Introduction: Different people have different personality traits, and so do the internal organs. For us to be healthy, in addition to eating foods that are good for the body, we also need to regulate the internal organs according to the "disposition" of the Five Zang Organs. Let's take a look at which foods can regulate the "disposition" of the Five Zang Organs.
The "Anger" Organ --- The Liver
People with a healthy liver have stronger patience and more normal emotions; however, once the liver becomes fatigued, a person is prone to anger. Frequent anger, in turn, damages the liver. Many women often get angry and feel depressed but cannot express their anger, so they suppress it, which leads to liver qi stagnation. The most obvious manifestation of liver qi stagnation on the face is the appearance of chloasma, with a dull, sallow, and bluish complexion. In severe cases, it can also lead to conditions like hyperplasia of the breast and uterine fibroids. Therefore, it should never be taken lightly. In addition to anger, high-fat meats, alcohol, and sweet things are also very harmful to the liver. Eating too many sour foods can affect liver function. On the other hand, green-colored foods are beneficial for the liver, such as broccoli, green peppers, and cucumbers.
Kiwi and Cucumber Juice
The "Fear" Organ --- The Kidney
If kidney function declines, a person becomes very unsettled by even minor abnormalities and is prone to excessive worry. If you are overly worried about the unknown future, it could be your frightened kidneys protesting against you. When the kidneys are weak, a person is prone to fear; the more fearful they are, the weaker the kidneys become. The result is a lack of energy every day, sore and dry eyes, a particularly sore back, feeling exhausted without doing much work, and always wanting to sleep. Furthermore, they often find it difficult to inhale deeply and let out heavy sighs when exhaling. We call this "kidney qi failing to grasp qi," which is one of the symptoms of kidney deficiency. Black-colored foods nourish the kidneys, so you can eat more black rice, black beans, black fungus, kelp, purple grapes, etc. Excessively salty foods or a high salt intake can lead to kidney dysfunction. Many patients with uremia have consumed excessive amounts of salt.
The "Sadness" Organ --- The Lung
People are accustomed to describing women as "melancholic and sentimental," believing this is an innate personality trait. In fact, personality is only one of the reasons; another possibility is that the person's lung function is imbalanced. People with poor lung function often feel sad and lonely. As long as the lung function returns to normal, this kind of melancholic and indecisive emotion will disappear. In terms of diet, white-colored foods are beneficial for the lungs. You can eat more white radish, onions, Chinese cabbage, yams, etc., and eat less spicy and strongly stimulating foods, as these enter the lungs and have a negative impact on lung function.
Blueberry and Yam Puree
The "Joy" Organ --- The Heart
The word "happy" sounds great, but if a person's heart function is poor, they can easily become emotionally agitated and overly excited over trivial matters, letting out a sharp laugh like a fish eagle's cry. Excessive joy can easily damage the heart qi. Therefore, if you are someone who often laughs loudly, you need to protect your heart and spirit more, restrain some of your excitement, and give a knowing smile like a lady! In terms of diet, red-colored foods are beneficial for the heart. Eat more foods like red peppers and carrots. At the same time, be sure to eat less bitter foods, because bitter foods enter the heart, and eating too much can affect heart health.
The "Pensiveness" Organ --- The Spleen
If the spleen function is poor, a person is prone to excessive worry and tends to extremes. Their emotions become unstable, they are prone to suspecting others, and they may often develop mental illnesses. At the same time, worry also damages the spleen. Interestingly, in many ancient Chinese medical stories about treating illnesses, when faced with patients who were overly worried, listless, and incurable, wise doctors would use the "emotion overcoming emotion" method based on the principle in the Five Elements that Wood (Liver) overcomes Earth (Spleen). They would deliberately provoke the patient's anger to break through the stagnant spleen qi with the liver qi, ultimately curing the patient without medicine. This also tells everyone that excessive emotions can harm our physical health, and we must pay attention to avoiding them. In terms of diet, yellow-colored foods are beneficial for the spleen. Yellow foods include bananas, apples, sweet potatoes, soybeans, corn, etc.; sweet foods enter the spleen, and eating too much can affect spleen function.
Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup