Dietary Guidance
An old Chinese Proverb says, “He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skill of the physician.”
Dietary recommendations from the viewpoint of Traditional Chinese Medicine are often quite different from other recommendations you may have received. There is an emphasis on cooked foods over raw and an omnivorous diet over a vegetarian one. It is thought that eating a surplus of raw or undercooked foods will damage the spleen, the organ responsible for transporting foods into energy that the body can use. When the body cannot utilize the foods that have been given to it for nourishment the spleen becomes taxed and other organs become imbalanced as a result. However, there is no model that is perfect for everyone, and food recommendations change by season according to your specific health condition or body constitution.
Philosophy
The Cultivate philosophy is...
Non-Restrictive: The changes are easy to implement and you will feel inspired by the variety of foods and the different ways to cook them.
Whole Foods based: The best way to eat a diet with the most nutrition and balance is to prepare most meals at home, but it doesn't need to be a difficult or time-consuming process to be great.
Guided by the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): you will receive individualized recipes with an emphasis on cooked foods, non-processed ingredients, and an omnivorous diet (We are more than happy to work with vegetarian/vegans).
Chinese Dietary Therapy has been tested and proven for thousands of years, its principles are not a fad diet! Instead, it is tailored to your constitution and specific needs at this time.
TCM nutritional therapy takes Your symptoms and your body into full consideration and then offers recipes that are unique to you!
The Nutritional Component of Chinese Medicine is something that is often missed in our healing journey. If you are interested in learning more about TCM nutritional therapy, take a journey to a separate website dedicated to it, The TCM Kitchen. Here you will find ways to self diagnose yourself according to the five most common TCM syndromes we see in clinic, learn about eating for the seasons, and uncover delicious recipes plans according to your diagnosis.
