Food therapy for quake victims

Source: CCTV.com | 05-29-2008 14:08

Food is not only a necessity of life, it's also therapeutic. For those coping with the devastating earthquake in Sichuan, eating a home-cooked meal can bring back a wave of nostalgia, providing a sense of normalcy again. Food can also be served up as a nourishing side-dish that aids in medical treatment.

This is not the food typically found in the People's Hospital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The man who's wielding the spade is not a chef here, nor is he a volunteer. He's a family member to one of the patients in the hospital, and he has certainly spiced things up.

Mr. Fu offered to help out in the kitchen so that he could cook spicy food for his family members. The people of Sichuan are known for loving spicy food.

Mr. Fu said, "The patients from Sichuan like to have a taste of home flavor here. They are not used to the rather bland food that is typical here."

Mr Meng agrees. He's a volunteer helper in the kitchen. Both men spend all day cooking up a storm beside a hot oven but say that the experience is nothing but rewarding.

While spice is the essential ingredient for a Sichuan cuisine, soup is a must-have for every meal for those living in the adjacent Guangdong province. And this is not thought of as a luxurious request even when hospitalized.

47-year-old Cheng Yongqin jumped off a car to avoid a landslide when the earthquake rocked a Wenchuan highway. He suffered fractures on his leg and lumbar vertebrae. But it's the nightmares that constantly haunt him. Doctors from the 2nd Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribed acupuncture treatment and some food therapy to calm his spirits.

Xu Xuemeng, orthopae surgeon of the 2nd Guangdong Hospital of TCM, said, "We brew soup everyday. We use cinnabar and pig heart to make a soothing and calming soup for those especially weak. Dried longan pulp is a good option for soup as well."

Eight other patients at the hospital are receiving a comprehensive treatment of Traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, food and psychological help. Their symptoms of insomnia and sweat palpitations are improving each day.

Editor:Zhang Ning