Nutrition is an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Almost every individual's diet holds room for improvement. During the first consultation the TCM Doctor will ask about the patient's diet in detail. Then according to the TCM diagnosis, the Doctor will provide the patient specific dietary recommendations. These recommendations reach beyond the essential norms of sufficient protein, complex carbohydrate, fresh fruit and vegetable intake. TCM Doctors advise on exactly which foods to eliminate and/or include in the diet.
Effects of diet therapy are usually slower than those of herbal medicine and other medicinals; however, if it is used correctly for prevention and treatment, other medicinals are seldom required, if at all. Food acts according to its various therapeutic properties, although these properties are often less specific and their actions less drastic than those of herbs and other medicinals. Diet therapy is best in combination with herbal medicine, but if a patient chooses not to take the herbs, the TCM Doctor will rely on the food cures to restore balance to the body.
