Diet
at The Source Chinese Medical Clinic
Much of Dr. Wang's approach to food as a tool for healing is expressed in the award-winning book, Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing, and Long Life (Da Capo Lifelong Books), which she coauthored with Warren Sheir and Mika Ono. As the book states:
For thousands of years, the Chinese have been seeking the secret to health and healing. Unlike in the West, traditional Chinese medicine makes no clear distinction between "food" and "medicine." Instead, the healing properties of food are woven into the fabric of everyday cuisine. While some herbs are particularly potent and reserved for therapeutic uses, many beneficial ingredients are as common in Chinese cuisine as ketchup and mustard are in America...
Traditional Chinese medicine celebrates the relationship between food and health. Instead of a few simple home remedies, the tradition offers a highly developed system of using herbs and the intrinsic properties of different foods to maximize each individual's potential in his or her changing environment, enhancing the body's own natural powers for health, healing, and rejuvenation. In this tradition, science is lending support to ancient notions of the healing properties of many traditional Chinese ingredients - cinnamon, curcumin, and ginger, to name only a few.
To see a video of Dr. Wang and her colleagues preparing a dish, see Soothing Shrimp with Asparagus and Goji Berries.
To see a video on Dr. Wang speaking about therapeutic teas, see Pacific College's blog "Essence & Qi."