For thousands of years we have used food and herbs as medicine and still are in some traditional cultures today. To improve your health learn how food and herbs can aid in healing and maintaining great health!
All food has at least two flavors and there are five different tastes. The five flavors are:
| SWEET | SALTY | SOUR | BITTER | PUNGENT |
SWEET food and herbs Thermal Energetic has all three thermal energetic properties cool, neutral and warm supporting the body’s systems.
Foods which are SWEET in taste support the stomach and spleen.
SWEET flavor assist the lung, large intestine, kidney and urinary bladder
Food and herbs which are SWEET in taste:
- Attunes us for all the seasons
- Energizes yet relaxes the body, nerves and brain
- Strengthens the spleen-pancreas and soothes the liver
- Moistens dry conditions of the lungs, and slows an overactive heart and mind
- Very important for those who are nervous and scattered
According to the Five Element and Traditional Chinese Medicine
| Taste | Sweet |
| Organ | Stomach and Spleen |
| Element | Earth |
| Season | Late Summer and when digestion is strongest or weakest. |
| Virtue | Reciprocity; mutual benefits, giving and receiving |
| Emotions: | Digestion in harmony (Stomach/Spleen/pancreas) enjoys life, singing, dreams is focused and grounded. Digestion imbalanced worries to much, appearance is sloppy, forgetful, weepy. |
“The Spleen belongs to Earth which pertains to the Centre, its influence manifests for 18 days at the end of each of the four seasons, and it does not pertain to any season on its own.” The Foundation of Chinese Medicine by Giovanni
Sweet is subdivided into:
- Full sweet from complex carbohydrates, protein and fat (more strengthening)
- Empty sweet from fruit and vegetables (more cleansing)
SWEET FLAVOR FOOD AND HERBS
| Almond (sweet) | Chicken (sweet) | Lettuce (sweet/bitter) | Potato (sweet) |
| Apple (sweet/sour) | Cherry (sweet/sour) | Mango (sweet/sour) | Raspberry (sweet/sour) |
| Avocado (sweet) | Corn (sweet) | Maple syrup (sweet) | Rice syrup (sweet) |
| Asparagus (sweet/bitter) | Date (sweet) | Milk (sweet) | Sesame seed (sweet) |
| Banana (sweet) | Duck (sweet/salty) | Mushroom (sweet) | Spinach (sweet) |
| Barley (sweet/salty) | Eggplant (sweet) | Olive (sweet/salty) | Squash (sweet) |
| Beans (sweet) | Eggs (sweet) | Oyster (sweet) | Strawberry (sweet/sour) |
| Beef (sweet) | Fig (sweet) | Papaya (sweet/bitter) | Sunflower seed (sweet) |
| Beet (sweet) | Grains (sweet) | Peanut (sweet) | Sweet potato (sweet) |
| Buckwheat (sweet) | Grapes (sweet) | Peas (sweet) | Swiss chard (sweet/bitter) |
| Butter (sweet) | Honey (sweet) | Pears (sweet/sour) | Tomato (sweet/sour) |
| Cabbage (sweet/pungent) | Kale (sweet-bitter) | Plum (sweet/sour) | Walnut (sweet) |
| Carrot (sweet) | Lamb ( sweet) | Pork (sweet/salty) | Water melon (sweet) |