A week of practicing the 5 Flavors will bring up your awareness of how you eat and how you feel after you eat. Sometimes just learning the flavors can bring this awareness and allow us to focus on foods that make us well. Here is a plan you can follow that will train your taste buds to easily identify the flavors of food on your own.
The batch of soup you make is enough for 3 meals for 7 days; some days you will eat other meals as well, so your soup portion may vary. If its easier for you, you can portion it out at the beginning of the week into small containers, one for each day, or one for each meal.
Day 1: Add one or all of the following to your soup
- Roasted or sautéed garlic
- Thyme
- Tumeric
Three snacks of SOUR with SWEET flavors
- For all: dark berries (blueberries, blackberris, strawberries)
- If you have heat symptoms (hot flashes, skin rash, spontaneous sweating): watermelon
- If you have abdominal bloating, gas, or pain: grapefruit
Day 2: Add one or all of the following to your soup
- Italian herb mix
- Fenugreek seed
Three side serving dishes with BITTER flavors
- For all: dark leafy greens such as dandelion, kale, collards, spinach, broccoli, and watercress
Day 3: Add one or all of the following flavors to your soup
- Sour cream
- Balsamic vinegar
Three servings (1/2 cup each) of SOUR flavors
- For all: unsweetened yogurt with chopped pistachios (sweeten your yogurt with Stevia, if you must)
Day 4: Season your soup however you wish today, and focus on a BALANCE OF OILS: Omega 3 and Omega 6
- For all: salmon prepared with lemons; or any oily fish; or any fish
Day 5: Add one or all of the following to your soup
- Peanut butter
- Coconut milk
Three snack-sized servings of SWEET flavors, prepared with dark leafy greens for the vegetable
- Chicken
- Beef
- Soy (all protein is sweet by nature)
Day 6: Add one or all of the following to your soup
- Tamari
- Shoyu
Three 1/2 to 1 cup servings of SALTY flavors
- Almonds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds
- Celery
- If you have a diagnosis to avoid salt, eat unsalted nuts and celery
Day 7: Add one or all of the following to your soup
- Curry
- Hot sauce
Three snack-sized servings of PUNGENT/HOT flavors
- For all, prepare a curry dinner, or other spicy meal of your choice, and portion it
- If you have a heat condition, have your hot meal in temperature only (not in hot spices). You most likely have also been heating your soup, so this counts for “hot” as well