Chinese Name: 腰果
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Lung, heart
Properties: Quench thirst, moisturize the lungs, clear phlegm
Best for: Relieving cold-type cough, recommended for people who feel frustrated easily
Dietary Caution: None
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution
Also Known As: Ziziphus Jujuba
Chinese Name: 酸枣仁
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet, sour
Organ Meridian: Heart, liver
Properties: Calms the mind, harmonizes the liver
Best Use For: Treating people with insomnia, especially when it is caused by a lack of nourishment in liver blood
Serving Per Day For One Person: 10 to 15g
Dietary Caution: Not known
Suitable For: All types of body constitution
Also Known As: Poria Cocos
Chinese Name: 茯苓
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Heart, lung, spleen, kidney
Properties: Promotes urination to remove dampness, strengthens the spleen and calms the mind
Best Use for: Relieving water retention and difficulty in urination, strengthening the spleen, calming the mind which relieves people from insomnia
Serving Per Day For One Person: 10 to 15g
Dietary Caution: Not known
Suitable For: All types of body constitution
Also Known As: Lonicera Japonica
Chinese Name: 金银花 (Jin Yin Hua)
Thermal Nature: Cold
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Lung, heart, stomach
Properties: Cools the body, helps with detoxification, expels heat (wind-type)
Best Use For: Cooling the body when the person has heat-type flu (sore throat, fever etc), treating acne that is caused by heat toxins (due to wrong diet or foods)
Serving Per Day For One Person: 9 to 15g
Dietary Caution: Honeysuckle is a very cooling herb, do not consume it for long term. People with weak spleen should also avoid consuming honeysuckle alone.
Suitable For: All types of body constitution
Also Known As: Rehmannia Glutinosa
Chinese Name: 生地黄
Thermal Nature: Cold
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Heart, liver, kidney
Properties: Cools the blood, promotes Yin
Best Use For: Relieving heatiness in the blood, treating fever caused by Yin deficiency
Serving Per Day For One Person: 10 to 15g
Dietary Caution: People with weak spleen and loose stools should avoid consuming sheng di huang
Suitable For: Yin deficiency body constitution
Also Known As: Panax Quinquefolium
Chinese Name: 西洋参
Thermal Nature: Cooling
Flavor: Sweet, bitter (slight)
Organ Meridian: Heart, lung, kidney
Properties: Boost Qi, nourish Yin, cools the body
Best Use For: People with Qi and Yin deficiency, boosting energy levels for people who are recovering from illness
Serving Per Day For One Person: 3 to 6g
Dietary Caution: People with flu symptoms should avoid consuming ginseng for the time being. Never consume American Ginseng with Hellebore as they have clashing effects on each other.
Suitable For: Yin deficiency body constitution, Qi deficiency body constitution
Also Known As: Angelica Sinensis
Chinese Name: 当归
Thermal Nature: Warm
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Heart, liver, spleen
Properties: Nourish the blood, harmonize menstruation and relieve pain
Best Use For: People with blood deficiency and experiencing dizziness, relieving menstruation pain, relieving constipation due to dryness in the intestine
Serving Per Day For One Person: 6 to 12g
Dietary Caution: People with loose stools should avoid consuming dang gui
Suitable For: Blood stasis body constitution
Also Known As: Reishi, Ganoderma Lucidum
Chinese Name: 灵芝
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Heart, lung, liver, kidney
Properties: Boost Qi, calm the mind, relieve cough
Best Use For: Relieving insomnia, relieving cough due to Qi deficiency in the lungs, improving appetite
Serving Per Day For One Person: 6 to 12g
Dietary Caution: People with flu symptoms should avoid consuming ling zhi
Suitable For: Qi deficiency body constitution
Also Known As: Glycyrrhiza Uralensis
Chinese Name: 甘草
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Heart, lung, spleen, stomach
Properties: Boosts Qi and strengthens the spleen, cools the body and helps with detoxification, dissolves phlegm and stops coughing, relieves pain and harmonizes other herbs
Best Use For: Gancao is commonly used in Chinese medicine and herbal soups as its sweet taste can be accepted by most people. Alone, it can be used for strengthening the spleen and boosting Qi for the heart. It can also be used to relieve cough due to phlegm.
Serving Per Day For One Person: 2 to 10g
Dietary Caution: Avoid consuming gan cao above the recommended dosage as it will lead to water retention in the body. It has a clashing effect with seaweed, so avoid consuming them together.
Suitable For: Qi deficiency body constitution
Also Known As: Acanthopanax Senticosus
Chinese Name: 刺五加
Thermal Nature: Warm
Flavor: Sweet, bitter (slight)
Organ Meridian: Spleen, lung, kidney, heart
Properties: Boost Qi and strengthen the spleen, strengthen kidney and calm the mind
Best Use For: Ciwujia is used for treating weakness (Qi deficiency) in both the spleen and lungs or kidney and lungs. It is also used to treat insomnia caused by Qi deficiency in the heart and spleen. Nowadays, it is more commonly used to treat deficiencies in the kidney.
Serving Per Day For One Person: 9 to 20g
Dietary caution: People with Yin deficiency body constitution should avoid consuming ci wu jia
Suitable For: Qi deficiency body constitution
