.🌿 TCM Dietary Therapy — Food as Medicine:

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), food is more than fuel — it’s one of the most powerful tools for maintaining health and balance. Every ingredient has its own energetic nature, flavour, and effect on the body. By choosing foods suited to your individual constitution and the season, you can nourish your body, prevent illness, and support healing from within.

​“Let food be your first medicine, and medicine your last resort.”  


🌀 The Basics of TCM Nutrition. The Five Energies. 

Each food has a thermal nature that affects how it influences your body:
Hot — e.g. chilli, ginger: warms the body, disperses cold
Warm — e.g. chicken, oats: supports circulation and yang energy
Neutral — e.g. rice, carrots: balances and harmonises
Cool — e.g. cucumber, tofu: clears mild heat, nourishes fluids
Cold — e.g. watermelon, mint: clears excess heat and inflammation

​The Five Flavours:
Each flavour benefits different organs and functions:
Sweet — strengthens and harmonises the digestion (Spleen, Stomach)
Sour — preserves and astringes (Liver)
Bitter — drains heat and reduces inflammation (Heart)
Salty — softens and descends (Kidneys)
Pungent — disperses and moves Qi (Lungs)

Eat with the Seasons:
Spring: light, green foods to support Liver Qi (spinach, sprouts, herbs)
Summer: cooling and hydrating foods (cucumber, melon, mint)
Late Summer: gentle, sweet foods to strengthen digestion (pumpkin, corn, rice)
Autumn: moistening foods to nourish Lung Yin (pears, almonds, rice)
Winter: warming soups and stews to protect Kidney Yang (lamb, ginger, black beans) 

🌿 Food for Common Imbalances. 
Qi Deficiency Signs: tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath
Eat: warm, cooked foods like oats, rice, chicken, pumpkin, lentils
Avoid: cold or raw foods, iced drinks 

Yin Deficiency Signs: hot flushes, dryness, night sweats, thirst
Eat: pears, tofu, cucumber, black sesame, seaweed
Avoid: coffee, alcohol, spicy or fried foods 

Dampness Signs: bloating, heaviness, sinus congestion
Eat: barley, celery, mushrooms, ginger, adzuki beans
Avoid: dairy, fried foods, excess sugar 

Yang Deficiency Signs: cold hands and feet, fatigue, loose stools
Eat: warming foods — lamb, cinnamon, leeks, walnuts, garlic
Avoid: raw vegetables, cold fruit, smoothies 

Liver Qi Stagnation Signs: stress, PMS, irritability, tightness in chest or digestion
Eat: leafy greens, citrus, turmeric, peppermint tea
Avoid: heavy, greasy, or overly rich foods 

🥣 Simple Healing Recipes: 
Warming Qi-Boosting Congee
½ cup rice
4 cups water or broth
Add diced pumpkin, a little ginger, and spring onion.
Simmer until smooth.  Gently supports digestion and builds energy.

​​Yin-Nourishing Stewed Pears
2 pears, sliced
Simmer with a spoon of rock sugar and a few goji berries for 15 minutes.  
Moistens the lungs and soothes dry cough or throat.  

Damp-Clearing Barley Soup
½ cup barley
4 cups water
Add celery, mung beans, and a slice of fresh ginger.
Light and cleansing — great for bloating and sluggish digestion.  

💬 Personalised Dietary Guidance:
Everyone’s body is different. What nourishes one person might not suit another. During your acupuncture sessions, we’ll discuss your unique constitution and create a personalised food plan to support your healing and energy balance. 

"True health begins with what you eat — simple, balanced, and in tune with nature".