All these preferences reflect naturalreactions of our body, and they are directly related to our physiological needs. However, in the frantic pace of modern life, few people think about it. Often, we dismiss what our body requires, they say, I will make up later. And no "later" will not ...
Chinese food
Individual diet According totraditional Chinese approach, food is considered not only as a set of essential nutrients, but, above all, as one of the forms of manifestation of energy. The color of food, its texture, taste and smell are analyzed. It is believed that each of these qualities carries a special type of energy, or "qi." This approach is in contrast to the now common industrial food processing methods aimed at increasing the volume of the product and shortening the cooking time. In this case, energy factors are not taken into account. As a result, people who eat such food may look quite plump, while experiencing a lack of vital energy. This is due to an imbalance between calories and energy components. Take, for example, different varieties of parsley. Parsley of one sort is small-leaved, but has a strong aroma. Another variety has much larger leaves, but the flavor is less sharp. A larger leaf variety can have a larger volume and, possibly, more calories, but the small leaf, due to its aroma, can carry more energy. A similar effect is known in homeopathic medicine. The drugs used in it are sometimes so diluted that it is almost impossible to detect the initial treating raw materials. However, drugs still remain effective, because they contain the energy and information of the original components.
Taste and the Five Elements
The earliest known mention of foodas a medicine, it is found in the oldest treatise of world medicine, the “Classics of the Internal Medicine of the Yellow Emperor” (Huang Di Ne Ching), dating from the 18th century BC. It is written in the form of a dialogue between Emperor Huang Di and Imperial Doctor Qi Wo. The emperor asks his doctor about the origin of the disease: “Everything is influenced by the four seasons and the interaction of yin and yang. Is it possible to understand the nature of this influence? ”“ Excellent question! ”- the doctor answers. Then he describes in detail the five natural properties relating to the five elements: cold, heat, dryness, humidity and wind. Each of these properties, according to him, has a specific effect on the internal organs, and each is associated with a particular smell. In general, the classification of products used in the Chinese tradition is as follows: Element Taste and smellColorInternal organsTreeOver sour green liver and gallbladderFire Bitter redheart and small intestineGreatOrganic and gall bladderFire Bitter redheart and small intestineGreatOrgid and gall bladderFire Bitter redheart and small intestineGreatOrganic and gall bladderFire Bitter redheart and small intestineGreatOrgid and gall bladderFire Bitter redheart and small intestineThere is a warming yellow liver and gallbladderFire Bitterly redheart and small intestineThere is a warming yellow gallbladder and a gallbladderFire Bitter redheart and small intestineThere is a warming yellow liver and gallbladder. Air) Spicy, spicy, white, light and large intestine Vodo salted black kidney and bladder As can be seen from the table, each of the five elements corresponds to one Of the five smells and flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, sharp and salty. A balanced diet is based on their harmonious combination. The first step to resolving the physiological and psychological imbalance is associated with optimizing the diet. To do this, we need to know how tastes interact with physiological and psychological functions. Qi Vo explains to the emperor: “If there is an excess of salt in food, the pulse becomes more rigid, the eyes are watering, and the face becomes puffy. If the food is too bitter, the skin ages, and hair falls on the body. If the food is too spicy, the muscles become knotty, and the nails on the arms and legs begin to break down. If the food is too sour, the flesh hardens and wrinkles appear. If the food is too sweet, the bones start to ache and the person quickly becomes bald. ” 
Element Interaction Diagram Shows Relationsbetween them. Elements connected by solid arrows feed and support each other. The elements connected by dotted arrows suppress each other. The interaction of tastes and organs related to them is also considered to be the case. The theory of the Five Elements also suggests that eating too salty foods increases the burden on the kidneys and may even harm them (because the salty taste is associated with the kidneys). People who have liver problems, it is better to avoid overly spicy foods, and those who have a bad heart should not eat a lot of salty. When diseases of the spleen should be avoided sour. Those with diseased lungs do not need much bitterness. Finally, people with kidney disease should not eat too much sweets. These instructions are explained by the fact that each element controls the other element associated with it and at the same time is limited to another element. Then, Qi Wo talks about the interaction of different smells and how some smells are used to balance others. For example, he says: "Sour smells are unfavorable for muscles, but spicy smells successfully counteract them." According to Qi Woo, bitter smells strengthen the heart, which, in turn, accelerates blood and stimulates the liver. Did you happen to bite your tongue while eating? This is not at all because you are too nervous or in a hurry, it’s all about excessive cardiac activity. Add some extra bitterness (for example, raw turnip or grated roasted zucchini) and you will be able to restore the normal rhythm of heart function. It is difficult to quantify the balance of taste based on this system. However, awareness of the very fact of the existence of relationships that it describes will allow you to independently, based on your own experience, study how these relationships manifest themselves in your life and the lives of people you know.
