At Juanita Fuchs Acupuncture diet is a key focus of the treatment plan, with recommendations given, according to Chinese Medicine diagnosis, on the types of food suited to your specific condition.

The concept of Chinese nutritional therapy, or the effect that food has on our health, was developed over 3000 years ago.  During this time Chinese physicians used diet to balance illness and disharmony within the body, with medicines only being used if the desired results were not achieved.

Chinese nutritional therapy follows the same diagnostic principles that are used in both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and focuses on the +energetic qualities of food.  Many factors are considered when selecting foods to correct imbalances within the body i.e. the thermal nature of the food (hot, neutral or cold), the flavour of the food, which organ network it influences and the direction of energy flow it produces.  For example, to balance cold conditions within the body, foods that have a warming effect are indicated, such as oats, ginger tea, fennel, garlic, salmon and lamb.  To balance hot conditions within the body, foods that have a cooling nature are indicated, such as raw vegetables and fruits, salads and barley.

Western nutritional therapy focuses primarily on quantitative criteria when assessing food i.e. number of calories, glycaemic index etc.  In today’s society where food-related illnesses, allergies and sensitivities are on the rise, Chinese nutritional therapy, like acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, can provide an alternative to optimise wellbeing.