People rely on the nutrition from food in order to grow and to live. When the body absorbs balanced nutrition from the food, health is achieved. It is essential and extremely important to eat right for the body to receive the amount of nutrition we need to prevent any malnutrition syndrome, ailment, and to slow the aging process. Functions of the body organs, such as the heartbeat, breathing through the lungs, blood circulation, etc. are constantly activating to keep us going. It is inevitable that these functions and organs are through time and decrease their performance. Although the aging process is inevitable, it can be deferred with a balanced nutrition, providing these body parts with a healthy diet.

Basic Categories of Nutrition

1.  Carbohydrate

A big part of food we eat daily belongs to this category, but it is not necessarily healthy once we consume too much carbohydrate. Carbohydrate provides the body with energy for daily activities. It is important that children consume an appropriate amount of carbohydrate for their growth development. Common foods in this group include sugar, potato, rice, bread, corn, nuts, grains and fresh vegetables.

2.  Fat

Fat can be consumed through animal or vegetable fats. It provides warmth to the body. The sources of fat comes from butter, margarine, vegetable oil, egg yolk, milk, nuts, meat, veggies and some fruits. Although fat may seem as an enemy to many health conscious people, it is essential to our body (with the appropriate amount). When the body does not contain enough fat, one might feel constant hunger, dry skin, slow growth development and infertility. Indigestion, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol level and heart diseases are then suffered when the body contains too much fat.

3.  Protein

Protein is also very important in the role of growth development. With less protein in the body, one might feel muscle weakness, fatigue, dizziness, etc. Food containing proteins are meat, dairy products, egg, grains, beans, seafood, etc.
Other categories such as minerals and vitamins are also very important with their nutrition values in a healthy diet.

TCM Perspective on Nutrition

According to Tradition Chinese Medicine (TCM), food is categorized into groups based on their properties and nutrition values. The groups are divided into cold, cool, hot, warm and neutral. They can be selected according to each individual’s body constitution. Each body is also categorized into properties, for instance, body of warm constitution should consume food with cool properties in order to neutralize and balance the properties of both the body and the food to achieve health. If this person over consumes food with warm or hot properties, he/she will soon be ill, due to malnutrition. (Malnutrition signifies unbalanced diet, not under eating).

Herbology

Introduction

For more than four thousand years, the Chinese have been developing and refining medical treatment based on the raw ingredients of natural plants. Chinese herbal medicine is the world’s oldest continuous surviving medical system. Chinese herbs see and understand the whole pattern of a person’s body and re individualized and more specific for each patient’s needs than other medicinal systems. The treating principles of Chinese medicine are to emphasize the strengthening of a person’s internal defensive power to fight against the pathogenic agents and also the power of adaptation to restore the harmonized state of the body.

Difference Between Drugs and Herbs

While Western drugs concentrate on treating the area of the body where symptoms occur (e.g. for chest pain, the heart; for stomachache, the digestive tract, etc.), Chinese herbs are designed to bring the entire body into balance. In theory, a balanced body has an immune system strong enough to fight off any illness.

Why Do We Need Herbs?

Our body is composed of billions of cells and each cell needs special nutrients to function properly. Most of the nutrients we give our cells come directly from the food we eat. An improper diet or illness impairs our ability to adequately supply our cells. Herbs correct nutrient deficiencies and restore the proper balance to the cells. With the fast pace of today’s lifestyle, people often consume a "poor" diet, lacking the nutrients that the body needs to strengthen and restore the body function. It is very important to replenish the body with natural Chinese herbs to prevent ailments.

Properties of Natural Herbs

As natural substances, herbs are easily absorbed and digested by our body.

Each herb has a unique combination of constituents that interact directly with the body’s chemistry.

Combining herbs into formulas does more than simply adding the effects of each individual herb. It can multiply effects synergistically or they can buffer one another depending on the body’s requirements.

Herbs in proper combination may enhance the body’s healing process by providing a balanced holistic ingredient. They replicate the teamwork naturally found in our body’s immune system to defend the body’s health.

Other Benefits of Herbs

Chinese herbs are often used as preventive medicine. One does not need to be ill to take herbs. Even when healthy, herbs can still be consumed in order to strengthen the body’s immune system to prevent against diseases and also to restore nutrition. Since herbs are natural, they are low or none in toxicity and side effects.

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