A diet that will help you live to be 120 years old. Principles of nutrition according to the Yin-Yang theory

A diet that will help you live to be 120 years old. Principles of nutrition according to the Yin-Yang theory

Let’s understand the secrets of Chinese long-livers.

General practitioner, ex-director of the Hillel Foundation in Saratov

“The Yin-Yang theory is the theoretical basis of traditional Chinese medicine. It is a way to understand and explain the natural world, including health and nutrition. It is about the various practices of folk, non-traditional medicine, which consists in treating various conditions with food rather than medication.

Let’s look at the basic principles of such a diet. But we do not recommend using any of this information for self-treatment. The article is of an introductory nature. For detailed medical advice, please consult your physician”.

The Energy of Food

The rules of Chinese traditional therapy are described by Dr. Hsiao-Chi Chang in his paper. This analysis provides a better understanding of the cultural aspects of the medical knowledge that has survived. PRC healers define food energy as cold, cool, neutral, warm and hot. Cool and cold are Yin (feminine) foods, and warm and hot are Yang (masculine) foods.

Energy of body constitution

Knowing your body type and the energy of foods is essential to eating a balanced diet.

If there is more Yin than Yang in the body, it is a cold season where there is more Yin outside. A person should eat more warm Yang foods to achieve balance. Conversely – if there is more Yang in the body during a hot season with lots of outside warm energy, one should eat more Yin food.

When the Yin-Yang of the body is in balance, the person is healthy, more resistant to illness and external problems. For example, a cold has a lot of cold energy. Therefore, eating crab can weaken the body more by shifting the balance. At the same time, eating cold crab with hot ginger has a neutralizing effect.

Food and Medicine

In Chinese culture, there is no clear separation between medicine and food, as they are based on the use of plant products – grains and vegetables in food, and herbs in medicine.

Of course, Peking cabbage and rice are inapplicable for treating diseases, and ginseng cannot be eaten. But there are products that can be attributed to two categories at once. For example, ginger and Chinese date (unabi).

How ginger works, we can see on the example of treating a cold. We remember that it is a hot product, and during a cold we lack warm Yang energy. According to adherents of traditional medicine, the cause of this disease is the cold wind, which penetrates the body and weakens it.

Ginger is crushed and added two cups of water with a little brown sugar, boil for 10 minutes. This solution is drunk warm, the patient is wrapped in an extra blanket and allowed to sweat well. It is advisable to sleep, after waking up the symptoms of the disease should pass.