I liked this book! I liked the history of foods and ingredients brought up, and it was an interesting approach to nutrition and diet. I do think this may work for some people but not for all, as with any diet culture.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

This book was really enlightening. I loved learning about the food cures used in Chinese medicine. I will definitely be incorporating these in my daily life.

As a person who did not know much about Chinese Traditional Medicine this book has provided insight to a topic that I do not know understand or know about.

This was a fascinating book and much more accessible than other books I have read on this subject. Easy to find information relevant to what your particular interests as much of the book is written in a dictionary / encyclopeadia form. Has a western "medicine as food" twist that makes it super interesting.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Melissa Carr’s Modern Chinese Medicine Food Cures is an insightful and practical guide to understanding nutrition through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). By blending ancient practices with modern dietary knowledge, Carr offers a fresh perspective on how food can be used as a tool for personal health and wellness. This book is a valuable resource for practitioners, patients, and anyone curious about TCM’s unique approach to nutrition.

What Stands Out
The book’s biggest strength is its accessibility. TCM can sometimes feel esoteric or intimidating to those unfamiliar with its principles, but Carr presents the information in a way that’s both approachable and engaging. The self-assessment tool for understanding the five elements—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—is a standout feature, helping readers identify their dominant elements and how they might influence their dietary needs.

Carr also excels at bridging the gap between TCM and Western nutrition. By incorporating familiar foods and herbs into her recommendations, she ensures that the principles of TCM feel relevant and practical for a modern audience. The inclusion of Western nutritional basics alongside TCM practices makes the book even more versatile, providing a well-rounded framework for understanding food’s impact on health.

Content Highlights
Personalized Nutrition: The book emphasizes the importance of tailoring dietary recommendations to the individual, a cornerstone of TCM. Carr’s explanations of how specific foods can nourish or balance the body’s energy systems are clear and compelling.
Practical Applications: From the self-assessment tool to the symptom-focused food lists, the book is packed with actionable advice. The section on common symptoms and illnesses is particularly useful, offering practical dietary adjustments for issues like fatigue, digestive problems, and stress.
Cultural Integration: By focusing on foods and herbs that are familiar and accessible to Western readers, Carr ensures the book feels relevant without losing its connection to TCM’s rich heritage.
Favorite Moments
The section that explains the five elements and their relationship to physical and emotional health is both illuminating and fun to explore. It provides a new lens through which to view personal well-being.
The symptom-specific recommendations are a highlight—practical, easy to reference, and empowering for readers who want to take charge of their health.
Carr’s discussion of how to harmonize TCM food principles with Western dietary advice is thoughtful and nuanced, showing respect for both traditions.
Critiques
While the book is highly informative, some readers may find it leans more heavily on theory than application in certain sections. For those new to TCM, a few of the concepts—such as yin and yang or the five elements—might feel abstract, despite Carr’s best efforts to simplify them. Additional real-life examples or case studies could have further enriched the practical application of the concepts.

Final Thoughts
Modern Chinese Medicine Food Cures is a refreshing and empowering guide that makes the wisdom of TCM accessible to a modern audience. Melissa Carr’s ability to integrate traditional practices with contemporary nutritional advice is impressive, offering a balanced approach to personalized health and wellness. Whether you’re a practitioner looking to expand your knowledge or a curious reader seeking a new way to approach nutrition, this book is well worth exploring. It’s both a practical reference and a fascinating deep dive into the healing power of food.

Melissa Carr treats us to a crash course in healing Chinese foods in this wonderful new book ‘Modern Chinese Medicine Food Cures’.

Helpfully this book has an index of ailments to help us navigate the book easily and find the best advice, and/or healing foods for particular and specific health concerns.

In addition to this, we are gifted a crash course in TCM (traditional Chinese Medicine), which is both fascinating and gives great context for the rest of the book.

The majority of the book (around two thirds) is dictionary-like in its presenation of ailments and their healing foods - an ailment is alphabetically listed and then the information is presented. I deep dived into the ‘insomnia’ section from the get-go and was instantly impressed by the content!

Additional bonus content includes a section ‘Five Elements Quiz - What am I?’ By answering question we learn which elements we lean more towards: earth, metal, water , wood and fire. I enjoyed discovering that the elements most relevant to me were earth and fire, this lead nicely into the following section ‘foods by element’. ‘Modern Foods’ is discussed in another chapter, and this I felt particularly relevant given the current interest and scaremongering around ultra processed foods in the media. Food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities are also considered in this wonderfully extensive book.

All in all, I found this to be a wonderful resource, both for those of us looking to address specific concerns, but also for anyone with a wider interest in health and nutrition. This is a fascinating book that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

Thank you Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Singing Dragon, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. This is a comprehensive guide into the world of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) describing the history, science, nutrition, foods by element (earth, water, wood, fire, metal), discussion about modern food, allergies & intolerances, healthy eating tips, common diets & cleanses, and an extensive bibliography as well as a list of common & relatively accessible TCM herbs. It’s a great book to have on hand for those who are trying to use more natural ways of staying healthy. Of course, it is always best to be under supervision of the trained TCM practitioner when attempting to treat any disease.

A very informative book about the medical purposes of food in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This felt like a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge, spanning everyday ailments and what food you should take to cure it.
I don't know how effective it is, but it was extremely interesting.
I would recommend to anybody curious about different perspectives on food and soft medicine techniques more focused about general health and preventive measures to stay healthy. The author seems very knowledgeable.

A good introduction to TCM and the foods associated with all kinds of ailments by a doctor who specializes in it. The tone is very conversational, sometimes jokey, which may be a plus or minus depending on the reader. Lots of information and lengthy lists of foods for all different issues. I recommend getting a print version as there’s a multi page quiz that is very difficult to take on the kindle version.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

I liked ol th recipes in this book.
I will suggested also to a friend who will love it.
I always liked to find new culinary remedys.

This book explores food, nutrition, and dietary recommendations from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) approach. 'Modern Chinese Medicine Food Cures' helps both practitioners and their patients navigate a landscape saturated with conflicting dietary advice. This book is a tool to allow practitioners to meet people where they are so they can help them. It is also accessible enough for patients to use it for their own self-care and dietary adjustments.

Melissa Carr provides a modern approach to nutrition that is based on TCM's rich history of using food therapy to personalize health and wellness. She outlines how TCM can systematically assess an individual's health, as well as ways it evaluates how specific foods can impact our bodies. Readers are offered a self-assessment tool to help understand the five elements for TCM diagnosis and the application of nutritional suggestions by element.

The basics and key elements of Western nutritional advice are also included, as is a handy reference of food recommendations for common symptoms and illnesses, while focusing on foods and herbs that are familiar and generally easily accessible to Western readers.

Loved it. Will recommend to others. Found it to be very informative

I would like to see this book in person when it’s out to get the full effect but I spoke to my Malaysian friend who was interested in the book and recipes

An excellent guide to Chinese medicine food cures, which starts with yin and yang concepts and foods, yin foods and yang foods, then moves on to vitamins and the foods that contain them. I was really impressed by the depth of research involved including facts that I didn't know before and I would highly recommend this book.