Yin and yang in balance
The close interaction between nutrition and therapeutic products is particularly marked in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It regards foods as substances that support the formation and flow of the life energy Qi.
According to the nutritional teaching of Traditional Chinese Medicine, foods intervene internally in the flow of energy within the body. Their effect on health is therefore different from the understanding of Western nutritional theories.
Nutritional therapy can usefully complement and support other TCM treatments. In this case, the same factors play a key role as with medicinal products:
- The temperature response: What dynamic energy does the food produce? Does it work in the yin or yang direction?
- The tendency of the effect: Does the food exert an effect on the surface or deep down?
- The meridian entrance: On which meridian or on which functional circle does the food act?
- The direction of the taste: At which organ systems is the taste targeted?
It is taken for granted by the TCM Chan therapists that they should also provide basic nutritional advice as part of each treatment.
The correction of dietary habits is recommended for energy weaknesses such as tiredness, shortness of breath, weak digestion, cold hands and feet, or fluid build-up in the tissue.
In the case of overweight, diabetes or raised cholesterol levels, a logically designed, systematic nutritional therapy can produce a marked improvement in the state of health.
The nutritional recommendations of the therapists at TCM Chan are based on a holistically oriented diagnosis. They are geared individually to the patient’s health situation. They also take account of the time of year and are often combined with other TCM methods.
The Western approach to assessing foods on the basis of health criteria relates primarily to nutritional value and energy. The carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamin and mineral content is central.
Traditional Chinese Medicine follows a different approach in the area of diet. What is crucial is how well food can be converted into the life energy Qi. If a foodstuff is not suitable for this, then it is unable to exert a positive effect on the body even if it contains vitamins or minerals. It is vital that the selection and preparation of food, as well as eating habits, encourage the flow of Qi.