It can be counteracted by the addition of sour foods. Metal is associated with hot, pungent, and aromatic. Metal is dispersing. A diet that has an excess of pungent is associated with muscle knots, slack pulse, a damaged Shen, and unhealthy fingernails and toenails. It can be counteracted by the addition of bitter foods.
Water is associated with salty.
Salty is softening. A diet that has an excess of salty is associated with deficient muscles and flesh, lack of strength in the large bones, and depression. It can be counteracted by the addition of sweet foods. As in any form of five-element theory, treat deficiency by providing food in flavors that support the element or the mother of the element that is deficient. That is, if the patient had spleen Qi deficiency, providing foods which were sweet and bitter wood help correct the deficiency in the earth element.