An ancient Chinese proverb says: “ Take food as medicine, otherwise you will take medicine like food.”
" Just from these words it is clear how seriously nutrition is taken in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine). After all, we should get vital energy from food, but instead, many eat in such a way that they do not gain energy, but destroy it. Medical nutrition is used by Chinese medicine specialists when a person is already sick, but anyone who wants can use energy-balanced everyday nutrition.
Proper daily nutrition according to the 5 elements system eliminates mild imbalances in the body and simple symptoms, helps maintain a cheerful, active state and good mood. The basis of this diet is balanced food, appropriate to the time of year, which is suitable for all family members.
Five Elements Theory
According to this theory, the energy value of foods is determined by their color and taste characteristics. What are the main tastes of food in our mouth? That's right, sweet, bitter, spicy, sour, salty. And each of them affects our body in its own way.
Spicy taste.
It warms and easily copes with colds and congestion. The list of products with a spicy taste: arugula, sage, cauliflower, radish, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, fennel, asparagus, cinnamon, millet, coriander, bran.
Sour taste
. As Chinese nutritionists say, sour taste preserves all the juices of our body. It stimulates appetite and reduces thirst in the summer heat, after physical activity and sports training. Acidic foods can direct energy downward, so to relieve aggression or irritation in your interlocutor, offer him, for example, an orange. Acidic foods normalize blood pressure, maintain vascular tone, fight germs and improve digestion. Here are some of them: apple, lemon, apricot, orange, currant, cranberry, tomato, gooseberry, sorrel, yogurt, kvass, vinegar.
Salty taste.
There is some duality in this group: on the one hand, salty foods provoke the accumulation of excess fluid in the body, on the other, they cope well with edema. They perform a detox function and have a relaxing effect. Salty foods move energy down and have a laxative effect. The most popular representatives of this group are seafood.
Bitter taste.
Green tea, black tea, cocoa, natural coffee, lamb are some examples of bitter foods. They have diuretic properties, have anti-inflammatory and tonic effects, and relieve fever. But pay attention. The bitter taste dries out and by consuming large amounts of coffee, black tea (let’s add smoking here too), we provoke pathological dehydration, trigger the process of premature aging of the skin and the appearance of wrinkles.
Sweet taste.
Products from this group relieve tension, stress, pain, strengthen muscles, tone the body and restore order to our inner harmony. It includes honey, banana, melon, carrots, beets, figs, corn, beans, celery, peas, potatoes, wheat, pumpkin, vegetable oils, rice, veal, duck, chicken, beef, trout. Sweet taste is considered the most important - it most replenishes missing energy. Now those with a sweet tooth will exclaim: “Oh, yes! We will continue to indulge in our favorite sweets and cakes!” This is a huge misconception, which ultimately leads to weight gain. Why? 100 grams of dark chocolate contains 530 calories, but according to the principles of Chinese dietetics, it is energetically empty, there is no Qi in it. Moreover, it is the lack of Qi that causes addiction to “unhealthy” sweets.
Chinese nutritionists compare the tastes of foods with our organs. Sour taste is associated with the liver, bitter taste is associated with the cardiovascular system, salty taste is associated with the genitourinary system, and sweet taste is associated with the spleen. Organs do not function separately; they are an interconnected system in which everyone supports each other. The liver stimulates the heart, which controls the spleen and pancreas, and the lungs look after the kidneys, which in turn influence liver function.
By including foods from the taste list in our daily diet, we can help our organs cope with their tasks. According to Chinese dietetics, bitter and sour foods are good for a weak heart, bitter and sweet foods are good for the gastrointestinal tract, the kidneys need spicy-sweet tastes, and the liver needs sour-salty ones. Perhaps these statements diverge from our usual ideas, but, nevertheless, they are true.
Product color - organ
Let's sort the products by color and find out which organ corresponds to them.
Green color/sour taste
- liver. As you already understood, these are greens, cucumbers, spinach, peas, and kiwi. Green foods support normal liver and gallbladder cells. They reduce mental stress, physical fatigue, relieve headaches, and stimulate vision.
Red color/bitter taste
- heart. Yes, foods of this color support heart function. They strengthen the nerves, help cope with bad moods, reduce anxiety and stress, and increase the level of resistance of the body. These are red wines, apples, cherries, watermelon, poultry, red fish, shrimp.
Yellow color/sweet taste
correspond to the spleen and pancreas. Yellow foods are food for a good mood. Without it, it is difficult to resist the blues and stress. It is an excellent antioxidant and detox agent. By using it, you can improve memory and attention. It is high in vitamins A. Yellow foods include pumpkin, carrots, corn, lemons, bananas, oranges, and tangerines.
White color/sharp taste
– respiratory system, lungs. Food of this color warms our body from the inside. She is a source of energy and heat. In our diet it is represented by potatoes, garlic, turnips, rice, coconut, almonds.
Black color/salty taste
– urinary system, kidneys. Grapes, eggplants, mushrooms, legumes, seaweed - these products are a real treasure for the health of the kidneys, liver, skin and hair. They contain about 20 amino acids, a dozen minerals, essential vitamins, and linoleic acid. The Chinese claim that it is “black” foods that slow down the aging process.
It is more correct to consume the above products in the first half of the day, when the activity of the gastrointestinal tract is maximum. The Chinese say that it is the gastrointestinal tract that is responsible for the redistribution of energy within us. Its amount is directly proportional to the level of metabolism. Calories are not energy at all. Remember the example with the chocolate bar.
Menu for table No. 5
To make it easier to create your diet, you can consider a ready-made sample menu and recipes for it.
The first day
Breakfast: milk oatmeal with pureed dried fruits, tea.
Lunch: pureed low-fat cottage cheese, tea.
Lunch: beetroot soup, 10 g sour cream, buckwheat with meatballs, bread.
Dinner: baked zucchini pancakes, a little sour cream 10% fat.
Second day
Breakfast: semolina pudding, tea with milk.
Lunch: wheat bread toast, sour jam or jam, black tea.
Lunch: dietary cabbage soup, bread.
Dinner: buckwheat groats, berry compote.
Buckwheat: boil 200 g of buckwheat well in a large amount of water. Grate 200 g of cottage cheese, add to it a tablespoon of sugar, 100 ml of milk and one egg (mix everything). Combine the porridge and curd mass and bake under foil until fully cooked.
Day three
Breakfast: steamed carrot pancakes, tea.
Lunch: dry cookies, dried fruit compote.
Lunch: pearl barley soup, a little sour cream, bread.
Dinner: steamed chicken dumplings, boiled cauliflower.
Day four
Breakfast: semolina casserole, weak black tea.
Casserole: cook viscous semolina porridge and cool it (200 g of cereal). Add one and a half eggs, sugar, raisins or chopped prunes to the semolina. Beat everything well and bake in a greased pan until done.
Lunch: dry biscuit, fruit compote.
Lunch: soup with rice and vegetables, separately boiled chicken.
Dinner: boiled couscous with raisins, chamomile or rosehip infusion.
Day five
Breakfast: oatmeal with milk, tea.
Lunch: salad of cucumbers, lettuce and carrots.
Lunch: dietary borscht, sour cream, bread.
Dinner: vegetable stew, a piece of boiled lean beef.
Day six
Breakfast: baked pears with honey, tea.
Lunch: wheat toast with mashed cottage cheese.
Lunch: milk noodle soup.
Dinner: mashed potatoes, meatballs stewed in sour cream, rosehip broth.
Day seven
Breakfast: protein omelet with boiled green beans, tea.
Lunch: salad of dried apricots and grated carrots.
Lunch: soup with oatmeal, carrots and potatoes, bread.
Dinner: meat soufflé, rye bread toast, chamomile infusion.
Meat soufflé: mince 200 g of boiled beef twice and mix with 1 yolk. Pour 100 ml of milk into the minced meat and mix. Beat 2 egg whites into a thick foam and carefully mix them with the meat. Steam the soufflé.
Based on appetite, you can add snacks, second breakfast and afternoon snack. This is a sample menu for the week; you can make your own adjustments to it or come up with your own personal recipes. The main thing is not to deviate from the rules: eat only warm food from permitted ingredients in small portions.
