by
Paul
BenhaimYin,
Yang
and
the
Five
Elements
The Taoists offer a theory of balance. This tradition dates back to
the era of The Yellow Emperor, 2700 BC. Food is divided into
Four Energies (hot, warm, cool and cold) and Five Flavors (sweet,
bitter, sour, pungent and salty). The Taoist and the and the
Ayurvedic systems are proponents of the food combining rules,
and although developed over thousands of years quite separately
they have many similarities.
According to Taoist medicine, in the 5th Century AD hemp
was mixed with ginseng to predict the future.
The therapeutic effects of these two rules are as follows:
Cool: energetic, not physical, female (does not mean for
women only). These foods calm the vital organs and are good for
winter if salt is not ‘free salt’. Yin foods include soybeans,
watermelon, cabbage, pears. Morning & evening are the best
times for these warming (inside) foods. Chemical food additives
are said to be the extreme of yin. Foods with a high potassium
(such as bananas) to sodium ratio are usually yin. The most yin
color of foods is violet. Larger foods that grow in wwarm climates
are usually yin.
Warm: energetic, not physical male yang foods stimulate
the vital organs. Yang foods transfer heat from inside to outside
having an overall cooling effect on the body. They are best eaten
in the middle of the day. Foods include miso, alcohol, chilies and
mangoes. Salt is the extreme yang food. Foods with a high
sodium to potassium ratio are usually yang. Red is the extreme
yang color foods.
Sweet: earth, foods that disperse stagnant energy,
promote circulation and harmonize the stomach. Sweet foods
include corn, dates, ginseng and liquorice.