🌿 Folk Prescriptions

After the Start of Autumn each year, many people with weak constitutions prepare homemade medicinal diets, and numerous merchants promote “autumn tonic cuisine.” However, traditional Chinese medicinal diets are not simply a mixture of food and herbs. Instead, they are special foods carefully prepared under the guidance of TCM diagnostic theory, combining herbs, food, and seasonings to provide both therapeutic effects and delicious taste, aimed at preventing and treating diseases, strengthening health, and prolonging life. Without medical knowledge, blindly preparing or consuming medicinal diets risks going astray.
The main ingredients in medicinal diets are herbs. Among over 4,000 commonly used herbs, about 500 can be used as medicinal diet ingredients. Approximately 60 of these are relatively safe and palatable, including: Gastrodia elata, ginseng, Eucommia bark, Poria, Angelica sinensis, Shashen, Citrus peel, pearl powder, Cordyceps sinensis, Cassia seed, Asparagus root, cloves, Astragalus, white peony root, Codonopsis, Goji berries, licorice, Ophiopogon root, deer antler, yam, Rehmannia glutinosa, Ganoderma lucidum, Polygonum multiflorum. Most are plant-based.
These “medicinal and food same origin” herbs must be paired with food according to TCM theory, ensuring their actions complement and harmonize. Otherwise, errors or reduced efficacy may occur. TCM has strict prohibitions regarding herb compatibility, herb-food pairing, food pairing, and dietary restrictions based on illness.
According to TCM theory, human constitution varies due to genetics, environment, diet, and lifestyle. Different constitutions manifest differently in physiology, pathology, and psychology. The most important principle in preparing and consuming medicinal diets is “individualized dietary therapy”—those with cold constitution should avoid cold-natured foods; those with fire excess should not receive additional warming tonics. Only supplement what is deficient—true relief in need.
In medicinal diet therapy, one must consider not only the nature and flavor of non-dietary herbs but also those used in food. Generally, warm or hot medicinal foods—such as ginger, scallions, red dates, walnuts, lamb, fennel—have warming, dispersing, and yang-supporting effects, suitable for treating cold conditions or yin syndromes. Cool or cold medicinal foods—such as mung beans, lotus root, watermelon, pear, lotus root, purslane, chrysanthemum—have cooling, heat-clearing, blood-cooling, and detoxifying effects, suitable for treating heat conditions or yang syndromes.
Regarding the five flavors: sour medicinal foods (e.g., plum, pomegranate) have astringent and consolidating effects; bitter ones (e.g., bitter melon, apricot kernel) clear heat, descend qi, purge fire, and dry dampness; sweet ones (e.g., jujube, honey, maltose) nourish, harmonize, and relieve pain; pungent ones (e.g., ginger, scallion) disperse and move qi; salty ones (e.g., kelp, seaweed) soften hardness and dissipate nodules; bland ones (e.g., Poria, coix seed) promote urination.
Medicinal diet preparation mainly involves stewing, boiling, braising, and steaming—ultimately forming soups. This allows herbs and food to release active components fully through prolonged gentle heating, enhancing efficacy. The cooking style emphasizes original flavors of herbs and food, achieving both nourishment and culinary delight, stimulating appetite and thus achieving desired therapeutic effects.
“Moderation in diet” is a fundamental principle in TCM health preservation. Medicinal dietary therapy should also be moderate and restrained. Avoid overconsumption in short periods or rushing for quick results. Instead, consume small amounts regularly based on personal condition, persistently over time—eventually yielding noticeable benefits.