Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the importance of eating more during the day when Yang energy is strong and the body is active. In the evening, when Yang energy declines, it is better to eat less. It is recommended to have meals at specific times each day to ensure that the digestive process functions normally and the spleen and stomach can effectively absorb nutrients.
Eating habits should be moderate. Consuming a large amount of food at once can overwork the spleen and stomach, making them vulnerable. Conversely, eating too little can weaken the body due to a lack of essential nutrients.
Here are some dietary principles for your reference:
1. Balance the Five Flavors: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that each flavor affects the body in a unique way:
– Sour (such as plums, pomegranate): reduces sweating and urination.
– Spicy (such as ginger, onion, garlic, chili): promotes Qi circulation, invigorates blood, disperses cold.
– Sweet (such as honey, various grains, noodles): nourishes the body.
– Bitter (such as dried tangerine peel, bitter melon): detoxifies, clears heat, nourishes blood, and descends Qi.
– Salty (such as salt, seaweed): alleviates constipation, promotes bowel movement, nourishes Yin and blood.
By properly coordinating these flavors, meals can be delicious, nutritious, and contribute to health balance. Overemphasis on one flavor can be detrimental to the internal organs.
2. Combine Foods Wisely:
– Use a complementary food to enhance the effect of the main food.
– Combine foods to mutually enhance each other’s effectiveness.
– Pair foods so that one can mitigate the potential harm of another.
– Avoid combining foods that are mutually incompatible.
3. Harmonize Cold and Hot Foods:
Combining cold and hot foods is a way to balance Yin and Yang in food preparation. For spicy hot foods, add greens, white cabbage, or bamboo shoots to nourish Yin. For cold foods like duck or chicken, add warming spices such as garlic, star anise, pepper, and ginger.
Additionally, individuals with a weak constitution or Yin deficiency should consume foods that nourish Yin, such as sesame, honey, milk, leafy vegetables, fruits, tofu, and fish. Those with Yang deficiency should focus on Yang-nourishing foods such as goat meat, deer, and elk.
4. Eat According to Seasonal Weather:
In spring, when Yang energy is strong, the body’s Yang energy also increases. It is advisable to consume more Yang-enhancing foods like onions, herbs, and porridge. Limit fatty foods, reduce sour flavors, and increase sweet flavors to nourish the spleen Qi.
During the hot and rainy summer, hot Qi can easily invade the body, leading to loss of appetite and reduced digestive capacity. To protect Yang energy, consume foods with moderate sourness and sweetness such as mung beans, watermelon, and plums; avoid oily dishes and limit spicy and sweet flavors. Refrain from consuming excessive cold or iced foods, as they can lead to abdominal cold, causing pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
In winter, when the weather is cold, it is important to eat more protein. When cooking, add warming spices like chili, pepper, and ginger. Avoid frozen or hard foods as they belong to Yin and can harm the Yang energy of the spleen and stomach. However, do not overeat to prevent stagnation of Yang energy, which can lead to heat accumulation.
Dr. Bạch Long
