Nowadays, people are paying closer attention to their diets, and eating better for the sake of health. In Chinese traditional medicine (TCM), “medicine and food are of the same origin”, and health results from a combination of food, habits, lifestyle, and more. In my clinic practice, asking patients about their dietary habits is always part of how I get information for diagnosis and treatment.
TCM has extensive knowledge on what to eat, when to eat it, and the foods suitable for different types of people. Over the centuries, China’s traditional food culture has established guidelines on the right foods for each season:
- In spring, eat less sour foods and meat, and more sweet and spicy foods, to nourish and protect your spleen qi (energy).
- In summer, eat less bitter foods but more spicy foods, to nourish and protect your lung qi.
- In autumn, eat less spicy but more sour foods, to nourish and protect your liver qi.
- Finally, in winter, eat less salty but more bitter foods, to nourish and protect your heart qi.
Stay healthy – and bon appétit!