Yin and Yang Flashcards
Yin & Yang
• Yin and Yang is a Chinese concept of dualism and balance. It describes how opposite forces are distinct but also related and connected to one another.
•Yin Yang theory provides an accessible language for describing:
- The qualities of living beings and their environments.
- Patterns of health and disease.
- The properties of foods and other medicines.
Yin Qualities
Cold Moist Matter Contraction Descending Nourishing Water
Yang Qualities
Hot Dry Energy Expansion Rising Moving Fire
Yin & Yang Imbalance
- Good health is an expression of harmony between Yin and Yang. When out of balance, there is dis-ease.
- If Yin does not cool and nourish the body due to insufficient cooling, hydrating and nourishing foods (green veg, fruit, smoothies, soups), Yang may rise, leading to heat signs such as headaches, red face, nosebleeds, or irritability.
- When Yang does not warm and activate the body due to insufficient warming, drying and moving foods (stews, onion, garlic, spices), there may be signs of cold such as chills, tiredness, lethargy, poor circulation or oedema.
Yin Foods
- Yin foods are cooling, hydrating and nourishing. They are used to balance excess heat or dryness or to rebuild a system depleted by exhaustion or illness.
- Cooling yin foods include bitter, leafy greens, watery fruit and veg such as pear, melon, celery.
- Nourishing yin foods include soups, stews, broths, braised meats, dark leafy greens, fruit, yoghurt, honey, oyster, tempeh, nut milks, sesame.
Yang Foods
• Yang foods are warming , drying or moving.
They are used to balance excess cold or dampness.
• Warming foods and drinks include soups, stews, dahls, warm porridges, beef, lamb, stir fried or baked food, onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, warm water, herbal teas.
• Foods and spices that clear dampness include non gluten grains (dry roast then cook as a side to veg or tea), mushrooms, fennel seed or cinnamon tea, horseradish, black radish, ginger, seeds (mustard, cumin, cardamom , star anise), Szechuan pepper.
Excess Yang
Strong signs of heat such as very red face, migraines, rage or high blood pressure.
Deficient Yin
When Yin is deficient, Yang is not anchored, leading to moderate signs of heat such as low grade fevers or night sweats.
Excess Yin
Strong signs of cold such as a blue tongue or skin, stabbing pains or cramps.
Deficient Yang
When Yang doesn’t warm and activate the body, it leads to moderate signs of cold, i.e. diarrhoea, tiredness, lethargy.
Excess Yang: Sings and Symptoms
red face hypertension, anger headaches feeling hot thirst
Excess Yang: Tongue
red, possibly with yellow coating.
Excess Yang: Aetiolgy
stress
diet
acute inflammation.
Excess Yang: Avoid
sugar alcohol coffee black tea fizzy drinks red meats, hot spices fried or greasy food onion garlic processed foods.
Excess Yang: Eat
cooling ‘yin’ foods
bitter greens
watery fruit
melon,
Excess Yang: Lifestyle
Avoid stress, Strong exercise, hot yoga (yoga carried out in a hot room).
Consider moderate exercise i.e. walking, gentle yoga, Qi gong (Chinese system of gentle exercises and breathing).
Yang Definciency: Signs and symptoms
tired, chilly, pale,
loose stool with undigested food,
frequent pale urination, oedema, low libido, palpitations, lack of appetite.
Yang Deficiency: Tongue
pale, swollen , wet
Yang Deficiency: Aetiology
chronic illness, old age,
cold raw diet, chronic cold exposure
Yang Definciency: Avoid
raw foods, salads, cold drinks, smoothies.
Yang Deficiency: Eat
nourishing soups, stews, root veg, pumpkin,
whole grains, spices, warm water, herbal teas.
Yang Deficiency: Lifestyle
wrap up warm , avoid cold exposure, stress, overwork.
Take hot baths, use hot water bottles, moderate exercise, such as walking or Qi gong.
Excess Yin: Signs and Symptoms
sharp pains, cramps, pale / pale blue complexion,
feeling cold all the time, constipation.
Excess Yin: Tongue
blue, possibly with thick white coating.
Excess Yin: Aetiology
cold diet or chronic exposure to cold.
Excess Yin: Avoid
raw foods, salads, cold drinks, smoothies.
Excess Yin: Eat
warming soups, stews, broths, warm
water and herbal teas (e.g. ginger, cinnamon).
Excess Yin: Lifestyle
always stay warm, hot baths, hot water bottles.
Yin Deficiency: Signs and symptoms
low grade fever, dry throat at night, night sweats, weight loss, malar flush.
Yin Deficiency: Tongue
red , cracked, dry
Yin Deficiency: Aetiology
chronic illness, prolonged overwork, old age, anaemia.
Yin Deficiency: Avoid
sugar, alcohol, coffee, hot spices, fried food, onion, garlic.
Yin Deficiency: Eat
yin nourishing foods such as soups, stews, broths, braised meats, dark leafy greens, fruit, yoghurt, honey, oyster, nut milks, sesame.
Yin Deficiency: Lifestyle
sleep more , seek stillness.
Avoid strong exercise or excessive sexual activity.
Yin and Yang
- The Yin and Yang concept is the core of Chinese medicine.
- A healthy meal should achieve a balance of yin and yang.
- Yin and Yang are opposites, but not in absolute terms. Nothing is entirely Yin or Yang. E.g. raw foods are yin when compared to warm stews, but yang compared to ice cream
- Generally, foods are either more:
- YIN cool , contracting, cooling in property) or
- YANG warm , expanding, warming in property)
Yin Foods
The following are considered ‘Yin foods’:
• Cold and cooling foods.
• Plant foods in general. Foods with low calorific value such as fruit, green vegetables, seaweed.
• Wet or sweet foods are more yin.
• Refined foods are more yin, whilst also having less Qi.
• Raw food is generally more yin and better tolerated in the summer.
• Foods that grow in the spring & summer are generally cooling (yin) in quality and, therefore, should be eaten in season
. The nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, aubergines, bell peppers) and sweet tropical fruit are particularly yin.
Yang Foods
The following are consider ‘Yang foods’:
• Warm and warming foods.
• Foods with a higher calorific value including red meats. Meats, in general, are more yang than plant foods.
• Chocolate, tea, coffee and alcohol.
• Black pepper, ginger, chilli, onion, garlic.
• Most root vegetables are warming (yang) in quality and good to be eaten during autumn and winter.
• Fresh food has more yang energy, which also enhances the Qi , whereas processed or stale food has more yin energy (and weakens the Qi).
Yin and Yang: Noodles
- Noodles can sit in either category, according to whether they are made from rice or wheat.
- Rice grows in water so it is more yin ; wheat ripens in the sun so it is more yang than rice.
- As a general rule of thumb foods which are cool or naturally sweet are more yin.
Yin and Yang Relativity
- ‘Relativity’ is an important concept with Yin & Yang
- Although fish is generally considered ‘ yin’, it is not yin in relation to more ‘yin’ foods like raw vegetables.
- In comparison to raw vegetables, fish is ‘yang’
- Foods in the same family (e.g. fruit) can be more or less yang/yin sweeter is usually more yin . Bitter fruit can be less yin
- Different texts can give you different groupings of yin/yang for particular foods/drinks. Wine is considered yin by some and yang by others. The initial effects of wine can be warming/heating ‘yang’ but excessive use can create problems associated with excessive yin depression, numbness, lethargy, phlegm.
Yang conditions
- Caused by excess of animal products, hot spices or alcohol;
- e.g. acne, high blood pressure, migraines.
Yin Conditions
- Caused by excess of sugar, raw foods or not enough food;
* e.g. lethargy, anaemia, feeling cold.
Hot (Yang) Foods
Lamb
Red Chilli
Warm (Yang) Foods
Beef Duck Ginger Green Pepper Onion Peach Lychee Walnuts Peanuts Sunflower and Sesame seeds
Neutral
Chicken Pork Carrot Cauliflower Yam Pineapple Grapes Brown rice White rice
Cool (Yin)
Crab Prawns Broccoli Cabbage Celery Apple Orange Pear Mango Almonds Coconut Wheat flour
Cold (Yin)
Fish Mung beans Sprouts Cucumber Bananas Watermelon
Yin and Yang: Cooking
Cooking methods will alter the yin or yang nature of produce.
• Water has a cooling influence . So heating foods by steaming or boiling will not add ‘yang’ properties to foods as much as cooking by fire, baking or roasting , which will make foods hotter or more ‘
• Fish is generally considered cold (yin) as it spends much time in water. So it is usually cooked with ginger (yang) to warm up the dish & give it balance
• Juicing, blending, grinding and other processing generally increases the yin of foods.
