Therapeutic Food Tables

Hello Readers,

Therapeutical food is an important subject to discuss with our pacient and it’s one of the possible treatment methods with Tradicional Chinese Medicine.

So, this article was made to show you how to use the tables to guide your patient through foods that will help to improve health and rebalance energy.

Basic instructions for use:

1) Choose the Element you want to treat

2) Choose from the list of each element what you want:

a) to heat and / or remove humidity from the element use warm and / or hot foods

b) to cool the element, use fresh and / or cold food

c) to harmonize / strengthen the element use neutral foods

Examples:

  • To remove humidity from the Spleen, use any food from the Warm or Hot column of the Earth element: cinnamon, anise, licorice, oregano, etc …
  • To remove dryness of the Lung, use any food from the cold or fresh column of the Metal Element: banana, yogurt, mint, marjoram, etc.
  • To Strengthen / Harmonize the Liver, use any food from the neutral column of the Wood element: yam, apricot, pineapple, date, etc …

and so on …

Note: there are foods that are present in more than one table.

You can use more than one food of different elements in the same treatment.

** All the tables in this article are a free translation of the book: Dietoterapia energética según los cinco elementos en la Medicina Tradicional China”, Guerin, P., 2000.

1.Wood Element

Acidic foods or with affinity for the Liver and Gallbladder.

Cold Fresh Neutral Warm Hot
Yogurt
Lime
Toranja
Grapefruit
Rhubarb
White sugar
Banana
Crab
Nori seaweed
Wheat
Apple
Tomato
Tangerine
Orange
Sour Pear
Peach
Blackberry
Strawberry
Wheat beer
Fresh cheese
Bunny
Radish
Kelp seaweed
Mussel
Rye
Dandelion
Yam
Apricot
Pineapple
Grape
Plum
Snail
Mango
Date fruit
Azuki
Cheese
Raspberry
duck
Royal jelly
Olive oil
Carrot
Saffron
Sunflower seed
White fish
Eggs
Lychee
Vinegar
Gooseberry
Wine
Cherry
Coconut
Leek
Star anise
Valerian
Honeydew
Onion
Leek
Trout
Fennel
Shrimp
Garlic
Black pepper

 

2.Fire Element


Bitter food or with affinity  for the Heart and Small Intestine.

Cold Fresh Neutral Warm Hot
Melon
Watermelon
Spinach
Chard
Pear
Celery
Lettuce
Asparagus
Wheat
Rye
Black tea
Green tea
Mint
Wheat beer
Dandelion
Gentian
Chicory
Papaya
Apricot
Beet
Alfalfa
Saffron
Azuki
Egg yolk
Cow milk
Chamomile
Chrysanthemum
Cherry
Fresh ginger
Cinnamon
Rama
Rosemary
Wine
Valerian
Chestnuts
Coffee
Ginseng
Tangerine Bark
Basil
Garlic
Dried ginger
Red pepper
Nutmeg

 

3.Earth Element

Foods with a sweet taste or with an affinity for the Spleen and Stomach.

Cold Fresh Neutral Warm Hot
WheatBanana
Lime
Corn
Rye
Celery
Asparagus
Chard
Lettuce
Cress
Spinach
Kale
Zucchini
Artichoke
Turnip
Green Soy
Sesame oil
Raw egg
Pear
Orange
Blackberry
Strawberry
Black tea
Dandelion
Mint
Chamomile
Lotus root
Wheat
Eggplant
Cucumber
Tomato
Soy sprouts
Tofu
Mango
Tangerine
Apple
Green tea
Rice
Barley
Turnip
Pumpkin
Green bean
Yam
Potato
Carrot
Brussels sprouts
Peas
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Sweet potato
Shitake
Chickpeas
Soy
Lentils
Azuki
Sesame
Sunflower seed
Peanut
Almonds
Olive oil
Beef
Liver
Pig
Oysters
Salmon
White fish
Sardines
Cheese
Cow milk
Egg
Fig
Mango
Papaya
Plum
Grape
Saffron
Corn Hair
Licorice
Royal jelly
Honey
Oats
Onion
Leek
Coconut
Nuts
Chestnuts
Soy oil
Chicken
Shrimp
Anchovies
Goat milk
butter
Peach
Lychee
Cherry
Pineapple
Date fruit
Cinnamon (stick)
Rosemary
Star anise
Oregano
Parsley
Wine
Ginseng
Pistachio
Fresh ginger
Tangerine peal
Anise
Licorice
Barley malt
Fennel

4.Metal Element

Spicy foods or with affinity for the Lung and Large Intestine.

Cold Fresh Neutral Warm Hot
Wheat germ
Yogurt
Banana
Nori algae
Mint
Marjoram
Radish
Celery
Cucumber
Cress
Turnip
Asparagus
Spinach
Egg white
Tangerine
Orange
Pear
Apple
Strawberry
Green tea
Saffron
Rice
Carrot
Cauliflower
Olive
Cow milk
Cheese
Apricot
Fig
Grape
Papaya
Honey
White fish
Peanut
Almonds
Duck
Basil
Capers
Cumin
Fresh ginger
Cinnamon
Onion
Fennel
Leek
Valerian
Star anise
Sage
Thyme
Oregano
Rosemary
Angelica sinensis
Wine
Onion
Goat milk
Date fruit
Pineapple
Cilantro
Chinese Ginseng
Coffee
Shrimp
Nuts
Chestnuts
Carnation
Peppers
Dried ginger
Cinnamon
Garlic
Korean Ginseng

5. Water Element
Salty food or with affinity for Kidney and Bladder.

Cold Fresh Neutral Warm Hot
Crab
Octopus
Nori seaweed
Salt
Lime
Watermelon
Barley
Seaweed
Wheat
Wheat germ
Celery
Asparagus
Green Soy
Blackberry
Quince
Tangerine
Orange
Oysters
Squid
Sepia
White fish
Sardine
Salmon
Kombu seaweed
Egg yolk
Umeboshi
Pig
Corn
Shitake
Carrot
Pumpkin
Keal
Black Soy
Lentils
Azuki
Grape
Plum
Raspberry
Black sesame
Sunflower seed
Duck
Corn Silk
Shrimp
Mussel
Ham
Parma ham
Miso
Oats
Leek
Onion
Ginseng
Cumin
Star anise
Parsley
Basil
Rosemary
Coffee
Cherry
Lychee
Chestnuts
Pistachio
Nuts
Goat milk
Kidney
Rabbit and sheep
Chicken
Garlic
Buckwheat
Fennel
Cinnamon
Carnation
Black pepper

** Tables in free translation of the book: Dietoterapia energética según los cinco elementos en la Medicina Tradicional China”, Guerin, P., 2000.