Chinese Food Health gives you the basic approaches on how to nourish and preserve health in the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In Western countries, most people have already known that the Food Pyramid created by the US Department of Agriculture is a visual image illustrating the percentages of each food group that forms a healthy diet.

The Food Pyramid basically has four levels:

• At the lowest and widest (4th) tier, it is the foundation of a healthy diet, or the largest percentage of what we should consume.  It comprises bread, grains, and cereals.
• At the third tier of the Pyramid, we can find two food groups—vegetables and fruits—combined together.
• There are also two food groups: milk and meat occupy the second tier.
• At the top and the smallest tier of the Pyramid, there are fats, oils, and sugars.

In fact, the Food Pyramid represents what the nutritionists regard as the most certain and dependable healthy diet recommendation that has been gone through substantial researches and studies.

Over the years, the Food Pyramid has been adapted for ethnic preferences, such as Latin American diet, Mediterranean diet, and even Asian diet.  In China, based on the Food Pyramid, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioners and nutritionists have designed a “Numeric Diet” as a healthy diet advice according to Chinese physique and eating customs.

Here is what the numbers guide us:

1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil.  Its unsaturated fat has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels, which in turn may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.

2 Pieces / portions of fruit that provide fiber and vitamin C.  Fiber not only helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease, it also is crucial for proper bowel function.  As for vitamin C, it is important for growth and repair of body tissues that helps heal cuts and wounds.

3 Bowls of grains including rice, noodles, and bread.  Grains provide many important nutrients, such as dietary fiber, vitamin B, and minerals like iron and magnesium.

4 Plates of vegetables.  The more variety they are, the more nutrients you will get.  Also, the darker green the leaves, the more nutritious.

5 Servings of proteins.  The best combination is 50 grams of lean meat, 50 grams of fish, 200 grams of tofu or bean products, 1 egg, and 1 cup of milk or yogurt.  Not only this mixture is more economical, but also is healthier with larger amount of proteins come from vegetables and smaller amount from animals.

6 Grams of salt (not to exceed six grams).  While a small amount of salt is crucial for health which helps to maintain the correct volume of circulating blood and tissue fluids in the body, too much of them can cause high blood pressure and many other health conditions.

7 Kinds of seasoning plants, such as green onion, ginger, garlic, pepper, anise, etc.  In addition to adding flavor to dishes that improves appetite, these plants can also detoxify and kill bacteria.

8 Cups of water to prevent dehydration, clean out the body, and promote metabolism.

Although this “Numeric Diet” is designed for Chinese according to their physique and eating customs, you may find the principle is similar to the Food Pyramid.  “Healthiness to a large degree is universal; what’s bad for me often would not be good for you,” TCM Practitioner said.  “So, feel free to follow this ‘Numeric Diet’ if you look for an alternative to the Food Pyramid; it is fun and so easy to remember.”

Image by n.zeissig