Wellness Hub

The role of Healthy Diet in TCM

Since food is one of our primary sources of energy, it has great potential to influence our health. Food can be considered as Medicine, dietetic therapy of traditional Chinese medicine is one of the important parts for well-being.

PREVENTION EFFECT

• Garlic helps prevent diarrhea
• Mung beans help prevent heat stroke
• Kelp and Seaweed helps prevent goiter
• The animal liver helps prevent night blindness
• Fruits and Vegetables helps prevent scurvy

ANTI AGING EFFECT

• Sesame
• Mulberry
• Longan
• Honey
• Milk
• Date (Fructus Jujubae)

AUXILIARY TREATMENT EFFECT

• Red bean —— Edema
• Glutinous rice —— Dampness
• Chicken soup —— Asthenic disease

How To Eat Healthy?

Eat according to season

• Spring(Green) is the best season for nourishing the liver
• Summer(Red) is the best season for nourishing the heart
• Autumn(White) is the best season for nourishing the lungs
• Winter(Black) is the best season for nourishing the kidneys

A Balanced Diet

• Grains 6 to 8 servings per day
• Fresh Fruits & Vegetables 4 to 5 servings of each per day
• Lean Protein 2 to 3 servings per day
• Low-fat Dairy 2 to 3 servings per day
• Legumes or Nuts/Seeds 4 to 5 servings per week
• Fats and Sweets Limited

Integrate with different flavors

• Sour food enters the liver and helps stop sweating, eases coughing
• Salt food enters kidneys and can drain, purge and soften masses
• Bitter food enters the heart and helps cool heat and dry any dampness
• Spicy food enters the lungs and helps stimulate appetite
• Sweet food enters the stomach and spleen and helps lubricate the body

Eat regularly, slowly and without extremes

You can also use the Five Elements Theory to eat Optimally

The five elements of a diet guide

For over two thousands of years a simple but profoundly effective Five Element Theory has been guiding traditional Chinese medicine and nutritional health recipes. The five elements are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

The five elements theory is used for lots of things. And every element of this theory represents a different item.

When this theory is applied to the diet, traditional Chinese medicine doctors recommend that we should eat foods that correspond to physical conditions or season. . . For example, if you have some health issues with your liver, it is better to eat Leafy greens, such as spinach, cabbage, beet greens and watercress.

WOOD:

• The element of liver and gallbladder
• Coordinate with the springtime
• Represent energy, motivation, and new beginnings

Food:

The color of wood property food: Green

Almost all green-colored foods are good for your liver, gallbladder, eyes, and tendons. As you know, in Dubai, we can find many green-colored and  nutritious foods, like lots of leafy greens, lettuces, peas, celery, green beans and broccoli.

FIRE:

• The element of heart and pericardium
• Coordinate with the summertime
• Represent growing

Food:

The color of fire property food: Red

According to the five elements theory, the food in red color can be used to nourish heart, small intestine, brain and pulse. The fire property foods are included carrots, pomegranates, strawberry, tomato, red beans, jujube, sweet potato, goji berry, dragon fruit, apple, even if brown sugar.

EARTH:

• The element of spleen and stomach
• Coordinate with the late-summertime
• Represent nurturing, stability and digestion

Food:

The color of earth property food: yellow

Actually, if your diet has any kind of yellow-colored food, it’s helpful for your digestive system, spleen, mouth and muscle. There are many earth property foods in our food, such as corn, yellow sweet potato, taro, pineapple, papaya, peanut, walnut, and honey. oats, pumpkin, butternut squash, yellow pepper, soybeans and egg yolk.

METAL:

• The element of lung and large Intestine
• Coordinate with the autumntime
• Represent harvest

Food:

The color of metal property food: white

As the five elements theory said that eating white-colored food is benefit for lungs, large intestine, nose and respiratory system, and skin. The list includes fish, chicken, onion, garlic, pear, banana, almond, white sesame, rock sugar, and more

WATER:

• The element of kidney and bladder
• Coordinate with the wintertime
• Represent storage

Food:

The color of water property food: black

Chinese medicine doctors generally believe that black-colored foods are good for your kidneys, bladder, bones, ears, and reproductive organs. These water property foods like seaweed, shiitake mushrooms, eggplant, black beans, raisins, blueberry, black grapes, black sesame, black vinegar, and more.