Five Element Theory

The Five Element Theory was introduced by ancient Chinese philosophers known as Taoists. Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each element corresponds with a food group. Ancient doctors studied nature to create the five element chart and determine universal principles that help predict and understand health. The chart helps determine how a person’s mind and body interact with one another and the environment.

The primary goal of this theory is to reach harmony with the earth and universe by finding balance with nature and the elements. Each element corresponds to different organs within the body, and all elements work in tandem to balance one another. Organs embody the energetic qualities of their corresponding element. For example, the heart represents fire and is a hot spot for strong emotions.

Each of the five elements are also associated with different times of the year: Fire with summer, earth with late summer, metal with fall, water with winter, and wood with spring. By eating in accordance with the elements, you can promote balance and harmony, physically and mentally.

Wood represents sour tastes and is connected to the liver and gallbladder, fire is linked to bitter tastes and is connected to the heart and small intestine, earth corresponds with sweet tastes, the spleen, and the stomach; metal goes with pungent tastes, the lungs, and large intestine; while water represents salty tastes, the bladder, and the kidneys.

This theory believes that when the tastes (and therefore organs and elements) are in balance, optimal health is achieved.

Foods to include:

  • Vegetables

  • Fruits

  • Whole grains

  • Beans

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Healthy oils

Foods to avoid:

  • Meat

  • Poultry

  • Fish

  • Eggs

  • Dairy

  • Refined grains

  • Sugar

  • Trans fats

  • Processed food

  • Fried food

  • Alcohol

Pros:

  • Uses nature as a model

  • Can be a lifestyle rather than a diet

  • May improve heart health

  • Considers primary food

Cons:

  • The chart is complex and may be difficult to understand

  • Very restrictive

  • Some thrive on animal protein


Sources:

What is Five Element Theory?  (Links to an external site.)
Five Element Theory Diet  (Links to an external site.)
TCM Nutrition – Five Element Theory  (Links to an external site.)

Flavor Point Diet

In his book, The Flavor Point Diet, David L. Katz, MD, MPH, argues that in today’s world we are bombarded by too many flavors at once. Backed by scientific research, Dr. Katz claims that food flavors are broken down into three categories: savory, salty, and sweet. He says your brain and stomach reach a “flavor point” when you are satisfied, and when a variety of flavors are eaten together, the appetite center of your brain is over-stimulated and overeating occurs.

The diet is based on the idea that there is a tendency to eat less when flavor variety is controlled. Each day of the week is assigned a flavor theme to control and minimize flavor intake. For example, a daily flavor theme could be tomato, orange, or almond. The idea is to aim for variety over time, not variety all the time.

A day on the orange theme might include orange juice at breakfast, along with cereal, a salad with oranges at lunch, an orange-banana smoothie or yogurt with oranges and raisins for a snack, and grilled fish with orange-accented vegetables and complex carbohydrates for dinner. Dessert might be fat-free orange sorbet or a fresh orange.

By streamlining our sensory experience, Dr. Katz claims that we can control our hunger cues, avoid overeating, and lose weight while still enjoying a wide variety of foods over time.

Foods to include:

  • Vegetables

  • Fruits

  • Whole grains

  • Lean chicken

  • Lean fish

  • Eggs

  • Beans

  • Low-fat dairy

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Healthy oils

Foods to avoid:

  • Red meat

  • Processed foods

  • Refined grains

  • Sugar

  • Full-fat foods

  • Trans fats

Pros:

  • May spark quick weight loss

  • Lifestyle approach rather than diet

  • Whole, fresh foods emphasized

Cons:

  • May be inconvenient, especially for those who dine out often

  • Requires extensive meal planning and forecasting

  • Some thrive on red meat


Sources:

Dr. David L. Katz’s The Flavor Point Diet
The Flavor Point Diet www.davidkatzmd.com 
The Flavor Point Diet www.abcnews.go.com 

Flex Diet

The Flex Diet was created by cardiologist James Beckerman, MD, to get his patients healthy by incorporating lifestyle changes and great-tasting meals, resulting in increased energy and sustained weight loss. This three-part diet emphasizes small yet impactful shifts such as eating dinner at the table, exercising during commercials, and drinking six glasses of water every day. The phases of the diet honor individual choices and needs.

The diet is structured into three phases: Today, Every Day, and Your Way. The Today phase is a two-week plan that begins with small changes to diet and lifestyle. This leads to weight loss and lays the groundwork for a sustainable, healthy life. This approach boasts that small changes yield big results. This phase gives many small solutions that may be done slowly and allows you to choose which ones suit you and your lifestyle.

Some suggestions for the Today phase are taking a “before” photo, joining a support group, finding a weight-loss buddy, blogging, weighing yourself daily, sleeping at least seven hours per night, and keeping a food diary.

The Every Day portion is a three-week phase that introduces breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal options as well as exercises. It emphasizes new healthy habits to create lasting differences such as walking during breaks, bringing leftovers to work, and asking questions at restaurants to facilitate you in making the best choices for yourself.

Every day “solutions” include eating breakfast every day, eggs twice a week, avoiding bagels, abandoning vending machines, eating fish once a week, limiting takeout and delivery, substituting quinoa for white rice, adding in push-ups and chair dips, smart grocery shopping, taking walks after dinner, and wrapping up half your meal at restaurants before diving in.

The final phase, Your Way, allows you to choose what to do next. The Flex Diet is about choices, and in this section there are almost 100 different changes and solutions to choose from that may help you continue your new, healthier lifestyle. It’s recommended that you use these solutions and tools to take things to the next level.

Final implementation recommendations include eating slowly, eating less dairy, eating until you’re only 80% full, shopping at farmers’ markets, exercising in the mornings, practicing tai chi, dancing, organizing your living and working spaces, meditating, laughing every day, and nurturing romantic relationships.

Foods to include:

  • Eggs

  • Good sources of protein such as fish, tofu, and lean chicken

  • Beans

  • Good fats such as olive oil

  • Salads and vegetables as the main course

Foods to avoid:

  • Processed foods

  • Restaurant food

  • Carbohydrates, bagels, and other pastries

  • Sugary beverages

  • Fruit juice

  • Diet beverages

  • Alcohol (limit to weekends)

Pros:

  • Easy to follow

  • Slowly incorporates sustainable changes

  • Honors bio-individuality

  • Acknowledges importance of primary food

Cons:

  • Volume of recommendations may be overwhelming

  • May be hard for some to take initiative with choosing lifestyle changes

  • May be restrictive for some

Sources: 

Dr. James Beckerman’s The Flex Diet: Design Your Own Weight Loss Plan
The Flex Diet  (Links to an external site.)
The Heart Beat www.webmd.com 

Flexitarian Diet

The Flexitarian Diet, in simple terms, is a more flexible version of the vegetarian diet. “Flexible” in this case means that meat may be eaten on occasion, though the diet is primarily plant-based.

The Flexitarian Diet emphasizes fresh, natural, and seasonal foods. Staple items from the pantry and freezer are allowed in moderation. The plan boasts approximately 50 grams of protein daily, little of which comes from meat. Flexible five-week meal plans allow dieters to customize and experiment with a number of tasty, calorie-controlled options.

A typical day on the Flexitarian Diet might look like almond butter toast with apples for breakfast, a vegetarian burger on a whole grain bun with avocado and sprouts for lunch, pineapple and nuts for a snack, and a tofu vegetable brown rice stir-fry for dinner. Dessert might be a skim or soy milk hot chocolate with cinnamon. On a rare meat day, chicken can be substituted for tofu in the stir-fry.

According to The Flexitarian Diet author Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, it’s acceptable to eat very small amounts of meat and still experience the health benefits of being a vegetarian. One goal of the diet is to facilitate the transition into eating less meat and making a plant-based approach more sustainable.

In her book, Dawn lists more than 100 self-created, simple recipes. All of these recipes contain no more than five primary ingredients, appear alongside nutritional facts, and are designed to satisfy the palette and appetite. 

Foods to include:

  • Tofu

  • Eggs

  • Vegetables

  • Beans and legumes

  • Dairy

  • Fruits

  • Whole grains

  • Nuts and seeds

Foods to avoid:

  • Animal protein in excess

  • Processed foods

Pros:

  • Flexible approach

  • Emphasis on whole foods

  • Includes recipes and shopping lists

  • May promote heart health

Cons:

  • Some may require more structure in their diet

  • Unclear food allowance suggestions 

Sources:

The Flexitarian Diet www.webmd.com 
The Flexitarian Diet – The Mostly Vegetarian Way To Lose Weight, Lower Blood Pressure, Be Healthier & Add Years To Your Life – New Book  (Links to an external site.)
Dawn Jackson Blatner's Flexitarian Diet Recipes

French Women Don't Get Fat

Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, believes that French women stay slim because they know how to savor their food and derive pleasure from smaller quantities.

The basic premise of the diet is that only high-quality food should be eaten. In addition, portions should be small and every bite should be savored and enjoyed rather than guiltily rushed through. No food is off limits, but large portions should be avoided. Whole, natural foods are highly encouraged, and artificial and processed foods should be minimized and eaten only in moderation if they bring an individual true pleasure.

There is no calorie counting – just controlled eating using all of the senses. Often referred to as a “non-diet,” the French Women Don’t Get Fat plan is meant to reset the body’s dials for a lifetime of vibrant health at one’s ideal weight. Recommended portions are 3-4 ounces of meat or fish, 1 cup salad greens, 1/2 cup raw or cooked vegetables, 1 medium piece of fruit, 1 small slice of bread, 2 small pancakes or waffles, 1 cup pasta, 1/2 cup rice, a 3 ounce potato, 1 cup cereal, 1 ounce dried fruit and nuts, 1 1/2 ounces cheese, 1 cup yogurt or milk, 1/2 cup ice cream, 1 ounce chocolate, and 1 teaspoon oil, butter, or mayonnaise.

Moderation is a key component of this diet: It’s important to integrate small indulgences, never demonizing food. As a famous French slogan states, “Il est interdit d’interdire,” which means, “It is forbidden to forbid.”

Fresh, wholesome, and seasonal ingredients are highly recommended. Mireille also suggests eating a wide variety of foods with different flavors and textures in order to feel truly satisfied and never deprived. She believes most Americans would benefit if they allowed themselves to slow down, limit distractions, and relax while eating.

Timeless French recipes, along with Mireille’s Magic Leek Soup and plain natural yogurt, are staples of the French Women Don’t Get Fat approach. Mireille argues that yogurt promotes weight loss by speeding up the body’s fat-burning capacity. She specifically claims that frequent yogurt consumption trims fat around the middle of the body. Mireille’s argument is supported by a scientific reaction called thermogenesis, which occurs when the calcium in yogurt is broken down and produces heat in fat cells, burning excess adipose tissue.

Daily physical activity is encouraged, but Mireille emphasizes natural movement – mostly walking – as opposed to structured, intense workout routines. The author also recommends getting adequate sleep, but warns against overdosing on sleep. Followers of this plan are encouraged to lead full lives with an easy-going approach and engage in meditation, relaxation, art, and fashion.

Foods to include:

  • Vegetables

  • Fruits

  • Grains

  • Meat

  • Poultry

  • Fish

  • Eggs

  • Beans

  • Dairy

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Healthy oils

Foods to avoid:

  • Processed foods

  • Trans fats

  • Oversized portions

Pros:

  • Flexible, guilt-free style of eating

  • No food off-limits

  • Easy to maintain

  • Simple approach

Cons:

  • Principles based on personal experience and observation

  • Cultural factors that only work for certain people may come into play

  • May not address underlying conditions that promote unhealthy eating behaviors

  • May be difficult to eat in moderation

Sources:

Reset, Recast and Reclaim  (Links to an external site.)
French Women Don’t Get Fat – Diet Reviews – Pros/Cons www.youtube.com (Links to an external site.)