Discover Your Temperament and Balance Your Health with Traditional Wisdom

The temperaments of humans are either phlegmatic, melancholic, bilious, or sanguine. It is rare for someone to have a balanced temperament. We should all recognize our temperament and become familiar with the beneficial and harmful foods for our temperament.

Four opposing temperaments were rebellious,

for a few days they were in harmony.

When one of these four became dominant,

the sweet health leaves the body.

In traditional medicine, the human body's nature is divided into four groups: warm and dry, warm and moist, cold and moist, and cold and dry. For this reason, foods that are beneficial for one person may be harmful for others with different temperaments.

The food we eat, once digested in the stomach and small intestine, travels to the liver through the veins where it undergoes processing. After this process, the liver divides it into four major components: blood, bile, black bile, and phlegm, each referred to as humor. It's worth noting that if a certain amount of blood is poured into a Test tube, these four components can be observed.

The upper part, which is actually the surface of the blood and appears yellowish, is called bile. The lower part, which is red in color, is called blood, and beneath it lies phlegm. At the bottom of the tube, a dark sediment layer called black bile forms.

The humor of blood is warm and moist, bile is warm and dry, phlegm is cold and moist, and black bile is cold and dry. Each of these humors is produced in a specific location in the body and is essential for the body. However, they must be produced in a specific and balanced amount in the body. An imbalance in these humors can lead to various illnesses, so if afflicted with humor imbalance, it's necessary to address it by adhering to certain guidelines.

Humans are unique creatures in their omnivorous and diverse nature, which has also caused them problems. One of the major issues in human society is going against their own nature and instincts. By consuming everything and creating excessive changes in their diet, humans introduce many diseases and discomforts. Different individuals have different body types, and each person reacts differently to certain types of food. Therefore, not all humans should eat everything; rather, each individual should identify their own dietary needs and consume accordingly.

In the liver, various humors are produced in amounts as needed, each with its own proportion: bile one percent, phlegm forty-nine percent, blood forty-nine percent, and black bile one percent, and these proportions are the normal humors ratio. Considering that the four humors in the body of each person should be in a state of balance for the person to be lively and energetic, if this balance is disrupted and some humors become deficient or excessive, the person will suffer from fatigue and illness, and with improper nutrition, they will experience humor imbalance.

The Choleric Temperament

Bile humor is warm and dry.

Its normal proportion in the body is 1 percent. Individuals who have a higher proportion of bile humor in their bodies are called bilious or Choleric.

Certain foods are harmful to bilious individuals because their pH and the pH of the liver are high. Using these foods increases the temperature of the liver and excessive bile secretion, leading to blockage in the bile ducts. These foods increase warmth and dryness in the body, causing bile dominance. Therefore, it is necessary for individuals with bile dominance to avoid consuming these foods during bile dominance.

Harmful foods for people with a choleric temperament

• Tea, coffee, and instant coffee: They can lead to constipation, dryness, and congestion of bile.
• Dairy products, such as cheese: These can cause dryness and thickening of the blood.
• Fatty and bulking foods, pasta, and noodle: They may result in constipation, which can contribute to cardiovascular and neurological issues due to low physical activity.
• Hot and spicy spices: They can trigger skin problems, severe allergies, and even liver cirrhosis.
• Garlic, hot foods, ice water, soft drinks, drinking liquids with meals or immediately after, confectionery, artificial sweeteners, sour roasted nuts, and red meat: These items can exacerbate bile dominance.
• Eating frequently in small amounts, such as snacking on nuts or crackers, can increase pressure on the liver and bile production.
• Eggs, frozen foods, and precooked meals can aggravate bile dominance.
• Fried foods weaken the immune system and may cause allergies.
• Sauces, ketchup and tomato paste can put pressure on the liver, contribute to gallstone formation, and induce allergies.
• Consuming eggplant and banana, melon, pineapple and melon may worsen symptoms of bile dominance due to their warm temperament.
• Fast and processed foods (sausages, cocktail sausages, Samosas, falafel, pizza, hotdogs and hamburgers can lead to severe dryness.)

Beneficial foods for people with a Choleric temperament

• Instead of consuming foods that increase dryness and warmth, it's better to opt for foods that have more moisture and are liver-cooling, such as: pomegranate, mulberry, plum, barberry, sour cherry, cherry, dried peaches, dried apricots, (they are liver tonics).
• Zante currant (creates gentle bile in the body).
• All citrus fruits, cucumber, apple, pear, greengage.
• Watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, carrot, olive oil, barley soup with lamb trotters and turmeric accompanied by some prunes or dried plums and vegetables like spinach, coriander, and sour lemon is the best medicine for these individuals.
• Additionally, steamed potatoes, mushrooms, okras, onions, raw almond kernels, white rice with olive oil, pumpkin, peas, lentils, mung beans, oats, brewer’s yeast, and dried limes are highly beneficial for the liver and choleric persons.
• Drinking 1 to 3 cups of barberry juice daily, half an hour before meals and 2.5 hours after meals, is also incredibly beneficial.
• Natural laxative seeds, such as flixweed, fleawort, basil seeds, Salvia officinalis (Sage seeds), plantain, Lallemantia, organic pickles, cassia seed kernel, cotoneaster and Manna of hedysarum (natural laxative) are effective in relieving constipation.
• Honey in small amounts, combined with fresh sour lemon and made into a syrup for easy consumption, is also beneficial.
• Mix equal amounts of grapes, lettuce, cucumber and cucumber seeds, raw pumpkin seed kernels, watermelon seed kernels , and lettuce seeds in a blender . Take one tablespoon of this mixture and mix it in a glass of water twice a day.
• Honey-Vinegar Syrup : Mix 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of natural vinegar, 2 teaspoons of mint water , and 1 liter of water.
• Fumaria water  and chicory water (liver cooling).
• Body wash with cedar (cedrus)powder  .

Note: Keep in mind that mental states also play a significant role in increasing bile production, so it's essential to maintain necessary calmness. (Avoiding stress and anxiety)

The Phlegmatic Temperament

Phlegm humor is cold and moist.

The normal level of phlegm in the body is 49%.

Individuals with a predominance of phlegm, meaning they have more than 49% phlegm in their bodies, are called phlegmatic. Phlegm is part of the body's immune system, and individuals with an excess of phlegm experience an increase in phlegm beyond the normal level and overall weakness in the body by consuming foods and beverages that are cold and moist. Additionally, there is a disturbance in the parasympathetic system, resulting in the body being more susceptible to various parasites

In medical terms, when the body's immune system starts attacking itself, it's called "autoimmune." Researchers suggest that cold temperament items might have more negative effects on human mood compared to warm ones, potentially worsening depression.

Harmful foods for phlegmatic individuals

• All dairy products such as milk, yogurt, buttermilk, butter, cream, sour cream, cheese, and kashk, as they are cold and moist and may cause calcium deposits in the body due to their low-fat content, leading to conditions like heel spur.
• Pickles, vinegar, salted foods, white rice, lentils, potatoes, ice water.
• Various carbonated beverages (weaken the stomach and digestive system, cause gastric reflux).
• Tea, coffee, instant coffee  (constipation, sensitivity, and premature aging, which are symptoms of mental distress in phlegmatic individuals).
• Barley soup, barley porridge, sour and unripe fruits, tangerines, kiwis, cantaloupes, unpeeled cucumbers, mushrooms, mung beans, barley, beef and veal, various white meats.
• Sauces, ketchup and tomato paste (lack of nutritional value and body aging
• Overeating (due to weak digestion, leading to undigested food and worsening digestive problems).
• Frozen and fast foods, zucchini and fast foods (lack of nutritional value, harmful effects on the liver, constipation, neurological diseases, migraines)
•  Confectionery sweets (constipation, depression, ovarian cysts, fibroids, etc.), and all cold temperament foods increase phlegm production.
• Consuming multiple types of food together, drinking fluids with meals or immediately after them, noodle, pasta and macaroni,
• All non-organic snacks such as cheese puff, popcorn, chocolates, chewing gum, biscuits, ice cream, soft drinks, chips, etc., all of these items activate phlegm production and increase its secretion in the body.
• Daily exercise and staying awake from dawn until sunrise, help to expel phlegm.

Beneficial foods for phlegmatic temperament

• Consuming warm foods such as camel meat, mutton, quail, and turkey.
• Sesame tahini and grape syrup.
• Warm herbal teas like cinnamon and ginger.
• Spices.
• Fresh green vegetables like tarragon, dill, chive, parsley, and basil instead of salad.
• Consuming black cumin and green cumin seeds.
• Consuming chickpeas in various forms (Roasted Chickpeas & Raisins).
• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, sesame, and sesame tahini are beneficial.
• Honey and date syrup

The Sanguine Temperament

 The term "sanguine" refers to warm and moist temperament.

 The normal percentage of it in the body is 49%.

 Individuals with a predominance of blood humor in the body are called sanguine.

If you are a sanguine person, meaning you have a warm and moist temperament, you can moderate your temperament and control your body temperature by adjusting your diet and using herbal remedies and natural foods.

Harmful foods for Sanguine individuals

• Fried and fatty foods, spicy and high-volume foods.
• Overeating (the main cause of sanguine dominance, heavily affects the liver).
• Confectionery sweets and desserts, salty foods, pickled vegetables (e.g., pickled cabbage, pickles).
• Excessive meat intake , butter and cream, starchy foods, ice water, yogurt, soft drinks, eggs, drinking liquids with meals or immediately after, dates, raisins, dried white mulberries, sauces, ketchup, tomato paste ,pickles, vinegar, garlic.
• Tea, coffee, instant coffee  (cause constipation).
• Yogurt, eggplants, and fast foods.

In general, avoid overeating and refrain from consuming prohibited and unhealthy foods, and most importantly, stop constipation and anxiety.

Beneficial Foods for Sanguine Individuals

• Drinking 6 glasses of cool water daily (half an hour before and two and a half hours after meals).
• Barberries, white mulberries, mulberries, lettuce, cucumbers, fruits, especially apples with their skin and seeds, pomegranates, fresh lemon (stimulants for the liver, promoting vitality and freshness).
• Green vegetables, barley soup with fresh lemon.
• Using seasonal salads before meals.
• Olive oil.
• Sprouted grains and legumes (such as wheat, barley, lentils, and mung beans).
• Laxative seeds (such as flixweed seeds, Plantago ovata seeds, basil seeds, Lallemantia seeds, plantain seeds, and wild sage seeds) help relieve constipation and support liver function.
• Honey in small amounts.
• Raw foods (fruits and vegetables).
• Zucchini
• Drinking 2 to 3 glasses of barberry juice, which quickly restore blood to its normal state.
• Eating lightly by consuming low-calorie options, like steamed vegetables
• Relaxation and light exercise are also recommended for sanguine persons.

The Melancholic Temperament 

 Melancholic temperament means cold and dry.

 Its normal level in the body is 1%.

People with blood sediment in their bodies are called melancholic .

Diet has a significant impact on balancing the body's temperament and reducing coldness and dryness for melancholic persons. If you're in the melancholic category, make sure to have at least one hot and moist meal a day to control your temperament and return your body to a state of balance.

Foods with low pH levels are acidic and can lead to acidosis in the body. Acidosis impacts the central nervous system, potentially causing mental, emotional, and psychological disorders, leading to feelings of depression and despair in individuals.

Harmful foods for melancholic individuals

Foods that increase coldness and dryness (constipation) in the body are not suitable for such individuals, and it is better for them to gradually eliminate cold foods from their diet and use warm foods instead.

These foods increase blood sediment in the body and cause constipation, which is severely harmful to melancholic persons :

• Eggplants
• Salty foods such as smoked fish, pickled fish, pickled cucumber, excessive salt intake , salty withe cheese, beef and aged animal meats.
• Leftover and stale foods, yogurt, cheese, sweetened tea, confectionery sweets, pickles, vinegar, and salty foods (which increase blood density).
• Tomatoes, ketchup, tomato paste
• Fast and processed foods, ice water, chicken and eggs, fish, white rice
•  Lentil dishes (lentil soup), consuming liquids with meals, fried foods, frozen foods, fast foods, artificial snacks such as chocolate, cheese puff, biscuits, candy, chips, cocoa, etc. (These foods heavily trigger the secretion of bile in the body.)
• People with a melancholic temperament should avoid drinking tea, especially sweetened tea, as well as coffee, instant coffee and yogurt drink (causing dryness in the body and brain).

People with a melancholic temperament usually have a strong inclination towards drinking tea, yogurt, and buttermilk, but they should avoid these foods.

Beneficial foods for melancholic individuals

• All warming foods such as mutton, camel meat, pigeon meat, quail meat, and starling and sparrow meat
• If consuming rice, it should be soaked and seasoned with dill and black cumin.
• Warm vegetables such as mint, basil, tarragon, satureja (savory), parsley, chive, various types of cabbage, stalks of celeries, honey, white mulberries, raisins, Zante currants, figs, dates, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, saffron, cumin.
• Use laxative seeds such as Alyssum chia seeds, and other herbal laxatives are beneficial for people with melancholic temperament.

External Sources

• Foods Temperament

Have you ever tried to adjust your diet based on your temperament? Share your experiences in the comments below!