Blog by Melissa and David Sokulski, L.Acs.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Balance Emotions End Cravings With Five Tastes

In Chinese medicine, there are five elements - fire, earth, metal, water, wood - which correspond to organ systems, emotions, tastes, color, seasons, and many more attributes.

Often, when we experience cravings, it is because we are not eating a balance of all 5 tastes. In our culture, we tend to stick with sweet, salty and sour, ignoring bitter and pungent/spicy almost completely. (Incidentally, the amount of wild greens that fell into the sour category was huge!)

Check out the chart below and see if you can add more balance to your menu. You will feel more satisfied and widen your range of nutrients. The balance and health of your emotions, organs and whole body is effected by the foods we eat.

Taste Element Emotion Organs Food Wild food
Bitter Fire Joy, lack of joy Heart/small intestine Lettuce, endive, kale, green tea Dandelion, chicory, broad dock greens
Sweet Earth Compassion, worry Spleen/stomach Grains, spinach, squash, fruit Lambs quarters leaves and seeds, nettles, chickweed
Pungent/spicy Metal Sorrow, letting go Lungs/Lg. Intestine Onion, garlic, arugula Garlic mustard, onion grass, ramps
Salty Water Fear, wisdom, will power Kidney/Bladder Sea salt, seaweed, soy/tofu, swiss chard Wild orach, plantain leaves, seaweed
Sour Wood Anger, creativity, growth Liver/gall bladder Fermented foods, cheese, collard greens Yellow dock leaves, Japanese knotweed shoots, staghorn sumac, sheep sorrel, wood sorrel


Love to all,
~ Melissa and Dave


Read these articles by Melissa Sokulski, L.Ac. in Natural News for more information: