Hu Sihui, a Mongolian nutritionist in Yuan Dynasty, was the founder of ancient medicated diet in China. Life is unknown, only know that he served as a diet doctor in the catering institutions managed by the Yuan government, and was responsible for the catering work in the court.
In China, since the Zhou Dynasty, there have been "food doctors" (equivalent to modern nutrition doctors) in the court. Later, when Kublai Khan arrived in Yuan Shizu, there were four people in the palace who were doctors too much.
Their specific task is to select and identify herbs for dietotherapy, and then screen out those foods and drugs that are "non-toxic, non-adverse and can be eaten for a long time" for the imperial court to eat. Because Hu Sihui had a good understanding of food nutrition, he was selected as a diet doctor in Yuan Renzong during the Yan Hu period (A.D. 1302- 13 14).
Specializing in the research and supply of food supplements, food and cooking, etc. that the emperor can live a long life. During his tenure, he accumulated rich knowledge of nutrition, health care and cooking technology, and was also familiar with Mongolian medicine and Chinese medicine.
A few years later, I will use my spare time to "serve my tired relatives fried with exotic soups and creams, as well as herbs and famous doctor Fang Mu, who use pulp and grain every day for their sex and taste." "According to my own experience in supervising grain production, I compiled Diet, which was completed in March of the third year of Yuan Dynasty (1330) and sent to the court for review. It was quickly' engraved and widely circulated'.
Before this book, there were Ho Choi's Classic of Food in the Northern Wei Dynasty, Liu Xiuzhi's Prescriptions in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Meng Ju's Medicinal Diet in the Tang Dynasty, and Yin Yan's Heart Mirror for a Doctor. Unfortunately, all these original books are lost. "Diet" spread to the Ming Dynasty, and was affirmed and prefaced by Zhu Qiyu, Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty, so the book is still well preserved.