Traditional Chinese Diet & Nutrition

Traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, views diet as one of the most important ways to improve your health, lift your spirits and support the balanced flow of qi, or vital life energy, throughout your entire body. Rather than categorize food in terms of caloric or nutrient content, TCM sorts foods based on the way they affect your qi. Follow the basic principles of Chinese nutrition by eating local, seasonal ingredients that harmonize your body type.

Key Ingredients

The traditional Chinese diet emphasizes steamed grains, vegetables, and small quantities of meat and fish. Garlic and ginger---both digestive aids, according to TCM---feature prominently in many dishes, and usually appear together. Lower quantities of animal protein, especially in rural areas of China, might be a key factor in China's lower rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, notes T. Colin Campbell, lead researcher in the China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project, in his book "The China Study."

The Basics

Traditional Chinese diet styles focus on what's called a "clear, bland diet," according to the website Chinese Holistic Health Exercises. This doesn't mean that Chinese food isn't flavorful---just that the emphasis is on the natural tastiness of lightly cooked vegetables, rice, noodles, fruit and bean-based foods like tofu. This pure, subtle diet is one key to a long, healthy life, according to Misha Ruth Cohen, practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine and author of "The Chinese Way to Healing." Writing on the website Acupuncture.com, Cohen notes that if you live in a cold climate or are recovering from fatigue, add chilis or scallions rather than excess fat or salt to your meals.

Considerations

Changing to a traditional Chinese diet style might be especially helpful if you suffer from chronic sinusitis, digestive issues or fatigue, says Cohen. One of the main factors behind the success of the traditional Chinese diet is eating locally grown, seasonal vegetables and fruits that naturally carry the qi you need to adapt to your surroundings. If you've been used to eating a rich diet with a focus on processed or imported food, make the switch gradually to avoid shocking your system.

The Five Flavors

Chinese nutrition theory identifies five flavors in food: sweet, spicy, salty, sour and bitter, according to a University of Florida's Veterinary Teaching Hospital's article on feeding your pet. If you're basically in good health and want to stay that way, choose ingredients that represent each of the flavors in order to create aesthetically pleasing meals that also keep you balanced.

Balance Your Type

TCM identifies six different body types that require strategic dietary choices in order to achieve balance, according to Michael Tierra, founder of the East West School of Planetary Herbology and author of "Planetary Herbology." The hot type is easily overheated, and benefits from eating more fruits and vegetables. Someone with a cold constitution is pale, easily chilled, and responds well to cooked food. Red meat is a good addition to her diet. The dry type tends to be thirsty, have chapped lips, and is unable to gain weight. He benefits from soup, cooked food, fruit and fats. The damp type tends to be overweight, and requires a lighter, generously spiced diet that is lower in fat. Energy-deficient people need meat, well-cooked food and root vegetables. Aggressive, energetic types need less protein and more fruits and vegetables.