Part 6, Exploring Food as Medicine: A list of flavours, energy, and actions in accordance with Chinese Medicine Diet Therapy.
- RJ Singer Chinese Herbs
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
To read past articles in this series, click on the links below:
Part 6 – A list of 150 common foods with flavours, energy, and actions
Often people are confused how to use food as medicine because they are uncertain about what flavours, energies and actions different foods have. A quick google search may make people even more confused. The reason is because most foods have more than one flavour. For ease in understanding, we will try to use only the most dominant flavours.
Abalone: sweet and salty, slightly cooling, moves downward.
Aduki Bean: sweet and sour, slightly cooling, moves inward and downward.
Agar: sweet, cold, slightly cooling, moves upward and outward.
Alcohol: bitter, sweet, pungent, very warm, moves outward and upward.
Alfalfa Sprouts: sweet and bitter, cool, drying and moves outward and downward.
Almond: sweet, neutral, moves outward and downward. (all nuts are moistening, do to oil)
Anise: pungent and sweet, warm, moves outward and downward.
Apple: sweet, cool, moves downward.
Apricot: sour, sweet, slightly cooling, moistens and moves downward.
Asparagus: bitter, sweet, cold, moistens and moves downward.
Bamboo Shoots: sweet, cold, moistens and moves downward.
Banana: sweet, cool, moistens and moves downward.
Barley: bland, slightly cold, drains damp and moves upward.
Basil: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Beef: sweet and sour, neutral, enters inward, and slightly obstructive.
Beet: sweet, cooling, moves inward and downward.
Black Pepper: pungent, hot, moves outward and upward.
Bok Choy: sweet, slightly cold, moves downward and inward.
Broccoli: slightly bitter, cool, moves upward.
Buckwheat: sweet, cool, moves downward.
Burdock root: pungent, bitter, cold, moves outward and upward.
Cabbage: sweet, cool, moves downward.
Cantaloupe (honeydew, rockmelon, etc): sweet, cool, moves downward.
Carmabola (Star Fruit): Sweet, neutral, moves downward.
Caraway Seed: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Cardomon: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Carrot: sweet, pungent, neutral, moves downward and outward.
Catfish: sweet, neutral, moves downward.
Cauliflower: sweet, slightly warm, moves downward.
Cayenne Pepper: pungent, hot, moves outward.
Celery: sweet, slightly bitter, cool, moves downward and slightly drying.
Cherry: sweet, pungent, warm, moves outward, and downward.
Chestnut: sweet, slightly bitter and sour, warm, moves downward, outward, slightly drying.
Chicken: sweet, warm, enters inward, and slightly obstructive.
Chicken egg: sweet, neutral, moistening and slightly obstructive.
Chive: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Cinnamon: pungent, sweet, hot, moves outward and slightly downward.
Clam: salty, sweet, cold, moves downward.
Clove: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Cocoa: bitter, neutral, dries and moves upward.
Coconut: sweet, warm, moistens, and moves downward.
Coffee: bitter, pungent, warm, drying, and moves upward and outward.
Coriander: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Corn: sweet, neutral, slightly moistening, moves slightly downward.
Crab: Salty, Cold, moves downward.
Crayfish (and Lobster): sweet, salty, warm, moves downward.
Dill: pungent, warm, moved outward, and slightly downward.
Duck: sweet, and warm, moistening, and obstructive.
Eel: sweet, warm, moves slightly downward and obstructive.
Eggplant: sweet, cool, moves downward.
Fava Bean: bland, neutral, slightly drying and moves inward.
Fennel: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Fig: sweet, neutral, moves downward.
Frog: sweet, cool, slightly drying, and moves downward.
Gardenia Flower: pungent, slightly bitter, cool, moves outward, and upward.
Garlic: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Ginger (dry) pungent, hot, moves outward.
Ginger (Fresh) pungent, slightly warm, moves outward.
Goji Berries: sweet, neutral, moves downward.
Goose: sweet, warm, moistening, and slightly obstructive.
Grape: sour, sweet, neutral, astringing, moves inward.
Grapefruit: sour, sweet, cold, moves downward.
Grapefruit peel: pungent, bitter, sweet, warm, drying and moves outward and downward.
Green Bean (String Bean): bitter, neutral, drying and moves upward.
Guava: Sour, sweet, warm, astringent, moves inward.
Hazelnut: Sweet, pungent, neutral, oily, moves outward and downward.
Honey: sweet, neutral, glossy, moves slightly downward.
Jasmine: pungent, slightly warm, dries and moves outward.
Job’s Tears Barley: bland, slightly cold, draining, moves slightly upward.
Kangaroo: sweet, warm, slightly obstructive, moves downward.
Kelp: salty, cold, softens hardness and moves downward.
Kiwi fruit: sour, sweet, cool, moves inward and downward.
Kumquat: pungent, sour, warm, astringing, moves inward.
Lamb (and Goat): sweet, warm, obstructive and moves downward.
Lemon: sour, warm, astringent, moves inward.
Lettuce: bitter, sweet, cool, drying, and moves downward.
Litchi: sweet, slightly sour, warm, moistens, and moves inward.
Longan: sweet, warm, moistening, slightly obstructive.
Loquat: sweet, sour, cool, moistening and moves downward.
Lotus root: sweet, cold, very cooling.
Lotus seed: sweet, bitter, neutral, astringent.
Malt syrup: sweet, warm, moistening, slightly obstructive.
Mango: sweet, sour cool, moves downward.
Marjoram: pungent, cool, moves outward.
Milk (human): sweet, salty, neutral, moistening, slightly obstructive, moves downward.
Milk (Cow): sweet, neutral, moistening, obstructive, moves downward.
Milk (Goat): sweet, warm, moistening, slightly obstructive moves downward.
Millet: bland, cool, slightly moves upward, and inward.
Molasses: sweet, warm, moistening, obstructive.
Mulberry: sweet, or sour, cool, moistens or astringes, moves inward.
Mung Bean: sweet, cool, clears heat, draining, moves downward.
Mushroom (button): bitter, cool, drying, clears heat, moves outward.
Mussel: salty, warm, moistening, moves downward.
Mustard green: pungent, warm, moves outward and upward.
Nutmeg: pungent, warm, drying, moves outward.
Oats: bland, slightly sweet, neutral, moves inward and slightly moistens.
Olive: sour, sweet, neutral, astringent and moistens, moves inward.
Onion: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Orange: sweet, sour, cool, astringes, and moistens, moves inward.
Orange peel: sour, bitter, pungent, warm, drying, moves outward.
Oyster: salty, sweet, neutral, slightly obstructive, moves inward and downward.
Oyster mushroom: sweet, slightly warm, drying, moves downward.
Papaya: sweet, cold, moves slightly downward.
Pea: sweet, neutral, moistening, moves downward.
Peach: sour, sweet, warm, moistening, moves inward.
Peanut: sweet, neutral, moistening, slightly moves upward.
Pear: sweet, slightly sour, cool, moistening, moves downward, and inward.
Peppermint: pungent, cool, clears heat, moves outward.
Persimmon: sweet, cold, moistening, slightly astringing, moves downward.
Pineapple: sweet, neutral, slightly astringing, moves inward and downward.
Pine nut: sweet, warm, moistening, moves downward.
Plum: bitter, sour, cool, clears heat, astringes, moves upward.
Pomegranate: sweet, sour, cool, astringing and moistening, clears heat, moves inward and downward.
Pomelo: sour, sweet, cool, astringing, moves inward and downward.
Pork: sweet, salty, neutral, slightly obstructive, slightly moistening, moves downward.
Potato: sweet, neutral, slightly cold, moistening, moves downward.
Pumpkin (winter squash): sweet, warm, moves slightly downward.
Pumpkin seed: sweet, warm, moistening, moves downward.
Purslane: sour, cold, clears heat/toxins, moves inward.
Radish: pungent, sweet, cool, drying, moves outward.
Raspberry: sour, warm, astringing, moves inward.
Red Date (jujube): sweet, neutral, moistening, moves slightly inward and downward.
Rice (non-glutinous): bland, neutral, drying, and slightly moves upward.
Rice (glutinous): sweet, warm, drying, and moves upward.
Rose: pungent, sweet, slightly warm, drying, moves outward, and slightly downward.
Rosemary: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Russian olive: sour and sweet, neutral, astringing and moistening, moves inward, and slightly downward.
Saffron: sweet, warm, moves outward.
Salt: salty, cold, moves downward.
Scallion: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Sesame (black or yellow): sweet, neutral, moistening, moves downward.
Shark: sweet, salty, neutral, moves downward.
Shepherd’s purse: sweet, sour, neutral, astringing, moves downward.
Shiitake mushroom: bitter, sweet, neutral, drying, moves slightly inward and downward.
Shrimp: sweet, warm, moves inward, and downward.
Sichuan Pepper: pungent, hot, moves outward.
Sorghum: bland, sweet, warm, dries, moves slightly inward and downward.
Soybean (black): pungent, sweet, neutral, drying, moves outward.
Soybean (yellow) sweet, neutral, moistening, and moves downward.
Soy sauce: salty, cold, clears heat, moves downward.
Spearmint: pungent, warm, moves outward.
Spinach: sweet, cool, glossy, moves downward.
Squash (summer, cucumber, zucchini): sweet, cold, clears heat, and moves downward.
Strawberry: sour, sweet, cool, astringing, and moistening, moves inward and downward.
Sugar (brown): sweet, warm, moistening, moves downward.
Sugar (white): sweet, neutral, moistening, moves downward.
Sunflower seed: sweet, neutral, moistening, moves downward.
Sweet Potato: sweet, neutral, moves inward and downward.
Tea (green): bitter, sweet, cool, drying, moves downward.
Tea (black): bitter, sweet, warm, drying, moves downward.
Tofu: sweet, cold, moistening, moves downward.
Tomato: sour, sweet, slightly cold, clears heat, moistening, moves inward and downward.
Turmeric: pungent, bitter, warm, moves outward.
Turnip: pungent, bitter, cool, drying, clears heat, moves outward and upward.
Venison: sweet, warm, slightly obstructive, moves downward.
Vinegar: Sour, bitter, warm, astringing, drying, moves inward.
Walnut: sweet, warm, moistening, moves downward.
Water Chestnut: bland, sweet, cool, clears heat, drains damp, but moistens tissue, moves downward.
Watercress: pungent, bitter, cool, clears heat, and moistens, moves upward.
Watermelon: sweet, cold, clears heat, moves slightly inward and downward.
Watermelon Seed: sweet, cold, moistening, moves downward.
Wheat: sweet, cool, slightly obstructive.
White fungus: sweet, neutral, glossy, moistening, moves inward and downward.
Yogurt: sweet, sour, warm, moistening, moves inward and downward.
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Alchemy Wellness Centre is located in Byron Bay, NSW Australia
RJ Singer is a registered Chinese Herbal Medicine Doctor and Acupuncturist with AHPRA and AACMA. RJ’s area of special interest is in the treatment of stubborn and difficult chronic disease, and all types of painful conditions.
Katrina Hillis specialises in Neuro-Energetic Kinesiology. She assists her clients in personal transformation by balancing the stress held in the physical, emotional, biochemical and energetic structures and functions of the body.
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