Healing Tao Institute

Chinese Herbal Medicine

Chinese herbal medicine is one of the world's oldest recorded traditions of herbal medicine. Although indigenous people in all cultures worldwide have used herbal medicines continuously for thousands of years, the Chinese have Materia Medica texts listing individual herbs and combined herbal prescriptions for a wide range of disorders dating back thousands of years. Many of these prescriptions are in wide use today.

Will my health insurance plan cover Chinese Herbal Medicine? 
If you have a flex-pay plan, you can almost always use those monies to cover the costs of your Chinese herbals medicine prescriptions.  Unlike Western medicines, Chinese herbal medicines are relatively inexpensive; weekly costs of herbal prescriptions may be as little as $5, and is rarely more than $25.

Chinese Herbs
How quickly will I see results with Chinese Herbal Medicine? 
This depends on the condition you are treating. Sometimes patients see results within an hour or two. Other conditions respond more slowly. It is a common misconception about Chinese herbal medicine that herbs are always slow to offer results.

Don't Chinese herbs smell and taste awful? 
Sometimes they do, especially if you are cooking up a prescription with raw herbs on the stovetop. However, the smell and taste vary depending on which herbs are used. Some prescriptions contain such herbs as ginger, cinnamon, and licorice root, and actually have a pleasant smell and taste.

What forms do my herbs come in? 
We accommodate your wishes to assure the optimal compliance and effectiveness of your Chinese herbal therapy. Chinese herbs may come as:
• Custom herbal prescriptions from fresh and dried materials
• Custom herbal prescriptions from powdered herbs (no cooking required)
• Tablets
• Capsules
• Liquid extracts
• Liniments for external use
• Patches and plasters for external use

Chinese Nutritional Therapy

What is Chinese Nutrition?
There is an ancient saying in China: "Your food is your medicine; your medicine is your food."

Chinese Herbs
Nutrition plays a vital role in your health and well-being. Chinese nutrition is based on a deep understanding of the energetic properties of foods, and on the effects and correlations of foods with the internal organs and other body systems.

How does Chinese Nutrition differ from Western views on nutrition?
While there are similarities between Chinese and Western nutrition, there are also some major differences. Chinese nutrition is customized according to your individualized Chinese medical diagnosis and personal assessment. Food is often used as a primary therapy based on its energetic medicinal properties rather than on its vitamin and mineral content or its ratios of protein, carbohydrates and fats.

As a part of your health plan, you can receive a personalized dietary and nutritional plan based on traditional Chinese medical principles of healthy eating habits and needs.

Will I have to eat Chinese food to follow my nutritional plan?
No. Your nutritional plan gives you a wide range of foods to choose from, and you can include many varieties of vegetables, grains, fruit, fish, poutry and meats of your liking.