Eating the five elements: Black rice and veggies of many colors
There is a touch of fall in the air, just enough to make me slightly anxious.
I sense the return to reality—school runs, homework, and an increase in all-around chaos brewing round the bend. I turn to food and cooking to keep myself grounded, as the subject matter is not only my passion but also the cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the foundation of good health.
The dietary principles behind Five Element theory, one of the major schools of thought within TCM, resonate with me today as they provide a framework and help me select the most beneficial foods at this slightly stressful time. Five Element Theory, is used to interpret the relationship between the physiology and pathology of the human body and the natural environment. The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. All phenomena can be categorized according to five element correspondences.
Each element has a corresponding organ (liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidney, respectively) and color (green, red, yellow/orange, white, and black). A healthy state is attained when all these elements (organs and colors) are in balance—neither taxing nor draining another. I love that we can find this perfect representation of a balanced universe at farmers' markets everywhere right now in the form of local seasonal, nutrient-dense vegetables. And so this image is what I channel as I set up my systems for fall and attempt to keep life and relationships as harmonious and even-keeled as a simple salad.
True Five Element diets are far more complex than this and take into consideration the energetic nature (taste, temperature, and function) of each ingredient and an individual’s unique constitution. I will explore the nitty-gritty in future posts. However, barring any serious health concerns, this colorful selection of vegetables and black rice (standing in for black beans as the rice’s sweet flavor targets the spleen) offers a good introduction to Five Element theory, to say nothing of what a quick trip to a local farm stand can do for one’s general state of mind.
Frances Boswell is a licensed acupuncturist at her practice, Qi Sera Sera Acupuncture, in New York City. She focuses on a lesser-known branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which identifies poor diet as a common cause of disease. Traditional Chinese Medicine understands that the importance of food goes beyond ingredients' vitamins, mineral, nutrient, and caloric content—food has its own energetic and spiritual role in our health. Frances' aim is to teach this ancient wisdom, apply it to everyday cooking, and work with patients to modify their diets, in addition to acupuncture, to help them live, eat, and be well. Contact Frances here.
