In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) dietetic suggestions should follow on as the very first step after diagnosis. It’s more, herbs or acupuncture should only be prescribed if diet therapy fails. Compared to modern approaches to eating, TCM dietetics is much more holistic, as it aims not only to maintain a balanced diet, but also to eliminate the symptoms of diseases and restore balance and harmony in the body (overall health).
Any disease is always the result of an imbalance of Yin and Yang and thus a disruption of the harmony of the 5 elements (fire, wood, water, metal, earth). According to TCM, food has 5 tastes: spicy, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. These tastes are related to specific elements and specific organs of the human body, which is why we can influence their functioning through proper diet:
🌳 sour taste belongs to liver and the wood element
🗡 spicy taste belongs to lungs and the metal element
🔥 bitter taste belongs to heart and the element of fire
💧 salty taste belongs to kidneys and the water element
🌎 sweet taste belongs to spleen and the earth element
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