Chinese food therapy

The Chinese dietetics or Chinese dietetics or nutrition therapy (Chinese zhongyi Shiliao中医 食疗or zhongyi Yaoshan中医 药膳) is one of the five major therapies of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM ) - together with Chinese drug therapy, acupuncture, Tuina and Chinese exercise therapies Qigong and Taijiquan.

It is based on the theories of Chinese medicine and especially on the drug known based tradition ( bencao本草). Just as Chinese medicines and foods are flavors ( spicy, sweet, neutral, sour, bitter, salty) and temperature behavior ( cold, cool, neutral, warm, hot ) qualified. Furthermore, medicinal and food related to a specific functional circuits and interconnects, as well as an action tendency ( uplifting, on the "surface " effect, absenkend in depth acting) associated.

Depending on the particular disease-causing factors appropriate foods are selected for therapy that are as fresh as possible and unloaded carefully prepared usually with simple methods, such as Porridges, soups, steamed, decoctions.

The Chinese dietetics is not only used for the treatment of pre-existing conditions, but also to maintain good health. In comparison to the Western diet therapy based on the analysis of the nutrients contained in each food and essentially limited to the representation of quantitative relationships, the Chinese dietetics describes qualitative effects of food and their regulatory and functional aspects. Both approaches can complement each other.

The Chinese dietetics has nothing to do with the developed in the West " Five Elements Nutrition".