Energy Balancing 101: How to Eat and Live For Your Unique Mind Body Spirit Type

BY MARK MINCOLLA, Ph.D

we each have a unique personal energetic constitution which requires a specialized energy balancing protocol to bring our mind body and sprit into full harmony. photo: nitsa citrine

A code is a specialized language that translates specific, unique information. One of the greatest examples of this is our genetic code, the language that defines and disseminates the unique information contained

I recently enjoyed an interesting conversation with a pediatric nurse regarding human constitutions and energy balancing. We chatted for a few moments about my writing this chapter. Our discussion immediately moved into the area of human variation. As we spoke, we drifted off a bit onto the topic of reincarnation. I questioned whether he believed in it and, if so, whether he felt it might play a role in the uniqueness of our constitutions. He said that after more than a decade of attending to the birth of “preemies”—premature babies— he was inclined to believe that every single one had come into this world with a fully developed and unique inner core. He said that to his way of thinking, when it comes to the question of nature versus nurture, it was all about nature. He went on to further emphasize how, when you look into their eyes, each preemie reveals a separate, secret universe. As we parted, I reflected on the paradox of energy: how unique yet similar everything is.

I’ve often thought about the sense of oneness that orbiting astronauts must feel as they gaze down upon Mother Earth from miles up in space. From their lofty macrocosmic perspective, the galaxy appears as a holograph. Observing life at a quantum level, however, provides a glimpse of a world of tiny particles telling a completely different story about the profound uniqueness of all things that are as one. The way of energy is undivided yet sui generis.

We are all as unique as the droplets that make up the same sea of energy. Separation is an illusion, yet the multiverse’s varied manifestations remain but a reflection of its unanimity and flux. Even though we are constituents of the same sea, your energy is different from mine. Our energy is different today than it was yesterday, and it will continue to change throughout the course of any given moment, day, week, month, and year. Our subtle flow of constant changes is due to the myriad of mutable energetic influences within and around us, influences such as our thoughts, the food we eat, the people we encounter, the things we do, and the ever-fluctuating conditions we face—all of which influence the process of energy balancing.

Identical twins may possess the same DNA and may physically appear to be exactly the same. But at the energetic level, their constitutions are worlds different. Just ask the people who know and love them. Their tastes in food, music, and fashion are likely to be very different. Their moods, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors are also likely to be very different. People are often puzzled when I muscle-test them for food allergies and find they are allergic to lemon but not lime, or to Savoy cabbage but not Chinese cabbage—such is the nature of finding your own personal energy balance.

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I recently watched a daytime health-talk show; and, as usual, the “experts” were hyping a super detox formula that was touted as being good for everyone. It truly amazes me how stuck we are on the “one size fits all” mentality. It’s likely due to the never-ending marketing pipeline that finds its way directly from the research lab to the media outlets and straight to you. While this mind-shaping hype machine may generate an endless stream of revenue, it continually spews obsolete misinformation that ignores the necessity of personal energy balancing. No one nutritional supplement, drug, or food can be good for everyone. When we’re dealing with living energy, every living thing has its own separate constitution.

We are all unique and should never allow ourselves to be cattle prodded into the corral of “one size fits all” living. We’re all forced to contend with our energetic constitution every day; we’re simply not aware of it. Some of us look good in yellow, while others look good in red.

Some of us are drawn to sweet, doughy foods, while others prefer salty foods with a crunch. We’re each one of a kind, and we all express individual tendencies that reveal our unique energy balance and constitution. Whole Health teaches that the first step to true wholeness is to appreciate the subtle energetic differences between all forms.

Over the years, I have witnessed many examples of constitutional differences among my patients that affect their energy balancing needs. For example, a woman once told me that she could only correct her hyperacidity with foods like red meat. Red meat is an acidic food; but, for some, it may actually help absorb excess hydrochloric acid. I recall another woman who insisted that whenever she consumes peppermint tea with any regularity, she tends to lose weight. Then, there was a man who once claimed that he could only regulate his pH (acid/alkaline balance) by consuming a baked potato once a day. We are all microuniverses unto ourselves, together making up a vast macromultiverse. Everywhere you look there are reminders of the multiplicity of energetic constitutions. Recently, the topic of cellular memory theory has provided some interesting perspective regarding the uniqueness of our codes.

As far back as the early 1970s, many heart transplant recipients were noted as having undergone dramatic personality changes that eerily reflected the personality of the donors. Changes in opinion, craving, taste, attitude, and even vocabulary have all been consistently noted in many organ transplant recipients. In his book The Heart’s Code, neuropsychologist Paul Pearsall tells the story of a three-year-old Arab girl who received the heart of an eight-year-old Jewish boy. One day, the girl mysteriously began asking for a type of rare Jewish candy that neither she nor her family had ever heard of, a candy that had been a favorite of the little boy who was her donor. But the concept of our energetic balance or uniqueness isn’t just logical, nor is it complicated. We need only turn to common, day-to-day-life scenarios to see our personal energy codes revealed.

Whole Health is a healing system that focuses on the profound differentiation of energy and the exchange of energetic influences from one moment to the next. The thing that truly distinguishes this from other healing systems is that it provides the practitioner with tools to decode and master the art of understanding the energetic constitution and implementing the art of energy balancing.

Our energy codes contain and reflect our own, unique information and need for energy balance within the mind body and spirit. At an energetic level, we all have different quirks, needs, preferences, and tendencies—and we also possess distinctly different spirits, psychologies, and physiologies. Science is beginning to find constitutionality showing up in the most unexpected places.

In June 2012, the Human Microbiome Project published their long-awaited findings, announcing the discovery that we each have our own personal bacterial codes. As it turns out, we all have varying amounts of good and bad bacteria, with a variety of different strains. Moreover, none of our good and bad bacterial populations exhibit the same behaviors. The researchers found that healthy people have “bad” bacteria floating around inside their intestines that live in perfect harmony with their “good” bacteria. They surmised that each bacterial immune system deciphers its own unique way of figuring out how to acclimate itself to the host body. This remarkable research suggests that each of us produces an immunological adaptation reflective of our personal energy code and hence requires a unique system of energy balancing that honors our own bio-energetic individuality.

Our energetic constitution codes represent all our most vital information, and in order for us to maximize our balance and wellness, it’s essential that we understand the inner workings of our codes. Whole Health asserts that energy balancing our constitution is a vital missing ingredient in our current health care approach. Wellness and disease prevention have become main focuses of medicine, yet we’ve made no real effort to properly educate patients about their constitutional self. The average patient knows little about good nutrition and even less about their own body, mind, and spirit. When it comes to fixing our broken health care system, patient education in constitution energy coding might be a good place to start.

Constitutional Coding, Past and Present

Our ancestors had no other choice than to be experts on energetic coding. Their survival depended on their mastery of constitutional awareness. They viewed life from a natural cosmological perspective. To them the universe was a vast whole, comprising uniquely different parts, and each part was viewed as a separate microuniverse unto itself. Ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Ayurvedic, and Arabic cultures adopted detailed constitutional systems of energy balancing for their wellbeing and the advancement of their civilizations.

Every ancient culture established a system whereby they cosmologically linked themselves with the natural world in an elemental fashion that has strong ties to energy balancing. That is, they classified different types of human personality types as, say, fire, earth, air, or water. Fire may have been chosen to represent a person with a fiery personality. Air might represent someone inclined to deep, pensive thought. These elemental systems provided them with the means to better understand the uniqueness of each person’s constitution, further enabling them to correct energy imbalances that might otherwise result in dis-ease.

Constitution refers to one’s general state of health in accordance with the individual’s unique tendencies and is believed to be closely related to pathogenesis. It reflects the overall state of body, mind, and spirit. It is a concept related to physiology, psychology, temperament, and behavior. The system employed by the ancient Japanese was called godai, and it established the symbols of air, water, ether, fire, and the void to refer to their five different constitutions. The Tibetans established their Bon system of air, water, earth, ether, and fire. The ancient Babylonians differentiated their constitutional types as earth, fire, sky, wind, and sea. The alchemy of medieval and Renaissance Europe was a bit more complex, with an eight-element constitutional concept of air, water, ether, fire, earth, mercury, sulfur, and salt. The ancient Greeks had their four humors, the Hindus their Tatta system, and the Buddhists established a constitutional concept called Mahābhūta.  All of these gave context, insight and wisdom to their energy balancing systems.

The one thing these systems all had in common was their intention to establish a deeper understanding of the energetic uniqueness of each and every person in context with an infinite cosmos of energy. They appreciated that life force defined everything and that everything projected its own personal expression of life force. Moreover, they knew that, when properly deciphered, constitution coding could assist in the maintaining of an energetically balanced life.

According to the system of classical Chinese medicine, there is a detailed constitutional energy balancing theory called the Five Elements Principle. This system first establishes that there are two primary health-related constitutions: 1) congenital and 2) acquired.

Congenital constitution refers to the general state of health and tendencies a child inherits from his or her parents. Congenital constitution is thought of as the essence (which in today’s terms we would call DNA) that a child is born with. Whole Health teaches that the congenital energetic constitution represents our “fixed code,” the unique and unalterable aspects of who we are.

Acquired constitution refers to the changing influences that arise from nourishment, lifestyle, and general day-to-day living. The foods we eat, the thoughts we think, the love and lifestyle we cultivate, all play a significant role in the energetic balancing of the influences of our congenital constitution. Acquired constitution represents what Whole Health calls our “mutable code.”

One of the fundamental beliefs of Chinese medicine is that human beings are infinitely intertwined with all of nature. The ancient Chinese classified all of nature into a handful of basic elements.

They mapped out five energetic classifications intended to represent the unique distinctions between everything in nature. They divided the entire multiverse of unseen energy into five separate categories for the purposes of establishing unique distinctions and dynamic contrasts. Here they could plainly distinguish the differences and similarities between all things. They understood that to prosper, live, adapt, and survive, they would need to better understand the uniqueness of the energies within the mosaic of life and particularly the energy balance within the human mind, body, personality and spirit.

To their way of thinking, the universe comprised varying energies that constantly required balancing. This concept was applied directly in their practice of medicine and disease prevention. Balancing your energy would require different foods and medicines than your neighbor would. These constitutional prescriptions would also have to change seasonally, in accordance with the fluidity of nature. What you ate, drank, and took medicinally was constantly changing as the seasons brought forth their respective energetic cycles. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to living—and it is dynamic, no t static. They didn’t all eat the same wheat, drink the same milk, or take Lipitor forever. Everyone’s needs, tendencies, unique energetic balance and behaviors were respected and treated in accordance with their ever-changing individual needs.

Each of the five element classifications is associated with a graphic symbol to represent what are believed to be the primary categories of all and everything that exists between heaven and earth. The origins of these five energy balancing distinctions are quite logical, when you think about it.

The Five Manifestations of Energy

1. Abundance
2. Excess
3. Balance
4. Deficiency
5. Insufficiency

To the ancients, the universe was a dynamic domain of living change driven by a powerful, unseen life force. They envisioned the circuiting heavens, the changing seasons, the wind, rain, snow, and every living being as an embodiment of one of the five manifestations of energy. In energy terms, everything either had an abundance, excess, balance, deficiency, or an insufficiency of life force. They understood the vital importance of distinguishing the differences between all energies, so they devised a system with five metaphors that represented the energy differences for all dynamic energies. These became known as the five constitutional elements—essential knowledge for anyone interested in energy balancing.

The Five Constitution Codes (Fixed)

1. Wood—abundant energy
2. Fire—excess energy
3. Earth—balanced energy
4. Metal—deficient energy
5. Water—insufficient energy

Remember, the five classifications of elements pertained to everything in the universe, including you and me. We all fit somewhere within those five elements.

Within the extended cosmological tapestry of the Five Elements Principle, the ancient Chinese established five metaphors to align with each unique constitutional type. Your first step to Whole Health is deciphering your fixed constitution code. This exercise is Whole Health’s attempt to bring each reader to a closer appreciation of their constitutional uniqueness. Other teachings deal more specifically with mutable constitution codes and muscle testing. This is where Whole Health truly distinguishes itself as a system that enables its practitioners to tune in to the specific changing needs of every individual. Where the constitution codes break each of us down into five separate types, Whole Health reveals the uniqueness of each and every one of us in a dynamic, ever- changing way. It all begins with constitution and energy balancing.

Determining Your Fixed Energetic Constitution Code

Deciphering your fixed constitution code is an extremely important step to becoming your own self-empowered Whole Health care manager that can maintain a proper energy balance within their own body. Remember, we all have fixed constitution codes, which never change, and mutable constitution codes, which are forever changing. The questionnaire that follows will help you to determine your fixed constitution code only.

Whole Health has distilled its constitutional decoding process down to fifteen central questions. These fifteen questions represent the keys to unlocking the door to your fixed constitution code and energy balancing needs. For each category, select the letter corresponding to the response that BEST describes you. Note: For questions 1 and 4, please respond with an answer that best describes you during your formative and early adult years, even though you may no longer entirely fit that description.

1. BODY TYPE (in early adulthood)

a. Strong, well-defined
b. Soft, round
c. Medium
d. Medium, lean
e. Thin, lean

2. STAMINA

a. Good energy, good endurance
b. High energy, poor endurance
c. Moderate energy, inconsistent endurance
d. Low energy, always conserves
e. Very low energy, physically inactive

3. HEALTH VULNERABILITY

a. Liver/digestive
b. Heart/stress
c. Spleen/general immune
d. Lung/allergy
e. Genito-urinary/hormonal/skeletal

4. POSITIVE MENTAL NATURE (at your best)

a. Confident, independent
b. Enthusiastic, exciting
c. Nurturing, caring
d. Logical, precise
e. Cautious, conservative

5. NEGATIVE MENTAL NATURE (at your worst)

a. Obstinate, argumentative
b. Impulsive, consuming
c. Meddlesome, manipulative
d. Obsessive, perfectionistic
e. Stagnant, withdrawn

6. POSITIVE EMOTIONAL NATURE (at your best)

a. Kind, giving
b. Joyous, optimistic
c. Compassionate, warm
d. Courageous, bold
e. Calm, peaceful

7. NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL NATURE (at your worst)

a. Angry, impatient
b. Vengeful, impulsive
c. Anxious, dysfunctional
d. Melancholic, depressed
e. Fearful, disassociated

8. SPIRITUAL TENDENCY

a. Agnostic
b. Mystical
c. Pantheistic
d. Orthodox
e. Unorthodox

9. YOUR PERSONA IN YOUR FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

a. Performer
b. Idealist
c. Peacemaker
d. Perfectionist
e. Escapist

10. YOUR PERSONA IN YOUR ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

a. Loyal
b. Tempestuous
c. Warm
d. Detached
e. Mysterious

11. SEXUAL NATURE

a. Passionate
b. Magnetic
c. Passive
d. Dispassionate
e. Erotic

12. YOUR PERSONA UNDER STRESS

a. Persistent
b. Burned out
c. Escapist
d. Intellectual
e. Avoidant

13. NATURAL AFFINITY

a. To be independent
b. To feel pleasure
c. To feel secure
d. To have order
e. To be left alone

14. BASIC INSTINCT

a. To assert
b. To attract
c. To nurture
d. To organize
e. To continue

15. LIFE’S PURPOSE

a. To make an impact
b. To be loved
c. To make peace
d. To systematize
e. To learn and teach

Total Your Responses for A, B, C, D & E

Now look at your total for each category. What is the lettered category (A, B, C, D, or E) with the highest total? The letters correspond to the constitutional types below, so if the category with the highest total is A, then you have a Wood constitution and associated energy balancing needs. If the highest total is B, then you have a Fire constitution, and so on.

A. Wood
B. Fire
C. Earth
D. Metal
E. Water

We all reflect a combination of energetic code tendencies. The goal of this questionnaire is merely to help you identify your Fixed Constitution code.

The Details of Your Fixed Constitution Code

1. Energy Balancing for the Wood Constitution Type

General Constitution: Wood types are impulsive, exciting, and active. They have great strength and conviction and you always know right where they stand. They make honest, true, and loyal friends and partners. Above all else, they are reliable and can be counted on even when the odds are not favorable. Woods must be careful with their tendency to overcommit, however, as they tend to get depleted with all they take on. Woods know no other way but to work until they drop! Wood types should be wary of partnering up with Fire and Metal types, as these are very likely to drain their precious energy balance. Woods do best with Water types, who are inclined to nurture and replenish them.

Physical (early adult years): Woods are typically defined by a squarely built, well-defined frame. They tend to be of average weight and are rarely overweight. Their complexion is slightly oily, thick, and ruddy. Their hair is dark brown and coarse. Their eyes are usually green, blue-green, or hazel. They tend to have a very strong appetite and are frequently troubled by constipation. Woods have good energy and good endurance with a resting pulse that’s quick and vibrant (70–80 beats per minute), but they’re very light sleepers. Wood types are a passionate breed, with good sexual stamina.

Mental/Emotional/Spiritual: When at their best mentally, Woods are confident and independent—emotionally they’re kind and giving. Spiritually they are often agnostic. Wood types are generally high-performance, loyal, persistent, independent, and assertive. They are Spartans who have a knack for making an impact, but they can be intimidating.

Health Problems: Woods are often bloated, gassy, with a distended abdomen after eating. They tend to have poor dietary discrimination, crave fatty foods, and suffer from acne, dry, burning eyes, muscle cramps, tendonitis, labile hypertension, gallstones, conjunctivitis, hepatitis, glaucoma, Ménière’s disease, hormonal imbalances, earaches, impulsive behavior, shingles, mood swings, light sensitivity, blurred vision, cysts, jaundice, myasthenia gravis, gout, and alcoholism when out of energetic balance.

Balancing Diet: Sour foods are best for wood types, as sour helps their body to gather up energy. The list of strengthening sour foods for Wood types includes nonfermented soy products, barley, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kohlrabi, leeks, scallions, and most fruits.

Balancing Herbs: Achyranthes, barberry, campsis, chaenomeles, crataegus (hawthorn), elderberry, Fructus corni (dogwood), Fructus mume (black plum), rose hips from Rosa laevigatae (Cherokee rose), the fruit of Schisandra chinensis, grapefruit seed extract, hawthorn berry, Oregon grape root, peony, and rose hips.

Balancing Nutritional Supplements: Homeopathic: natrum sulphuricum, hepar sulphuricum, lycopodium, choline, lecithin, and methionine.

2.Energy Balancing for the Fire Constitution Type

General Constitution: Fire types are extremely overactive. They tend to be active even when they are doing nothing. They are distracted, fidgety, and are constantly moving on to the next thing. Fires are intensely passionate, but because they burn so bright, they must be very careful not to burn out and upset their energy balance. They are inspiring and charismatic, and everything seems to stand still when they enter the room. They have the gift to excite and are themselves very excitable. Fires can vacillate between being magnetic and repellent, as they can be overstimulating at times. There is no middle ground with Fires—Fires are all or nothing. They do best in partnerships with Wood and Earth types but must be careful not to exhaust them. Fires must avoid Water types, as they are inclined to put out their fire.

Physical (early adult years): Fire types tend to have a medium to fuller frame. Their complexion is oily, with a burned brown tint and red cheeks. Their hair tends to be red or brown. Their eyes are often dark brown. They tend to have a constant and strong appetite and their bowels are normal, with occasional constipation when under stress. They have high energy and poor endurance with a resting pulse that’s fast (80+ bpm) and irregular. When it comes to sleep, they tend to be insomniacs. Sexually, they are often magnetic and tempestuous. Under duress, they have a tendency to burn out—be mindful of this need for energetic balance if you are a fire type.

Mental/Emotional/Spiritual: When feeling positive, Fires are enthusiastic and exciting as well as joyous and optimistic. When feeling afflicted, they are impulsive, consuming, and often vengeful. Spiritually, they often project a powerful, mystical quality. The Fire type has a tendency toward idealism. They are pleasure-seekers who often get bored very easily. Their natural instinct is to attract. Fires are charismatic, self-concerned, and need constant love and approval.

Health Problems: Fire types often have a tendency toward heartburn. They eat too fast, get hot and sweaty after eating, crave foods constantly, and have red, burning ears. They often suffer from fever blisters on the tongue, varicose veins, rheumatoid arthritis, essential hypertension, Raynaud’s disease, heart arrhythmias, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, hot flashes, mastitis, nervous conditions, fainting spells, hypoglycemia, low blood pressure, acidosis, cerebral palsy, hyperactivity, phlebitis, tremors, day sweats, blood clots, hypochondria, and angina are all signs of an upset energy balance.

Balancing Diet: Fire types are ideally suited energetically for bitter foods. Fires also tend to have an imbalanced excess of energy, which bitter foods release. Examples of balancing bitter foods for Fire types include: shellfish, carrot greens, artichokes, watercress, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, amaranth, quinoa, rye, papaya, olive oil, arugula, asparagus, beet greens, burdock root, daikon radish, dandelion root, kale, romaine lettuce, okra, sprouts, and turnip greens.

Balancing Herbs: Andrographis, barberry root, buplurum root, chaparral, chicory root, chickweed, coptis, echinacea, elecampane, elderflower, gardenia, goldenseal, gotu kola, hawthorn berry, honeysuckle, magnolia flower, milk thistle, myrrh, wild gooseberry, and yellow dock.

Balancing Nutritional Supplements: Omega-3 fish oils, flaxseeds, ubiquinol, GPLC, magnesium asporotate, ace peptides, menaquinone, and serrapeptase.

3.Energy Balancing for the Earth Constitution Type

General Constitution: Earth types are givers, nurturers, and peacemakers. They make the world feel welcomed, cared for, and loved. Regardless of whether they are male or female, Earths all have a mothering quality about them. The problem is they not only give, they give in—they can’t seem to say no. Earth types rarely get enough back in return from others, and they tend to ignore their own needs as well when out of balance. Earth types are not enamored of the latest fashion trends. They’re down-home types with a focus on comfort and grounding. They love their homes and are always at their best there. They love raising children and nurturing their mate in every way. They are inclined to intermittent periods of depression and anxiety. If unhappy, they are also inclined to sugar, carbohydrate, and alcohol addictions. They are built for comfort and will seek it to the extreme if stressed. Earths are best suited for partnerships with Fire types and should try to avoid Woods if they are seeking to maintain a good energy balance in life.

Physical (early adult years): Earth types are generally characterized by a broad frame that is typically overweight. Their complexion is smooth, sensitive, well hydrated, and apricot-tinted. They’re inclined to have medium brown hair with medium texture, and medium brown eyes. They have a moderate appetite at mealtime and a bigger appetite for dessert. Their elimination tends to be normal to slightly loose under stress. They have moderate energy but erratic endurance. Their pulse tends to be moderate and even (60–70 bpm). They are sound sleepers and have a high requirement for sleep. Sexually, they tend to be somewhat passive, but are very affectionate.

Mental/Emotional/Spiritual: When feeling positive, Earths are supportive and caring. When feeling afflicted, they tend to be meddlesome and manipulative. Emotionally, they are often spiritually pantheistic. They are peacemakers with little stamina for conflict. They have a strong need for security and very much dislike having to adapt to change. Their basic instinct is to be caring and nurturing. Their life’s purpose is to heal and make peace. They are mediators who are susceptible to manipulation if not conscious of their energetic tendencies and balance.

Health Problems: Those with Earth constitutions are prone to chronic phlegmatic conditions. They often suffer from sugar and starch addictions. They tend to suffer from bloat, bloody gums, fever blisters, stiff, aching muscles, fibromyalgia, colitis, gastric ulcers, chronic fatigue, enteritis, anemia, low thyroid, hemorrhoids, diabetes, nausea, parasitosis, athlete’s foot, chronic candidiasis, Lyme disease, pancreatic insufficiency, mononucleosis, anal fissures, encephalopathy, Hodgkin’s disease, and retroviruses when out of energetic balance.

Balancing Diet: The diet best suited for the Earth type is a sweet-flavor diet, but not too much, as they are prone to addiction. Also, “sweet” has a much broader meaning than usual here; it refers to sustaining proteins as well as root vegetables and natural sweets. Sweet balances and harmonizes the energy of those with an Earth constitution. Sweet foods include all animal proteins, all beans, beets, carrots, corn, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, yams, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, dairy, barley malt, brown rice syrup, stevia, rice, buckwheat, kamut, millet, oats, spelt, teff, triticale, wheat, and all fruits.

Balancing Herbs: Aloe vera, astragalus, basil, chickweed, cinnamon, codonopsis, cordyceps, fenugreek, licorice, lycium, marshmallow, mullein, red clover, Schisandra chinensis fruit, Siberian ginseng, and slippery elm.

Balancing Nutritional Supplements: Propolis, chromium, methyl B12, white chestnut (Bach flower remedy), vitamin A, and gamma E.

4. Energy Balancing for the Metal Constitution Type

General Constitution: Metal types are very exacting people. Everything has to be just right, or else. When it comes to Metal types, cleanliness and order isn’t next to godliness, it is godliness! They make great managers and community organizers but can easily draw the ire of those closest to them for completely missing out on the deeper meaning of life. Discerning and mathematical, Metals are the world’s greatest problem solvers. They must be very careful, however, not to create problems with their obsessive tendency to solve problems. While they make great providers, they are often criticized for lacking warmth and passion—that is, until they become saddened by the recognition of all the preciousness they’ve missed out on in life. Then they tend to become so grief-stricken and depressed that they are difficult to tolerate when out of energetic balance. Metals are wise to avoid commitments with Fire types and are best partnered with the Earth constitution.

Physical (early adult years): The Metal type is generally erect with a medium build. They tend to be ten pounds or more underweight. Their complexion is smooth, sensitive, well hydrated, and with an apricot tint. Their hair is medium blond, platinum, white, or light brown, and of very fine texture. Their eyes are pale blue or light brown. Their appetite is light to moderate. Their bowel movements tend to vacillate between constipation and diarrhea. They have low energy and poor endurance, and their resting pulse is slow and deep (50–60 bpm). They are deep sleepers but have no difficulty waking.

Mental/Emotional/Spiritual: Metals are logical and precise and can be obsessive and ritualistic. When they feel positive, they are courageous and bold. When they feel afflicted, they are melancholic. Spiritually, they tend to be orthodox. Sexually, they are mechanistic and can be dispassionate. They are inclined to be perfectionistic and detached, and are given to overintellectualization. They crave order and don’t do well with spontaneity. They love to organize and implement systems. Their perfectionism is their most negative trait and can become maddening when out of balance.

Health Problems: Metal types tend to suffer from bedsores, loss of the sense of smell, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, sinus infections, allergies, cystic fibrosis, dehydration, nasal polyps, sore throats, strep throat, tracheitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, mastoiditis, tuberculosis, chronically inflamed adenoids, appendicitis, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Balancing Diet: Metals require pungent (spicy) foods to disperse and balance their energy. These include sardines, bok choy, currants, garlic, ginger, leeks, mustard greens, onions, parsley, parsnips, peppers, radish, scallions, and turnips.

Balancing Herbs: Angelica, anise, arugula, basil, cayenne pepper, chrysanthemum, cinnamon, Concha ostreae, coriander, fenugreek, ginger, magnolia flower, mint, mullein, myrrh, os draconis, pepper, skullcap, spearmint, turmeric, and yarrow.

Balancing Nutritional Supplements: gorse (Bach flower remedy), NAC, homeopathic Spongia tosta, vitamin A, and vitamin D.

5. Energy Balancing for the Water Constitution Type

General Constitution: Water types are deep, reflective thinkers. They like to while away the hours reminiscing and contemplating, and are very inclined to meditation and visualization. They make good spiritual students and teachers, mystics, intuitives, and quantum physicists. They are innately inclined to comprehend the deeper meaning of life and are capable of communicating it to others with ease. They may tend to become so reclusive that they become loners. They also have an affinity for losing track of reality, as they become too wrapped up in the world within their mind. Water types are best matched with Metal types but they must try to avoid long-term relationships with Earth types in order to maintain a healthy personal energy balance.

Physical (early adult years): Water types have a small, thin frame. They range from average weight to five pounds underweight. Their complexion is cold, clammy, pale, and white. Their eyes are dark blue. They have little or no appetite and tend to contend with frequent diarrhea. They have very low energy and poor endurance. Their resting pulse is very low (40–50 bpm) and shallow. In many cases their sleep is disturbed by frequent urination.

Mental/Emotional/Spiritual: When feeling positive, Waters are cautious, conservative, and have great wisdom. They are also calm and peaceful under ideal circumstances. When feeling afflicted, they are overcome with irrational fears and tend to become disassociated. Spiritually, they are unorthodox. Sexually, they are often drawn to eroticism. They are mysterious escapists who deeply reflect. They like to be left alone, and hate being exposed. They always persevere. They evince a certain genius and they make exceptional teachers. Their archetype is the recluse when out of energetic balance.

Health Problems: Water types show little interest in food. They often feel faint after eating, crave salt, have dark circles under the eyes, suffer hearing loss, and have chronic lower-back pain. They often suffer from osteoporosis, kidney stones, cystitis, edema, urinary tract infections, lupus, nephritis, sexual infertility/impotence, urinary incontinence, memory loss, insomnia, night sweats, sensory and motor problems, alkalosis, enuresis, syphilis, anorexia, gonorrhea, scoliosis, mercury poisoning, agoraphobia, and bulimiaall result from imbalanced energy according to the above descriptions and principles.

Balancing Diet: Salty foods tend to soften, moisten, and balance the kidneys and adrenal glands of the Water type. Among the best examples of balancing salty foods are sea bass, pinto beans, chestnuts, endive, escarole, Bibb lettuce, Concord grapes, olives, seaweed, sorrel, spinach, and Swiss chard.

Balancing Herbs: Actinolite, cassia, cistanche, clematis, isatis leaf, parsley, red clover, rehmannia, sargassum, scrophularia, kunbu, and natrii sulfas.

Balancing Nutritional Supplements: cranberry capsules, mimulus (Bach flower remedy), homeopathic Eupatorium purpureum, zinc gluconate, and raw kidney tablets.

Energetic Code Compatibility

It is important to note that many of the foods and herbs mentioned in the above discussion of “types” generate more than one flavor, and may therefore occupy multiple categories. Each code type energetically affects and is affected by all other code types. Some codes will tend to have a positive influence, while others will tend to have a negative effect on each other—an important thing to note in any energy balancing protocol or effort. To understand these interconnections, we must perform “code compatibility.” When constitutional types are compatibly matched, relationships are very likely to flourish.

Most Compatible Constitutional Matches

1. Woods energize Fires
2. Fires energize Earths
3. Earths energize Metals
4. Metals energize Waters
5. Waters energize Woods

Least Compatible Constitutional Matches

1. Woods deplete Earths
2. Earths deplete Waters
3. Waters deplete Fires
4. Fires deplete Metals
5. Metals deplete Woods

You have initiated the process of identifying your unique energetic identity. In my book, Whole Health: A Holistic Approach to Healing for the 21st Century you will learn to decipher, balance, and adapt to your ever-changing mutable nature, instructing you in how to detail your own constitutional wellness program and be successful with a full mind-body-spirit energy balancing protocol. You will then be able to create the diet and lifestyle best suited to your specific, ever-changing energy needs.

This article on energy balancing is excerpted with permission from Whole Health: A Holistic Approach to Healing for the 21st Century by Mark Mincolla, Ph.D.

About The Author

Mark Mincolla, Ph.D. is a legendary natural health care practitioner who has transformed the lives of many thousands of people over the past 30 years. He has ingeniously integrated ancient Chinese energy techniques with cutting-edge nutritional science in his innovative Electromagnetic Muscle Testing (EMT) system. He maintains a personal practice in Cohasset, Massachusetts, where he lives. Visit his website: markmincolla.com