For centuries in the Orient, nutrition has been considered an integral part of health and wellness. Dietary protocols were given to patients for the preservation of health as well as for curative benefits. Foods were prescribed for many types of disease with positive results, and nutrition continues to maintain an important role in modern Oriental Medicine.

The basic underlying principles of Oriental Nutrition include a balance of cooked and raw foods, hot and cold thermodynamics, eating according to the season, and a harmonization of flavors. A diet of easily digestible foods along with the avoidance of overeating creates a healthy digestive system. Eating late at night is not advised because sleep is a time of regeneration, and the digestive process of a full stomach should not cause interruption. Eating should take place during relaxation, in the sitting position, and food should be chewed thoroughly.

Both cooked and raw foods should be included in the diet. Too many raw foods may cause damage to the spleen and stomach, therefore impairing digestion. Too many cooked foods, especially if overcooked, may be devoid of essential nutrients. A healthful diet is comprised of as many fresh and organic items as possible, with a balance of cooked and raw preparations. An adjustment may be made in either direction while on a Nutritional Therapy Diet in order to correct health problems.

Each food possesses either a hot, cold, or balanced nature. This does not refer solely to the temperature, such as hot soup or a cold drink. This nature refers to the overall thermodynamic effect on the body after it's been eaten. Consistent with the other facets of Oriental Medicine, the law of opposites applies to nutrition. A cold person should eat more warming foods, and a hot person should eat more cooling foods to correct imbalance. Modifications must be made in order to adapt to the changes taking place throughout the healing process.

In the Orient, eating according to the season has been a standard practice for many centuries. Spring is the time of renewal in nature, and so it is for the digestive system. Springtime is the proper time to cleanse and increase the intake of raw and Sour foods. During the Summer, while a person is more active, more light, bitter and moving foods are advised. Fall begins, and the energy of the body begins to move more slowly as the weather cools down. A little more heavy and Spicy food is recommended in moderation during this time, to increase circulation and warm the body throughout the transition. Wintertime, which is the time of hibernation in nature, transforms the body's energetic dynamic to slow and deep. Heavier Salty foods work with this dynamic, supplementing the kidneys and preparing the body for the next season.

The five flavors - Sour, Bitter, Sweet, Spicy, and Salty - should be balanced throughout the year, regardless of season. A typical diet should contain all five of these flavors in order to create harmony. In certain cases of imbalance however, one or more of these flavors may need to be increased, eaten in moderation, or completely avoided. Dietary excesses such as saturated fat, processed foods, artificial ingredients, heavy intake of red meats, alcohol, sugar, white flour products, and in some cases even dairy should be removed from the diet in order to heal or maintain good health.

Each flavor also affects the organs of the body, and the emotions. Sour foods have been known to affect the Liver and emotion of Anger, Bitter foods affect the Heart and Joy, Sweet foods affect the Spleen and Rumination or Worry, Spicy foods affect the Lungs and Grief, and Salty foods affect the Kidneys and Fear. Each flavor has a wide range of other indications, which may be used effectively in healing many disorders. This is why nutrition may be applied as medicine.

Remember, you literally are what you eat!