By Rachel Chan

TRADITIONAL Chinese Medicine (TCM) is not all about the curing of ailments, as physician Kwek Mei Lin will tell you.

It's also about diet therapy, or shi liao, which teaches one how to eat in order to bring one's body into balance.

It has been around since the earliest records of TCM practices in China's Spring and Autumn Period (from the second half of the eighth century BC to the first half of the fifth century BC).

Shi liao is an integral part of TCM, and, as ancient texts such as the Yellow Emperor's Classic Of Internal Medicine show, physicians back then were already advocating a balanced diet that comprises grains, fruits, meat and vegetables.

Soups are an excellent source of nutrition because they are easily available at food centres, are idiot-proof to make and are easily digested by the body, said Dr Kwek, 47.

The principal of the Institute of Chinese Medical Studies, who has almost 20 years of experience as a TCM physician, has been giving lectures on the foundational principles of TCM and health care for more than 10 years.

She also runs Chinese Traditional Hemed, a private clinic in People's Park Centre. She will give a talk on Saturday that will provide an overview on soups, as well as the benefits that certain soups have.

Meanwhile, my paper gets her to answer some questions from readers.

What soups have detoxifying properties and can help nourish the skin?
MS KOH CHIAT-YING, 22

Dr Kwek: TCM isn't big on detoxification. It mainly tries to achieve balance by making appropriate adjustments to one's body.

There are ways to do this, such as by strengthening our kidneys, or shen. In TCM, the shen isn't just an organ - it also controls the rate at which we age.

Improving digestion can boost qi. Providing moisture that improves blood circulation and emotional well-being is important to looking beautiful, too.

In my second lecture, Soups - Beauty Remedies, I will also introduce a pig's skin soup that's good for yin and blood flow.

I am interested to learn more about the following health conditions: diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. What soup would you recommend to help prevent or recover from these ailments?
MADAM S. H. GOH , 57

Dr Kwek: It's hard to pin down specific remedies as these ailments are actually not classified under TCM.

But we do know that such conditions are prevalent among the older generation, and are caused by genetic factors or
poor lifestyle habits, such as overeating.

Thus, I would recommend brews that are nourishing and can boost blood circulation.

Those with normal constitutions can use the recipe below.

The ingredients are: Du zhong or Eucommia bark (10g), shou wu or multiflower knotweed tuber (15g), shu di or prepared rhizome of rehmannia (15g), sang ji sheng or Loranthus parasiticus (30g), dang shen or Codonopsis pilosula (15g), huai shan or Chinese yam (15g), and wolfberries (15g).

The cooking procedure for the soup is this: Soak the herbs in cold water for one to two hours. Simmer for two to three more hours. You can add pork ribs or pork tendon for a meaty flavour, but be sure to blanch these items first. Add salt for flavour. Both recipes are good for serving four to six people.

This series is brought to you by the Speak Mandarin Campaign. Catch Dr Kwek's talk (in Mandarin) at Bukit Merah Library on Saturday from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. Dr Kwek's subsequent talks on Soups - Beauty Remedies and Soups For The Night Owls have been scheduled for March 13 and 20 respectively.

For more my paper stories click here.