Metal Element Help Sheet

This patient handout is designed to give you tools to help you progress along the path to wellness. Use this information in order to maximize your healing process. This sheet includes a variety of tips that support the health and vitality of the Metal Element.

While many of the organ functions overlap and are similar, there are significant differences between how Eastern and Western medicine view them. This section gives you an overview of the different functions of each organ according to each of these medical philosophies.

Functions of Lung and Large Intestine/ Metal Element:

• Supplies the body with oxygen
• Releases “used” air that is composed of carbon dioxide and toxins
• Absorbs water, salts, cellulose and food
• Forms feces that will later be excreted as waste. Houses digestive bacteria that aid in the absorption and further breakdown of ingested foods
• Filters toxins, pollutants and viruses ingested from our environment
• Controls Qi and breathing

• On an emotional level, they take in new concepts and ideas, absorbing what we can use and releasing what we no longer need, such as sadness, grief and old ideas
• Extracts “Clean Energy” from the air we breathe and combines it with “Food Energy” from the food we eat. Together they form “Upright Energy” that provides nourishment for our body
• Creates and distributes Defensive Qi (Wei Qi), that provides an immune system-like barrier that protects the body from harmful pathogenic factors that cause illness and disease
• Houses the “Po,” which supports our basic senses such as feeling, sensing, hearing and seeing

Some Physical Symptoms:

• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Chest distention
• Chest tightness
• Cough
• Circulation problems
• Dry skin
• Fatigue and/or low energy
• Frequent colds

• Hay fever and/or allergies
• Laryngitis
• Mucus
• Nasal congestion
• Pale skin
• Phlegm
• Poor sense of smell
• Psoriasis or eczema
• Runny nose

• Shortness of breath
• Sinus infections
• Sneezing
• Soft and/or weak voice
• Stiff neck and/or shoulders
• Stiff upper back
• Sweating problems
• Throat infections
• Weak immune system
• Wheezing

Some Emotional Symptoms:

• Apathy
• Boredom
• Grief
• Inability to let go

• Lack of inspiration
• Melancholy
• Sadness
• Timidity

Foods to Add:

Certain foods have specific effects within the body. This section is here to guide you to make food choices that support the health of the Metal Element.

• Parsley
• Peaches
• Pepper (Black)
• Sweet rice congee
• Tangerines
• Walnuts
• Adzuki beans
• Anise
• Basil
• Caraway seeds

• Carrots
• Capers
• Cardamom
• Cauliflower
• Cayenne pepper
• Celery
• Chinese cabbage
• Cinnamon
• Clove

• Cooked apples
• Cooked pears
• Dill
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Ginseng
• Grapes
• Green onions
• Honey
• Horseradish

• Leeks
• Licorice
• Loquat
• Lotus root
• Mustard greens
• Oatmeal
• Olives
• Onions
• Orange peel
• Paprika

Element Associations:

This section lists a specific sound and an emotion associated with this meridian system, as well as the time of day and season when it is most active.

Acupressure Points

This section provides you with the most effective points for the Lung and Large Intestine. Rubbing acupressure points 30-60 seconds can stimulate and promote health and well-being.

Meridian Exercises

These are specific exercises for the activation of the body’s own energy systems. Each pose was specifically chosen because it has the greatest impact upon the healthy functioning of the Metal Element.