This document discusses traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its approach to food therapy. TCM views the body and disease differently than Western medicine, focusing on balances between yin and yang and the five elements. In TCM, foods have yin or yang properties and are associated with different elements. The cycles of the five elements describe how the elements interact and can be used to determine which foods to eat or avoid for different health conditions. Food therapy in TCM considers additional factors like season, climate, and an individual's body type to treat or prevent illness.