One very important concept in East Asian Medicine (EAM) is the five element theory. This theory describes the basic elements (fire, earth, metal, water and wood) in the body and the inter-relationships of those elements found in nature. Each element corresponds to specific organs, flavors, emotions, colors, seasons, etc. When an EAM practitioner diagnoses a patient, they are taking into consideration these elements and how they are manifesting in the symptoms that the patient is experiencing.
There are many useful applications of this theory that help us understand and also treat multiple symptoms that patients may experience. One application of the theory is nutrition.
A full EAM examination (pulse and tongue diagnosis) is necessary to determine your constitution or basic overall state of health. And then using that information, we can frequently choose foods which will gently harmonize the function of your body over time.
The following are some basic guidelines that could immediately be helpful in your everyday life:
Earth: To stimulate spleen and stomach function, which corresponds to the season of late summer, eat foods that are sweet, yellow or orange. Some examples include acorn squash, sweet potatoes, apricots, pumpkin, oranges, mangoes, cantaloupe, peaches, carrots and yellow beets. Sweet cravings can indicate stomach and spleen deficiency. If you are frequently craving sweets, it is a good idea to increase the intake of the aforementioned foods.
Metal: To stimulate lung and large intestine function, which corresponds to autumn, you can consume foods that are pungent or spicy and white in color. Examples include garlic, ginger, onions, radishes, mushrooms, cauliflower or spices like cayenne or jalapeno pepper. Spicy cravings can indicate lung or large intestine deficiency. If you have cravings for spicy foods, you have breathing problems or you are dealing with grief, incorporating more spice can help to combat these issues.
Water: To stimulate kidney and urinary bladder function, which correspond to winter, you should consume foods that are salty flavored or black. Examples include black sesame seeds, mussels, walnuts, black beans, blackberries, figs, chia seeds, eggplant or sea vegetables, such as kelp. Salt cravings can indicate kidney or bladder deficiency and adding in some of these foods can be helpful.
Wood: To stimulate liver and gall bladder function, which corresponds to spring, eat sour or green foods. Examples include lemon water, dill pickles, grapefruit, limes, vinegar, kale, spinach, asparagus, pistachios, peas, zucchini, chard or green apples. Sour cravings can indicate liver or gall bladder deficiency.
Fire: To stimulate the heart, small intestine, pericardium or overall metabolism function, which all correspond to summer, use foods that are bitter flavored. Foods like Brussels sprouts, dandelion greens, dark chocolate, coffee or mustard greens are all good examples. Foods that are red in color also benefit the organs of the fire element. This includes foods like watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, beets, red apples, and goji berries. Craving bitter foods can indicate deficiencies in these areas.
Food cravings is just one way that five element theory is used by EAM practitioners. That is the beauty of this medicine. There are many different ways to come to the same conclusion and ultimately diagnose and treat the patient. To find out more about five element theory, please feel free to give us a call.