Food and medicine are both natural products with similar properties and the same taste and quality. Therefore, it is extremely common for traditional Chinese medicine to use food and medicine alone, or a combination of food and medicine, for nutritional health care, or treatment and rehabilitation.

The common use of food and medicine is not only based on the same source of the two, but also mainly based on the same theoretical guidance for the application of food and medicine, that is, medicine and food are the same. For thousands of years, medicine has the same origin, food and medicine have the same origin, food and medicine have the same principles, and the same use of food and medicine has become a major feature of traditional Chinese medicine diet and nutrition. It is not difficult to find examples of the simultaneous use of food and medicine in numerous books on herbal medicine and prescriptions, such as black-bone chicken, mutton, donkey skin, bird eggs, green onions, ginger, dates, etc., which are used to replenish yin and yang qi and blood, or to regulate stomach qi. , in order to achieve the effect of preventing and treating diseases. It is not difficult to find many medicines in a large number of ancient recipes, recipes, and tea recipes, such as wolfberry, Chinese yam, astragalus, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, etc., thereby improving the effect of food health care and disease prevention.

The concept of dialectical nutrition and nourishment

Dialectical treatment is the basic principle of traditional Chinese medicine in understanding and treating diseases, and it is also one of the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine. Its embodiment in traditional Chinese medicine diet and nutrition is the view of combining comprehensive diet and "dialectical diet". On the whole, a comprehensive diet and a combination of meat and vegetables are the basis of dietary nutrition, but they are not a dietary pattern. The current scientific concept of dietary health advocates personalized diet and health care. That is to say, according to different physiques, occupations, regions, and illnesses, "dialectical feeding" is achieved, that is, "feeding according to people", "feeding according to the time", "feeding according to the place", and "feeding according to the disease".

Give meals according to people

Ancient dietary methods for nourishing the fetus: Xu Zhicai, a physician during the Southern and Northern Dynasties of my country, once wrote the "Month-by-Month Pregnancy Method", which adjusts the diet of pregnant women according to their different stages. . For example, in the early stages of pregnancy, it is emphasized that "sour and beautiful" foods should be eaten, mainly light foods; in the middle and late stages of pregnancy, delicious food is given, emphasizing the principle of nourishing kidney essence and nourishing blood.

The food nutrition of adolescents during their pubertal development period focuses on nourishing kidney qi: this period is the stage of maturing sexual development, and the principle of nourishment emphasizes nourishing the kidneys, replenishing essence, and replenishing Tiangui. Appropriate consumption of fish, shrimp, lean meat, poultry, eggs, milk, etc.

The dietary principles for middle-aged people advocate eating less and exercising appropriately: middle-aged people tend to gain weight easily, so they should appropriately reduce the intake of carbohydrates and fats; limit high energy density and nutritional content Foods with low energy density, such as sucrose, fat meat, koji wine, etc.; appropriately consume more foods with low energy density and high nutrient content, such as vegetables, fruits, etc.

The diet of the elderly should be diverse, nutritious, and tonic: the diet of the elderly should be diversified and supplement with more calcium. According to their physiological characteristics, follow the "three more and three less" principles. The principle of "cleaning and nourishing" means more protein, more vitamins, not much fiber, less fat, less sugar, and less salt.

People with different physical constitutions should make different dietary choices. Nutrition in traditional Chinese medicine is based on the balance of yin and yang. Therefore, due to different physical constitutions, appropriate attention should be paid to dietary choices. For example, people with phlegm-dampness constitution who are obese should eat less fatty and greasy foods; people who are thin and have strong fire should eat less. You should eat less spicy food; lychees are sweet in taste, warm in nature, and have beautifying effects. They can make the skin white and rosy, but if you eat too much, you will easily get "inflammation". Eat fried peanuts, sunflower seeds, and dried red dates. Eating too much can easily lead to "heat", blistering of the lips, sore throat, etc. People with strong body and strong fire should not eat hot and tonic products; people with weak spleen and stomach should avoid eating raw, cold and sticky products.

Feeding food according to the season

The four seasons in nature are characterized by growth in spring, growth in summer, harvest in autumn and storage in winter. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, the basic rule of health maintenance in the four seasons is "nourishing yang in spring and summer, and nourishing yin in autumn and winter." Therefore, diet maintenance in the four seasons should also follow this principle.

The principle of spring diet is to reduce acidity and sweetness, and choose pungent and warm products. The diet should be light and delicious, avoid sour, greasy, cold food, and consume more yellow and green vegetables.

In summer, food should be more sour and spicy, and less cold and cold drinks should be eaten during festivals. Choose foods that are light and refreshing, less greasy and easy to digest. "Summer Tonic" requires warming yang and regulating yin.

The dietary principle in autumn is to reduce pungent and increase acidity, prevent dryness and protect yin. For example, eat less spicy foods such as onions, ginger, garlic, leeks, and peppers, and more sour fruits and vegetables. Eat more sesame seeds, walnuts, honey, glutinous rice, dairy products, etc. appropriately. The dietary principle in winter is to reduce saltiness, increase bitterness, preserve yin and subdue yang. Appropriate intake of turtles, turtles, lotus roots, flax, fungus, etc. Winter supplements should mainly focus on nourishing yin and protecting yang.

Eat according to local conditions

The same food will have different edible values ??for the human body in different regions. For example, in Hunan and Sichuan, eating a certain amount of chili peppers has certain health effects on the body. Because these areas are humid and rainy, the locals eat more spicy food to release the internal organs to expel water and drive away moisture. In this way, the body can adapt to the natural environment of low air pressure and high humidity. If you live in dry areas in the north, eating too much chili pepper will cause damage to your body.

Give meals according to illness

Traditional Chinese medicine has the theory that "food and medicine come from the same origin" and "medicine and food come from the same origin". Food, like medicine, has certain biases. Because diseases caused by eating disorders are increasingly endangering human health, these diseases are called "lifestyle diseases" abroad. Therefore, many scholars in European and American countries have loudly shouted: "Don't dig your own grave with your own teeth." Now People have recognized the dangers of foodborne illness.

Looking at it from another perspective, certain diseases can be effectively prevented and cured by utilizing the different properties of food, scientifically and rationally preparing meals, and adjusting the balance of yin and yang. Traditional Chinese medicine has attached great importance to the role of "food nourishment" and "diet therapy" since ancient times. "Yang Lao Shou Qin Shu" points out: "A person who is good at treating diseases is not as good as being careful about diseases; a person who is good at treating medicine is not as good as treating food." This shows the practical value of dietary therapy. For some chronic diseases, more attention should be paid to the therapeutic effect of diet. As the saying goes: "Three points of medicine, seven points of nourishment." Among them, "nourishing" includes "diet therapy" and nourishment. For example, the dietary principles for diabetes should be determined based on the characteristics of upper, middle and lower elimination syndromes. Another example is the scientific diet for cancer patients. According to surveys, one-third of cancers are related to unscientific eating habits. Bad eating habits that can easily cause cancer, such as overeating barbecued foods, contaminated foods, fried foods and high-fat foods, etc. The principles of dietary therapy for cancer treatment generally include the following: Choose foods that strengthen the body, remove evil spirits, and enhance immune function; choose foods that can soften hardness and resolve phlegm; choose foods that can activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis; choose foods that can clear away heat, diuresis, and detoxify. Food etc.