How does Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) promote health? Four key perspectives on health preservation and disease prevention in Traditional Chinese Medicine:

How does Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) promote health? Four key perspectives on health preservation and disease prevention in Traditional Chinese Medicine:

1. Natural Perspective – “Harmony of Heaven and Man”: The human body must conform to the laws of nature to maintain normal life activities. “Going against it brings disaster, following it prevents ailments; this is called attaining the Tao.” According to the different seasons, TCM recommends spring health preservation, summer nurturing, autumn collection, and winter storage. It also suggests nurturing Yang in spring and summer and nurturing Yin in autumn and winter, aligning with the principles of nature to achieve unity between humans and nature.
2. Preventive Perspective – “Saints Treat Diseases Before They Occur”: It emphasizes the preventive approach of treating diseases before they manifest. “A sage does not treat a disease after it has occurred, but rather prevents it before it arises. A sage does not rectify disorder after it has set in, but rather prevents it before it begins. It is like being warm before becoming cold, and making a well before drawing water. Isn’t it too late otherwise?” TCM advises avoiding pathogenic factors and maintaining mental calmness to prevent diseases before they occur.
3. Dynamic and Static Perspective – “Being Able to Move and Be Still, Liberates Longevity”: It advocates balancing physical and mental aspects, adjusting according to the different seasons to nourish the body and cultivate the spirit. In spring, it suggests “sleeping early and waking up early, taking broad walks in the courtyard”; in summer, “sleeping early and waking up early, not getting tired of the sunlight”; in autumn, “sleeping and waking early, rising with the chickens”; in winter, “sleeping early and waking up late, waiting for the sunlight.”
4. Dietary Perspective – “Food is the Basis of Good Health”: TCM considers diet crucial for health and recommends “eating with moderation” to maintain the source of postnatal spleen and stomach. For instance, “overeating harms the spleen and stomach,” leading to insufficient transformation of nutrients and making the body susceptible to various diseases. TCM also advises caution in balancing the five tastes and avoiding excessive preferences.