Yin and Yang diet

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In order to achieve good health and well-being, one must follow the universal principle of Yin and Yang. Hot and spicy foods are typical yang qualities, whereas cool and soft foods represent yin. There are also neutral foods like white rice, in which yin and yang are balanced. In addition, yin and yang will combine if five specific ways resulting in what Taoism calls the 5 Elements: wood (the resulting energy is expansive); water (the resulting energy is sinking); fire (energy will raise); metal (energy is compact); and finally, earth or balancing energy. Different foods will show some of those qualities:


Wood...wheat, chicken, yogurt.
Fire...lamb, melon, ginger.
Earth...rye, beef, milk, green tea.
Metal...rice, tofu, mandarin orange.
Water...fish, lemon, olive.

Therefore our diet needs to bear in mind correct food combinations according to our blood type as well as the season and the day/night factor.

Mantak Chia (a follower of the southern school of Complete Reality Taoism) has elaborated a very good menu outlining most of the foods found today in a Western supermarket and their application using the Five Elements Theory:

5 Elements Menu

One must keep in mind that a yin & yang diet should be tailored to each individual's constitution. An excess of either yin or yang will result in the individual becoming overweight; whereas, a deficiency of either yin or yang leads to becoming underweight. People with an excess of yin tend to have shortness of breath, move slower, are heavy sleepers and retain fluids. Those with an excess of yang tend to sweat excessively, feel hot, are hyperactive, and tend to overeat and drink excessively. These people should eat more yin foods and less yang foods.