#121 – Chinese Medicine Nutrition That Fits Real Life with Dr. Melissa Carr (Podcast)
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☯️ More AcuPro Episodes you’ll love:
Gut Health in Naturopathic Medicine & Chinese Medicine with Dr. Alex Dragan
How to Customize TCM Nutrition for Optimal Healing with Tara Akuna & Sara Ward
Bridging the Gap Between TCM and Western Medicine with Dr. Alex Dragan
Chinese Medicine Nutrition: Bridging Eastern Wisdom with Modern Food Choices
Today, I’m so excited to share an incredible conversation I had on the AcuPro Show with Dr. Melissa Carr. We explored her new book, Modern Chinese Medicine Food Cures, and dove into how combining Chinese medicine nutrition with Western approaches can truly transform the way we support our health.
This episode is such a beautiful reminder that food is not just fuel: it’s medicine, connection, culture, and joy.
What’s Your Food Personality?
Before we dive in, I always love asking this question:
What’s your food personality?
Are you drawn to sweet, salty, spicy, or bitter?
In Chinese medicine, these preferences aren’t random. They can actually give us insight into our internal balance and what our body may be craving or needing.
Meet Dr. Melissa Carr
I’ve been a long time fan of Dr. Melissa Carr and her work. She has nearly 25 years of experience practicing Chinese medicine and has contributed to well-known publications like Alive Magazine in Vancouver.
What I love most about her approach is how she makes Chinese medicine nutrition feel simple, practical, and realistic, so patients can actually implement in their daily lives.
Chinese Medicine Meets Western Nutrition
Dr. Carr didn’t start out focusing on nutrition. Her background was initially rooted in sports medicine, but her perspective shifted after spending time living in Japan.
That experience opened the door to a deeper understanding of food as medicine.
What makes her work so unique is how she bridges:
- Western nutrition (macronutrients, vitamins, minerals)
- Chinese medicine principles (Qi, Blood, Yin-Yang balance, thermal nature of foods)
And the key takeaway?
👉 It’s not about one being right and the other wrong.
👉 It’s about integrating both in a way that works for the individual.
Adding Instead of Restricting
One of my favorite parts of our conversation was Dr. Carr’s philosophy around food:
Focus on adding, not restricting.
Instead of telling patients what to eliminate, she encourages them to enhance what they’re already doing.
For example:
- Adding ginger to a smoothie
- Including warming spices in meals
- Incorporating cooked foods for better digestion
She shared a great case of a patient following a raw food diet in a cold climate. With just a few simple adjustments (eg. adding warmth and balance) the patient experienced significant improvements.
It’s such a powerful reminder that small changes can create big shifts.
A Healthier Relationship with Food
We also talked about something that comes up so often with patients: food guilt.
Dr. Carr beautifully reframes this by reminding us that food should be:
- Nourishing
- Enjoyable
- Supportive, not stressful
She uses the analogy of a table with four legs to describe the foundation of health:
- Nutrition
- Movement
- Sleep
- Joy
If one leg is off, the whole table becomes unstable.
I love this visual because it brings us back to balance, which is at the heart of Chinese medicine.
Honouring Culture and Environment
Another powerful takeaway was the importance of honoring both:
- Your cultural food background
- Your current environment
For example, someone who grew up in a warm climate may naturally gravitate toward cooling foods. But if they now live in a colder environment, their body may need more warming, nourishing meals.
This is where Chinese medicine nutrition really shines. It’s adaptable, seasonal, and deeply individualized.
Supporting Spleen Qi with Food
We also touched on a topic that so many of our patients struggle with: Spleen Qi deficiency.
This pattern often shows up as:
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Loose stools
- Poor appetite
Dr. Carr shared simple, practical ways to support digestion through food, including:
- Eating warm, cooked meals
- Choosing easy-to-digest foods
- Incorporating naturally sweet root vegetables like sweet potatoes
- Adding warming spices like ginger and cinnamon
These small shifts can make a huge difference in energy, digestion, and overall vitality.
Final Thoughts
Dr. Carr’s book, Modern Chinese Medicine Food Cures, brings together humor, practicality, and deep wisdom in a way that makes food therapy feel approachable and realistic.
Whether you’re:
- A practitioner
- A student
- Or simply someone wanting to feel better in your body
There is so much value in learning how to use food as medicine in a way that feels supportive, not restrictive.
This conversation is such a beautiful reminder that healing doesn’t have to be complicated.
Sometimes, it starts with what’s already on your plate 💜
Disclaimer
The AcuPro Show podcast and material shared through AcuPro Academy is a subdivision of Natural Health Sense Incorporated. Designed solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The utilization of information from this podcast or any associated material is at the user’s discretion and risk. This content is not meant to replace the guidance of an acupuncturist. Nor Chinese medicine doctor, medical doctor, physician, or any qualified professional. It is not a substitute for proper diagnosis or treatment. Users are strongly advised not to ignore or postpone seeking medical advice for any existing medical condition with their healthcare professional. Regarding any health concerns.
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