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THE ACADEMY OF HEALING NUTRITION

Holistic Health Counselor & Nutrition Coach Professional Certification Course

Study Guide 1 An Introduction to Longevity Diet Concepts

by Roger Green

Study Guide 1, copyright Roger Green, www.AcademyHealingNutrition.com 1-i

Introduction

This is the first in a series of study guides that supplement the Academy of Healing

Nutrition’s Holistic Health and Counseling Practitioner certificate course. These study

guides are not a substitute for taking the course. Rather they augment the course by

providing an introduction to the philosophy and fundamental concepts used in

traditional wholistic healing methods. They will support you in your understanding

and practice of natural healing, and will demonstrate how you can apply these

concepts and principles in your own life.

The Holistic Health and Counseling Practitioner certificate course embodies a

practical approach that helps you attain healthy eating habits and a healthy lifestyle.

When you are confident and content with the decisions you make on a daily basis

you are on the path to healing yourself and preventing accidents, misfortune and

disease. You will learn how to become one with your Self, the environment, and the

cosmos.

This course requires action. By implementing the suggestions contained within and

making constructive changes in your life, you will experience the positive impacts the

course has to offer. Your blood quality will improve, positively impacting your cells,

organs and nervous system. Your intuitive response and judgment relating to eating

and decision-making will be greatly enhanced. This will allow balance, harmony,

mental clarity, and spiritual transformation to occur.

The outcome of these life-giving effects can manifest in your body in any number of

ways, ranging from losing weight to recovering from serious aliments to transforming

anger and impatience into calm centeredness and even bliss.

As you make your way though the program, keep in mind that you do not need to

make strict changes for yourself. Rather, gradually incorporate fresh ideas into your

life and allow them to naturally replace old habits. At the same time, be aware of

your attitude. Is it helping you or harming you? Poor attitude can prevent new

knowledge from entering into your life and working its magic. Remember that life is

a transformative process. New patterns of thoughts and actions that are productive

of health allow old patterns to dissolve. Through routine study of Tao and the order

of nature (wisdom), apply these principles in a practical sense and watch the

unfolding process begin.

Disclaimer: The suggestions contained within are lifestyle suggestions. By no means

should this information be construed as medical advice. You need to be aware of the

difference.

http://www.academyhealingnutrition.com/

Study Guide 1, copyright Roger Green, www.AcademyHealingNutrition.com 1-ii

. . . . . . . . .

Study Guide 1

An Introduction to Longevity Diet Concepts

Chinese medical thinking is not an isolated branch of thought and practice. Rather it

is part philosophy and part cosmology, both of which propound oneness with nature

and the universe.

Contents

A Comparison of Eastern and Western Belief Systems 4

An Exploration of the Taoist View 5

East/West Comparison: Diet Principles 5

East/West Comparison: View of Health 6

The Wholistic Approach: Definition and Comparison to Orthodox

Medical Thought 6

An Introduction to Yin and Yang 9

Yin and Yang Classification 11

Color 11

Lifestyle Conditions 12

Food 12

Taste 15

Checking Your Own Yin/Yang Balance 15

An Introduction to Qi 16

Introduction to the Five Elements 17

The Five Transformations 19

An Overview of the Five Elements 20

1. Wood (or Tree) 20

2. Fire 21


Study Guide 1, copyright Roger Green, www.AcademyHealingNutrition.com 1-iii

3. Earth (or Soil) 22

4. Metal 23

5. Water 25

Yin and Yang and the 5 Elements 26

Tastes in the Five Element Theory 27

Food Energetics 28

Principles of Food Categorization 28

Temperature 29

Direction 30

Rhythm 31

Taste, or Five Flavors 31

Moisture 31

Individual Tendencies 31

The Doctrine of Signatures 33

The Heteropathic Approach to Food Balancing 34

Defining Heteropathy 35

Applying the Heteropathic Approach 36

Seasonal Considerations 37

Home Study and Review 38


Study Guide 1, copyright Roger Green, www.AcademyHealingNutrition.com 1-4

An Introduction to Longevity Diet Concepts

The longevity approach listens closely to traditional habits, myths and folklore. At the

same time it closely observes modern scientific research results by those who work

directly in the application of diets. Those with a strong background in this approach

learn how to interpret the correlation between eating habits and health problems

using both traditional and modern methods.

A Comparison of Eastern and Western Belief Systems

The notion of a Supreme Being—so essential to Western religions—is replaced in the

East by the idea of a Supreme State of Being, which refers to living the Tao.

Originally meaning road, path, or the way of nature, the Tao is unknowable, vast,

and eternal. It refers to multiple concepts, including

• A spiritual path or discipline focused on the union between the

individual and the Absolute

• The impersonal cosmic Absolute from which all phenomena derives,

and the manner in which it operates

• The way of maintaining harmony between this world and the beyond

to achieve health and longevity.

The difference between Taoist thought and Western thought is quite apparent when

comparing medicine, healthcare, disease, and even design.

The Western belief system is based on accumulating, qualifying, and analyzing

information to find trends, norms, and averages. This system works best when

looking at isolated details.

The Eastern philosophy and world view is based upon the perception of nature as

one unending and continuing stream of action rather than a series of generally

unconnected phenomena. Yin and yang are the terms used to understand the

relationship between the environment and us and between the process of

transmutation of matter to energy and back again in the endless drama of creation

and destruction.

In the Tao of Physics, Fritjof Capra describes the Eastern view this way:



In contrast to the mechanistic Western view, the Eastern view of the

world is "organic." For the easterner, all things and events perceived by

the senses are interrelated, connected, and are but different aspects or

manifestations of the same reality. Our tendency to divide the perceived

world into individual and separate things and to experience ourselves as

isolated egos in this world is seen as an illusion that comes from our

measuring and categorizing mentality.

An Exploration of the Taoist View

Chinese philosophy and medicine are based on Taoist consciousness and on yin-yang

theory, which imply a worldview dissimilar to the West’s. A very different spirit

informs the Chinese view of knowledge and being. Lao Tzu, an early Taoist sage,

formulated this undertaking of the nature of reality:

To be bent is to become straight.

To be empty is to be full

To be worn out is to be renewed

To have little is to possess

Change and transformation are the only constants for the Chinese. Yin and yang

produce each other, imply each other and finally are each other.

The Chinese, however, never thought of the Tao as a vicious undertow from which

things must fight free and distinguish themselves. They do not ask of an entity how

well it measures up to the pure form prescribed for it, but rather what is its

relationship to other entities. It is not important or even necessary that every entity

attain pure form; what is important is that every entity has a place in the overarching

pattern of existence.

The word Tao, although sometimes translated as “the Way”, cannot really be

translated in to satisfactory English. Even its meaning in Chinese alludes attempts to

pin it down. So the Chinese have developed ways of describing the Tao in aphorisms,

parables and tales that are more like poetry than like the systematic presentations of

Western thought.

But the Tao is not poetry either, and to see it as such is also to lose it. For example,

the Tao, as the ultimate reality, can be apprehended in medicine, but that

apprehension has to take place within the context of interconnectedness and

dynamism. The Tao comes to stand for something that does not deny reason, but

always manages to remain just outside its grasp.

East/West Comparison: Diet Principles

In the west, the value of food is determined by the presence of proteins,

carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Food is discussed in terms of being fresh,

unrefined, without artificial ingredients, or too high in cholesterol, calories, sugar and



salt. Diet does not have any ‘energetic’ component except for folklore medicine and

some aspects of the Doctrine of Signatures (discussed later in this document).

In the east, who we are determines what is most beneficial for us to eat. Food and

people are understood within the language of yin-yang and the phases of the five

elements. Foods are selected on the basis of their correspondence with individual

patterns, modified by the climate, season and acute illness.

East/West Comparison: View of Health

The basic premise for health in the west is the lack of symptoms or discomfort. Many

so-called "imbalances" can go unchecked until the person starts to manifest a state

of illness, at which point a pathogen is looked for and drugs are prescribed.

While Western medicine focuses on physiological detail to formulate a view of a

person’s condition, the Eastern approach concentrates more on what could be called

‘body cosmology’. Emphasis is placed on an individual's qi, prevention, and living life

in accordance with Tao and the cycle of yin and yang. The Chinese express this

understanding not only in Oriental medicine, but also in art, literature, diet, astrology

and feng shui.

From the East we have gained an integrating, intuitive and logical mode of thinking

based on the rational concepts of yin and yang. In the West, we have gained a

technical and scientific process. Health in its true sense is a dynamic balance of both.

The Wholistic Approach: Definition and Comparison to Orthodox Medical

Thought

Holistic, or wholistic, medicine is the loosely termed movement that has grown in

response to increasing dissatisfaction with the prevalence of illness in the Western

world and the realization that the technical and chemical medicine developed to cope

with it is often ineffective and can involve serious drawbacks.

The wholistic approach is not a new one. It has existed since the dawn of mankind's

history, and is still the prevailing approach to life in all societies except our own. A

fundamental premise of the wholistic view is accepting responsibility for self. This

means that we are the cause of our own illness and also the author of our own

health.

The wholistic view of the human body differs from modern medicine in that it

recognizes to a greater extent that its function is affected by a variety of internal and

external factors, such as food, drink, exercise, emotions and stress. Rather than

singling out specific organs, whole organ systems are taken into account.

Thanks to the development of precise and powerful scientific tools, modern day

physicists are finding out what the great mystics already stated, namely that the

universe is more than the sum of its parts, and that reality is a complex web of



relationships that includes the observer, who is never totally separate due to

involvement through the simple act of observation1.

The wholistic approach regards systems as a whole. In the broadest sense, any set

of interacting events that has an input, an output, and a purpose is a system. Living

systems consist of other systems and are therefore extremely complex.

The human system includes the digestive, excretory, respiratory, reproductive,

circulatory, nervous and endocrine systems, which interact with each other in the

internal and external environments. Because these systems constantly exchange

energy and matter with the environment, they are varying and unstable. When an

environmental input is strong enough to cause a severe illness the body is said to be

out of balance. When this occurs its natural inclination is to reorganize towards

health. For example, drastic changes in diet that support healing cause amino acids

to reorganize themselves into living tissue.

All traditional and wholistic medicines place a strong emphasis on the largest system

being in balance; therefore the harmony between body, mind and spirit is regarded

as the basis of enduring health for humans.

The most prevalent assumptions of a wholistic approach include:

• Each person has a general sense of whether his or her system is in

good working order. The sense that something is wrong is usually

correct.

• Organism malfunctions can stem from physical, psychological or

spiritual events. Cures are affected by finding the underlying cause

and correcting it; the immune system takes over from there. The

physical and non-physical are equally real.

• A healthy organism will tend to correct its own minor imbalances if

allowed to do so. Medical treatment may interfere with that self-

healing ability.

• Symptoms are a message from the body about its condition and its

function. The same condition may give rise to symptoms of different

kinds; conversely, different conditions may cause similar symptoms.

• Cures of major diseases may occur if the immune system is

sufficiently strong and is supported by a diet change or psychological

or spiritual renewal.

1 For an in-depth discussion of these ideas, see The Turning Point and The Tao of Physics by

Fritjot Capra.



• Food is a direct cause of proper or improper functioning of the

organism. Food quality, quantity, stored energy, taste, color, aroma

and texture all have psychological and physiological effects on an

organism.

• An organism reacts to and interacts with its natural environment.

Climate, season, altitude, and weather all affect it. This includes feng

shui, which relates to the design of house and work environments.

By comparison, the most prevalent assumptions of orthodox medical

thought include:

• The human system works correctly unless an observer can detect an

abnormality. If abnormality is not revealed in tests, there is no

malfunction. If the patient does not feel right it is often attributed to

psychosomatic behavior.

• Most malfunctions of the system are due to physical agents such as

microorganisms, poisons, pollution, etc. Cures are affected by

destroying the pathogenic agent or removing the diseased organ or

tissue. Diseases not caused by physical agents may be due to

psychological factors.

• A disease will usually grow worse unless medical treatment is

applied. This assumption is often more widely held by the patient

than by the doctor. When a disease heals naturally without

intervention it is thought of as exceptional and labeled as

"spontaneous remission."

• The symptoms are the disease; symptoms appearing in different

organs are generally not related.

• Any disease or malfunction not due to physical or visible

disturbances is of "unknown origin.” A physical disturbance that

affects mental or emotional functioning is rarely considered.

• Food input matters mostly in terms of quantity, i.e. too little or too

much, but has largely an indirect consequence when compared to

pathogenic or disease-causing elements or organisms.

• The effects of the natural environment on the human system are

negligible.



An Introduction to Yin and Yang

More than 5,000 years old, the philosophy of yin and yang forms the basis of all

Oriental medicine and culture. The concept of yin and yang evolved to describe how

things function in relation to each other. Yin and yang are terms or symbols that

describe the process of change in the relative world and the rhythm of alternation

between opposite tendencies. They are antagonistic, but nevertheless

complementary; they establish balance between individual things that are themselves

incomplete without the other half. Therefore we exist between the polarities of yin

and yang, the two complementary energies of heaven and earth.

Yin and yang tendencies occur simultaneously and constantly recreate a complete

whole:

• In the cycle of night and day we see the yang tendency of the day

(represented by warmer temperatures, activity, and focused

thought) give way to the yin tendency of night (represented by cool

temperatures, inactivity, or sleep, and subconscious dreams), which

in turn gives way to the day.

• In the cycle of life our physical body begins in an extremely

compacted egg form and slowly expands. As babies we are very still,

short-limbed, squat, and constantly growing. We continually expand,

growing taller and filling out into our adult physique. After reaching

our physical prime we begin to gradually contract, becoming stooped

if we live to old age.

Spirals within spirals, moving inward to a point of maximum contraction and then

growing out to a point of maximum expansion before moving inward again, can be

perceived in all aspects of the temporal and the spiritual as well as the form and the

formless.

The application of the principles of expansion and contraction in our daily lives can

facilitate the natural development of a balanced state of equilibrium that constantly

fluctuates around a stable center.

Characteristics of Yin and Yang

Yin Yang

Water Fire

Darkness Light

Cold Heat

Rest Movement

Slower Faster



Yin Yang

Lower Higher

Central Peripheral

Heavier Lighter

Responsiveness Stimulation

Passivity Activity

Interior Exterior

Downward Upward

Inward Outward

Decrease Increase

Blood Qi

Proton Electron

Elements=H, C, Na, Mg Elements= N, O, K, P, Ca

Contraction Expansion

Space (earth) Time (heaven)

Moon Sun

Plant Animal

Winter Summer

Wetter Dryer

Smaller Larger

Fragile Durable

Softer Harder

Female Male

More compact More hollow

Contracting Expanding

More gentle More aggressive

Negative Positive

More psychological & mental More physical & social

In studying yin and yang it is important to understand and master fundamental

principles and not get overly focused on detailed data. The following are central to

this study:



Earth’s Force (Yin) Heaven’s Force (Yang)

Moves towards Inside Outside

Predominates When stationary, from late afternoon until night

When moving, from early morning until late afternoon

Creates Precision

Coolness

Simplicity

Punctuality

Complexity

Warmth

Multiplicity

Tardiness

Stimulates Relaxation

Thought when sitting

Sleep when lying down

Desire to move when stationary

Desire to rise when lying down

Inability to sleep

Nourishes and Creates

Physical body

Senses

Inner life

Principles

Digestive system

Mind

Bioplasmic body

Outer action

Personality

Nervous system

Yin and Yang Classification

Yin and yang are always relative. No one thing is absolutely yin or absolutely yang in

this world. "A" may be yin when compared with "B", but yang when compared "C".

All physical matter in this universe has a shape, color and characteristic weight. The

lengthened form in the vertical direction is yang, while the same form horizontally is

yin.

From the physical point of view, that which contains more water (with every other

condition being equal) is yin. From the chemical perspective, compounds rich in

hydrogen (H), carbon (C), Lithium (Li), arsenic (As), and sodium (Na) are more yang,

based upon their atomic weight and size. Compounds rich in elements such as

potassium (K), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), etc. are more

yin.

All phenomena can be analyzed in terms of yin and yang, which is just another way

of saying that everything in this constantly changing world is relative. The following

categories offer a few explorations of yin and yang:

Color

This whole universe is a magnetic field of positive and negative charges that are

constantly vibrating, producing electromagnetic waves. Some waves between certain



frequencies are visible. This means they are perceived by the nervous system and

then translated by the brain into what we call the spectrum of visible colors.

The Color Spectrum

Yang

Yin

Infrared Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet Ultra-violet

Without color we can see nothing. The warmest color is yang, and the coldest is yin.

The colors of a rainbow and the spectrum of colors seen through a prism appear in a

natural order that is verified by thermometry: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,

indigo, violet. The longer the wavelengths of light, the more yang a color is, i.e. red.

Red gives us a feeling of warmth, excitement, and movement, which are yang

characteristics. The shorter the wavelength, the more yin a color is, i.e. violet. Violet

gives us a feeling of coolness and serenity, which are yin characteristics.

Yin and yang are terms of comparison. Blue is yin compared to green, because it is

closer than green is to violet. Blue is yang compared to violet, because it is closer

than violet is to red.

The plant world is represented by green from our perception of chlorophyll, and the

animal world is represented by red from the color of hemoglobin, and thus blood.

Therefore, judging by the above color scheme, the animal world is yang compared to

the more yin plant world. Man's physiological spectrum, or tissue color, normally runs

from red to yellow. Therefore man, an animal, is yang. This is the main reason we

are so strongly attracted to yin in any form, especially if we eat yang foods. Yang

attracts yin, not unlike the attraction between opposite poles of two magnets.

Lifestyle Conditions

Lifestyle conditions can also be seen as yin or yang. Hard, physical work causes heat

and dryness, a yang condition, while too much leisure makes one soft, loose and

weak, or too yin. Stress can be seen as extremes of both yang and yin, with its

attendant attraction to extreme things, such as excessive sleep, sugar, alcohol and

drugs.

Food

Over the centuries, Oriental healers divided foods into categories of yin and yang.

This division was made according to the perceived effect each food had on the body.

Salt, for example, makes things coagulate and contract, while sugar, alcohol and

drugs make things loose and expanded. Whole grains are fairly central in the

yin/yang spectrum. They are the most balanced food.



Remember that yin and yang are meaningful terms only when used in comparing one

thing to another, or when talking about opposites such as hot and cold. All things,

including foods, are composites and aggregates of yin and yang. Fruit, for example,

is not yin by definition. It is considered yin only when compared to something more

yang, like beef. Nothing is solely yin or solely yang.

The origin, species, season, method of growing, cooking, method of storage, and all

other factors influencing food affect their yin/yang characteristics. If you take any

two carrots, for example, one will always be more yin and one more yang, even if

they were grown together, because they are not affected in exactly the same way by

all the influencing factors.

Vegetables, according to their color, are generally yin. The most yin are eggplant,

figs, nightshades, etc. These vegetables are outwardly or internally bluish or violet in

color, very rich in vitamin K and C, and very yin. The most yang foods are red or

yellow. Meat and all the products from hemoglobin, fish, eggs, etc. are rich in

vitamin D, Sodium (Na) in comparison to potassium (K), which is yin.

Dairy products are impossible to lump in a yin or yang classification. Some, such as

goat cheese and Roquefort cheese are harder, or more yang. Others, such as cream

and yogurt, are softer, or more yin. Cow's milk, and most cheeses and butter fall

somewhere in between.

Yin and Yang Food Classification Examples

Contracting Foods Moderate Foods Expanding Foods

Salt Whole cereal grains Vegetables high in potassium, i.e. tomato & potato

Red meats Beans & bean products Large, watery tropical fruits

Eggs Sea vegetables Grain based sweeteners

Poultry Most vegetables Soft dairy foods, e.g. milk & yogurt

Hard, salted cheeses Seeds and nuts Oils

Fish and Seafood Small fruits Spices

Miso Sugar, honey

Coffee

Alcohol

Drugs



Yin/Yang Aspects of Vegetables By Comparison

Yin (Cooling) Yang (Warming)

Habitat Ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, seas, and oceans (watercress, seaweeds, etc.)

Land (carrots, leeks, spices, etc.)

Size and

Location* Smaller, more abundant in the north (colder climate)*

Bigger, more abundant in the south (warmer climate)*

Season Autumn** Spring

Orientation Grows horizontally along the earth Grows vertically above the earth

Growth

Timeframe Slower Faster

Plant Height Shorter Taller

Cooking Time Longer Quicker

Color Green, blue, indigo, violet Red, orange, yellow, white

Weight Heavier Lighter

Firmness Softer Harder

* Based on the sun’s pattern the opposite is true for the southern hemisphere where the north is warmer and vegetables larger, and the south is cooler, resulting in more root vegetables.

** This is a general guide only and needs to be changed for the southern hemisphere, where October through March is summer and April through September is winter.

Yin/Yang Aspects of Animal Foods by Comparison

Yin (Cooling) Yang (Warming)

Animal Type Cold-blooded (fish, shellfish etc.) Warm-blooded (beef, pork, fowl, eggs)

Size and Location* Smaller in colder climates Bigger in warmer climates

Winter Activity Hibernating Non-hibernating

Fish Habitat Salt-water Fresh water

Fish Habitat Location Bottom of the ocean, lake or river (carp)

Near water’s surface (trout)

* Based on the sun’s pattern the opposite is true for the southern hemisphere where

the north is warmer and the south is cooler.



Characteristics of Yin and Yang Foods

Yin Foods Yang Foods

Lubricate Dry

Moisten Drain

Cool Warm

Pacify Activate

Produce a slowing down Produce a speeding up

Nourish essence, substance, blood Nourish organ & body functions

Yin foods tonify the blood, and blood tonifies the qi. Examples of yin foods include

coconut milk, yogurt, and mango.

Yang foods tonify qi, and qi tonifies, or circulates, the blood. Examples of yang foods

include coffee, pesto, and chili.

Thus, a food or combination of foods may assist, tonify, nourish or sedate yin and

yang, relative to the organs, meridians, and fundamental substances. The actions

and functions of a food are indicated through the process of food classification. This

suggests a relationship to one or more aspects of a particular food’s relative yin or

yang properties.

Taste

Taste Gradations from Yang to Yin

Yang Hot (i.e. chili)

Bitter (sesame seed, green lettuce)

Sour (sauerkraut)

Sweet (pumpkin)

Salty (tamari)

Yin

Checking Your Own Yin/Yang Balance

A thorough explanation of how to determine yin/yang condition is presented in an

upcoming study guide on Oriental Diagnosis and Health Assessment. In the

meantime, a very easy and practical method of checking your yin/yang balance

involves daily examination of your fecal matter and urine with respect to color, shape

and weight.

Dark yellow and scanty urine is an indication of too much heat in the body. Clear and

copious urine indicates too much cold and too much water intake.



If your urine is light yellow and transparent and if your evacuations are dark brown,

retain their good shape, and are buoyant with little to no smell, it is a sign that your

previous day’s diet was chemically and physically in good yin/yang proportion.

Yellow transparent urine that gives sediment after 10 minutes reveals the possibility

of severe illness, such as kidney disease. If very diluted, transparent, and copious, it

shows the possibility of diabetes. Stool that is greenish and oxidizes (blackens)

easily, indicates is a large excess of yin. Healthy bowel movements flow easily and

require little or no toilet paper. If you are constipated or evacuate more than three

times a day you may have some troubles.

Another way to check your yin/yang balance is to review the food you eat. A person

who normally eats a lot of yin foods will often become chilly, while a person who eats

more yang food does not. Signs of yin imbalance are inactivity, coldness and unusual

silence. Signs of yang imbalance are excess activity, warm, and unusual

boisterousness.

An Introduction to Qi

Individual experience of the energetic reality of nature is fundamental to what can be

called the ‘spiritual’ approach to life. It is this perception of energetic reality that

brings mystery and delight to our everyday experience, resulting in a broadened

vision and a more ecological approach to life.

Primary to an understanding of yin and yang is the appreciation of the fact that all

matter is comprised of energy, also known as qi. This concept of life force is named

differently in various cultures; it is also referred to as chi in China, baraka in Arab

nations, mana for Polynesians, and prana in India.2 In the West, it is primarily called

‘life force’ or ‘life essence.’

Qi can be broadly defined as the movement of non-tangible energy or vibrations

between the two primary poles in the universe. Therefore it is dynamic, constantly

moving and circulating within and without. Within us it circulates around the

meridians, or energetic pathways, that are utilized in healing practices such as

Shiatsu massage and acupuncture.

2 “Traditional views emanating from primitive societies throughout the world are based on the

perception of nature as one unending and continuing stream of action rather than as a series

of generally unconnected phenomena. The universe is seen as an endless interplay of forces

that have the capacity to transmute themselves from matter to energy and back again in an

endless drama of creation and destruction. The Eastern worldview is one that anticipated the

understanding of the universe expressed in modern quantum physics.” From The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra.



Qi encompasses all material and nonmaterial phenomenon in the relative world.

From this larger view, we can say that qi is a universal state, existing everywhere; its

meaning embraces temperature, emotional, intellectual, atmospheric, and physical

traits. It also includes sensory stimulations, colors, etc. These can all be described in

terms of their quality of qi in comparison to yin or yang.

The concept of qi is not generally found in Western society, including Western

medicine, science, and religion, where life is regarded only in terms of matter and

the material world. It is, however, a basic concept in the Orient. Eastern societies see

and explain the world of matter in terms of the non-material.

Matter arises from non-matter in the following way: Out of infinity (infinite expansion

and motion at infinite speed) two waves of motion collide, creating centripetal and

centrifugal spirals. Polarity, or yin and yang, are then created. This leads to the

creation of vibration and the world of pre-atomic particles, then to the creation of the

world of elements, the world of vegetables and finally to the world of animals,

including man.3

Humanity is the terminal point on this spiral that begins with the non-physical and

moves to the physical. A mature or fully developed spiral of creation takes billions of

years to complete. From there, we begin our return journey to infinity by way of de-

physicalization.

The origin of both matter and non-matter is the invisible vibrational force called

energy in modern science. But when the ancient people spoke of energy, they were

not talking only about detectable energy, such as heat and light; energy also exists

beyond the realm of our senses and our detecting machines. If you imagine that qi is

only detectable energy, you are only partly right. And if you think qi is

electromagnetic energy, you are again only partly right. Qi is formed from the

infinitesimally shortest wave to the infinitely longest wave—from the fastest motion

or speed of waves to the slowest. Qi is covering this entire universe. It is a universal

phenomenon.

Introduction to the Five Elements

The Five Element Theory, reputed to be over 4,000 years old, was explained at

length in the Nei Ching, a compilation of ancient Chinese medicine first recorded in

400 BC.

To the ancient Chinese and to other traditional peoples, the closeness and

importance of nature was understood. They watched, heeded, learned and steeped

3 These ideas are discussed in the auxiliary CD under the section entitled “Spirallic Levels of

Awareness”.



themselves in the elements so basic to life. They lived in the elements, depended

upon the cycle of the seasons, and survived according to the laws of the universe.

They revered the flow and changes of the world around them.

Just as nature cycles through a natural process of change, early peoples instinctively

knew that the elements existed within them—that the nature inside of them followed

the same seasonal patterns and cycles that existed in the external world. From this

idea came that knowledge that we are the seasons; we are the elements. Nature is

without and within us at every moment. We are a replica of the universe passing

from season to season in the natural and unending cycle of life.

In this way the concept of the five elements developed as one of the basic

descriptive frameworks in ancient Chinese thinking. They correspond to the five

notes in Chinese music, five viscera in physiology, five constants and five virtues in

sociology, five senses and five emotions in psychology.

The five elements are represented by wood, fire, earth, metal and water; and can be

used as an analogy that aids in the unification of the human being.

Earth was originally seen as the central element, but gradually became incorporated

as one of the five, each pertaining to a season of the year, and illustrating the

endless cycle of transformation of matter:

• Wood burns to make fire

• Fire’s ashes decompose into the earth

• Earth creates metal

• Metal, when melted or eroded becomes water (liquid)

• Water nourishes trees and plants, forming wood.

The five elements are also associated with the five 'bases,' or the fundamental

elements of a human being. Specifically, these are referred to as basic essence,

sense, vitality, energy, and spirit. The last three form the so-called three jewels or

three treasures, which are an important trinity in Taoist thought.

Vitality, energy and spirit are said to be originally one; they are also spoken of as

sexuality, metabolism and thought. The metaphysical practice based on the three

treasures is seen as progressive refinement: refining vitality into energy, refining

energy into spirit, refining spirit into space, and finally breaking through space to

merge with the reality of the Tao.

The cycle of the Five Elements is sometimes referred to as the Five Transformations.



The Five Transformations

Ancient philosophers looked at nature and saw that the seasons progressed in an

orderly cycle, and that the growth and development of humans took place in an

organic and orderly pattern. Their observations led them to believe that change was

not a random thing, but an orderly process—an evolution.

The most active or expanded part of the cycle is likened to the energy of fire and is

represented in our body by the heart and small intestine. Fire is highly amorphous,

yet possessed of great energy that inspires change.

As the energy of contraction becomes dominant it creates a stage of gathering,

downward, and inward motion like the energy of earth, or soil. Here an idea begins

to take shape as a perceivable reality. This stage is represented in the body by the

spleen, pancreas4and stomach. Reaching the extreme of contraction, energy appears

consolidated, like metal.

The metal stage suggests the greatest condensation or 'ionization' of the process. It

is in this stage that an idea firmly takes root in the material world. This is

represented in our bodies by the lungs and large intestines5. Just past its peak,

highly condensed metal energy begins to relax and open. This stage is like water, the

most flexible and enduring stage.

Water, always flowing toward the sea, signifies the continuity of change toward a

specific goal. The water stage is represented in the body by kidneys, bladder and

sexual organs. In this stage energy rises in the cycle and begins to move outward in

a dispersing motion. This energy is like wood or a tree.

Wood not only bears fruit but fertilizes the soil with its leaves, seeds and unused fruit

to enrich the soil and begin the process of regeneration all over again. Wood energy

is represented in the body by the liver and gallbladder. In this stage energy reaches

its most active and dispersed stage and the cycle begins again.

In terms of health, the five transformations reveal how energy moves through the

body, nourishing each organ system in an orderly and methodical manner. The body

can be understood as an integrated circuitry system in which qi, or life force, flows

through the system continuously according to an orderly pattern. Health can be

described as a state in which qi flows unimpeded through the system, fully

nourishing every organ and cell in the body.

4 The pancreas is located at the end of the spleen. Western medicine sees it as a separate

organ. In TCM the pancreas is grouped with the spleen, for from an energetic perspective they

are considered to be one organ.

5 From a Western perspective the colon constitutes the majority of the length of the large

intestine. In this document the terms colon and large intestine are used interchangeably.



An Overview of the Five Elements

1. Wood (or Tree)

Season: Spring

Shape: Rectangle

Color: Green

Taste: Sour

Energy: Re-emergence of the outward expansive movement of yang warmth and

active energy. The warmth of the sun melts, relaxes and stimulates new growth that

has been nourished by winter. Sap rises in the trees, people move away from the

winter hearth to enjoy the growing expression of nature's colorful abundance.

Related Organs: Liver and Gall Bladder

• Review of Liver functions:

o Is “The General”

o Rules flowing and spreading the smooth movement of qi

o Regulates the body’s activities

o Adjusts and makes bile and sends it to the gall bladder

o Harmonizes the emotions

o Stores blood at night and detoxifies it

o Rules tendons (including all connective tissues, which, in TCM, is

the nervous system)

o Manifests in the nails

o Opens into the eyes.

• Review of Gall Bladder functions:

o Stores and secretes bile, which is produced by surplus Qi of liver

o Rules decision-making. Anger and rash decisions may be excess

Gall Bladder qi; indecision and timidity may be weak Gall Bladder

qi.

In the Body: The liver now needs to offload any excess fats and proteins that were

needed to keep the body warm in winter. Lighter cooking featuring a sour taste helps



to relieve liver congestion. The double lobed grains of barley, wheat and rye nourish

the lobes of the liver and the gall bladder.

Cooking: A mixture of winter cooking and lighter styles: re-introduce stir-frying,

steaming and water sautés as the weather grows warmer. Use more fine and light

cutting, but keep leafy greens whole. Use sour condiments to help the liver

decongest. Cut back on baked sweet foods to help the gall bladder release and relax.

Vegetables: All root vegetables, especially young green tops, mustard greens,

green peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, chives, parsley, basil, Chinese greens,

sweet potato, onion, red radish, daikon, lemon, and limes, etc.

Examples of Wood Element: Young plants, wooden modern furniture with clean

lines.

2. Fire

Season: Summer

Shape: Triangle

Color: Reds, plums

Taste: Bitter

Energy: Outward, expansive, ripening, fruition, active, social, expressive, the peak

of yang movement.

Related Organs: Heart and Small Intestines6

• Review of Heart functions:

o Is the “Emperor”

o Rules blood and blood vessels

o Stores the shen and embodies our consciousness

o Receives and ripens food and drink

o Separates waste and governs downward movement

o Opens into and controls the tongue

6 In TCM the pericardium (PC) and triple heater (TH) are also related to the fire element. They

are not considered to be organs, but rather regarded as energy meridians. The PC is a yin

meridian and the TH is a yang meridian. The fire element then has 4 meridians associated with

it: two that are physically manifested (the heart and small intestine) and two that have only an

energy circuit (PC and TH).



o Manifests in the face

• Review of Small Intestine functions:

o Receives what the stomach has not completely decomposed and

continues to process it. Pure food is sent to the spleen, turbid

food is sent to the large intestine. Some impure food is sent to

the kidneys and bladder

o Rules separation of the pure from the turbid food

In the Body: The heart, small intestines, triple heater (body temperature

regulating system) and heart governor (pericardium) meridians are activated by

summer's heat, affecting blood quality and food absorption. The heart is like the sun

in the body, radiating out heat and nutrients via the blood circulating around our

body.

Cooking: Light cooking styles such as steaming, blanching, water sautéing and raw

salads. Cutting styles include matchstick, fine strips (such as in a pressed salad),

diagonals, 1/4 and 1/2 moons, etc. Ingredients to emphasize include leafy greens

and yellow and orange round and root vegetables, the sharp flavors of radish and

spring onions, light soups and desserts.

Vegetables: All leafy greens, juicy young vegetables, ripe fruits, sweet corn,

lettuces, Chinese greens, young carrots and carrot tops, chives, parsley, red

cabbage, leeks, spring onions, sprouts, watercress, zucchini, summer squash,

cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, cucumber, radish, cherries, nectarines, peaches,

apricots, etc.

Examples of Fire Element: Candles, bright lights, big cities

3. Earth (or Soil)

Season: Late Summer

Shape: Square

Color: Beige, shades of brown, terra cotta, peach, yellow

Taste: Sweet

Energy: This is the time of harvest, collecting and beginnings of storage. Therefore

the energy is gathering, and a reversal of outward movement and the beginning of

the movement towards yin’s downward contraction.

Related Organs: Stomach, Spleen and Pancreas

• Review of Stomach functions:



o Receives and ripens ingested food and fluid

• Review of Spleen functions:

o Is the “Official of Granaries” (soil energy)

o Looks after food and stores it

o Rules transportation and transformation, i.e. qi to blood

o Controls and feeds the four limbs, like soil.

o Holds blood in the vessels

o Nourishes flesh and muscles

o Tastes the five tastes

o Manifests in the lips

In the Body: After the expanding and volatile movement of summer, the stomach,

spleen and pancreas need to be nourished, regenerated, and strengthened by sweet

vegetables—especially the round and root varieties.

Cooking: Continue summer styles and add slightly stronger cooking styles such as

oil sautés, boiling, and occasional baking. Use slightly larger and chunkier cutting,

such as long, strong strips for root vegetables, and bite size cubes for squash, etc.

Greens should be whole leaf.

Vegetables: Carrots, pumpkin, sweet corn, onion, mushrooms, green peas, beans,

zucchini, sweet potato, cauliflower, leeks and celery and all the summer vegetables,

apples, grapes and vine fruits.

Examples of Earth Element: Clay or terracotta materials, rock, crystals, bricks

4. Metal

Season: Autumn

Shapes: Round

Color: Silver and white

Taste: Pungent

Energy: Strong, continued contraction as energy is drawn more strongly from the

external parts into the center. Soft leafy forms fall and are drawn down deep into the

earth in the form of minerals and nutrients. The harvest is complete: the fruits of

the previous cycle are stored and consolidated.



Related Organs: Lung and Large Intestine

• Review of Lung functions:

o Is the “Judge” in control of jurisdiction

o Master of qi

o Administers respiration

o Moves things down, descends qi to kidney

o Moves and adjusts water canals, readjusts fluid in the body

o Rules skin and hair on body (not head), keeps pores closed

o Opens to the nose, making the throat the door to the lung

• Review of Large Intestine functions:

o Continues downward movement of more turbid parts of food and

fluid

o Absorbs water

o Forms and eliminates feces

In the Body: The blood needs to be thickened in preparation for the cold of winter;

a more sober, reflective attitude stabilizes and supports the lungs and large

intestines. Root vegetables, reflecting the now dominant descending force,

strengthen and tone the large intestine, while the smaller, hardy leafy greens and

pungent tastes like ginger help cleanse the lungs from any excess yin taken in

summer and usually expressed as mucous.

Cooking: Stewed baking, long sautés, boiling, kimpira7 and nishime8 styles. Use

thicker cuts, such as fat diagonals, roll cuts, etc. A little more salt can be used now.

Pressed salads should be pressed longer to support kidney energy in preparation for

winter. Ingredient emphasis is on root vegetables.

Vegetables: Carrot, parsnip, turnip, rutabaga (and their greens), onion, dandelion

greens, leeks, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, pumpkin, burdock, daikon, red radishes,

apples, hard pears, raisins and other dried fruits, roasted nuts and seeds.

Examples of Metal Element: Chimes, metal figurines

7 Japanese style meaning braised

8 Japanese style of cutting in large cubes and simmering over low flame for 20 minutes or

more.



5. Water

Season: Winter

Shapes: Irregular shapes

Color: Blues, black

Taste: Salty

Energy: Withdrawn, floating, inactive, contemplative, waiting, harboring or resting

to regenerate before the movement towards summer. Winter is the time of planning

and thinking, studying, etc. rather than doing.

Related Organs: Kidney and Bladder

• Review of Kidney Functions:

o Is the “Official who Rules through Cleverness”

o Stores the jing (ancestral sexual energy)

o Rules birth, development and reproduction

o Rules water / fluids in the body, i.e. water metabolism

o Nourishes bones and produces marrow

o Eliminates toxins

o Opens into ear

o Manifests in the hair on the head.

• Review of Bladder Functions:

o Receives and eliminates urine, which is produced in the kidneys

In the Body: In nature, the long winter nights condense moisture from the air. As

the water gathers it dissolves the minerals from the dead plants and fallen leaves,

concentrating them as it freezes in the cold. The concentration of minerals creates

salts, controlled in the body (in its salt/water ratio) by the kidneys. Minerals not

excreted are concentrated in the blood and condensed in the bone marrow,

ultimately nourishing the bones.

Cooking: Stewing, baking, deep-frying, long cooking, pickling, and boiling. Use

whole pieces of vegetable or large chunky cuts. Stronger and darker miso, strong

flavoring, salt, and more oils and nut butters can be used.



Vegetables: Carrots, parsnip, turnips and their greens, rutabaga, celeriac, Brussel

sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, daikon, red and white cabbage, mustard greens,

watercress, leeks, apples, dried fruits, etc.

Examples of Water Element: Fish tank, fountains, winding road, stream

Yin and Yang and the 5 Elements

The fire element is most active in summer, earth element in late summer, metal

element in autumn, water in winter, and wood in spring. The energetic movement of

the seasonal growth cycle moves around this elemental cycle. In terms of the growth

cycle, fire is seen as the height of the expansive yang cycle, moving around to metal

as the most contracted yin aspect of the cycle.

There is a well-known expression in Chinese medicine: Tonify yang in summer, and

tonify yin in winter.

This means in the yang season of summer we should eat more outward growing and

above the ground (yang) vegetables. Nature supplies us with this kind of growth and

energy: the heat of summer gives rise to plants that are more expanded (yang).

When we eat them, the watery and fleshy (yin) aspect of this expanded plant life

helps balance us and cool our bodies of summer’s heat.

By contrast, nature’s winter tendency is to contract and draw energy inward. Winter

is a yin season giving rise to yin root vegetables that develop below the ground.

Winter cooking methods further concentrate this energy and draws life force deeper

into the body.

In this way we are reminded that yin and yang move into one another in a

complementary way making balance always possible. Therefore the Five Element

Theory, or the Five Stages of Transformation, is simply a more detailed explanation

of yin and yang, with the yin contraction phase represented by earth (soil) and metal

energy, and the yang expansive phase represented by wood and fire. Water is seen

as a dormant time.

The continual sequence of the five elements naturally supports itself from stage to

stage. In ancient times this was called the Shen or Creation cycle, with the

relationship between one stage and the next called the 'parent/child' relationship.

The earth energy supports and nourishes metal energy, which ultimately supports

and nourishes water energy, etc. To use a temporal metaphor, the maturation of

wheat crisp (earth) gives rise to seed, the most contracted stage of plant life (metal),

which lies dormant but active below the earth (water), preparing for the warmth

when it can shoot upward towards the heavens (wood), until its growth moves out in

all directions and eventually flowers (fire) and gives rise to its seed (earth) which

must fall to earth to be buried (metal).



The complement to the supportive Shen cycle is the interrelationship between each

energy stage and its opposite in the cycle. For example, when the contracting energy

of metal is emphasized, its opposite—the rising energy of wood, will be inhibited.

This is known as the Ko or Destruction Cycle. In this way we can see that Earth

energy influence will be more pronounced in late summer, while at the same time,

water influenced will be reduced.

Tastes in the Five Element Theory

The associated sounds, tastes, organs, seasons, etc. of the Five Elements have acted

as an effective method to help medial diagnosis for thousands of years. In terms of

cooking, it is very useful for us to understand the interplay of flavors and how they

affect our organs, and help to restore and rebalance.

Each element corresponds to, or even 'creates' a flavor:

• Wood produces a Sour taste

• Fire produces a Bitter taste

• Earth produces a Sweet taste

• Metal produces a Pungent taste

• Water produces a Salty taste

Each element's corresponding organs are said to desire the flavor of its element. For

example a sweet taste satisfies and nourishes the stomach and spleen. The different

flavors are said to have certain powers, especially when considered in light of the

respective seasons.

Elements, Flavor and Corresponding Organ

Element Flavor Related Organ

Wood Sour Liver, Gall Bladder

Fire Bitter Heart, Small Intestine

Earth Sweet Stomach, Spleen, Pancreas

Metal Pungent Lung, Large Intestine

Water Salt Bladder, Kidney

While the sweet taste of earth energy, with its power to slow down and bring

harmony, is desired at all times, it is especially beneficial in the time of change



between seasons, particularly between summer and autumn. The flavor of salt, with

its power to soften, is desired most in winter and supports the kidney and bladder. In

autumn, pungent flavor has the power to disperse and is helpful to the lungs and

large intestine. In spring, the gathering power of the sour (astringent) flavor

supports the liver and gall bladder.

To give an example, the spring onion condiment (contained within recipe section)

can be used in both spring and autumn with differing ratios of lemon juice to miso to

create a supportive cleansing effect:

• In autumn or late summer a ratio of 1/2 lemon juice to 1 miso with a

bit of ginger creates a pungent flavor and dispersing action in the

body. This helps offload excess yin absorbed during the summer,

which helps relax the liver in the face of the strong contraction

(metal energy) of autumn.

• In spring the ratio of lemon juice to miso can be 1 to 1 (with no

ginger juice) to create a more astringent sour taste to foster a

fathering, supportive energy to the organs after the floating water

energy of winter.

Although each flavor is beneficial to its corresponding organ, by same

token too much of one taste will injure the corresponding organ, hence

the Nei Ching says, “The sour taste nourishes the liver, and again, the

sour flavor [in excess] can injure the liver." In this way the flavors and

their relationship to the organs is affected by both the Shen and Ko

cycles.

Food Energetics

Principles of Food Categorization

In the Eastern tradition foods are classified and used according to their nature and

properties. All foods are first categorized into general yin and yang tendencies.

Yin Yang Tendencies of Food


Nutrients Rich in sodium Rich in potassium

Tendency Cool the body, Loosen muscles, Reduce tension, Slow down movement, prolong sleeping time, Cause excretion to be loose and have less color

Warm the body, Tighten muscles, Cause tension, Speed up movement, Lessen sleeping time, Cause excretion to be harder & darker




Effects Promotes loss of body heat and fluid secretion, Makes body colder, softer, docile, slower & require more sleeping time

Generates body heat, Stimulates circulation, Makes body warm, harder, short tempered, faster & require less sleeping time.

Excess can

result in

Fatigue, Anemic condition, Paleness, Appetite loss, Slow speech, Chills, Puffiness, Phlegm, Fullness

Fever, Reddish face, Rapid speech, Constipation, Sweating. Thirst, Nervousness, Tension, Pain

Overuse can

cause

Fear, Suspicion, Sentimentality, Worry, Resentment

Hostility, Aggressiveness, Noisiness, Ruthlessness

Do not use

for Cold, damp and depleted conditions

Hot, dry congested problems

Yin and yang categorization of food is general; therefore food classification includes

terms describing the nature of food including temperature, direction, rhythm, taste,

moisture, and individual tendencies. Within these categories a food may consist of

both yin and yang characteristics. Terms used for food classification are as follows:

Temperature

This category describes the sensation derived from foods. For example, chili is hot,

ginger is warming, and ice cream is cold. The five temperatures are:

• Cold

• Cooling: Cooling foods reduce temperature and help to cure hot

diseases. Most of the cooling cooking foods are characterized by

qualities such as wateriness, e.g. cucumber and watermelon; or

growth in proximity to water, e.g. watercress. With overuse and long

term use these low kilojoule foods can lead to pallor and weakness.

All green colored foods are either cooling or neutral, except for

chilies, chrysanthemum leaves, and Chinese chives.

• Neutral: Neutral foods are those foods that produce neither heating

nor cooling effects. They include such foods as rice and other

starchy staples. However, their balance may be affected by cooking

methods. For example, using ginger and oil to cook rice will warm it

up.

• Warming

• Hot: The most heating foods are universally acknowledged to be

those which can cause indigestion either by an irritant, carminative,

burning action like ginger, spices, and chili, or by an adverse



reaction to the normal digestive capacity like excess fats. Alcohol

(except beer) is also universally acknowledged as hot presumably

because of the obvious heating sensation as the shallow blood

vessels are dilated. In addition hangover symptoms are seen as hot

symptoms. The next heating category, considered to be not as

intensely heating as the above group, includes high protein and high

fat foods such as meat. Other heating and drying foods are

recognized by the scratchy or irritating effect on the throat, such as

coffee, curry, and foods that are yang and orange or red in color.

Keep in mind that these terms refer not to the temperature of the food itself but to

the ability of the food to heat or cool the body, either literally in the case of fevers

and chills or metaphorically. Some foods are neutral (p’ing or chung), or balanced.

Foods are also poisonous (du) and non-poisonous. In parts of Asia, windy and itchy

or tonic and non-tonic categories also exist.

Results from an Excess of Warming or Cooling Foods

Hot

(Excess of warming foods)

Cold

(Excess of cooling foods)

Symptom Dry throat Chills

Flushed skin Moist coughs

Dry lips Lassitude

Insomnia Upset stomach

Upset stomach Wasting pallor

Sweating Diarrhea

Red spots on skin Delayed illness recovery

Fissures at lip corners

Inflammations

Constipation

Direction

This category describes the direction of energy movement in body. Terms used to

define direction are:

• Descending

• Ascending

• Inward, e.g. ginger



• Outward expanding energy, e.g. sugar

Rhythm

This category describes the nature of the food. Terms used to define rhythm are:

• Fast

• Slow

• Regular

• Irregular

For example, chickens are irregular; cows are regular. Spices are fast and irregular,

eggs are slow, regular. Alcohol is slow and irregular.

Taste, or Five Flavors

This category describes a food taste and its effects. Terms used to define taste are:

• Hot or pungent: Stimulating action that accelerates and raises qi

• Bitter: Eliminative action that discharges qi downward

• Sour: Astringent action that concentrates qi downward

• Sweet: Nourishing action and harmonizing that slows qi down

• Salty: Softening action that dissolves congealed qi

Moisture

This category describes the moisture content of food, or the body’s moisture reaction

to the food. Terms used to define moisture are:

• Damp

• Dry

If food produces moisture it is damp. For example, milk produces mucus, therefore it

is damp. By contrast, baked breads are dehydrating, therefore it are described as

drying.

Individual Tendencies

This category describes individual tendencies of the action of foods:

• Fluid producers, e.g. coconut

• Phlegm clearers, e.g. lemon



• Blood stagnation clearers, e.g. scallions

• Toxin clearers, e.g. miso

Food classification examples using the above terminology include:

• Lemon = cold, drying

• Rabbit = warm, drying, fast, irregular

• Soymilk = damp, cold, slow, irregular, effects upper body (mucus)

• Lentils = drying, warming, descending, contracting

• Tempeh = warming, damp, slow, regular

• Pumpkin = damp, warming

• Oats = warming, damp, descending, slow, regular

• Pasta = warming, damp

• Garlic = warming, drying, expansive

• Wakame seaweed = cold, damp

• Arame seaweed = cold, drying

Foods That Can Create Damp Heat in the Body

Baked flour products Dried, skim or full cream milk

Grilled or barbequed meats Hard cheeses

Mandarins Orange juice

Peanuts Pineapples

Pork Sweet glutinous rice

Tangerines White or brown sugar



Symptoms of Too Much Heat in the Blood9

Boils Conjunctivitis

Cystitis Eczema

Gall bladder inflammation High blood pressure

Migraine Pimples

Psoriasis Spots

Stomach ulcers Ulcerative colitis

The Doctrine of Signatures

The Doctrine of Signatures is a medical principle that has its origins in both the east

and west. It has been used in Chinese Medicine for centuries. Its basic tenet is that

disorders of the internal organs can be treated by consuming animals, minerals or

plants of a ‘like’ nature. In other words, medicines can be prepared from raw

materials that resemble the internal organs in function, shape, texture, size, or a

combination of these features.

The Doctrine of Signatures is not difficult to follow. For example, organs such as the

liver, kidney, heart, intestines, brains, etc. are nourishing to the blood. Traditionally

they are often consumed for this purpose.

Consider the following examples:

• Leafy greens are the lungs of the vegetable world, making them very

good for your lungs.

• Cauliflower looks like the brain; therefore it is good for the brain.

The same is true of walnuts (kidney yang).

• Black foods relate to the water element, hence they are good for

bladder, kidneys and sex organs.

• Root vegetables are the intestines of the plant world and are

directed downward; therefore when you eat them they strengthen

your own intestines and also create a more ‘grounded’ energy.

• White fungus is similar to the lungs and returns yin (moisture).

• Gelatinous foods are concentrated qi accumulation, hence very good

for jing10 imbalances.

9 More information relating to the above charts are covered in the study guide on Oriental

Diagnosis.



• Saliva and semen are concentrated jing.

• Sea cucumber, beef tendon, sharks fin, bear paw, jelly fish, fish

lips/eyes, chicken and duck feet, and ox tail become gelatinous when

cooked. The blood coagulates in cooking and is related to jing and

qi.

• Kidney beans are good for the kidneys.

• Almonds look like the shape of the eyes and ovaries.

• Buckwheat noodles look like our intestines, therefore are very

strengthening to the lower areas of the body and produce more

physical energy.

• Rabbit has a fast active energy, so when you eat rabbit you are

putting more jump in your life!

The Doctrine of Signatures is the basis of all traditional and indigenous medicine’s

approach to medicinal foods.

The Heteropathic Approach to Food Balancing

Before discussing heteropathy, it is necessary to further our understanding of the yin

and yang categorization of food.

All foods have an excess of either yin or yang factors, none is neutral. In terms of

our mentality, over consumption of yin foods tend to cause yin emotions and

thinking such as fear, suspicion, sentimentality, worry and resentment. Over

consumption of yang foods cause yang emotions and thinking such as hostility,

aggressiveness, noisiness and ruthlessness. These symptoms do not appear

immediately or necessarily all together, but if you continue to eat either too much yin

or too much yang food over an extended period you will begin to see signs of an

unbalanced condition. Continuous eating of such foods over a period of time results

in a constitution defined by an unbalanced yin or yang condition.

In addition, if one eats a lot of contracting foods, such as salt, meat, cheese and

eggs, one will crave expanding foods such as sugar, caffeine, tropical fruits, and

even alcohol in order to make balance with the prevailing imbalance within the body.

Meat and sugar do result in a kind of balance, but both bring with them a host of

unwanted side effects including pronounced swings of mental and emotional states.

10 Jing, best translated as “essence,” is the substance that underlies all organic life. The

coursework on Oriental Diagnosis discusses jing in further detail.



Generalized Behavioral Impact of Yin and Yang in Diet

Excess Yang Tendency Balanced Excess Yin Tendency

Spaced out, dreamy Clear headed Impatient, frustrated

Disorganized Concentrated Obsessively tidy

Confused, forgetful Flexible Stubborn, resentful

No concentration Contented, happy Over concentration, tight

Over worked Able to work, play Inactive, lazy

Angry, irritable Even-tempered Over relaxed, docile, sleepy

Signs of yin/yang imbalance due to foods are not usually experienced immediately.

However, strong yin or yang foods can and often will show their effect quite quickly.

If you follow the longevity diet for a while your blood becomes much cleaner, and

relatively small deviations from yin and yang balance may then spark symptoms as a

result of your body becoming more sensitive to balance. However, if the kidneys,

liver, or nervous system are not yet strong enough to handle the offending foods,

various symptoms may also appear. Such experiences are usually not serious if you

are healthy, unless you continue eating extreme foods for more than a week or so.

Defining Heteropathy

Webster’s dictionary defines heteropathy as “that mode of treating diseases by which

a morbid condition is removed by inducting an opposite morbid condition to supplant

it.” Therefore the heteropathic approach to food uses food to cancel out existing

imbalances in the body and supplies opposite energy to harmonize the disorder.

The number one dietetic maxim is to tonify yin in winter and yang in summer. With

these methods it is usually important to heed the following rule: Clear obstruction

before tonification. For example, phlegm, wind cold, wind heat, damp, qi constraint

and blood stagnation are all obstructions to the free flow of energy within the body.

Examples of using heteropathy in food balancing include:

• For damp symptoms (congestion, sticky mucus etc.) use drying

foods such as adzuki beans, coriander, and rosemary.

• For internal damp use warming foods such as pumpkin, ginseng, and

endive.

• For dry problems use moisturizing foods. For example, for dry lung

symptoms use foods that stimulate lung chi, such as olive,

asparagus, agar agar, mustard, almonds, lemon juice, and pear.



• For cold problems use warming foods such as chive, garlic,

coriander, fennel, ginger. For serious cold conditions, use warming

or hot foods such as chestnut, lotus seed, chicken, kidney beans,

and abalone.

• For heat symptoms and fever, clear heat by eating foods that induce

sweating such as mung bean soup, then eat foods that lower body

temperatures, such as apple, cucumber, coconut, watermelon, nori

seaweed, tomato, and salty tasting foods such as pickles.

• For deficiency problems use tonifying foods

o For blood deficiency use foods that build blood and yin, such as

barley, kidney beans, fish, caraway seeds, chestnuts, chicken,

corn, dates, eel, gluten, congee, millet (the grain related to earth

element, which is related to spleen and stomach in the 5

element theory), mango, shitake mushrooms, beef, and sweet

potato. Note: cold foods should be avoided in blood deficient

conditions, as it will deplete spleen energy.

o For chi deficiency use foods that tonify chi and yang, such as

rice bran, mint, capers, cardamom, cherry, red chili, chive,

coriander, ginger, onion, muscles, rosemary, trout, vinegar, and

cooking with red wine.

• For excess problems use purging foods

• Summer is hot, therefore more yang. During this time it is

appropriate to choose foods that help cool the body. Likewise, winter

is cold and damp, therefore more yin. During this time it is

appropriate to choose foods that help warm the body. Following the

heteropathic approach, it stands to reason that if you have a yin

condition, eating an excess of yin foods will make it worse. Likewise,

if you have a yang condition, eating an excess of yang foods will

worsen the condition. Britain has a cold and damp climate; therefore

it is generally good for people living there to choose warm drying

foods such as sourdough bread. By contrast, India has a hot and

drying climate. A person there should generally choose cooling and

moisturizing foods such as yogurt and lime juice.

Applying the Heteropathic Approach

The idea of using heteropathic approach to food according to yin and yang and the

principles of food categorization may seem strange, especially to Westerners just

beginning to learn about longevity cooking methods. Many are confused and

reluctant to start food balancing unless they have a friend that can show them how

to select foods and cook them to balance yin and yang in their meals. The theory of



food balancing can be explained, but no matter how much you study the theory of

yin and yang food balancing you will never really learn until you actually experience

what this balance means in your food and in your life. The following info will help

you get started…

To achieve yin/yang balance in a meal is an ongoing practice. The easiest way to

balance eating is to eat 20% to 40% whole grains at each meal, for the potassium to

sodium ratio of food largely determines its yin/yang quality. The potassium to sodium

ratio in whole grain is close to that found in human blood. When you eat whole

grain, your blood maintains a good mineral balance. This is important for the proper

functioning of the nervous system.

Start simply by always including a grain, vegetables (sea and land), a pickle, and a

bean in the evening. Organic meat can be substituted for the bean as a protein

source up to three times a week, if needed. Miso soup eaten daily is a great cleanser

and is beneficial to the intestines. A dessert every other night, if desired, helps relax

the body. Salads help cool the body in summer, while hearty bean and vegetable

stews warm the body in winter. Each person's level of balance is unique, based on a

personal response to such things as taste, season, lifestyle and mood.

Another approach in achieving yin-yang balance is to examine the effect of one

vegetable on the body. A carrot matchstick cut, grated, or raw, is more yin, and

therefore more cooling. A chunky, or whole carrot, well cooked, is more yang,

therefore more warming.

A traditional Western dinner consisting of meat, vegetable, potatoes and wine is a

balanced meal in that the potatoes combined with the wine’s alcohol and sugar

intake balance the meat. The problem is that this is a balance of extremes. The side

effects of eating extreme foods can be seen in pronounced swings of mental and

emotional states, and the long-term effect is eventual deterioration of health. A more

moderate and natural diet centered on grains rather than meat can help change this.

Understanding the way to balance various foods with each other as well as in

response to climate, geography, emotional and lifestyle changes is a lifetime

endeavor. Having a basic understanding of yin and yang qualities is essential to

preparing meals based on the longevity diet.

Seasonal Considerations

Although humans tend to experience life as a separate, individual entity, we are

nevertheless closely connected to the world as a whole. We experience these

connections through the yin and yang manifestations of weather patterns, seasons,

lunar, solar, and planetary cycles, etc.

As stated earlier, the forces of yin and yang act can be graphically expressed as

complementary opposites, and as spirals. All phenomena are subject to these two

dimensions of yin/yang manifestations. Our experience of them differs according to



their dynamic yin/yang relationship. For example, a very tall person has a stronger

yang force, indicating that heaven’s force is stronger and earth's force is weaker. In

summer the yang force is stronger atmospherically, causing greater heat and activity,

while in winter the yin force is stronger, resulting in longer periods of darkness, lower

temperatures, and a greater desire to stay indoors and be retreat into the quiet of

the season.

Plants growing in response to the season store the opposite quality within, and

thereby perfectly balance us when we eat them. Winter’s yin cold is supports

ingestion of yang foods, and the yang heat of summer produces the growth

explosion of yin fruit. When we go against the seasons by eating yin summer fruit in

the yang winter we encourage a yin extreme, and therefore a lack of balance. This

can cause the body to feel cold and damp, resulting in confusion and disorientation

to invade an otherwise quiet mental state. If the unbalance is extreme, sickness can

ensue. But if we eat foods that grow around us in autumn and can be stored through

the winter, such as corn, squash, carrots, parsnips, beets, rutabaga, kale, etc., we

will receive the warm, centering energy that sustains us and balances the yin quality

of winter.

We are fortunate in most countries to have a variety of root, round and leafy

vegetables available to us throughout the year. It is important to inform yourself as

to what is naturally ripening around you and when it is harvested, because these

days fresh foods are shipped long distances, so that many fruit and vegetables are

available even if they are out of season locally. Usually the price indicates if the food

is in or out of season.

Home Study and Review

1. Examine your daily activities. List them and describe them in terms of yin/yang

energetics.

2. Analyze your current diet. Classify it according to yin or yang, using the food

energetics terms you learned in this section. For example, if you crave

• Coffee, this indicates yang, warm, and rapid rhythm.

• Meat, this indicates slow, heavy, tonifying, and builds blood

• Grain, this indicates neutral temperature, vertical direction, and

balance

3. List the types of vegetables you like in terms of yin and yang.0.



NOTES


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