Why
is nutrition and eating certain foods an important
part of the Chinese lifestyle ?
In
China, the concept of 'functional food' (that
is food offering therapeutic benefits apart
from nutrition) dates back 4000 years. Functional
foods usually contain significant levels of
biologically active components which boost a
person's physical and physiological well being.
Yi Yin, a legendary prime minister believed
to have lived during the Shang Dynasty (1700
- 1100 BC), emphasized the value of decoctions,
especially as medicaments. And early in the
Zhou Dynasty (1100 - 221 BC), the court appointed
a shiyi (nutritionist) to the palace to examine
the relationship between the quality of food
and nutritional intake, and its effect on health. |
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 Healthy
and active Chinese
old men |
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Over
the centuries, Chinese cuisine has developed
into a remarkably varied one, using far more
vegetables and meats than available in the West.
One factor behind this development is the link
between diet and Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM). Food is considered more than just sustenance;
it contains therapeutic properties and is prescribed
by TCM doctors. While acupuncture and massage
may be used to treat an ailment, and herbal
mixtures infused to make teas, the first line
of treatment is usually diet itself. Consider
the fact that although China suffers from air,
water, and soil pollution, life expectancy in
the country has grown to 71 years which rivals
that of the West. This is a remarkable achievement
given its extremely low per capita income, shortage
of medical services, and levels of pollution. |
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TCM believes
foods boost your entire system with concentrated
energy provided by a carefully selected combination
of herbs. This is referred to as "medicinal
diet" because many of the herbs are given
as tasty dishes. It is not uncommon for the
Chinese to treat a minor ailment with a specially
prepared meal, or by including a particular
ingredient in a dish. Such functional foods
are especially popular in Chinese households
where the knowledge of certain foods as medicine
has been passed down through the generations.
The understanding
of foods to treat certain health conditions
is as useful as keeping a fully-stocked medicine
cabinet. Even though modern medicine has been
available since the beginning of this century,
people still prefer to use functional foods,
either as supplement to drugs, or as an alternative
course of treatment. If a person suffers from
a chronic disease or metabolic disorder, and
drugs or herbal formulae are not the best
options, functional foods become an important
method of treatment. The foods not only provide
the nutrients that the body needs, but also
cure or relieve the problem via their therapeutic
actions.
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Chinese diet |
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