The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) preferred to Complementary Foods as a food that should be introduced to infants beginning from six months of age (Appendix 4C) www.cdc.gov/globalaids/Resources/pmtct-care/docs/PM/Module_4PM.doc And the USDA has this term identified under the heading of Infant Health and Nutrition http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php info_center=12&tax_level=2&tax_subject=624&level3_id=0&level4_id=0&level5_id=0&topic_id=2467&&placement_default=0 But I am here to tell you the intended meaning for Complementary Foods and, therefore, its blog name.
First of all, Complementary Foods is a group of diet systems, each prepared in accordance to its characteristics and in combination with a selected herbal blends designed to bring out the intended healing nature of the herbs. In channeling positive energy (Qi) throughout the meridians of our body via diets of therapeutic function, a food is thus becomes Ying Qi in that it is both nourishing and therapeutic in restoring good health and promoting the vitality of life. Secondly, Complementary Foods collectively implied more than one dish you’d enjoy prepared for your family, and that their recipes had been tried as wholesome.
However, a food does not have to be prepared with some sorts of herbal blends for it to be considered as complementary. Because the practicing traditions of health preserving foods in TCM embraces wholeness rather than in the particulars – a happy cook always prepared good foods.
Rice is a good example of complementary food. It is not prepared with any herbs. And it’s always served well with any TCM dish, because rice itself is a medicine as it is purposely good for our spleen and stomach. Furthermore, clay-pot roasted rice when served with herbal imperial soups completed Qi, promoting its intended healing nature against high cholesterol. And when rice is fermented with yeast (Monascus Purpureus), its liquor-like juice is reportedly promotes anti-inflammatory, improving blood circulation and lowering triglyceride levels. This is evidence in research work been done at NIH (National Institute of Health), and you can read about it here http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/925.html
Other examples of complementary foods included herbal soups prepared with yellow root herb (Hydrastis Canadensis), ginger (Zingiber), and unprocessed sugar cane that can cure pathogenic cough. Or hepatic herbs like golden seal and milk thistle that promotes liver function; chamomile (Chamomilla Recutita), ginger, and rosemary combination aiding in blood circulation; coriander, cumin, and turmeric combination is an effective detox blend; or lotus seed in honey comb broth to cure chronic insomnia, and so on.
These and many other therapeutic benefits of complementary foods have been recorded for thousands of years from ancient China. It is as rich and diverse as the culture from which it comes, and as mysterious as its custom of folk medicine.
Our struggles to make sense of TCM healing benefits in scientific terms, from its boosting of our immune systems to cancer therapy, is evidence in research works been done at the National Institute of Health, and the National Cancer Institute. However, in the West less than a hundred different types of herbs were ever recognized of their associated benefits when, in fact, several hundred types of herbs were been discovered. And the limited information was designed to educate the consumers only as stand-alone dietary supplements; none was seen as a potential complementary to the whole medical system in its dietary approach.
So I invite you to look over some of my food concepts, and how each selection is been carefully prepared - a delicious meal, no less than a medicinal gourmet fitly to be part of any complementary therapy program.
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