The secret to well-being and active longevity consists of many components, including a balanced diet. However, here we are talking not only about the fact that you need to calculate the number of kilocalories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates necessary to maintain a good shape, but also about the selection of products belonging to two different forms of qi energy - yin (female energy) and yang ( masculine energy). A diet based on products with male and female energy helps to improve health and prolong youth.
Yin and Yang Energies: Yin-Yang Kitchen
Energy, like everything in our world, has a dual aspect: it is made up of the harmony of two principles - male and female. If yin and yang energies are in balance, then the vital energy qi is produced in sufficient quantities and the person feels good. If an energy imbalance occurs in the body and the balance of yin between yang is disturbed, then pathological processes arise at the physical level and the person feels unwell, falls ill, and loses vitality.
To restore harmony, there are many practices, including the equilibrium state can be achieved through the use of a balanced - saturated with male or female energies - nutrition.
In oriental medicine, products are classified into two types − yin and yang energies. But how to distinguish between these two energies hidden in the products that we buy every day in stores and markets and use for cooking?
Chinese doctors say that yang food stimulates all kinds of activity: mental, physical, spiritual. But Yin food affects the body in the opposite way - its excess makes the body lethargic, the mood - depressed or drowsy, and those who want to lose weight stubbornly gain it.
An imbalance of two energies in nutrition can be expressed by addiction to any kind of food. Someone is unable to deny himself chocolate, the other cannot live without baking, the third gravitates towards fatty foods. To get rid of such dependence, it is enough just to harmonize the diet and bring the products of yin and yang in line.
Yin and yang foods
What products are characterized by the predominance of one of the two interpenetrating energies?
“Yang”, or “hot” in terms of energy, products include rice, wheat, pumpkin, carrots, buckwheat, millet, turnips, onions, radishes; catfish, herring and shrimp meat; caviar, duck meat, pigeon, pheasant and partridge; apples, strawberries, parsley, horseradish, chicory, cinnamon, dill.
Drinks with yang energy are burdock and dandelion root coffee, bancha tea, decoctions of chamomile and white wormwood.
Foods with Yin characteristics include: tomatoes, beans, beans, eggplant, mushrooms, oats, rye, peas, potatoes, sorrel, celery, garlic, beets, kefir, milk, butter, flounder, trout, pike perch, beef, pork, lamb, pineapple, lemon, pear, peach, watermelon, melon, nuts, honey, cloves, cumin, bay leaf, mustard, nutmeg, coffee, fruit juices, beer, wine, decoction of lime blossom and mint, cocoa.
In the East, all products are usually divided into:
- carrying a lot of yang energy - "hot";
- those with an average amount of yang energy are “warm”;
- neutral;
- containing an average amount of yin energy - refreshing;
- having a large amount of yin energy - "cold".
Knowing which product contains how much and what kind of energy, you can create a balanced diet for yourself, including food in the daily norm that can enhance the desired qualities. Food with the properties of yang energy invigorates, tones, gives mental and physical activity, and, conversely, food from the yin category helps to relax and calm down, relieve tension and stress.
Chinese philosophy of yin and yang in the kitchen
Have you ever wondered why it sometimes happens that overweight people in their quest to lose weight switch only to low-fat dairy products, fruits, herbs and raw vegetables, and the weight has always been, and remains - frustratingly large? Yes, all because these are products belonging to the category of Yin - which slow down metabolic processes in the body. This means that in order to effectively lose weight, you just need to balance your diet by including the “right” amount of neutral, “hot”, refreshing or “cold” foods.
The main food of a person who wants to maintain an ideal weight should be foods with neutral qualities. This includes boiled cereals (about 70%), boiled vegetables (15%), raw plant foods (5%), fish or meat (5%), and dairy products (5%).
Special rules should be followed, and during one meal not to consume more than two cold (in terms of energy) foods. To increase the energy of food, you need to cook it on an open fire, grill or bake the ingredients that make it up. To give yang energy to food, use spices: dill, chicory, horseradish, curry mixture, chili pepper.
Eat yang foods for breakfast: they give you energy for the whole day, but yin foods are better for dinner.
It is believed that heat-treated foods should make up to 80% of the daily diet. The Chinese, on the other hand, believe that even fruits and vegetables should be baked or at least blanched in order for them to be better absorbed. An ideal example of a balanced meal is a serving of hot porridge with a handful of raw fruits or berries.
Next: it is very important to consider the season. On your table in the cold season should be “warm” (yang) food, but in the summer heat you can treat yourself to refreshing yin goodies. However, it should be remembered that an excessive passion for tropical fruits can also cause an imbalance in the yin and yang energies in the body!
Macrobiotics is a nutritional system that is not only optimal for yoga practice in our climate zone, but at the same time a more than effective means of solving sometimes very complex problems.
health related issues.
About macrobiotics and how it appeared
Everything that will now be described was found independently simply on the basis of a feeling of what the body really needs, when, with what and in what quantities.
This mode of nutrition almost completely coincides with macrobiotics J. Ozawa, therefore, for more detailed recommendations, you should refer to his books and books Sergei Sobolenko(Firstly - " Recipe for madness»).
State of Yin and Yang
Briefly, the power supply system can be described as follows ...
Like everything in this world, food is divided into yin foods and yang foods.
The beginning of Yin can be characterized as a heavy, calm, accumulating, in the limit - an inert state.
The beginning of Yang is dynamic, bright, pushing, active.
Most of the diseases of our time are Yin diseases. accompanied by the expansion of organs, a decrease in their function, a decrease in the number of adequately functioning cells. In its extreme state, it is primarily oncological and some mental illnesses. And it is precisely these diseases that are now steadily growing and multiplying ...
A person in a state of predominance of the beginning of Yin more inert, prone to weakness, more painful, drowsy, with periodic depressive states, acid-base balance is shifted more towards acidification of the internal environment.
Episodic deviations from the "conditional norm of health" - if you have colds at least once a year, you also belong to this group.
A person in a state of excess Yang: acid-base balance is shifted towards alkalization of the internal environment, prone to overexcitation, emotional instability with a shift to euphoria.
However, most often these conditions are already more secondary to the primary deep shift in Yin - just as a cancer or tuberculosis patient first experiences acute profuse bleeding, which in itself, due to the strength and severity of the state, is characterized as a Yang state, but is a consequence of a long-term deep state of Yin.
The optimal combination of products will be more or less balanced amount of yin and yang foods. But in order to achieve this balance, it is necessary to declare for quite a long time, that is, in fact, simply cleanse your body and shift the internal balance towards the predominance of the beginning of Yang.
The mechanical strength and elasticity of body tissues in this state sometimes reaches simply fantastic limits.
Given that the body in our conditions is mainly affected by the yin factors of the external environment, there should be a shift in the diet towards yang products.
Yin and Yang Products
TO Yang products primarily include:
- cereals (rice, buckwheat, millet and wheat),
- sea salt,
- green tea,
- greens (dill, parsley),
- carrot,
- cheese,
- apples,
- sea fish and all seafood in general.
Yin Products– respectively, almost everything else. There are foods that are very Yang and very Yin. A complete list can be found in the books already mentioned, so all this is now only briefly.
Nutrition system according to Sobolenko
For our conditions, in my opinion, the power system described by Sergei Sobolenko is most suitable.
- The basis of nutrition should be cereals, to a lesser extent - vegetables.
- 1-2 times a week you can eat fish,
- You can eat no more than 4 eggs per week.
- Legumes - no more than once a week.
- Fish, eggs, legumes are consumed either on their own or with vegetables, and in no case together with other products, the same cereals, for example.
- Eat greens as much as possible.
- Nuts, honey, berries, apples and dried fruits are very special foods that should be eaten separately from everything as a separate meal.
- Dairy products can also be consumed as an independent meal.
- With a combination of incompatible products, the processes of decay begin in the body., and it will be impossible to talk about some kind of balance.
- From the diet is absolutely necessary exclude all products that contain yeast, sugar, potatoes, milk, vinegar and all artificial ingredients- preservatives, flavors, baking powder, etc.
Sergey Sobolenko gives the recipe " dragon tea”, an absolutely wonderful collection of herbs. It very effectively cleanses and tones the body, and also restores optimal internal balance, neutralizing excess Yin. It includes:
- chamomile,
- sage and
Pharmaceutical herbs are better not to use! Herbs are collected with a lot of nuances, but one of the main rules should be to collect them on a full moon, give or take one week.
In order to prepare the “hardest” version of this collection in terms of effect, you need to take a tablespoon of each of the herbs and pour a liter of boiling water over it.
Let it brew for about 40 minutes, until the herb has almost completely subsided. From now on, you can drink it.
It is used in 150-200 ml. 3 times a day 40 minutes before meals. However, this option may not be suitable for everyone.
For women, it is often appropriate to put another spoonful of chamomile instead of a spoonful of wormwood, for men - thyme.
You can drink tea for 4 days with a break for 4 days, or a week after a week for 1 - 2 months. After the same break, you can repeat the course.
Eating in this mode, you can gradually create the optimal state of the internal environment of the body, restore and make the optimal mode of operation of the internal organs and perception.
Macrobiotics: menu
George Ozawa, in his book Zen Macrobiotics, provides a summary table of possible diets that have been used in Japanese Buddhist traditions since ancient times.
Diet number 7- the most radical and tough - contains 100% cereals. From drinks - only green tea. This is the maximum and purest Yang, the maximum cleansing effect for the body and perception.
Diet number 6- already contains 5% vegetables.
It may not be worth copying such an approach completely, but it is definitely worth taking into account. In any life health crisis or when we find ourselves in a period of uncontrollable events, it will definitely be very useful to put things in order in our body and mind in all available ways. And proper nutrition is key here.
However, if there are health problems and, moreover, old ones, proper nutrition alone may not be enough. To speed up this process, you need the right ones.
We'll talk more about how to do this.
Two higher educations in the field of medicine: Vinnitsa State Medical University. Pirogov and the Kiev Military Medical Academy at the Academy of Defense of Ukraine.
Professionally owns the techniques of acupuncture and other reflexotherapeutic methods.
Scientists believe that by 2020 over 40% of the world's population will be overweight, of which at least half will be obese. Obesity is not just a few extra pounds, but a health-threatening condition. You can quickly estimate your weight using your body mass index. If it is more than 30 kg / m2, then you are obese, and this must be urgently fought!
Given such serious prospects, it is worth taking care of your diet today. The most common diet plan is based on counting calories and the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. However, not only the European approach is considered effective. Traditional Chinese medicine suggests that all foods carry a certain energy: cold Yin and warm Yang. It is believed that a competent combination of products of these two types will not only relieve excess weight, but also restore both physical and mental health.
Food for harmony
The Chinese are convinced that any product is not only a source of energy and substances for maintaining life and the synthesis of new cells in the body, but also capable of healing. In traditional Chinese medicine, Chi is the main life force that governs all processes in nature. The harmony of the body, spirit and Chi in each person can be achieved with the help of a yin-yang balanced diet. Yin and Yang are energetic qualities that shape everything in the universe, including our health.
Features of Yin and Yang
Yin and Yang foods prevent certain conditions in the body and can even heal. The Chinese Yin symbol is represented by the shaded part of the hill, reflecting femininity, coolness, moisture and darkness. And Yang is the illuminated side of the hill, which means masculinity, warmth, dryness and light. Yin food cools and hydrates the body, while Yang warms and dries. And although Yin and Yang are complete opposites, they cannot live without each other.
The yin or yang characteristic of a food actually has much more to do with energy and its effect on the body than with the actual temperature or humidity of the dish. For example, a cold or Yin food is usually low in calories and high in potassium. It is believed that Yin food should be eaten in hot weather. Hot or yang foods are high in calories, high in energy, and high in sodium. Yang food is best eaten during the cold season.
If there are too many Yin or Yang foods, then the delicate energy balance can be disturbed, leading to health problems. The Chinese are sure that some diseases are caused precisely by an excess of Yin or Yang food.
Yin and Yang products
In traditional Chinese medicine, nutrition is a way to control the yin and yang that affect health. If you clearly know the characteristics of the product and its effect on the body, you can correctly choose dishes for the current needs of the latter, which will help restore the energy balance in the body. The tradition of Yin and Yang nutrition helps to restore the balance of strength and health and allows you to live a long and happy life.
Foods with very strong yang:
- table salt;
- medications, eg barbiturates, steroids, sedatives;
- pork;
- beef;
- eggs;
- heavily salted cheeses.
Strong Yang Foods:
- bird;
- oysters, mussels;
- red, for example, tuna, salmon, swordfish, trout.
Moderate Yang Foods:
- white fish, for example, flounder, sea bass;
- bread and other products made from whole grain flour;
- sea salt;
- meat;
- soy sauce;
- wakame seaweed.
Weak Yang Foods:
- whole grain cereals, such as rice, barley, millet, wheat, rye, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth;
- vegetables, e.g. carrots, daikon, rutabagas, turnips.
Weak Yin Foods:
- onion, red radish, lotus root, leek;
- cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy;
- zucchini.
Moderate Yin Foods:
- beans, such as black beans, peas, lentils;
- cucumbers, celery, parsley, beets;
Traditional Chinese diet. Diet is a very important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The Chinese believe that most foods are medicines and if you follow a proper diet, exercise, do breathing exercises, take care of your personal hygiene, you can cure diseases.
Traditional Chinese yin yang diet Organize food items into different categories. Fundamental - Yin and Yang, but associated with it are four energies, five components, five tastes and the movement of Chi. The above categories relate to each other in a rather complex way, and all are taken into account during the selection of a suitable diet.
In Chinese medicine, the yin yang diet is known as the science of nutrition. The scientific Western equivalent of the Yin/Yang balance in food combinations is the acid/base balance or "ph". We know that if you add a certain volume of acid to an equal amount of alkali, a neutral compound is formed. Therefore, for example, sodium bicarbonate, soda (an alkaline substance) is used to reduce the acidity of the stomach.
Scientifically proven, in order to begin protein digestion, the stomach must secrete pepsin. But the enzyme pepsin can only function in an extremely acidic environment, which must be maintained for several hours until protein digestion is complete. Another well-proven fact is that when we eat bread, potatoes, or any other carbohydrates, the salivary glands immediately secrete ptyalin and other alkaline enzymes. The ingested starch then needs an alkaline environment in the stomach to be fully digested. All this gives an idea of what happens when carbohydrates and proteins are consumed at the same time.
The stomach, in response to the presence of protein and starch, secretes simultaneously acidic and alkaline juices, which are neutralized to form an aqueous solution that is unable to digest either. And then the proteins decompose and the starch is fermented in the intestines.
Decomposition and fermentation are the main causes of all kinds of digestive problems like flatulence, fever, bloating, constipation, colitis, etc. Many of the so-called allergies"is also a direct consequence of a bad food combination. The circulatory system absorbs toxins from the fermented and rotting mass in the intestines, these toxins in turn cause rashes, hives, headaches, nausea and other symptoms that are attributed to allergies. The same foods foods that can cause allergic reactions when combined badly often do nothing if they are well combined.Studies conducted in the USA have confirmed that the modern American carries more than 2 kilograms of red meat in his intestines in a state of decomposition, not assimilating.
Yin and Yang
The yin yang diet theory emerges from a simple observation of nature and describes the fact that all natural phenomena have their own opposite state that complements them. Thus, yin is associated with darkness, cold, night, and the feminine, while yang is associated with light, heat, day, and masculinity. All phenomena have aspects of yin and yang. They can also have a mutual influence on each other: an excess of yin can be transformed into yang and vice versa. Any imbalance between yin and yang in the body is believed to cause illness and emotional problems if the diet is poor in one of the elements that can cause this imbalance. All foods contain yin and yang aspects.
yin food are considered cold, moist, soft and dark in color. Yin aquatic foods, like fish and algae, those that grow in the dark or underground, like mushrooms and roots, as well as oats, barley, duck, rabbit, pork, eggplant, beets, pumpkin, cucumber, cress, spinach, rhubarb, tomato, lettuce, wheat, tofu, soy sprouts, banana, lemon, grapefruit and watermelon.
Food yang,
mostly hot, dry, hard and usually light in color. They usually grow in the field, on the soil and in bright places. Yang some seafood like mussels, garlic, asparagus, celery, dill, parsley, leek, basil, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, soybeans, peppers, chicken, lamb, shrimp, apricots, cherries, chestnuts, orange skin and peaches .
Four energies
The concept of four energies can be considered a subcategory of yin and yang. Four energies: warm, temperate, cold and cool show the effect that certain nutrition has on the body.
Hot and moderate, foods such as green and red peppers, dry ginger, leeks, and coconut milk are considered yang and are used to treat cold-related illnesses caused by excess yin (such as feeling cold, diarrhea, or rheumatism of the joints) . Cold and fresh foods like eggplant, soybean sprouts, watermelon and tomatoes belong to the yin category and are used to treat diseases associated with heat caused by excess yang (eg flu, constipation, eczema...). Some foods, such as rice and pasta, are considered neutral because they are neither cold nor warm. Such products do not affect the complexion in any way, and therefore are considered foods for normal consumption.
Five Ingredients and Five Tastes
The theory of the five elements is based on the Eastern idea that all phenomena are the result of the movement and change of five categories: wood, fire, earth, metal and water, also known as the five phases. To have good health, these components must be in harmony. Food and plants are used to balance the elements in the body.
- The theory of five tastes can be considered a subcategory within the five constituents. Five tastes: pungent, sour, bitter, sweet and salty. The term "taste" refers to the nature of the food and is not always consistent with Western understanding. Spicy foods include garlic, ginger, and onion sets; lemons, apples and kiwi fruit juices are considered acidic; coffee, tea and almonds are considered bitter; dates, rice and chicken are sweet, pork, mussels and salt are salty.
- Each taste joins a category: sour, bitter, and salty foods are yin, while spicy and sweet foods are yang; each taste is attached to a specific chi movement and is connected to a vital organ, so that foods with a particular taste are used to treat dysfunctions of the corresponding organ. Sweet foods are related to the stomach and therefore can be used to treat problems such as diarrhea).
chi movement
Chi is a Chinese term for the life force or energy that flows constantly in the body. There are different types of chi, the main ones are: innate chi, present in the body from birth; protective chi that surrounds the body; nutritious chi present in food. The balance, quantity and quality of an individual's chi depend primarily on the food and drink he consumes and the air he inhales. Other factors that can influence are changes in the seasons and climate, and the condition of the organs of the body that absorbs the chi.
How to Follow the Chinese Yin Yang Diet
The traditional Chinese yin yang diet includes a large proportion of neutral foods such as rice and cereals, and the diet according to the body size of the individual is properly balanced with yin and yang foods. Since food compensates for the excesses and deficiencies of the body in a specific way - and each individual has individual needs - some foodstuffs are considered harmful to one, while others are useful.
The first step, in choosing a Chinese diet, is to determine the individual's constitution. A person can be warm (yang) or cold (yin). The former must consume foods that contain cold or cool energy; on the contrary, people with a cold constitution should consume mainly foods containing warm or moderate energy. The diet should also adapt to climate change and seasons.
Types of constitution and foods recommended by the traditional Chinese yin yang diet.
Excessively yang
Fat, usually red-faced people who are usually hot, sweat a lot, are prone to hyperactivity, eat and drink immoderately.
Excessively yin
Obese people with insufficient respiratory capacity, who often have cold extremities, move slowly, are often puffy, edematous and sleep a lot.
little yang
Thin, sleepy people, tired and pale, cold, with a soft and low voice, prone to suffer from chronic diseases, especially in winter.
little yin
Thin people, with dark facial skin, dry skin, warm body and with a tendency to low body temperature.
Featured Foods:
Excessively yang
White fish, duck, rabbit, wheat, couscous, barley, millet, green beans, peas, soybeans, tofu, salads, spinach, beets, zucchini, lemons, pears, apples, tangerines, watermelon and grapes.
Excessively yin
Onions, garlic, ginger, cloves, carrots, celery, dill, lamb, veal, chicken, buckwheat, millet, chestnuts, dry fruits, cherries, figs.
little yang
Garlic, green onions, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, eggplant, carrots, celery and boiled cabbage, pumpkin, spinach, leeks, potatoes, oats, peanuts, wheat, corn, rice, soybeans, millet, warm milk, goose, chicken , honey, sea molluscs, chestnuts, dry fruits, cherries, grapes, figs.
little yin
Eggplants, beets, cucumber, spinach, salads, mushrooms, cow's milk, eggs, river fish, crayfish, shrimp, quail, duck, lemons, figs, tangerines, papaya fruits, pears, apples, mangoes, melons and grapefruits.
Foods to avoid:
Excessively yang
Butter, cream, all meat products, boiled eggs, cured meats, fatty cheeses, buckwheat, pasta, confectionery, garlic, onion, ginger, celery, black pepper, curry and dry fruits (seeds, nuts, etc.) .
Excessively yin
Raw salads, cucumber, tomato, cressalat, eggplant, seaweed, rhubarb, butter, milk, cheese, pork, rabbit, duck, wheat, barley, oats, peanuts, grains and sunflower oil, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, watermelon, melon , pear and mango.
little yang
Raw salads, carrots and cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, cold milk, egg white, beans, peas, oranges, pineapple, grapefruit and watermelon.
little yin
Cloves, cinnamon, peppers, carrots, leeks, buckwheat, apricots, chestnuts, grapes, scrambled eggs, turkey, pheasant, lamb, dry fruits (seeds and nuts), coffee, wine, alcohol and vinegar.
Yin Yang diet, you haven't decided yet, maybe try to eat like it's done in the east... determine your yin or yang! We advise you to familiarize yourself with other diets that we provide to your attention, they will help you achieve your goal.
Yang is a term of the Eastern philosophical school, which denotes the masculine principle in the dualistic concept of cosmogony. Simply put, all the energies and forces of the universe can be correlated to two halves of a single whole.
Yang represents the male pole in the balance of power. This theory expresses the general connection of things and phenomena in the world. Yang products in the human body are converted into male energy. A person, as a converter, transforms the energy contained in products to meet his needs.
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Strong Yang Foods are:
Buckwheat, wheat, millet, rice, corn, potatoes, apples, bananas, strawberries, mulberries, dill, carrots, parsley, turnips, radishes, pumpkins, peas, watercress, curly cabbage, endive, valerian, onion, lettuce , leeks, dandelions, caviar, anchovies, sardines, herring, lobster, shrimp, lobster, tuna, catfish, pheasant, chickens, partridge, turkey, pigeon, lamb, eggs, sheep cheese, Roquefort cheese, apples, chestnuts, sea salt , gentian, chicory, horseradish, saffron, sage, rosemary, chamomile, wormwood, thyme, green tea, rosehip, ginseng.
When using Yang products, we compensate for the excess of Yin, normalize metabolism. Yang products predominantly grow underground. Yang products are characterized by high sodium content. These products are called "hot" and are recommended to be consumed in the cold season. These are accumulating, accumulating heat products - they have a warming effect.
Yang foods are hard, red, bitter, salty. Products Yang is a smaller bird, flying high; the fish is more mobile, fast swimming; nuts and seeds are less oily; dairy products are less fatty; fruits are relatively small; lean meat, red.
Yang products treat Yin diseases: anemia, hemophilia, glaucoma, cancer, polio.
Balancing between Yang-Yin foods is the science of nutrition.
