Foods 'n' Herbs

The Chinese View of Our Body 

Western medicine looks at our body from the cellular level to the organs and to the parts before considering the body as a whole. When there is sickness, the treatment usually addresses specific parts only. It is a system of specialists and there is no expert per se on the whole body system. Chinese medicine looks at our body as a whole, a small universe within the big one because they share many similarities.

As the universe embraces natural phenomenon moving between two extremities, such as night and day, hot and cold, wet and dry, calm and fierce, harmony only exists when these forces are in balance. When these extremities persist and are out of control, natural disasters, such as flooding, drought, fire and storms occur.

Our body’s system is the same. When our system is in balance, we enjoy good health. When any one extreme dominates, we become sick. Chinese medicine believes it is necessary to treat the whole system rather than just the parts when disharmony occurs.

The conditions that upset our body’s balance can be external or internal. The external factors are wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness and fire. They are all induced by the change of season and climate. They are also known as the six excesses or the six evils. They invade our body through the mouth, nose or skin. If the excesses are not suppressed quickly, they can become internal excesses and the problems are more difficult to treat.