‘ Whole foods : are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed.’ (Wikipedia) 

Chinese Medicine has ascribed healing properties to wholefoods and prescribes them in the treatment of health conditions.

For example:

The Five Flavours of Foods

Pungent foods are dispersing.  They remove stagnation within the body, with the emotions, shift pathogens that are trying to enter via the pores & muscles (eg. Colds & flu’s).  Some foods are light & floating, like peppermint, chrysanthemum; others help descend the qi, like ginger helps to descend stomach qi and alleviates nausea; others are warming & strengthening to the kidney fire, like dried cinnamon bark or dried ginger.

 Sweet foods tend to be gentle, tonic & moderating of harshness.  Too much of a good thing, however, engenders dampness/turbidity, which can manifest as mucous, bloating, weight gain and even depression.  Sweet foods, however, refer mostly to grains, root vegetables, carbohydrates in general, many of the beans, seeds & nuts.  Refined sugars, such as in granulated sugar, lollies, chocolate, cakes and biscuits, and soft-drinks, are the ones that cause the most havoc in the body.  Fresh fruit, not juices, on the other hand, tend to be cleansing & cooling.

Bitter foods are descending to drain excesses, such as dampness, heat and toxins.  These are your endives, dandelion, rye, amaranth, watercress, turnip and parsley, to name a few.

Salty foods in small doses are moistening & descending inwards to the kidneys.  Salty foods also soften lumps.  However, our processed foods tend to be over-salted so we usually obtain much more salt than we really need. Salty foods such as miso and tamari should be used sparingly. Sea salt can be used in small quantities.

Sour foods are gathering & astringing, which can have a drying & firming effect on the tissues.  Pickles, sauerkraut, plums, lemons, limes & rosehip are all sour foods.  Sourdough bread is sour & sweet, leek is sour & pungent, vinegar sour & bitter.

The catch is that most foods are a combination of flavours, which is not always evident taste.

Further Reading

Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition- Paul Pitchford

The Tao of Healthy Eating: Dietary Wisdom According to Traditional Chinese Medicine- Bob Flaws

Food for the Seasons- Professor Lun Wong and Kath Knapsey

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