Abstract

“Eating for well-being” is the best way to stay healthy! This is the food-focused companion to the highly acclaimed bestseller “Herbal Medicine ‘Kampo’ for Daily Life 365 Days.”

◆Written by a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) expert who has run a Kampo pharmacy for 45 years and is also a licensed pharmacist, this book teaches the fundamentals of “food as medicine” and is packed with tips for everyday meals! Reading just one page a day will give you the wisdom to live a healthy life without strain. Filled with beautiful full-color illustrations throughout, this book is soothing both to read and to browse.

◇Many people seem to think that yakuzen (medicinal cuisine) means complicated recipes and precisely measured ingredients. That is not the case. Yakuzen simply means choosing and preparing ingredients to suit your current physical condition.
In this book, I introduce the basic principles of yakuzen, centered on the teachings of the “Huangdi Neijing” (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine), regarded as the bible of Chinese medicine. I explain how to relieve physical ailments, slow aging, and boost immunity, and recommend ingredients for each purpose.
The “Huangdi Neijing” states that “if you live in harmony with the laws of the seasons and take care of your health, you can live to be 100.” Following this teaching, this book shares wisdom for your health in step with the four seasons.
It’s no exaggeration to say that your body today is made of everything you have eaten until now. Kampo excels at addressing “mibyo,” the state before illness develops, by building health before disease sets in. When you consider that what you eat now will shape who you are 5 or 10 years from now, it’s clear how important daily meals are for building a healthy body.
Even since the arrival of COVID-19, we have continued to face unimaginable events: global warming, natural disasters such as earthquakes and torrential rains, and war. In times like these, we all want to live each day healthily and cheerfully. I hope this book will help strengthen your immunity and support your healthy daily life.

Author’s Information

Ayuko Kawate is an expert in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) who has run a Kampo pharmacy for 45 years and is also a licensed pharmacist trained in Western medicine.
Qualifications: Pharmacist; International TCM Practitioner (certified by the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies); Lifestyle-Related Disease Instructor (certified by the Japan Holistic Medicine Association).
Born in 1942, she graduated from Jissen Women’s Junior and Senior High School and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tokyo University of Science, then worked in the development department of a pharmaceutical company. In 1973, she opened AK Arima Pharmacy, where she went on to provide Kampo consultations for 45 years. She also qualified as an International TCM Practitioner and, as a member of the Japan Holistic Medicine Association, studied a wide range of alternative therapies, including breathing techniques, aromatherapy, and counseling. Drawing on this experience, she helps relieve physical and mental ailments from both Eastern and Western perspectives. She has contributed to her local community for many years, and her major awards include the Kanagawa Prefecture Health Service Award, the Kawasaki City Health Service Award, and an award for 30 years of service as a school pharmacist. Her other books include “Diet and Breathing Can Alleviate Women’s Ailments from Their 40s Onward” (Saizusha) and “Herbal Medicine ‘Kampo’ for Daily Life 365 Days” (Jiyukokuminsha).