Discover Your “Tard-Jao-Ruean”: A Thai Traditional Medicine Secret to Health and Balance

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Traditional Thai Medicine: The Wisdom of “Tard-Jao-Ruean” in Health Care

Traditional Thai medicine emphasizes the natural relationship between humans and nature from the moment of conception. According to ancient Thai medical scriptures, particularly the Pothom Jin Dara, human life begins as small as a sesame oil droplet at the tip of a yak's hair. After undergoing transformation influenced first by the fire element, the other three elements—earth, water, and wind—follow, forming the physical body (rupa-dhamma). This is later joined by feelings, perception, mental formations, and consciousness (nama-dhamma), together forming the Five Aggregates (khandha), typically complete around the fifth month of gestation.

Each individual is influenced differently by environmental factors such as seasonal temperature and celestial energies even before birth. These influences create a dominant element in the body, known as the Tard-Jao-Ruean, or “governing element.” This is the naturally dominant one of the four body elements (earth, water, wind, fire) that shapes a person’s personality and physical constitution from birth. Also known as the “birth element,” it can be influenced over time by upbringing and environment.

Understanding an individual’s Tard-Jao-Ruean allows Thai traditional medicine practitioners to analyze element imbalances and determine appropriate treatment, prevention, and health promotion strategies.

Classifying the Birth Element (Tard-Jao-Ruean)

According to Thai traditional medical dictionaries, Tard-Jao-Ruean (birth element) is classified based on the lunar month of conception:

• Fire Element: Born January–March

• Wind Element: Born April–June

• Water Element: Born July–September

• Earth Element: Born October–December

Each person has two aspects of Tard-Jao-Ruean:

1. Original Element – Based on date of birth.

2. Current Element – Inferred from personality, behavior, and current health status.

When the body’s four elements are balanced, one enjoys good health. Imbalances, however, lead to illness. Understanding your dominant element and adjusting your diet using healing food flavors can help prevent these imbalances.

Maintaining Elemental Balance Through Diet

Thai traditional medicine has long recognized the importance of aligning diet with one’s dominant element to maintain balance and health.

🔥 Fire Element (Jan–Mar)

• Traits: Well-proportioned, fair yellowish skin, early graying, often hot-tempered, strong metabolism, frequent hunger.

• Aggravators: Spicy, sour, salty foods, anger, alcohol.

• Symptoms of Imbalance: Diarrhea, constipation, mouth ulcers, acid reflux, acne, itchy rashes.

• Balancing Foods: Bitter, sweet, cool, and bland flavors. Cooling herbs like cucumber, winter melon, bitter gourd, lotus stem, and eggplant. Avoid overly sweet or greasy food.

💨 Wind Element (Apr–Jun)

• Traits: Slim build, dry skin, talkative, quick-witted, moody, often anxious, insomnia.

• Aggravators: Skipping meals/sleep, suppressing bodily urges, heavy lifting.

• Symptoms of Imbalance: Bloating, constipation, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness.

• Balancing Foods: Spicy and warm herbs like ginger, galangal, lemongrass, pepper, basil, garlic. Avoid greasy and sweet food.

💧 Water Element (Jul–Sep)

• Traits: Chubby, fair and radiant skin, calm, slow-moving, loves sleeping.

• Aggravators: Overeating sweets/salty foods, excessive daytime naps.

• Symptoms of Imbalance: Obesity, excess phlegm, runny nose, fluid imbalances.

• Balancing Foods: Sour, bitter, and warm fruits like gooseberry, bilimbi, starfruit; vegetables like tomato, kaffir lime, bitter gourd. Avoid dairy and salty foods.

🌍 Earth Element (Oct–Dec)

• Traits: Large, strong build, darker skin tone, thick hair, calm and grounded.

• Aggravators: Fatty, hard-to-digest foods.

• Symptoms of Imbalance: Typically healthy, but prone to severe illness when sick.

• Balancing Foods: Well-rounded diet with astringent, sweet, oily, and salty flavors—e.g., young tamarind leaves, pumpkin, guava, taro, various beans. Avoid rich, fatty foods.

Conclusion

Eating according to your Tard-Jao-Ruean using the healing qualities of food is a practical, personalized way to promote health and prevent illness through Thai traditional medicine. This approach is suitable for all ages and can be easily integrated into daily life.

So, what’s your dominant element?

If you're curious to dive deeper into Thai traditional wellness or want tips on foods and herbs for your element, stay tuned for more posts in this series—or drop your birth month in the comments, and let’s talk about your personal healing path!