• Hot, warm, cool and cold; or

• yang, mild yang, mild yin and yin respectively.

Did you know that Yin and

Yang, the principle at the heart of Chinese philosophy, applies to Chinese food and cooking as well?

In Chinese medicine, all food can be divided into four “Qi”s:

OverviewOverviewOverviewOverview

* All photos courtesy of istockphoto

Yang Food vs Yin FoodYang Food vs Yin FoodYang Food vs Yin FoodYang Food vs Yin Food

Let’s look at some examples of yin and yang food.

Improves blood circulation and warms us up.

Induce constant thirst, hot flashes, night sweats and constipation.

Lower our metabolism and weaken our bodies.

Quenches thirst, cleanse body and cools us down.

YINYANG

But if too much…

Grains & BeansGrains & BeansGrains & BeansGrains & Beans

Mild Yin

Wheat / flour, barley, mung beans, buckwheat, millet

Just Right

rice, corn (maize), sweet potato, soy beans, rice beans, oat, long beans,

sesame, sweet peas, kidney beans, lentil

Mild Yang

glutinous rice, black rice, sago, sorghum

Meat & Dairy ProductsMeat & Dairy ProductsMeat & Dairy ProductsMeat & Dairy Products

Mild Yin

duck, abalone

Just Right

chicken egg and egg white, pork, scallop, fish, cow milk, yogurt

Mild Yang

beef, lamb (mutton), chicken, shrimp, lobster, mussels, goat milk

Yin

duck egg, crab, clam, octopus, squid, escargots, raw food

Mild Yin

tomato, celery, egg plant, spinach, asparagus, artichoke, cauliflower, tofu (and soy milk), lotus root, winter melon, cucumber, needle mushroom

Just Right

carrot, potato, taro, mushroom, turnip*, black fungus*

* Very mild Yin

Mild Yang

spring onion, garlic, leeks, coriander / parsley, onion, pumpkin

Yin

bok choy, arrowhead, water spinach, watercress, bamboo shoots, seaweed, straw mushroom, bitter melon, water chestnut

VegetablesVegetablesVegetablesVegetables

Mild Yang

peach, almond, dates, lychee, long yan, lemon, papaya, pine nut, walnut, chestnut, cherry, mango

Mild Yin

apple, pear, orange, strawberry, pipa

Just Right

plum, grapes, olive, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut milk, peanut, hazelnut

Fruits and NutsFruits and NutsFruits and NutsFruits and Nuts

Yin

persimmon, pomelo, banana, star fruit, kiwi, water melon, sweet melon

Other Foods & IngredientsOther Foods & IngredientsOther Foods & IngredientsOther Foods & Ingredients

Mild Yin

green tea, honey, beer, chrysanthemum tea, mint

Yang

pepper, Cinnamon

Yin

soy sauce, soy bean paste, salt

Mild Yang

spices ( young ginger, clove, dill, rosemary, sage, turmeric, thyme, cayenne, nutmeg, cumin, star anise, ginseng); stimulants (alcohol, coffee, black tea)

According to the Chinese, each of us are born yin, yang or somewhere in between.

• Always crave for spicy food? You’ve got a "yin" body;

• Love watermelon anytime in the year? A Yang.

Your health condition can also indicate the yin-yang balance of your body.

• Constant cold hands and feet? A Yin;

• Get soar throat easily and have a quick temper? A Yang.

• Seasonal and geographic variations will also affect our preference on yin and yang foods.

How Does It Apply To Us?How Does It Apply To Us?How Does It Apply To Us?How Does It Apply To Us?

To achieve the equilibrium in your body:

• When cooking yin food (applies to most vegetables) add yang herbs and spices such as garlic, spring onion, ginger and coriander.

• Eat seasonal food: let the nature guide us how to eat.

• Balanced diet: if we eat a wide variety of food, the yin and yang will balance out.

The AdviceThe AdviceThe AdviceThe Advice

The Chinese Kitchen

http://the-chinese-kitchen.com/yin-yang-food-how-does-it-affect-you

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