Eastern nutrition and diet recommendations
- Eat in season, local grown food and a wholesome diet at least 90% of the time.
- Eat according to your constitution: if you're from an Asian background, you probably won't do well on dairy because it's not part of that continent's diet. If you're from a Scandinavian background, you probably won't do well with very spicy foods, as again it isn't part of the northern Europe's diet.
- Eat according to where you are in your life and adapt to changes. If you're a menopausal woman and are hot all the time, even though, you used to be cold most of your life, it's time to adapt and avoid warming foods such as hot spices, alcohol or lamb. If you have a constant stuffy nose and allergies in the spring, you need to avoid mucus forming foods such as dairy, wheat, sugar and beer.
- For a complete diet assessment: talk to your acupuncturist.
The 5 flavors of foods and their influence on our health
According to Chinese Medicine, there are 5 main food flavors:
Pungent (spicy), Sour, Sweet, Salty & Bitter.
It is important to have a balance diet with all flavors. If a person has not reached optimum health, then some foods with certain flavors may help restore a healthy body and mind.
Here are the 5 flavors and their healing properties, as well as their cautions. Now you can incorporate more or less of these foods depending on your health and condition.
Pungent (spicy), Sour, Sweet, Salty & Bitter.
It is important to have a balance diet with all flavors. If a person has not reached optimum health, then some foods with certain flavors may help restore a healthy body and mind.
Here are the 5 flavors and their healing properties, as well as their cautions. Now you can incorporate more or less of these foods depending on your health and condition.
SourProperties
Cooling, contracting, astringent, prevent fluid leakage, dry & firm tissues Uses Incontinence, excess sweating, hemorrhage, diarrhea, flaccid skin, prolapse, hemorrhoids Organs Liver & Gallbladder, helps in digestion & strengthen weak Lung Season: Best used in Fall Caution Limit if there is dampness, constipation, or tendons & joints problems Sour foods Lemon, lime, pickles, rose hip, sauerkraut, sour plum, Granny smith apple Sour & Bitter: Vinegar Sour & pungent: Leek Sour & Sweet Adzuki bean, blackberries, cheese, grape, mango, olive, raspberry, sourdough bread, tomato, yogurt |
BitterProperties
Cooling, descending, clears & reduces, lower fever, dry fluid, drain dampness, induce bowel movement Uses Inflammation, infection, high cholesterol, overweight, high blood pressure, yeast candida, mucus, swelling, skin eruption, cysts, edema, swelling, constipation Organs Heart & Small intestine, remove lung mucus & help strengthen kidney Season: Best used in winter, at any time if heat symptoms Caution Osteoporosis people, weak, thin, deficient, dry, cold people Bitter foods Dandelion, valerian, chamomille, burdock, Echinacea, alfalfa, romaine lettuce, rye Bitter & Pungent Radish, scallion, turnip Bitter & Sweet Amaranth, asparagus, celery, lettuce, papaya, quinoa |
SweetProperties
Ascending, goes outward, harmonizing, slowing, relaxing, build fluids tonifying thin-dry weak people. Uses Slows acute disease (common cold, flu), stress, tension, nervousness, older people especially frail ones. Organs Spleen & Stomach, soothe Liver, calm Heart mind Season: Best used in between seasons but may be used in all seasons Caution Overweight & sluggish people & those with lots of damp signs Sweet Beans, peas, lentils, all meat, date, apricot, cherry, fig, carrot, cucumber, eggplant, potato, sweet potato, yam, almond, walnut, sesame & sunflower seed, all sugars, most dairies Sweet & Sour Grape, peach, pear, strawberry, Tomato, olive Sweet & Bitter Papaya, lettuce, celery Sweet & Pungent Spearmint, cabbage |
SpicyProperties
Disperse, expand, stimulate circulation, ascending & outward direction Uses Help in digestion, protect against common cold, induce sweat, increase energy, kill parasites. Organs Lung & Large intestine, clear lung mucus, reduce gas from intestine, moves the Liver & improve Heart circulation Season: Best used in the spring Caution Avoid all pungent warm food if heat signs in body, not for weak thin dry people Pungent warm Spearmint, rosemary, scallion, garlic, onion, cinnamon, ginger, hot peppers, cayenne, dill, anise, cloves, fennel Pungent cool Peppermint, marjoram, white pepper, radish Pungent neutral Turnip, Taro, kohlrabi |
SaltyProperties
Cooling, descending, moistens, soften hard lumps, reduce stiffness, detoxify, purge bowel Uses Lymph nodes, cataract, constipation, abdomen swelling, skin problems, sore throat, no appetite Organs Kidney & Bladder. Strengthen Spleen, fortify the mind Season: Best used in the Fall & winter Caution Overweight, sluggish people, edema, high blood pressure, signs of damp Salty Seaweed, kelp, salt iodine, pickles, miso, soy sauce Salty & sweet Barley, Millet |