Herbal Medicine & Dietetics

  • There are many herbs and substances in the Chinese Pharmacopeia used for thousands of years in the practice of herbal medicine. When using plants, the root, stalk, bark, stems, leaves, flowers, vines, fruits, seeds, etc. all have different properties which determine their therapeutic function. Minerals and animals are also used based on their distinct properties. Based on these properties and their functions, specific combinations of these herbs and substances are used to help re-establish harmony to specific patterns of disharmony.

    Herbal medicine has many forms: decoctions, granules, drafts, teas, tinctures, various topicals, and my favorite, food.

  • Two of the primary properties of the herbs used in TCM are their characteristics of taste and temperature. The specific effects of the properties of taste and temperature determine the action of the herb, thus, it's therapeutic function. For this reason, I love using food as medicine. Check out my Food as Medicine ideas.