Energetics of food part II

In our first post on Energetics of food, we touched on these concepts described below.

Let us still tap slowly on this topic, as it need not be difficult to understand.

This way of being with food is somewhat simple. But in no way does it lack potency or efficacy in its capacity to work therapeutically on our bodies when applied.

We begin simply and simply continue...

Below are the flavours, followed by the organ system/meridians that it influences.

Below that is key points on the benefits and potentially detrimental effects.

As you read through you might like to think of foods with those flavours, how they may have influenced you in past ages, and perhaps some extreme cases that you may have seen, such as too many sweet foods (refined sugar addicts).

Five flavours for the five phases

Sour

Liver and gallbladder.

Enters the sinews.

Astringent, gathers and preserves fluids.

They cool and refresh the body and cool heated temperaments by

cooling the emotional heat in the liver.

Not therapeutic in wind-cold conditions!

When pathogenic factors are on the outer layers of the body, e.g. an acute cold, it can pull the disturbance into the deeper layers of tissue.

In TCM hot lemon water for an acute cold is not recommended! Acrid flavours for opening the pores to promote perspiration is preferred.

Bitter

Heart and small intestine.

enters the heart and the blood.

Drying, hardening, down bearing.

Supports the body’s digestive and excretion functions. Has a calming effect following stress and mental strain - think of light-coloured beer for example.

Bitter warm liqueurs are used in many cultures as a digestive aid.

The drying quality prevents dampness in the body when taken in appropriate doses, especially during moist cold weather.

Too much bitter/cool has a laxative effect (Epsom salts), dehydrate the body (think of excess urination with coffee) and damage circulation.

Sweet

Stomach and spleen/pancreas.

enters the spleen and the flesh.

Warming, strengthening, harmonizing, relaxing, moistening.

Has the strongest supplementing effect on the body following heavy physical, mental, or emotional exertion.

Strengthens the spleen, helps with acute weakness, relieves inner tension, and nourishes body fluids.

Excess sweet flavour harms the spleen and produces dampness, which in time can become disorders such as sinusitis, chronic fatigue, recurrent bronchitis.

Where it says above ‘sweetness enters flesh’, think of the abdomen after

a decade of binge eating.

Acrid

Lung and Large intestine.

enters the lungs and the Qi.

Moves Qi, invigorates circulation, loosens stagnation,

disperses, opens pores, produces perspiration.

Strengthens lungs, especially against wind-cold conditions. Helpful against acute colds (ginger decoction). Moderately spicy foods warm the interior for defence in the colder months.

The invigorating effect on Qi loosens stagnation, not only in respiratory function but also emotional stagnation, such as melancholy and sadness.

Individuals with heat symptoms should avoid acrid flavours. The excess heat can promote irritability, insomnia, and impair/dry skin.

Salty

Kidney and bladder.

enters the kidneys and the bones.

cools, moistens, down bearing, softens, loosens.

Moderates kidney function, dissolves congestion

and hardened areas (subcutaneous nodules).

Excess is common in diet. Dehydrates body, damages fluids and blood (hypertension), hardens muscles and damages bones. Inhibits mental abilities and can lead to ‘rigid’ thinking.

Knowing a food's energetics, in this case, its flavour and physiological association as observed by Chinese medicine practitioners, allows for the kitchen or loose-leaf tea shelf to be your own apothecary. The basics of this soon become obvious. For example, if I am experiencing congested sinus, I’m not going to be looking for dairy products that are further promoting the cold or damp condition. Additionally, in summertime avoiding those acrid spices is going to help prevent those strong emotional eruptions as the blood rushes up to the head.

How many labourers and tradesmen have you seen enjoying a beer after work?

There is a therapeutic action that can occur with the bitter flavour and analgesic action of alcohol.

There are no evil substances, compounds are innately benign when they’re resting without human intervention. There is just inappropriate preparation, dose, and administration.

In scenarios of chronic conditions, changing the diet for a week will have a minimal effect of course. Furthermore, a particular diet is not something that once discovered can remain the same for the rest of our lives. We age, we lose teeth, our digestive system weakens, the seasons go from hot to cold to hot, and our emotional state changes as that of shape-shifting clouds.

Understanding the way foods influence us gives indispensable guidance, so that our meals are therapeutic, not shunting us away from a place of well-being