In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), nutrition is considered fundamental to health. Food is viewed as medicine, and practitioners use dietary therapy to support healing, speed recovery, and create lasting change.
Patients who actively participate in their healing through mindful eating often see stronger results. As the saying goes, talk doesn’t cook rice — real progress requires real action.
For thousands of years, Chinese physicians have used food as a therapeutic tool. Sun Shu Mao, a renowned herbalist and acupuncturist, believed human life was more precious than gold. In 652 A.D., he published 1,000 Ounces of Gold Classic, a text detailing food‑based remedies such as seaweed and pig thyroid for goiter and liver for night blindness — treatments still recognized in TCM today. More than 1,400 years later, Western medicine has reached similar conclusions.
Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, echoed this wisdom: “He who doesn’t know food, how can he understand the diseases of man?” Ancient physicians understood that what we eat, how much, and when we eat profoundly shapes our health. Modern medical training, however, often gives limited attention to nutrition despite its undeniable influence on long‑term well‑being. As Dr. Mehmet Oz has noted, meaningful lifestyle changes — especially dietary ones — are essential for achieving health.
TCM teaches that healing is “7 parts nursing, 3 parts treatment.” “Nursing” refers to diet and lifestyle choices that support the body’s natural balance. As TCM scholar Bob Flaws points out, patients often follow physical therapy instructions diligently, yet dietary guidance is frequently overlooked. Unfortunately, the foods we enjoy most can sometimes contribute to the very imbalances we’re trying to correct.
In TCM, foods are categorized by their nature (temperature effect on the body) and flavor. Watermelon has a naturally cooling nature so you will perspire less than others. Pears can moisten dry lungs, yet they may not be suitable for individuals who are overweight or congested. Sour flavors can help stop diarrhea; bitter foods like cooked leafy greens may support weight loss. Calories and carbohydrates are not the focus — the patient’s TCM diagnosis is. What nourishes one person may not be appropriate for another. Every body is different.
Dietary therapy is always individualized, but avoiding dairy, sugar, and alcohol is commonly recommended until balance is restored. While some find these guidelines strict at first, many change their minds once they experience the results. Interestingly, many of the world’s healthiest cultures naturally follow similar dietary principles. Dairy, for example, is not a traditional part of the Eastern diet — and their waistlines reflect this difference.
Returning to old eating habits is discouraged, as those patterns often contributed to the original imbalance. Patients frequently report improved energy, better sleep, reduced symptoms, and even weight loss. In some cases, their physicians adjust medications as their health improves. One of the greatest rewards for committed patients is learning how their bodies respond to food — a powerful reminder that healing begins from within. Understanding how diet shapes daily life is deeply empowering.
In the end, the true reward is quality of life. What could be more important?
