08/14/2024
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a comprehensive system of diagnosis, differentiation and treatment based on theories deeply rooted in Chinese culture and philosophy. TCM takes a holistic approach which means that everything in the universe is interconnected and mutually affects each other to varying degrees. TCM treatments as a result, take into account environmental factors such as lifestyle and diet.
Diet is a main component to a quality of life in TCM. This article focuses on the five flavors which correspond to the five element theory and includes sweet, pungent, salty, sour and bitter. The flavors tell which actions the food has on the body and what organ the food has an effect on.
Sweet (Natural taste of whole foods not refined sugar)
Goes to the flesh of the body
Sweet foods are associated with the earth element, the spleen and the stomach, late summer and the color yellow. They are nourishing and can help the digestive system transport and transform food. It is a yang flavor to warm and strengthen the body from deficiency or weakness. However, sweet foods also have a yin aspect to moisten, increase fluids in the tissues, and relax the body. This flavor nourishes the spleen system and the qi of the body to increase energy.
Some examples of sweet foods include: Apples, apricots, cherries, dates, figs, grapes, grapefruits, olives, papayas, peaches, pears, strawberries, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, celery, chards, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuces, mushrooms, parsnips, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, rice and whole grains, licorice (gan cao), dang gui, and jujube dates (da zao), honey, almonds, chestnuts, coconuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. What does a sweet recipe look like?
WuYou Gao
Both Yam and purple potato are good for our spleen. In TCM the spleen belongs to the “Earth” element, which is the base for all. Wuyou in Chinese means “worry-free” and lets our spleen & stomach work better.
Easy preparation, 50 minutes baking time, 4 servings
Ingredients:
One medium size yam
Medium sized purple potato or 9 ounces
One ounce of coconut sugar
Two tsp of Jasmine Tea
One Tbsp fresh cream
6 mint leaves or edible flowers
Directions:
Steam the yam and purple potato in separate bowls until soft.
Press separately into 2 purees and pan fry until dry
Separate into small size balls. Mix the 2 color balls and press into a mold.
Use Jasmine tea and cream for added flavor and decoration. Top with some mint leaves or edible flowers.
Pungent/Spicy
Goes to the Qi
Pungent flavors are known as acrid or spicy flavors. They are associated with the metal element, the color white and the autumn season, and are said to have a hot, dispersing energy. Pungent flavors are often used in medicinal herbs to treat exterior syndromes and syndromes of Qi and Blood stagnation. They can also be beneficial to the lungs and colon.
As fall begins in early August according to Chinese external pathogens can more easily enter the surface of the body as we adjust from the warmth and heat of summer to the cooler winds and dryness of fall. Regular and small consumption of pungent foods can help ease this transition and prevent illness. Common pungent foods that help prevent illness include: radish, daikon radish, onion, scallion, ginger, garlic and cinnamon, tofu, tempeh, spinach, barley, pears, apples, millet, persimmons, seaweed, mushrooms, almonds, pine nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, eggs, crab or pork. These should be cooked and eaten along with other foods, especially in soups or stews.
Asian Pear and Honey for Cough
20 minutes, 1 serving
Ingredients:
1 large Asian Pear
1 tbsp thinly sliced ginger
1 tbsp honey
Directions: Slice the top of the pear. De-core and scoop out middle for a small cavity.
Fill with ginger and hone and cover with top of pear.
Over a pot of water add a steamer plate and put the pear on the steamer plate. Let steam for 25 minutes or a bit longer depending on the size of the pear.
Gently peel away the skin and enjoy. Eat warm and if you don’t finish it, you can re-steam it.
Salty
Goes to the blood
Salty foods are centering and help detoxify the body. They can also help with constipation, abdominal pain, breaking up phlegm, balancing both digestion and moisture levels in the body. Salty foods soften hardness and masses. Corresponding organs are the kidney and bladder. The element is water, the season is winter and the color is black. Salt has a cold energy and should be avoided when the yang (heat) of the body is weak. Also avoid if you have blood diseases or your heart is struggling. In TCM, most animal products are considered salty as well as sea vegetables, Miso, Soy sauce, Sea salt, natural brine pickles, sea cucumber and oysters.
Sour
Goes to the tendons
Sour foods are associated with wood and Spring, the color blue and corresponds to the liver and gallbladder. The energy is yin and cooling. Sour foods work to contract and absorb. They are astringent, and help to dry and firm up tissues and conditions such as excessive perspiration, hemorrhages, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and uterine prolapse. Sour foods counteract the effects of rich, greasy foods. They also help with concentration and focus. Sour foods include fermented foods such as sauerkraut, sourdough bread, pickles, cheese, grapes, olives, tomatoes, green and black tea, vinegar, wheat and lemon/limes.
Bitter
Goes to the bones
Bitter foods have a cooling and drying effect. They clear heat from the body, so they are used to treat inflammation and fever. They also help stimulate bowel movements. Bitter foods are associated with fire, the color red and early to mid-summer, and stimulate the small intestine and heart. Bitter foods are great for slow, lethargic, overweight, aggressive and overheated people. These foods include dandelion, parsley leaves, collard greens, mustard greens, arugula, kale, celery, corn, burdock root and sesame seeds.
Many chronic disease and ailments can be traced to our eating habits. We continue to see increased numbers of people with compromised gastrointestinal (GI) tracts which leads to compromised immune systems. We all know someone who suffers from conditions such as diabetes, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, obesity, and certain autoimmune conditions. States of chronic stress, prolonged use of antibiotics, environmental toxins, a diet full of processed foods, or eating foods that causes inflammation can all can bring imbalance gut.
The key to healthy eating is about balance. Balancing what we eat to what our bodies need to thrive and to eat a variety of foods, more warm and hot foods, eat at regular meal times. It can also help to follow the ancient wisdom of eating a good breakfast, a full lunch and a light supper. Keep relaxed and positive and enjoy your food (don’t eat under stress or in a hurry), Savor and chew your food completely, avoid smoking and limit alcohol and avoid late night dinners. If you would like a comprehensive diet and lifestyle plan to help heal your gut and our body, I’d be happy to help.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a comprehensive system of diagnosis, differentiation and treatment based on theories deeply rooted in Chinese culture and philosophy. TCM takes a holistic approach which means that everything in the universe is interconnected and mutually affects each other to varying degrees. TCM treatments as a result, take into account environmental factors such as lifestyle and diet.
Diet is a main component to a quality of life in TCM. This article focuses on the five flavors which correspond to the five element theory and includes sweet, pungent, salty, sour and bitter. The flavors tell which actions the food has on the body and what organ the food has an effect on.
Sweet (Natural taste of whole foods not refined sugar)
Goes to the flesh of the body
Sweet foods are associated with the earth element, the spleen and the stomach, late summer and the color yellow. They are nourishing and can help the digestive system transport and transform food. It is a yang flavor to warm and strengthen the body from deficiency or weakness. However, sweet foods also have a yin aspect to moisten, increase fluids in the tissues, and relax the body. This flavor nourishes the spleen system and the qi of the body to increase energy.
Some examples of sweet foods include: Apples, apricots, cherries, dates, figs, grapes, grapefruits, olives, papayas, peaches, pears, strawberries, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, celery, chards, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuces, mushrooms, parsnips, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, rice and whole grains, licorice (gan cao), dang gui, and jujube dates (da zao), honey, almonds, chestnuts, coconuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. What does a sweet recipe look like?
WuYou Gao
Both Yam and purple potato are good for our spleen. In TCM the spleen belongs to the “Earth” element, which is the base for all. Wuyou in Chinese means “worry-free” and lets our spleen & stomach work better.
Easy preparation, 50 minutes baking time, 4 servings
Ingredients:
One medium size yam
Medium sized purple potato or 9 ounces
One ounce of coconut sugar
Two tsp of Jasmine Tea
One Tbsp fresh cream
6 mint leaves or edible flowers
Directions:
Steam the yam and purple potato in separate bowls until soft.
Press separately into 2 purees and pan fry until dry
Separate into small size balls. Mix the 2 color balls and press into a mold.
Use Jasmine tea and cream for added flavor and decoration. Top with some mint leaves or edible flowers.
Pungent/Spicy
Goes to the Qi
Pungent flavors are known as acrid or spicy flavors. They are associated with the metal element, the color white and the autumn season, and are said to have a hot, dispersing energy. Pungent flavors are often used in medicinal herbs to treat exterior syndromes and syndromes of Qi and Blood stagnation. They can also be beneficial to the lungs and colon.
As fall begins in early August according to Chinese external pathogens can more easily enter the surface of the body as we adjust from the warmth and heat of summer to the cooler winds and dryness of fall. Regular and small consumption of pungent foods can help ease this transition and prevent illness. Common pungent foods that help prevent illness include: radish, daikon radish, onion, scallion, ginger, garlic and cinnamon, tofu, tempeh, spinach, barley, pears, apples, millet, persimmons, seaweed, mushrooms, almonds, pine nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, eggs, crab or pork. These should be cooked and eaten along with other foods, especially in soups or stews.
Asian Pear and Honey for Cough
20 minutes, 1 serving
Ingredients:
1 large Asian Pear
1 tbsp thinly sliced ginger
1 tbsp honey
Directions: Slice the top of the pear. De-core and scoop out middle for a small cavity.
Fill with ginger and hone and cover with top of pear.
Over a pot of water add a steamer plate and put the pear on the steamer plate. Let steam for 25 minutes or a bit longer depending on the size of the pear.
Gently peel away the skin and enjoy. Eat warm and if you don’t finish it, you can re-steam it.
Salty
Goes to the blood
Salty foods are centering and help detoxify the body. They can also help with constipation, abdominal pain, breaking up phlegm, balancing both digestion and moisture levels in the body. Salty foods soften hardness and masses. Corresponding organs are the kidney and bladder. The element is water, the season is winter and the color is black. Salt has a cold energy and should be avoided when the yang (heat) of the body is weak. Also avoid if you have blood diseases or your heart is struggling. In TCM, most animal products are considered salty as well as sea vegetables, Miso, Soy sauce, Sea salt, natural brine pickles, sea cucumber and oysters.
Sour
Goes to the tendons
Sour foods are associated with wood and Spring, the color blue and corresponds to the liver and gallbladder. The energy is yin and cooling. Sour foods work to contract and absorb. They are astringent, and help to dry and firm up tissues and conditions such as excessive perspiration, hemorrhages, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and uterine prolapse. Sour foods counteract the effects of rich, greasy foods. They also help with concentration and focus. Sour foods include fermented foods such as sauerkraut, sourdough bread, pickles, cheese, grapes, olives, tomatoes, green and black tea, vinegar, wheat and lemon/limes.
Bitter
Goes to the bones
Bitter foods have a cooling and drying effect. They clear heat from the body, so they are used to treat inflammation and fever. They also help stimulate bowel movements. Bitter foods are associated with fire, the color red and early to mid-summer, and stimulate the small intestine and heart. Bitter foods are great for slow, lethargic, overweight, aggressive and overheated people. These foods include dandelion, parsley leaves, collard greens, mustard greens, arugula, kale, celery, corn, burdock root and sesame seeds.
Many chronic disease and ailments can be traced to our eating habits. We continue to see increased numbers of people with compromised gastrointestinal (GI) tracts which leads to compromised immune systems. We all know someone who suffers from conditions such as diabetes, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, obesity, and certain autoimmune conditions. States of chronic stress, prolonged use of antibiotics, environmental toxins, a diet full of processed foods, or eating foods that causes inflammation can all can bring imbalance gut.
The key to healthy eating is about balance. Balancing what we eat to what our bodies need to thrive and to eat a variety of foods, more warm and hot foods, eat at regular mealtimes. It can also help to follow the ancient wisdom of eating a good breakfast, a full lunch and a light supper. Keep relaxed and positive and enjoy your food (don’t eat under stress or in a hurry), Savor and chew your food completely, avoid smoking and limit alcohol and avoid late night dinners. If you would like a comprehensive diet and lifestyle plan to help heal your gut and our body, I’d be happy to help.
