with warming or cooling foods. Neutral vegetables include broccoli, pumpkin, parsnip, turnips and sweet corn; neutral fruits include apples, raspberries, plums and papaya.

History

The physician, Sun Simiao (7 A.D.), believed a good doctor made a diagnosis first; once the cause of the disease was discovered it would first be cured by food. Only when food did not heal would medicine be prescribed.

References

• The Healing Path; Jacqueline Young; 2001