Food Talk: Get Balance With Yin/Yang Foods!

Food and getting the balance!

There are a few things in life that we just can't avoid doing - and eating is one of them lol. We need food for fuel, energy and enjoyment! So why not make the most of it!

I've been re-thinking my food choices... and trying to break it down to a simple way of observing it... so I'll break it down to 2 main categories to ask your Self...

What is the energy of your food?

See full list of details on yin/yang foods here

"YIN and YANG foods can be further broken down into four categories -- cold, cool, warm and hot. These categories have nothing to do with the physical temperatures of the foods, but the energetic effect on the body. For example, Korean and Vietnamese people believe that eating dogmeat heats the body, so it would be considered a "hot" food even if it was eaten cold. As with YIN and YANG foods, the ideal is to stick to the middle. This is why Chinese loves stir-fry mixes of meat and vegetables together in the same dish -- a big range of foods ensures a healthy balance of cool, cold, warm and hot energies." [Source - link above]

Simple tip 1:
So, I've been working on choosing foods from either a neutral energy or a bit of both in the same dish...  The seasons also affect choices - During the hotter seasons, I think this may be the reason I tend to opt for "colder" foods to balance the heat, and the reverse in Winter where I add more "hotter" spices and foods. Find the balance of foods in the list so you keep it balanced in your energy levels and health!

"In trying to strike that perfect balance between Yin and Yang, think about your own constitution. Do you often feel hot and perspire? Or, are you a person that always seems to be cold and is very sensitive to changes in temperature? If the latter is true, you should opt for dishes that consist of warm or hot foods, and the reverse is true for one who often feels hot or thirsty." [source]

How acidic are your foods?

Just as above with the spectrum of foods from cold to hot, so is there a range of acid to alkaline foods that needs to be balanced for good energy and health! 

See full food chart and details here

"Research shows that unless the body's pH level is slightly alkaline, the body cannot heal itself. So no matter what means you choose to take care of your health, it won't be effective until the pH level is balanced. If your body's pH is not balanced, for example, you cannot effectively assimilate vitamins, minerals and food supplements. Your body pH affects everything.

Acidosis will decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, decrease it's ability to repair damaged cells, decrease it's ability to detoxify heavy metals, make tumor cells thrive, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness.

An acidic pH can occur from an acid-forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, and/or immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients. The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals. If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build up of acids in the cells will occur/" [Source - above link]

Simple tip 2:

Stick to foods that are mainly alkaline (see chart in above link) and if you are taking acidic foods, balance it out with a very alkaline food also.

Main Overview:

So yeah, it's that simple... keep it neutral in energy (more "hot" foods in Winter and "colder" foods in Summer) and add more alkaline foods and all is well lol!