Guest guest Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 It's summer when all sort of fruit is available & I love lychees. I was told that they're very yang in effect - much more than many other foods. Is this true? They're so sweet, juicy, & tasty that I find it hard to imagine them yang. Garlic, onions, lamb, etc I can see but not something like lychee. I've also heard that mangosteen is very yin but they're horribly expensive here although I love their taste. No wonder they're called the 'queen of fruits'. I'd like to know about a few other fruits that I'm going to list. If someone could let me know, I'd appreciate it. It seems that most of my favourite foods tend to be yang. Some good yin fruits like melons, cucumbers, & pears, I don't really care for. In fact, melons turn my stomach - no idea why. Here's my list (I'll keep it fairly short) - oranges strawberries cherries custard apple (also called sweetsop or cherimoya - at least all are related) rambutten longyan banana (which I swear off in summer due to its ability to attract mosquitoes to me) I'm already been assured that blueberries are very yin. I hope this is true as I can eat them every day, day & day & never tire of them. I still tend toward & yin deficiency & should eat more yin foods. But I've never found a good source of what each food is & many places that seem to disagree. (I'm aware of how cooking or preparation can change these qualities too but for most of these, I'm asking about eating raw since they're fruit.) Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Hi, Judy: Well, it's been lychee season in China for a month or more, depending upon location (there's a longer season in the south of China). While lychees are delicious, plentiful and fairly inexpensive, Chinese tend to minimize the number of lychees they eat. The reason is, they say, that lychees " shang huo " or cause fire - ie, they are too Yang. Even so, I allow myself a few once a week or so. There are a number of such foods, especially in the south and southwest of China. For example, the Cantonese eat fairly bland food without spices, since they live in China's hottest climate. Early this year I spent a few days in Chong Qing, the large metropolis of Sichuan (Schwezwan) Province, where I ate the local spicy hot pot of vegetables and lamb. Within a few days I developed a large boil on my lower back which quickly became infected and took a month to heal. " Shang huo " causes such skin inflammations in China and many fear them. Perhaps someone here knows of an authoritative source on Yin and Yang foods. The Chinese themselves seem quite clear on this, and many of the foods found in the west are found in China. Maybe the trouble arises when Yin and Yang labels are attached to foods that are not found in China? Kind regards, Jack --- Judy Wilkins <isomorphix wrote: > It's summer when all sort of fruit is available & I > love lychees. I was told that they're very yang in > effect - much more than many other foods. Is this > true? They're so sweet, juicy, & tasty that I find > it hard to imagine them yang. Garlic, onions, lamb, > etc I can see but not something like lychee. > > I've also heard that mangosteen is very yin but > they're horribly expensive here although I love > their taste. No wonder they're called the 'queen of > fruits'. I'd like to know about a few other fruits > that I'm going to list. If someone could let me > know, I'd appreciate it. It seems that most of my > favourite foods tend to be yang. Some good yin > fruits like melons, cucumbers, & pears, I don't > really care for. In fact, melons turn my stomach - > no idea why. > > Here's my list (I'll keep it fairly short) - > oranges > strawberries > cherries > custard apple (also called sweetsop or cherimoya - > at least all are related) > rambutten > longyan > banana (which I swear off in summer due to its > ability to attract mosquitoes to me) > > I'm already been assured that blueberries are very > yin. I hope this is true as I can eat them every > day, day & day & never tire of them. I still tend > toward & yin deficiency & should eat more yin foods. > But I've never found a good source of what each food > is & many places that seem to disagree. (I'm aware > of how cooking or preparation can change these > qualities too but for most of these, I'm asking > about eating raw since they're fruit.) > > Judy > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > ______________________________\ ____ Get the toolbar and be alerted to new email wherever you're surfing. http://new.toolbar./toolbar/features/mail/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 See? That spicy lamb dish you described sounds so good! I love lamb & know it's quite yang. Good thing I love pork too as it's yin. I've backed off eating the garlic, ginger, peppers, onions, & other very yang foods I used to. Still have them but in moderation. I don't know why but so many yang foods taste just so good to me. I'll put the few lychees I bought in the fridge & just eat one or two at a time, spaced over a week or so. Even though Cantonese cooking is blander, they still use lots of onions, garlic & ginger, don't they? When I was younger, I lived in Vancouver & there was a lot of the real Cantonese back alley restaurants that Chinese people went to & I used to also. I learned how to cook Chinese food then & found that onions, garlic & ginger often flavoured many foods. Toasted sesame seed oil was added most times for a bit of extra flavour & I was told it's yang too. I guess I just need to cultivate more of a taste for yin foods. At least I like most foods lightly steamed rather than fried or greasy. Thanks for answering, Jack. Judy On Friday 06 July 2007 8:46:02 pm Jack Sweeney wrote: > Hi, Judy: > > Well, it's been lychee season in China for a month or > more, depending upon location (there's a longer season > in the south of China). > > While lychees are delicious, plentiful and fairly > inexpensive, Chinese tend to minimize the number of > lychees they eat. The reason is, they say, that > lychees " shang huo " or cause fire - ie, they are too > Yang. > > Even so, I allow myself a few once a week or so. > > There are a number of such foods, especially in the > south and southwest of China. For example, the > Cantonese eat fairly bland food without spices, since > they live in China's hottest climate. > > Early this year I spent a few days in Chong Qing, the > large metropolis of Sichuan (Schwezwan) Province, > where I ate the local spicy hot pot of vegetables and > lamb. > > Within a few days I developed a large boil on my lower > back which quickly became infected and took a month to > heal. " Shang huo " causes such skin inflammations in > China and many fear them. > > Perhaps someone here knows of an authoritative source > on Yin and Yang foods. The Chinese themselves seem > quite clear on this, and many of the foods found in > the west are found in China. > > Maybe the trouble arises when Yin and Yang labels are > attached to foods that are not found in China? > > Kind regards, Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Hi Jack, Ouch! But let me take a stab at this.... > Early this year I spent a few days in Chong Qing, the > large metropolis of Sichuan (Schwezwan) Province, > where I ate the local spicy hot pot of vegetables and > lamb. > > Within a few days I developed a large boil on my lower > back which quickly became infected and took a month to > heal. " Shang huo " causes such skin inflammations in > China and many fear them. Szechuan: semi-tropical, so likely hot weather. Lamb: very warming (strong yang), Metal element. Spicy: Metal element. I wonder if you had a case of excessive Metal and excessive heat. " Metal generates Water " , so kidney energy went up, which may explain the location of the boil, and the infection can be blamed on the excessive heat. > Perhaps someone here knows of an authoritative source > on Yin and Yang foods. > Maybe the trouble arises when Yin and Yang labels are > attached to foods that are not found in China? To me, classifying foods strictly in terms of yin and yang tells only half the story -- or one fifth, to be precise. I'd want to know which Element they belong to as well. Many, many foods can be classified accurately from the location and climate they grow in, taste, colour, observed effect on the body, etc. (This is something we discuss at length in our yearly publication, " The Chinese Almanac " .) I'd imagine that some of the books that discuss food in the context of Five-elements theory have good classification tables. Be well! Ariel ------ Ariel Frailich Ginseng Press, publisher of " The Chinese Almanac " http://www.ginsengpress.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Hi Judy, Classifying foods strictly in terms of yin and yang isn't enough; it's also important to know which of the Five elements it belongs to. For example, lamb is warming, therefore yang, as you mentioned, but it's also Metal, which means it has a drying effect. The same is true for garlic, ginger, peppers and onions. These are used in Cantonese cooking precisely because of their drying effect, since Canton is a very humid region. The extra heat they generate (since they're yang) is usually balanced with something cooling (often the main ingredient itself is cooling, so no need to add a balancing ingredient -- seafood is typical). Another example is sweet and sour dishes; the sourness balances the sweetness. You don't find too many sweet main dishes in Cantonese cuisine because sweetness generates dampness. I have no idea why lychees are yang. They grow in warm weather and climates and they're sweet (also a little tart), so they should be primarily cooling (yin) and belong to the Earth element. Most foods can be readily classified from their main characteristics, but there are exceptions; maybe lychee is one of these. Toasted sesame oil is interesting. Oil belongs to the Water element, so it's very yin, very cooling. Toasting it makes it bitter, which is Fire -- yang, warming. But it's still oil -- you can't change its nature -- so my guess is that it's closer to being neutral than to anything else. Hope I didn't confuse you even more! :-) Take care, Ariel ------ Ariel Frailich Ginseng Press, publisher of " The Chinese Almanac " http://www.ginsengpress.com On Jul 7, 2007, at 0:33, Judy Wilkins wrote: > See? That spicy lamb dish you described sounds so good! I love lamb > & know > it's quite yang. Good thing I love pork too as it's yin. I've > backed off > eating the garlic, ginger, peppers, onions, & other very yang foods > I used > to. Still have them but in moderation. I don't know why but so many > yang > foods taste just so good to me. > > I'll put the few lychees I bought in the fridge & just eat one or > two at a > time, spaced over a week or so. > > Even though Cantonese cooking is blander, they still use lots of > onions, > garlic & ginger, don't they? When I was younger, I lived in > Vancouver & there > was a lot of the real Cantonese back alley restaurants that Chinese > people > went to & I used to also. I learned how to cook Chinese food then & > found > that onions, garlic & ginger often flavoured many foods. Toasted > sesame seed > oil was added most times for a bit of extra flavour & I was told > it's yang > too. > > I guess I just need to cultivate more of a taste for yin foods. At > least I > like most foods lightly steamed rather than fried or greasy. Thanks > for > answering, Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Hi, Ariel: Yes, that sounds possible. I had eaten hot pot in Wuhan for a month prior to that visit, and the stew was made from genuine ingredients imported from Sichuan. No problems then. The other factor Chinese talk about is the local water and soils composition, with the idea that each province or region of China has its own special climate and conditions, so certain foods would be classified as Yin or Yang (or perhaps one of the Five Elements as you suggest) and cause the skin eruptions. I'd never experienced " shang huo " (excessive Yang) in four years in China until that trip. Usually I eat fruits whenever it pleases me. Another fruit Chinese mention (especially in Guangxi and Guangdong in the south) are the small Mandarin oranges and tangerines. Many locals fear of them for the same reason, but they have never given me trouble and I've eaten as many as I desired. Kind regards, Jack --- Ariel Frailich <ariel wrote: > Hi Jack, > > Ouch! But let me take a stab at this.... > > > Early this year I spent a few days in Chong Qing, > the > > large metropolis of Sichuan (Schwezwan) Province, > > where I ate the local spicy hot pot of vegetables > and > > lamb. > > > > Within a few days I developed a large boil on my > lower > > back which quickly became infected and took a > month to > > heal. " Shang huo " causes such skin inflammations > in > > China and many fear them. > > Szechuan: semi-tropical, so likely hot weather. > Lamb: very warming (strong yang), Metal element. > Spicy: Metal element. > > I wonder if you had a case of excessive Metal and > excessive > heat. " Metal generates Water " , so kidney energy went > up, > which may explain the location of the boil, and the > infection > can be blamed on the excessive heat. > > > Perhaps someone here knows of an authoritative > source > > on Yin and Yang foods. > > > Maybe the trouble arises when Yin and Yang labels > are > > attached to foods that are not found in China? > > To me, classifying foods strictly in terms of yin > and yang tells > only half the story -- or one fifth, to be precise. > I'd want to know > which Element they belong to as well. > > Many, many foods can be classified accurately from > the location > and climate they grow in, taste, colour, observed > effect on the > body, etc. (This is something we discuss at length > in our yearly > publication, " The Chinese Almanac " .) > > I'd imagine that some of the books that discuss food > in the context > of Five-elements theory have good classification > tables. > > Be well! > Ariel > > ------ > Ariel Frailich > Ginseng Press, publisher of " The Chinese Almanac " > http://www.ginsengpress.com > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > ______________________________\ ____ Get the free toolbar and rest assured with the added security of spyware protection. http://new.toolbar./toolbar/features/norton/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Hi Jack, > I had eaten hot pot in > Wuhan for a month prior to that visit, and the stew > was made from genuine ingredients imported from > Sichuan. No problems then. Hmm... I looked up Wuhan's climate; it seems to be similar to that of Szechuan, so I'd theorize that either it wasn't as hot when you were there (because a bit earlier in the year), or that Wuhan is more humid (or was at that time), in which case the excessive Metal simply balanced the dampness and the heat kept you warm. Or the heat was kept in check by your consumption of fruit. Or, or, or... who knows, but I'm having fun playing detective :-) > The other factor Chinese talk about is the local water > and soils composition, with the idea that each > province or region of China has its own special > climate and conditions, so certain foods would be > classified as Yin or Yang (or perhaps one of the Five > Elements as you suggest) and cause the skin eruptions. Interesting! One part of me says wow, I want to know more. But another part of me questions. I learned that regional cuisines developed over time, with much trial and error, until combinations of ingredients that enhance, rather than diminish, health, were found, at which point specific recipes become established, with only minor variations from the 'standard'. But people don't generally know why a specific dish contains this specific ingredient or that specific ingredient; whatever explanations chefs have are theories about taste or something else. For example, a number of Cantonese dishes are made with a little piece of tangerine peel (which is removed before serving). Chefs may tell you that it enhances the flavour of the dish, but chances are that the real reason is that tangerine peel has a drying effect and thus protects against excessive dampness. You'll find tangerine peel in the Cantonese dim sum dish Ngau yuk kao (often called Ngau yuk shiu mai) -- steamed beef balls -- because beef has a moisturizing effect (Earth element) which isn't removed by steaming (and Canton is humid). Generally, you won't find it in fried beef dishes nor in, say, pork or seafood dishes. All this to tell you that I can't help but wonder whether the explanation about the local water and soil composition isn't pure speculation or perhaps misunderstanding. I learned that weather and climate are the main determinants (but of course soil conditions determine which plants are more -- or less -- likely to grow well in any given region. > I'd never experienced " shang huo " (excessive Yang) in > four years in China until that trip. Usually I eat > fruits whenever it pleases me. This, too, is a clue. Fruit is generally cooling (tends to grow in warm weather) and moisturizing (usually sweet, therefore Earth--damp). I'll bet that your fruit intake can be at least partly correlated to the local climate and the foods you eat, on a day-by-day basis. Perhaps you skipped the fruit after the lamb stew in Szechuan...? (Don't mind me, just playing detective again!) [A note for those who are reading this and are new to TCM: it's important to remember that individual needs have to be taken into account too. For example, people generally eat a fair bit of fruit to cool down in hot weather. Some people, however, have deficient Fire, which means that they get cold easily and therefore don't want much fruit. Conversely, people who have excessive Fire often need to eat fruit more frequently, even on cold winter days, to cool off.] > Another fruit Chinese mention (especially in Guangxi > and Guangdong in the south) are the small Mandarin > oranges and tangerines. Many locals fear of them for > the same reason, but they have never given me trouble > and I've eaten as many as I desired. Here, too, I have to wonder whether the explanation isn't speculation or misunderstanding, based on what I know about tangerine peel. As my teacher/ mentor points out, there is a lot of superstition in China too.... Anyway... thanks for reading and all the best! Ariel ------ Ariel Frailich Ginseng Press, publisher of " The Chinese Almanac " http://www.ginsengpress.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2007 Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 Well, if one tends to be yang deficient, then you could eat lots of lychees, yes? Maybe not too many, though, if they are considered a fruit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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