One of the therapeutic pillars in Traditional Chinese Medicine is Chinese Herbal Therapy. For thousands of years in China, herbs have been used to treat many acute and chronic conditions. 

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Herbal formulas may contain 4 or more different ingredients. Herbal formulas are taken in the form of teas, powders, pills, tinctures, or syrups. Ingredients are primarily of plant origin, and may include roots, bark, seeds, flowers, and leaves. Each ingredient has unique characteristics, that when combined, offers a therapeutic effect.

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Chinese herbal formulas are empirically proven and have been refined over the centuries by many schools and many healing masters. They can effectively treat both common ailments and difficult health conditions. They work synergistically with acupuncture and can provide an additional level of treatment that can hasten results.

 

Chinese herbal formulas may also be recommended as an addition to acupuncture treatment plan as needed. 

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Chinese Medicine Nutrition

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Wondering why eating watermelon gives you stomach pain or loose stools? Having a basic understanding of Chinese Food Energy may help you. In Chinese Medicine, when referring to foods which are either hot or cold, the reference is not based on the temperature of foods but rather the measure of the effect on our metabolism after initial digestion. The different food groups are based according to the energetic properties of Yin (cool, cold) Yang (warm, hot) and Neutral. Overconsumption of foods which are “cold” in nature will cause the individual to feel overly cool, experience weakness and may suffer from digestive issues like loose stool or diarrhea. In contrast, overconsumption of foods which are “hot” in nature, may cause an individual to feel overly warm, anxious and suffer from constipation.

 

A healthy diet is to find a balance between the cold and hot energy, which varies from person to person and is based on that individual’s constitution.

 

The general rule is

• Neutral food is good for all seasons

• Warming food is good for cooler seasons

• Cooling food is recommended for summer season but avoid over consumption

• Avoid cold food or cook with warming and hot food to balance, especially for people with weak digestion

• People with hot constitution should avoid hot food

 

Consult with us to help you identify your constitution. If you have poor digestion and want to enjoy some beer or ice-cream, take some Chinese herb medicine afterwards to counter balance the damage, or learn to use hot food to balance yourself.

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