In Traditional Chinese Medicine an even more extensive chart is used to apply a very precise diagnosis and to determine the appropriate treatment tools or practices but when it comes to nutrition, the “tastes”, “seasons” and “environment” correlations, have the strongest relationship. Before discussing how food fits into the theory, it is important to understand how the elements relate to one another through the Sheng cycle (nourishing), the Ke cycle (controlling), the Cheng cycle (overwhelming), and the Wu cycle (insulting). Five Elements or the Five Dynamic Phases of Energy (Wu Xing) Maybe the Daoist theory of the Five Elements can be seen as a further, more refined step to understand and categorize or analyze the Yin-Yang philosophy. The Theory of the Five Elements describes the interaction and relation between Yin and Yang, between phenomena. Daoism theories use symbols to describe phenomena of reality, hence each of the Five Elements represent an aspect of a dynamic process, processes phases of change. In this sense, Wood is not only the actual wood of a tree as defined by the substance, but describes the character, the dynamic state, the elemental force of the element. Wood – rising, development (of an action), impulse, expansion, decampment Fire – embodiment, definition, action, dynamic phase, design Earth – alteration, transformation, transmutation, change, convert Metal – sinking, contraction, declining Water – contemplation, calmness, (re-) consideration, observation, reflection The basic substances of the material world according to the ‘Theory of the Five Elements’ are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. All material things are made of a single or a combination of the Five...
