Thank you all for your support, we will give a reply to your letter and answer the question in the earliest possible time. Here are the most common questions we received from our viwers.

For the privacy reasons, we won't publish the letter in full but some key question points. On behalf of our team I would like to thank you and wish you a healthier future.

To Robyn, Melbourne

Hello Robyn,
You asked me why not write a book but a DVD? This is the question I am often asked amount the viewers.

Writing a book is much easier and cost less, but it would only be my medical view and my own clinical experiences. When starting the preparation of the project, I felt strongly that we should provide you more information from different sources, especially, the valuable knowledge from highly respected TCM experts.  This urge drove us searched many cities of China, eventually we selected nine TCM professors from several age groups, specialising in various medical departments such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, gynaecology, gastrology, paediatrics, arthritis… who have achieved both national and international recognition in the field of TCM health prevention practice.

I believe their expertise have fulfilled my purpose to make a high standard TCM  Preserving Health project.

Secondly, I think DVD is a clearer and very entertaining format when used to explaining a complicated theory. With the help of footages and guide step-by-step by our presenter CA Cranston who has done a wonderful job in the programme, it’s much easier for the viewers to understand this profound ancient health care philosophy.

From our viewer feedbacks, I am glade that we have achieved our goal.

To Lynn, QLD

Hello Lyn,

I am glad you like the DVD. From the conditions you listed in the letter, most of them indeed are related to Yin excess/Yang deficiency, so you are probably right about your own body constitution. In many cases, Chronic Candida of the gut, IBS, intolerance to wheat etc. are caused by deficiency of the spleen Yang energy. As a result, the Kidney Yang energy would also be affected. According to TCM, the quality of the human bone relies on the function of the kidney, in other words, if your kidney energy is weak, you won’t have strong bones. This might be one of the causes of your Osteoporosis.

This DVD as a general introduction of TCM Preserving Health theory, is our attempt to give people a key to work out their body constitution which according to TCM, is the first but vital step when choosing the right diet to achieve good health and wellbeing. There is a general guide in our DVD showing the group of foods that belong to Yang nature. You may like to watch it again to work out which group of food better suits your condition. Basically, if you are Yin dominated, you should avoid eating too much food which belongs to Yin nature.

In our programme, we intended to tell people that the idea of taking fish oil and other dietary supplements may be unwise if they don’t take individuality into consideration. For example, many people take the same supplement everyday regardless of the differences between the body constitutions, the age, the gender or their health situation. According to TCM, all these factors should be measured when choosing the dietary supplements.  Best wishes — you get well soon.  

To Toni, Chatswood NSW

Hello Toni,

You wondered if the DVD gives all the necessary information or if it is just an introduction to a future appointment with a practitioner?

The purpose of this DVD is to help people understand the basic theory of TCM Preserving Health without going to a practitioner. Some of these appointments can be lengthy (taking at least 3 x 1-hour sessions). Since I started TCM health preservation and wellbeing counselling 10 years ago, it was not unusual for me to see three or four patients individually in a morning, and to give exactly the same talk just to go through the basic knowledge. Now, there’s the DVD — and with the help of the visual images, it's more direct, systematic and easier to understand. It can be used time after time again as a hand book. This gives people more freedom — no scheduled appointment needed; it’s more pleasant — they can watch it in their own home in comfort; it’s more economical — people can watch the DVD as many times as necessary, all for only one investment.

It took us five years of work to put together these two discs totalling 130 minutes in length. The DVD features nine Chinese medical professors each contributing their expertise; they are the very best experts, specialising in asthma, cardiovascular disease, paediatric, gynaecology, gastrology, arthritis, and up-to-date on the latest in clinical research. The DVD is very informative and I believe it has the necessary details to help people understand this profound ancient health preservation theory.

However, this DVD is also for people who want to improve their general health and wellbeing in order to prevent the illness before onset. This is why it’s called ‘Preserving Health’.  Of course if you’ve got a specific health concern you might like to see a TCM practitioner for further consultation; but the DVD will probably give you enough information as to why you got sick in the first place. The information contained there should help you make the right choices to make changes — You and the DVD:  a co-operation for better recovery.
As I know in Australia, some TCM practitioners do not conduct Preserving Health educational counselling. You are always welcome to logon to our website Q & A page which is updated regularly.

To Laura, Eatins Hill Qld.

Hello Laura,

You said that after trying and failing many different ‘health diets’ you wonder if this DVD is worth watching; and you are hesitant to purchase a copy in case it’s just another new dieting idea.

I completely understand your feeling. In fact, this comment is not new to me at all — many people have expressed the same frustration. So let me point out the difference between the TCM theory of diet (which is the content of our DVD) and other dieting ideas.

Firstly, “the body constitution specific diet” in TCM preserving health theory is a concept rather than a diet.  For instance, let me ask you this: just because the sun and water are essential for all earth’s plants, would you plant your rose and camellia in the same spot in your garden? Of course you wouldn’t. Why? Because you know they have different natures, that they require different amounts of sunlight and water. Otherwise they will wither; they will not survive. Being part of nature, according to TCM, humans too need to focus on what is right for them, not as a group, but as individuals. In other words, humans might fall into either the ‘rose’ or the ‘camellia’ category.  But they shouldn’t be lumped together. So it’s not about what’s good in food but what is RIGHT for you, the individual, according to your own particular constitution. This is why Professor Yu Shaoyan emphasises in the DVD that there is no such thing as healthy food; it all depends on your body constitution.

Secondly, “diet and wellbeing” is only one of three parts in the DVD. The idea of ‘Preserving Health’ is an ancient concept in Chinese meaning “taking good care of your life”. As a TCM practitioner I believe it is vitally important to help people understand not only diet but other factors that impact on health, factors such as the change of weather and season, and also our emotions. This is the broad and varied range that our DVD explores.

To Georgina , Doncaster Vic.

Hello Georgina,

I am glad you "found immediately what you did wrong with your 'healthy salad' after watching the DVD". I know how many times we are told eat this and that because it contains so many good elements in it. But most of the advice is based on the goodness of the food itself and is not focused on the individual’s body constitution. That is why while certain food seemed to be so satisfactory to your husband it caused digestive problems for you. And yet we continue to obey the ‘one size fits all’ rule concerning healthy food and we do so because we are scared of not having a "healthy diet'. As you’ve discovered, you and your partner have totally opposite body constitutions: yours is Yin dominated and his is Yang dominated. To keep healthy, you both should choose the food that belongs to the opposite nature.

Follow the second part of DVD in Diet and Wellbeing, find your food group and apply the theory for a few weeks. Tell us your result, so we can go on from there.

To Kim, Devonprot Tas.

Hello Kim,

You sent us the most common question amount the viewers: Is it possible to provide everyone in the family a plate of food that suits their own particular body constitution? The answer to this is no. Sorry, it’s just not possible. I have a husband, two young children, and myself to cook for, and we all different. While being different is delight it’s unthinkable that I should have to cook each of us a separate meal. Nevertheless it is actually very simple; after watching the DVD you now should have a rough idea of what foods are in the Yin group and what are in the Yang group, so try to mix one or two from each group in one dish, say, making their yin/yang nature turn more towards neutral. This way you can all enjoy that particular dish without problems. However, I still encourage you to pick the food suits you more from the same dish. (The stir fry cucumber in the DVD is an example of this idea of neutralising certain dishes).

To Christine, Buderim Qld.

Hello Christine,

That's a good point — People should drink different amount of fluid according to the change in air temperature. The weather in Queensland is warmer than Tasmania, therefore, you might need to drink more water in Queensland. But you might also need to watch how you feel at evening. If you feel bloated, that can simply mean that you drank too much. But if the bloating feeling occurs most evenings, it indicates excessive fluid in the system that your body is having difficulty tolerating. Beware as this is usually the sign of weight gain and possibly the beginning of digestive disorder.

About your second question, TCM preserving health theory advises that people over the age of 40 need to be more cautious about cold drinks and cold food. Woman should be especially cautious. For instance in Queensland the temperature could be up to 40c but your body temperature still remains around 36.5c-37c. As we mentioned in the DVD there is about 20 degrees difference between cold drinks and cold food, and our body temperature. It’s a shock to the system! I suggest you play the DVD (Disc B) again: watch through the section where Professor Kuang and Professor Haung point out how cold drinks and cold foods damage the body. I also think this is related to your first question: if someone has excessive fluid in the body and keeps drinking/eating cold stuff, it will speed up weight gain and the more serious digestive problems.