Try the Five-Element Diet – Ajit Patel Sanda Wellbeing

After the festive season of indulgence, January is a time of resolutions, cutting back and willpower. Most people assume eliminating fat from the diet is the best way to cut calories and lose weight but this isn’t necessarily true.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), as with most ancient medicinal systems, food is viewed as the first and best treatment for both prevention and cure of diseases and illness. But how does it work and can this prehistoric system be applied to a modern day menu?

TCM believes that all things in the world can be divided into five vibrational families or ‘energy fields’ namely – fire, earth, metal, water and wood. In the body these five elements relate to the major organs necessary for survival – heart and small intestine, stomach and spleen, large intestine and lungs, bladder and kidneys and liver and gallbladder. These five elements are also associated with different seasons: Wood with spring, fire with summer, earth with late summer, metal with autumn and water with winter.

According to TCM when the season changes different organs become vulnerable. In the current winter season the water element predominates and our kidneys and bladder need extra support. In winter our metabolism slows and energy levels are a little lower. The kidneys are the storehouse of energy in the body that fuel our body’s activities and the function of our organ systems. Cooler weather drives the energetic field inwards so it is important to keep the body warm, especially the lower back area where the kidneys are located.

We must nourish the body with warming, hearty foods and hot drinks. Add warming spices like ginger, cardamom, cloves, cumin, turmeric, garlic, fenugreek and cinnamon. Blend foods to make them easier to digest. Warm soups and stews are ideal at this time. The taste associated with kidneys is salt, though it must be used in moderation. Choose Himalayan Rock Salt to gain the benefits of other minerals as well as sodium. Miso, seaweeds and sea vegetables should also be included at this time.

Ajit Patel UK, Sanda Wellbeing and Sanda Wellness Group, Goldshield Group, WeMet