Traditional Chinese medicine has been always attaching great importance to prevention. The earliest preventive thought, known as "treating the undiseased";, was advanced in Huangdi Neijing. It has imposed great influence on the formation and development of preventive medicine.

1. Health preservation
It means to cultivate life, aiming to direct people to take various regulative to build up constitutions, avoid disease, postpone the aging process, keep fit and prolong life span.

A. Complying with nature According to traditional Chinese medicine, life activities of the human body must comply with the waning and waxing laws of yin and yang all along the four seasons; otherwise, diseases would occur. Therefore, psychological activities, living habits and diet are all required to be regulated consequently according to the seasonal changes. Only so, can the physiological activities synchronize with the natural changes and to maintain the coordination and unity between the internal and external environment of the human body.

B. Cultivating mental faculties It means to regulate psychological state, consciousness and mental activities to keep healthy physically and mentally. Psychological and emotional changes are the responsive reaction to various external stimuli. Under normal conditions, not only do they reflect the normal psychological activities in the life process, but also they can build up constitutions, resist diseases, and prolong iife span. But if intense emotional stimulation or changes go beyond the range of physiological regulation, qi movement of viscera will be affected and various diseases will follow subsequently. Therefore, health preservation in traditional Chinese medicine puts cultivation of mental faculties in the first place, holding that harmful emotional stimuli and excessive emotional changes should be lessened as much as possible to keep a cheerful state of mind.

C. Moderate work and rest Suitahle work, exercise and rest are essential for maintaining life and keeping fit. But overwork and over-rest will affect health and cause diseases. Therefore, health preservation and disease prevention mean both to avoid overwork, overstrain and sexual strain, and to avoid over-rest.

D. Proper diet Diet is indispensable to human existance and health, through which necessary nutrient substances are obsorbed to maintain the normal growth and physiological functions of the human body. The proper diet should be regular, moderate, diverse and sanitary. Otherwise, various diseases will occur. Therefore, proper diet is an important principle of health preservation and disease prevention.

E. Proper living habits Living hahits include work, rest, living conditions, clothing, etc. Proper living habits mean to lead a regular life. According to seasonal changes and individual conditions, the work-rest schedule should be set reasonably, and the living habits should be regulated appropriately; the living environment should be kept quite, clean and comfortable; the clothing should be clean and comfortable, not too thin or too thick.

2. Prevention of the invasion of pathogenic qi
Pathogenic qi is a major factor of causing disease and harming health. Therefore, preventing the invasion and spread of pathogenic qi is important to the prevention of the occurrence of disease. It involves the following three aspects: first, attention should be paid to hygiene, i. e. , to prevent environmental, water and food pollution; secondly, attention should be paid to avoid the invasion of the pathogenic factors, such as six excesses, pestilence, seven emotions, improper diet, overwork and over-rest, etc.; thirdly, attention should be paid to avoid accidental injuries.