Spice it up! Embrace spicy and pungent flavors to enhance your health this fall season.

In Chinese medicine, there are five elements, and each element has a flavor associated with it. The fall season, correlated with the metal element, focuses on spicy and pungent flavors. These flavors open up the senses, clear the sinuses, and stimulate the lung and large intestine organs.

Spicy/pungent foods include ginger, garlic, raw onions, radishes, scallions, wasabi, mustard, horseradish, peppers, and a variety of spices.

A little bit goes a long way with these flavors. Try incorporating small amounts in your meals to feel your best this season.