Food Therapy
“Food is medicine” has been understood and practiced in China for more than five thousand years. In daily life, people choose different parts and colors of foods to prevent, treat illness and support longevity. For example, dark-green vegetables help maintain healthy vision over a lifetime and may reduce premature graying of hair.
For decades, Dr. Mary Tan has observed and analyzed common, harmful eating patterns: irregular meal schedules, fluctuating portion sizes, unbalanced food groups, misguided fasting, and overindulgence in specific foods. These habits often become root causes of disease and shortened lifespan.
Dr. Tan uses a personalized approach, tailored to each patient’s needs, as an essential part of therapeutic healing. She emphasizes:
Regular daily schedule for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — do not skip meals.
Consistent portions at each meal — avoid large fluctuations.
Balanced food groups — about 30% grains, 40% vegetables, 10% fruit, 20% protein — do not eliminate any whole group.
Fasting at night, not in the morning.
Before COVID-19, Dr. Tan led popular therapeutic cooking classes, combining the theory of “food as medicine” with practical recipes and weekly meal plans — a program she plans to revive in her upcoming online teaching series.
