TCM: Discovering Your Strongest Elements

By Kate Leinweber • April 4th, 2012 • 6874 Views

This worksheet will help you understand where you fall within the five elements of Chinese medicine. Note down the symptoms you experience. The section where you have noted the most symptoms corresponds to the area your body could use more balance. Follow the recommendations in that section.

Wood Element

Organs: Liver and Gallbladder

Flavour: Sour

Season: Spring

Symptoms:

-          Allergies 

-          Indigestion

-          Neck/back tension

-          Fatigue

-          Slow rising in morning

-          Eye problems

-          Skin disorders

-          Muscular pain

-          Tendon problems

-          Anger 

-          Stubbornness 

-          Pain under right ribs

-          Red face/eyes 

-          Splitting headaches 

-          Insomnia 

-          Low back ache 

-          Indigestion 

-          Constipation

-          Anger/Frustration

BALANCING YOUR ELEMENTS

AVOID: Alcohol, Deep-fried foods, Cooking with canola, corn, sunflower or safflower oil, meat, dairy, sugars, nut butters.

FOCUS ON: Green Vegetables/Juices, Raw Food, Micro-Algaes, Mung Beans, Sprouts, Kelp, Radishes, Quinoa Sour and bitter foods.

Lifestyle choices that support balance: Castor oil packs on the Liver.

Emotional work: Exercising patience, forgiveness

Fire Element

Organs: Heart and Small Intestines

Flavour: Bitter

Season: Summer

Symptoms:

-          Scattered/wandering Mind

-          Confused ­­­

-          Depressed

-          Mental Illness

-          Loss of Memory

-          Poor circulation

-          Weak Spirit

-          Insomnia

BALANCING YOUR ELEMENTS

AVOID: Refined, stimulating foods like sugars, coffee, alcohol, hot spices, and large evening meals.

FOCUS ON: Whole wheat, Oats, Brown Rice; lemons, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms; ghee; dill, basil, chamomile and seaweeds.

Lifestyle choices that support balance Focus the scattered mind through speech or vocal based prayers, meditations, or chants.

Emotional work Silent contemplation on uplifting images. Noticing when you feel joy and living in those moments. Play outside daily and look to embrace your inner child!

Earth Element

Organs: Spleen, Pancreas and Stomach

Flavour: Sweet

Season: Late Summer (Indian summer) and the transition between seasons.

Symptoms:

-          Loose stool 

-          Watery stool 

-          General weakness

-          Fatigue 

-          Food sensitivities 

-          Nervous indigestion 

-          Pain in upper abdomen 

-          Worry 

-          Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) 

-          Sluggishness

BALANCING YOUR ELEMENTS

AVOID: Cold foods, Raw Foods, Fruit, Juices, Yogurt/Milk, Soy.

FOCUS ON: Brown Rice, Oats, Squashes, Root Vegetables.

Lifestyle choices that support balance: Sing in the shower, practice Agnisara and Nauli first thing in the morning to stimulate digestion.

Emotional work Create personal self care practices. Every day take a worry and turn it into an action. Write in a gratitude journal.

Metal Element

Organs: Lung and Large intestines

Flavour: Pungent

Season: Fall

Symptoms:

-          Frequent colds/flu 

-          Mucus  

-          Dryness 

-          Persistent cough

-          Sinus problems

-          Congestion

-          Yellow mucus 

-          Red face 

-          Sore throat 

-          Hot palms and soles

-          Night sweats

BALANCING YOUR ELEMENTS

AVOID: Rich, fatty and salty foods

FOCUS ON: Eating lightly, emphasizing liquids, soups, vegetables, fruits, cabbage family, lemons, homemade sauerkraut.

Lifestyle choices that support balance: Sweating therapy, hot yoga, infrared sauna.

Emotional work Deep breathing to bring emotions to the surface and allow them to...

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Location:  Toronto, CA

After working as a microbiologist in the pharmaceutical industry, nutritionist Kate Leinweber grew tired of the reactionary approach of the allopathic health field. Her study of alternative health practices focuses on health promotion and disease prevention....