The Energetics of Foods in TCM
Description
Chinese Dietary Therapy
Dietary therapy is one of the pillars of Chinese medicine, alongside acupuncture, herbal medicine, Qi Gong and medical massage. Dietary therapy can help every patient, either as an adjunct modality or a modality on its own.
Western dietary approaches tend to focus on macronutrients (carbs, fats, protein) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, enzymes), underpinned by biochemistry and lab testing. By contrast, Chinese dietary approaches emphasise energetic aspects, such as the energetic temperature of food or the doctrine of signature. Its approaches are holistic, at times even poetic, often using a language rooted in the observation of nature. Both approaches – East and West – can be successfully combined to achieve optimal health.
This two-day course will provide a comprehensive view into Chinese dietary therapy, adding depth to your understanding of the organs of digestion and the therapeutic effects of foods. It will also offer Chinese dietary advice for common digestive ailments, including constipation, diarrhoea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and parasites.
Chinese Dietary Therapy course teaches you:
The energetic temperature of food, which is determined by whether it warms us up or cools us down once eaten.
The affinity of foods and cooking methods with particular organs such as the spleen-pancreas, stomach, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine, lungs, kidneys, bladder and the heart.
How to care for the organs of digestion with diet and lifestyle, including key imbalances, foods to avoid and foods to emphasise.
How to recognise and address imbalances caused by heat, cold, dampness and dryness.
Improve health with an energetically balanced diet
How different foods energetically affect the body
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, foods are classed as either hot, warm, neutral, cool or cold; drying or moistening; ascending, descending, centring, spreading to the exterior or consolidating.
- Bitter foods are generally cooling and encourage contraction and the descending of energy.
- Naturally sweet foods have a centring quality and strengthen energy by nourishing the digestive system..
- Pungent foods are generally warming and encourage energy to expand and move outward.
- Salty foods are generally cooling and encourage energy to move in and down.
- Sour foods are generally cooling and encourage energy to contract and collect.
What our students say
“Highly recommended for anyone, especially practitioners, who want to understand how food affects the body, organs, and even emotions. The course offers practical insights for living in balance and for dietary advice in consultations. The lecturer’s approachable style made it easy for everyone to follow. Thank you, CNM.”
Jonathan K
About the lecturer
Attila Szanto mANP rGNC
Qualifications: Ph.D. in Sociology, CNM Diplomas in Acupuncture and Naturopathy, CNM Certified Clinical Supervisor.
Background: Attila Szanto is Acupuncture Lecturer and Clinical Supervisor at CNM. As an Acupuncturist and Naturopath, Attila specialises in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) diagnostic techniques such as pulse, tongue and face, Chinese dietary therapy, musculoskeletal pain and digestive disorders.
Who should take this course?
This course is suitable for natural health students and practitioners of different modalities (nutritionists, herbalists, acupuncturists and homeopaths), as well as Tai Chi and Qi Gong teachers, massage and acupressure therapists, but also everyone who appreciates the interconnected nature of the energetic forces within the body and the factors that can influence them.
Chinese dietary therapy can help to maintain the intention of treatments in between sessions and empower individuals to improve their own health with simple and easy-to-apply-in-everyday-life approaches.
Study In-class
- 25th & 26th April 2026
- CNM London, 25 Percy Circus, London WC1X 9EU
Award
Certificate in Chinese Dietary Therapy
Recognition
Continuous Professional Development (CPD): This course is worth 20 CPD points awarded by the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP).
Location
London: CNM London, 25 Percy Circus, London WC1X 9EU
£250.00
