| "Drink milk for maintaining healthy bones." "Eat 5-7 | | | | order to alleviate that stress. Foods such as refined |
| servings a day of ..." "Eat garlic - because is good for | | | | sugar, pasta, breads, sweet fruit, and cheese all have |
| you." "Don't drink more than two cups of coffee per | | | | sedating, lethargic and phlegm-creating qualities. Too |
| day." We've heard them all. So many phrases, | | | | much of that can disturb digestion and cause bloating. |
| guidelines, and rules! What's right? What is too much? | | | | In the autumn season, the metal element has a |
| What's enough? It's enough to cause confusion and | | | | pungent and hot taste association. "Metal" organs are |
| anxiety. | | | | the lungs, large intestine and skin. And eating pungent |
| Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) looks at food and | | | | foods such as peppers, garlic, onions, ginger will |
| how it affects our health in a completely different | | | | typically make one sweat. If you want to improve |
| way, with no numerical guidelines involved. TCM | | | | appetite and speed digestion, add pungent foods to |
| dietary therapy deals with the properties of food and | | | | your diet. |
| how food can actually be used as medicine towards | | | | "Water" foods have a salty taste. This element in the |
| preserving health, prevent and treat illness. | | | | body is represented by the kidneys and the bladder. |
| In TCM, everything is seen through the picture of yin | | | | Too much of anything salty and watery such as |
| and yang with the ideal of having complete balance | | | | miso, mushrooms, kidney and mung beans, soy |
| between the two. Food is used as medicine to | | | | sauce, olives, watermelon, and pickles causes |
| achieve and maintain that balance by simply adding, | | | | problems - thirst, hunger, water retention and even |
| or removing specific types of food from the diet. | | | | anxiety. And in its respective season - winter - we |
| The body and internal organs are also connected with | | | | usually tend to eat many of water element foods. |
| the five elements and colours: wood (green), fire | | | | And in the spring, the wood element becomes |
| (red), water (black/blue), earth (yellow), and metal | | | | prominent, especially through foods such as oats, |
| (white), and the five seasons (yes, five). Food is no | | | | rye, wheat, apples, citrus fruits, green vegetables, |
| exception and is placed into five main categories, and | | | | and green lentils. These have a cleansing effect on |
| grouped according to flavour and nature. | | | | the body and affect the liver and gallbladder. For |
| The fire element connects with summer time, bitter | | | | example, ingesting a cup of warm water with lemon |
| tastes and is associated with the heart and small | | | | juice can help process fats, especially after a heavy, |
| intestine. Bitter tasting foods are typically stimulating, | | | | rich meal. |
| and have a cooling and laxative quality: black coffee, | | | | So after all of this, take an evaluation of your eating |
| black tea, plain chocolate, corn, green tea, and yes, | | | | habits. For example, do you need coffee to wake |
| cigarettes. Overuse of bitter or "fire" foods can be | | | | up? Do you use too much spice or crave sweets or |
| dehydrating, have an adverse effect on the nervous | | | | salty foods? Ask yourself which taste you tend to |
| systems and ultimately weaken the heart and | | | | gravitate to and eat more than others. This will be a |
| digestive systems. | | | | clue as to where you are out of balance. |
| The earth element in the late summer has a | | | | So as for any rules here's a few: balance all five |
| nourishing quality and is associated with anything | | | | tastes and colours on your plate, make sure to eat |
| sweet. It corresponds to the stomach and spleen. | | | | foods associated with the current season, and above |
| The mouth is considered the gateway to the | | | | all, sit down to eat regular meals and chew your food |
| stomach and often in times of stress, we tend to | | | | well. Pretty simple I'd say. |
| eat more, or eat specific types of sweet foods in | | | | |