Digestion & appetite
- Weak appetite or picky eating patterns*
- Bloating after meals*
- Irregular stools with a TCM pattern*
- Heaviness or sluggish digestion*
In brief
Dietary therapy (食疗, shi liao) at PULSE TCM matches food nature and meal rhythm to your TCM pattern after pulse and tongue diagnosis. Yao shan (药膳) may join when food is combined with medicinal ingredients. Your physician may share guidance when it fits; it is not a cure list or a dietitian replacement.
- MOH-registered
- Pattern-led
- Consultation from $40
What it is
Food matched to your pattern
TCM dietary therapy uses everyday food as part of care: warming or cooling qualities, flavours, meal timing, and seasonal rhythm. At PULSE it joins the plan only after physician consultation.
In Chinese medicine, digestion and transformation are often described through the spleen and stomach as the root of post-heaven qi. Dampness, cold, or heat in the pattern can show up as bloating, low energy, loose or sticky stools, or a heavy after-meal feel. MOH-registered physicians translate that reading into clear food guidance you can use between visits. Your physician may share food guidance that fits your pattern. When medical nutrition support is needed, we can work alongside a dietitian. Oral formulas, when prescribed, sit on Chinese Herbal Medicine; children's food therapy is also covered under Paediatric TCM.
How dietary therapy works
How it is used
Shi liao, yao shan, and clinic care
After consultation, your physician chooses what fits. Everyday food guidance is the usual start; therapeutic dishes join when indicated.
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Shi liao (食疗)
Pattern-led food guidance: warming or cooling foods, flavours, meal timing, and what to ease back on. Practical advice for home cooking and eating rhythm, not a retail meal subscription.
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Yao shan (药膳)
Therapeutic dishes that combine food with medicinal ingredients when your physician indicates that format. Distinct from a full herbal granule prescription, and always matched to the pattern.
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Alongside clinic care
Food guidance often sits beside acupuncture, tuina, or Chinese herbal medicine. For children, see Paediatric TCM.
Dietary guidance is shared when it belongs in your plan after assessment. Consultation starts from $40. For prescribed granules you take by mouth, see Chinese Herbal Medicine.
Common concerns
Where food guidance may sit in a care plan
Dietary advice is considered for selected patterns after consultation. Physicians treat patterns, not only disease names. The concerns below are common entry points and not exhaustive or guaranteed outcomes.
In TCM we may describe spleen-stomach weakness, dampness, cold or heat in the middle, or qi and blood that need gentler support through daily food. Your physician will name the pattern clearly so any food guidance matches that reading.
Energy & dampness
- Fatigue with dampness framing*
- Post-meal sleepiness*
- Recovery support between visits*
- Lifestyle rhythm and meal timing*
Life stages & seasons
- Seasonal food guidance*
- Women's health adjunct when indicated*
- Paediatric food tips alongside clinic care*
- Confinement-adjacent food questions in consult*
* Supportive care within a broader plan. Red-flag symptoms, unexplained weight loss, eating disorders, and medical diets for diabetes or kidney disease need appropriate Western or dietitian care.
Pathways
Explore a related care pathway
Digestion, fatigue, and women's health are common entry points. Use a programme pathway when you want care framed around a goal, not only food guidance.
Common start
Pain & Injuries
- Back & neck
- Migraine
- Sports
- Joints
Sports Enhancement
- Plateau
- DOMS
- Event prep
Muscle Recovery with BIXEPS
- Seniors
- Athletes
- Recovery
Women's Health
- Cycles
- Fertility
- PMS
- Menopause
Facial & Skin
- Anti-ageing
- Acne
- Complexion
Acne
- Hormonal
- Cystic
- Marks
General Health
- Sleep
- Stress
- Fatigue
- Digestion
Sleep & Stress
- Sleep
- Stress
- Burnout
Mental Wellness
- Mental health
- TCM × PSYCH
Insomnia
- Insomnia
- CBT-I
- TCM
Depression
- Depression
- CBT
- TCM
Anxiety
- Anxiety
- CBT
- TCM
Weight Management
- Metabolism
- Appetite
- Digestion
Hair Loss
- Scalp
- Thinning
- Circulation
How it works
How dietary therapy works
Classical TCM framing and how modern writing describes TCM nutrition, side by side, with a short evidence sketch below.
A TCM perspective
Food nature, spleen-stomach, and season
Foods are described by thermal nature and flavour, and matched to the organ networks and the season. Supporting spleen-stomach transformation aims to steady appetite, stools, and energy. Yao shan adds medicinal ingredients to dishes when the pattern needs that bridge between food and formula.
A clinical perspective
Pattern-led advice beside modern nutrition
Reviews describe TCM dietary therapy as syndrome-differentiated food guidance, distinct from nutrient-by-nutrient modern nutrition. Evidence for treating specific diseases remains limited. At PULSE, guidance follows consultation and stays humble about outcomes.
What research and practice help explain
A plain summary of TCM nutrition reviews, not a promise that food therapy treats named diseases on its own.
- Food therapy and medical diet therapy An opinion summary distinguishes TCM food therapy (balanced nutrition through diet) from medical diet therapy that combines nutrition and medicine to harmonise yin and yang. That split maps to shi liao versus yao shan in clinic language. [1]
- TCM nutrition and modern nutrition A systems review highlights holism, diet based on syndrome differentiation, spleen-stomach as the post-heaven root, and medicine-food homology. The authors note limited evidence-based research and the need for TCM clinicians to guide constitution differentiation. [2]
- Pattern-based guidance Dietary advice is selected after history, pulse, and tongue examination. Recommendations are personalised and reviewed as your pattern changes. [3]
- Regulated practice in Singapore Care is delivered by TCM physicians registered with the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board under MOH. [4]
Related modalities
Food therapy or herbal formulas?
Both support pattern care after consultation. This is orientation, not a ranking.
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Prefer dietary therapy when…
Everyday food nature, meal timing, and food habits are the main levers, and you want guidance you can practise between visits.
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Chinese herbal medicine
Prefer Chinese herbal medicine when…
Constitution and internal pattern need a prescribed oral formula, with food advice as support rather than the primary tool.
Your visit
What to expect
Consultation first. Food guidance only when it fits your plan.
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Consultation
Share history, allergies, medications, eating patterns, pregnancy status, and goals. First visits usually take 45–60 minutes.
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TCM diagnosis
Pulse, tongue, and symptom pattern guide whether dietary therapy belongs and how specific the advice should be.
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Food guidance
Your physician may outline foods to favour or ease, meal timing, and, when indicated, simple yao shan directions for home.
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Review at follow-up
Home rhythm is reviewed at the next visit. Plans adjust as appetite, energy, and digestion change.
Comfort & safety
Practical food advice with clear boundaries
Dietary therapy is generally gentle when matched to your pattern. It is not a substitute for Medical Nutrition Therapy, emergency care, or specialist diets for conditions such as diabetes or kidney disease. Tell your physician about allergies, pregnancy, and any eating-disorder history.
- Share food allergies and intolerances before home cooking advice is given.
- Seek dietitian or medical care for diabetes meal plans, renal diets, and other specialist nutrition needs.
- Eating disorders and unexplained weight loss need appropriate specialist assessment; TCM food tips are not a substitute.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals should confirm any strong medicinal cooking ingredients before use.
- Do not replace prescribed Western medicines with food therapy or self-prescribed herbal soups.
- Seek urgent Western care for severe abdominal pain, vomiting blood, black stools, or other red-flag symptoms.
Why patients choose PULSE
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MOH-registered, bilingual physicians
TCMPB-registered under MOH. English and Mandarin care across the network.
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Pattern first, not a generic food chart
Pulse and tongue reading shape which foods to favour and which to ease.
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Clear consultation floor
Consultation from $40; dietary guidance joins the plan when it fits.
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East meets West when nutrition needs both
Your physician may share food guidance that fits your pattern. When medical nutrition support is needed, we can work alongside a dietitian through PULSE Allied Health.
Physicians
Registered physicians for dietary guidance
TCMPB-registered under MOH. Bilingual teams across the network.
Dr Sim Beng Joo
Advisor / Consultant Physician
Gastrointestinal Syndromes · Pain Management · Sleep / Fatigue
Dr Kevin Tang
Consultant Physician
TCM Oncology · Pain Management · Gynecology
Physician Fang Ying
TCM Physician
Pain Management · Sports Injuries · Gynaecology
Physician Ji Hui Jun
TCM Physician
Gynaecological Issues · Women’s Health · Digestive Issues
Physician Yumi Yen
TCM Physician
Pain & Injury · Dry eye · Internal Medicine
Physician Patricia Wang
TCM Physician
Eye Conditions · Internal Medicine · Pain Management
Physician Tanny Kong
TCM Physician
Gastrointestinal · Internal Medicine · Pain Management
Physician Ng Yu Xiang
TCM Physician
Internal Medicine · Pain & Injury · Aesthetic Care
Physician Judy Zhu
TCM Physician
Facial Beauty Acupuncture · Facial Nerve · Cosmetology
From the clinic
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Food advice is useful when the pattern is clear and the patient can act on it between visits. I keep it practical: what to favour, what to ease, and when a dietitian should lead medical nutrition instead.
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Shi liao and herbs are related but not the same job. Granules carry a formula; dietary therapy shapes daily meals. Many plans use both when digestion and constitution need support from more than one angle.
Charges
Consultation from $40
Consultation starts from $40. Dietary guidance is shared when it fits your plan after assessment; there is no separate retail meal-kit fee on this page. Not inclusive of GST. Your physician confirms the recommended plan after assessing your condition. See full charges.
Full charges
Locations
Available across our Singapore clinics
PULSE has 15 clinics islandwide. Dietary therapy is indicated after consultation; we confirm the right physician and outlet when you book.
- 15 clinics islandwide Orchard, CBD, and neighbourhood locations including ION Orchard, Paragon, Woodleigh, and more.
- Modern clinical setting Calm rooms built for comfort and confidentiality from consultation through follow-up.
FAQs
Dietary therapy questions, answered
Shi liao, yao shan, dietitians, safety, and how we quote fees.
What is dietary therapy (shi liao)?
Shi liao (食疗) is TCM food-as-medicine guidance matched to your pattern after consultation. It covers food nature, meal timing, and everyday choices that support digestion and constitution between visits.
What is the difference between shi liao and yao shan?
Shi liao focuses on everyday food guidance. Yao shan (药膳) combines food with medicinal ingredients in therapeutic dishes when your physician indicates that format. Both sit under dietary therapy at PULSE.
How is dietary therapy different from Chinese herbal medicine?
Chinese herbal medicine at PULSE is mainly concentrated granules you dissolve and drink. Dietary therapy shapes meals and cooking guidance. Your physician may use one route, or both, in the same plan. Oral formulas are covered on the Chinese Herbal Medicine treatment page.
Is TCM dietary therapy the same as seeing a dietitian?
No. TCM dietary therapy is pattern-led food guidance from a TCM physician. Medical Nutrition Therapy is delivered by a dietitian. Your physician may share food guidance that fits your pattern. When medical nutrition support is needed, book Medical Nutrition Therapy through PULSE Allied Health. For metabolism and stubborn-weight goals framed as a TCM programme, see our Weight Management pathway.
What are warming and cooling foods in TCM?
TCM describes foods by thermal nature (for example warming ginger or cooling cucumber) and flavour, not only calories. Your physician matches those qualities to your pattern and the season rather than giving a one-size chart.
Who is dietary therapy for?
It is commonly considered for digestion and appetite patterns, dampness or fatigue framing, seasonal support, and as an adjunct in women's or paediatric care when indicated. Suitability is confirmed after diagnosis.
Can children use dietary therapy?
Yes, when age and pattern fit. Children's food therapy is often discussed within Paediatric TCM visits. See our Paediatric TCM page for child-led detail, and this page for the general shi liao and yao shan framework.
Is dietary therapy safe in pregnancy?
Mild food guidance may be appropriate, but strong medicinal cooking ingredients need physician advice. Always share pregnancy status at consultation and follow specialist obstetric care for medical diet needs.
How much does dietary therapy cost at PULSE TCM?
Consultation starts from $40. Dietary guidance is part of the consult-led plan when indicated. GST is separate. There is no separate meal-kit price published on this page.
How do I book dietary therapy?
Book a TCM consultation and mention dietary therapy or shi liao in your request. We match you with a physician and confirm whether food guidance, herbs, or both fit your plan.
References
Sources & page citations
- Wu Q, Liang X. Food therapy and medical diet therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Clinical Nutrition Experimental. 2018;18:1–5. doi:10.1016/j.yclnex.2018.01.001
- Zhao X, Tan X, Shi H, Xia D. Nutrition and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM): a system's theoretical perspective. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2021;75(2):267–273. PubMed PMID 32884122. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32884122
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Traditional Chinese medicine: What you need to know. 2019. nccih.nih.gov
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board. Registration & practice standards for TCM physicians. Ministry of Health, Singapore. healthprofessionals.gov.sg/tcmpb
Clinically reviewed
Reviewed by Dr Sim Beng Joo
Advisor (Science & Strategy) / Consultant Physician · TCMPB T1303003A
MOH-licensed TCM physician and biomedical scientist, with clinical work in digestion, pain, and sleep or fatigue.
View full profileEducational information based on clinical experience and TCM principles. Not a substitute for personalised consultation. Speak with your healthcare provider before changing your diet for medical reasons. Dietary therapy complements (and does not replace) urgent care, specialist Western medicine, or Medical Nutrition Therapy when those are needed. Reviews describe concepts and do not guarantee outcomes for any individual.
Book
Begin with a consultation
Tell us what you need help with. We will match you with the right physician and confirm whether food guidance, herbs, or both fit your plan.