When we feel overweight, nervous, stressed or lazy it usually means that there isn't an equilibrium between our yin and our yang. Equilibrium means a physical, mental and spiritual well-being, which allows us to be healthy in a harmonious way. How can we reach this state of harmony though? There are many diverse roads to follow in order to achieve this, but one that is key is choosing the correct foods to consume. Learning to eat in a well thought out way can lead you to a life of health, energy and vitality. A compass that can guide us in reasoned way of eating can be distinguishing between Yin and Yang foods. According to ancient Chinese philosophy, the universe is formed by elements whose polarity complements each other, where the Yin in the female form and the Yang is the male form: Day and Night, Hot and Cold, Light and Dark etc.. By trying to recognize this dualism and this energy in every phenomenon of our existence, we can integrate ourselves with the universal law, improving our well-being.
Every food, just like every thing on the planet is subject to this law of opposite polarities where some are more Yin and some are more Yang. The Yin energy is a cold kind of energy, that moves upwards and outwards while the Yang Energy is a warm energy that moves downwards and inwards. By knowing which foods are Yin, which are Yang and which have a balance in them we can regulate the way we eat in light of health conditions, age, athleticism, climate in which we live and especially the way or inner Yin and Yang are balanced. Alcohol, Colourants, Ice Cream, Spices, Coffee, Fruit, Dairy, Vegetable Oils, Tofu, Vegetables, Water and Cereal are examples of Yin foods while Buckwheat, Fish, Seafood, Meat, Seasoned Cheese, Cured Meats, Eggs and Salt are all examples of Yang Foods. A food that is well balanced with both Yin and Yang is Brown Rice. Both Yin and Yang foods if consumed in an unbalanced way can tire us and damage our body. An excess of Yin energy can tire us but if balanced it can relax us while an excess of Yang energy on the other hand can create tension, but if balanced can be energetic. A diet based on foods like vegetables, cereal, season fruit, brown rice buckwheat and fish can strengthen our health.
Sometimes, foods with higher energetic charges such as ice-cream, eggs, coffee and cured meats can be consumed, but in a balanced way. Salt is a very Yang kind of food and must be consumed with moderation, a bit of everything should be eaten, but the extremes of each food group shouldn't be consumed too frequently because they bring can unbalance our inner harmony. There are three main guidelines that should be followed: cereals and pasta should be unrefined, fruit should be in season and two litres of water should be consumed during the day, away from meals. Because of its efficiency and simplicity, the Yin and Yang diet is suggested to cleanse and purify our organism and is often advised by Bio Spas, Wellness Centres and Beauty Farms.
