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Understanding Chinese Diet Methodology
How to eat healthy has long been one of the most perplexing mysteries facing the Western world. Although every few months sees the release of a new diet trend, our waistlines continue to become wider and wider and our health problems that are directly connected to poor eating habits have continued to increase. Perhaps that’s why some people are turning to Eastern thought for a dieting solution.
The Main Idea of the Chinese Diet
At the heart of Chinese diet methodology is the concept of the yin and yang. Yin and yang are opposites. They are often depicted in the Taijitu as black and white swirl that are combined harmoniously despite their stark differences. In Chinese philosophy, the yin is considered feminine and the yang is the masculine force. Again, both of these forces are meant to be in balance for the greatest success.
In the Chinese diet, the yin and yang are also very important.
The Role of Yin and Yang in Diets
Just as balance between yin and yang is desired in other aspects of life, so is it desired in the Eastern diet. For this reason, Chinese food is classified as one or the other of these dualities. For example, vegetables and fruits are associated with yin. Meat, on the other hand, is associated with yang.
Ideally, this means that individuals will eat a good balance of both yin and yang foods. You can find books written by Chinese doctors that will list all of the foods that are categorized as either yin or yang.
Understanding these categorizations is essential if you want to achieve true balance and harmony in your diet.
The Consequences of a Diet Lacking Balance
The Chinese people believe that most illnesses can be traced back to a lack of balance in the diet. For example, if you are feeling weak and tired too much that may mean you are eating too much of the yin foods.
Rheumatism can also be the effects of consuming too much yin foods. On the other hand, ulcers can be contributed to eating too much of the yang foods and if we consume too much yang in our body, the Chinese termed this as ‘heatiness’.
This idea is taken very seriously in China, particularly when someone in the family becomes ill. To help treat their sickness, soups based on yin and yang ingredients are often prepared and fed to the person who is suffering. Even when they are healthy, Chinese people do tend to pay careful attention to what they are consuming so that they may maintain this healthy balance in their diet.
Connections to the West
While some parts of the Chinese methodology may seem unusual to Westerners, many of the ideas are not as diametrically opposed as one might think. Even Western doctors suggest the key to a healthy lifestyle is eating a balanced diet. And isn’t chicken soup – the most often prescribed cure for the common colds by Western moms – basically a soup created from yin and yang ingredients?
By paying more attention to the foods we eat, we may also be able to obtain harmony and balance in our diets and that is they key to better health. The Chinese has discovered many ways to stay healthy by following their ancestors’ health philosophies, go to the official Asian Detox Secrets.
Read our previous entry about Atkins diet.