TCM DIETETICS
Food is medicine. In TCM, eating is not just about calories; it is about balancing your body's vital energy (Qi). Eating correctly according to your body's needs prevents disease, boosts energy, and maintains harmony between you and the seasons.
The 3 Simple Rules of TCM Eating
1. WHAT to Eat (Choose by Property)
Foods have energies (cooling or warming), not just vitamins. You eat to balance your body’s current state.
If you feel cold, pale, or tired: Eat Warming foods to stoke the fire.
Examples: Ginger, beef, lamb, cinnamon, leeks, cooked onions.
If you feel hot, stressed, or have a sore throat: Eat Cooling foods to calm the heat.
Examples: Watermelon, cucumber, mung beans, mint, green tea.
If you feel sluggish, heavy, or bloated: Eat Drying/Aromatic foods to resolve dampness.
Examples: Corn, celery, job's tears, turnip, diluted vinegar.
2. WHEN to Eat (Follow the Organ Clock)
Your digestion is strongest at certain times.
Eat your largest meal at Lunchtime (11 am – 1 pm): This is when stomach energy is most powerful.
Eat a lighter meal at Dinner (5 pm – 7 pm): This is when kidney (storage) energy is high; digestion is weaker, so a heavy meal disturbs sleep and leads to fat storage.
3. HOW to Eat (Temperature Matters)
Cook your food: TCM stomach is like a cooking pot. If you constantly put cold food (ice cream, cold smoothies, iced water) into a hot pot, the pot cracks (digestion weakens). Always prefer warm, cooked meals.
Drink Warm: Drink warm water or tea with meals, never iced, to help the stomach break down food properly.
TCM Five Elements 木火土金水
The Five Elements (Wu Xing) is a foundational TCM philosophy that categorizes all phenomena—including body organs, emotions, tastes, and seasons—into five fundamental phases: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
These elements exist in a dynamic relationship of constant interaction: they generate (create) and control (regulate) each other to maintain balance. For example, Wood fuels Fire, and Fire creates Earth (ash), while Water controls Fire to prevent it from getting out of hand. In the body, this translates to organ systems working together—if the Liver (Wood) becomes overactive, it can overstress the Spleen (Earth), explaining why stress causes digestive issues. Health is viewed as harmony within this cycle, while disease arises when one element becomes unbalanced.
Five Elements Tea 五行養生茶
The best medicine starts in the kitchen
Wood Liver
Liver-Soothing & Eye-Brightening Tea (Focus: Soothing Liver Qi)
Concept: Focuses on "Wood" to relieve stress, clear the Liver, and brighten the eyes.
Metal Lung
Lung-Moistening & Fluid-Generating Tea (Focus: Moistening Lung Yin)
Concept: Primarily "Metal" to moisten dryness, generate fluids, and prevent respiratory
Fire Heart
Heart-Nourishing & Spirit-Calming Tea (Focus: Nourishing Heart Yin)
Concept: Primarily "Fire," supplemented by nourishing Yin, to achieve Heart-Kidney interaction.
Earth Stomach
Balancing Tea for All Seasons (Focus: Strengthening Spleen & Draining Dampness)
Concept: Uses "Earth" as the central axis to strengthen the spleen, drain dampness, and drive the other four elements.
Water Kidney
Kidney-Essence Tonifying Tea (Focus: Gentle Kidney Tonification)
Concept: Primarily "Water" to gently tonify Liver and Kidney essence and blood.
