The Tao of Nutrition

A great book as a primer for the philosophy of chinese medicine and a handy guide to the healing properties of food. This book parallels what I've been taught from my father about the traditional chinese view of eating specific foods for healing, and food as preventative medicine.

A Great Book to have one at home. Easy to follow and understand. Good to know what we eat everyday.

gThe Tao of Nutritionh is a food therapy guide based on the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which looks at food in a slightly different way from Western nutrition. The book is divided into 5 main sections. Section 1 very briefly outlines the theory including yin and yang, the main organs of the body, the 5 elements and 5 tastes, causes of diseases, prevention of diseases and a guideline for a balanced diet based on a pyramid (which is not unlike that used in macrobiotics). Section 2 is a list of foods including detail on both the energetics (i.e. which of the 5 tastes the food has, as well as whether it has a cooling, warming or moistening tendency) and healing aspects (such as clearing heat, removing dampness, lubricating the lungs, strengthening the heart etc.) of each food. Section 3 gives tips on which foods can help various health conditions such as bronchitis, eczema and headaches. Section 4 offers vegetarian recipes. Section 5 offers a simple meal plan.As a non-vegetarian who has studied a little TCM, I was a little disappointed at the vegetarian bent of this book (although some fish and meat are included in the food list in Section 2). TCM does not discriminate against meat, and in fact some meats, such as chicken, are considered a very nourishing food for the weak, sick or elderly. That aside, this is an excellent book showing how to use food for both maintaining health and healing general health conditions.

gThe Tao of Nutritionh is a food therapy guide based on the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which looks at food in a slightly different way from Western nutrition. The book is divided into 5 main sections. Section 1 very briefly outlines the theory including yin and yang, the main organs of the body, the 5 elements and 5 tastes, causes of diseases, prevention of diseases and a guideline for a balanced diet based on a pyramid (which is not unlike that used in macrobiotics). Section 2 is a list of foods including detail on both the energetics (i.e. which of the 5 tastes the food has, as well as whether it has a cooling, warming or moistening tendency) and healing aspects (such as clearing heat, removing dampness, lubricating the lungs, strengthening the heart etc.) of each food. Section 3 gives tips on which foods can help various health conditions, such as bronchitis, eczema and headaches. Section 4 offers vegetarian recipes. Section 5 offers a simple meal plan.As a non-vegetarian who has studied a little TCM, I was a little disappointed at the vegetarian bent of this book (although some fish and meat are included in the food list in Section 2). TCM does not discriminate against meat, and in fact some meats, such as chicken, are considered a very nourishing food for the weak, sick or elderly. That aside, this is an excellent book showing how to use food for both maintaining health and healing general health conditions.

I bought this book about 4 or 5 years ago and it has become invaluable to me. The book starts with an overview of the principles of Chinese medical philosophy and then goes on with several sections describing the benefits of various foods and spices. This book is very helpful for treating everyday minor ailments when you cannot, or don't want to, take medications. One of the first cures I tried was eating an apple to stop a dry cough, and it worked wonders!Since travelling can through your body off its natural rythems, its a great book to travel with. It helps eat to prevent or cure those ailments of travel.If you want to help your body heal itself, this is the book for you.