| Food Group | Examples | I – Think Fluid1 | II Blood2 5 | III Thick Fluid3 |
| Grains4 | Millet, rice, oats, barley, corns, wheat, polenta, quinoa | Yes | Yes | |
| Vegetables (leafy & root) | (Red) Kale, (Red) cabbage, (Red) chard, root vegetables, beet, sweet potatos | Yes | ||
| Vegetable (sea & fungi) | Seaweed, mushrooms | Yes | ||
| Berries | blueberries, raspberries, goji berries | Yes plus support banking of blood. | ||
| Animal | Beef, Egg | Yes | ||
| Seafood | Clams, mussels, oysters, abalone | Yes | ||
| Fats & Oils (nuts) | Cashew, walnut, peanut, sesame, butter | Yes |
- The most basic form of fluid that we can imagine, exocrine fluids: saliva, tears, sweat & lymph.
- The medium that is responsible for our day to day organ functions.
- Endocrine Fluids like hormone
- The grains are generally expected to be steamed or cooked into a porridge like wet meal
- To supplement blood deficiency, it is suggest to consume food that nourish blood, move blood, and bank blood together to form a dynamic nourishment. Spice (ginger, garlic, turmeric, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, and cinnamon) are often used to move qi and blood together. Nightshade can also move qi and blood, but through irritation.
Framework adapted from Andrew Sterman, The Language Food Speaks (2017), as presented in Ann Cecil-Sterman, MS, L.Ac., The Art of Pulse Diagnosis, Chapter 8: “Pulse Diagnosis and Diet.”