My Healing Journey Part 5/5 | Let thy food be thy medicine
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 21 hours ago
The ancient principles of Yin and Yang are universal principles that encompass all aspects of existence, far more exhaustive in scope than I will cover here. So to keep it simple, we'll focus on food, and how foods affects our organs.*
Yin and Yang are opposite and complementary forces in the Universe. For example: the sky is Yin, expansive, moveable and light; the earth is Yang, contracted, solid and heavy. Like the carrot root and greens analogy in Part 2.
All foods contain some yin and yang, and some are more of one or the other. Root veggies are more yang (contracted), compared to leavy greens which are more yin (expanded). Meat is more yang (dense, solid, more protein and sodium), compared to fruits which are more yin (higher water content, less dense, less protein and sodium).
As you can see from the chart above, a diet high in yang foods at the end of the spectrum (eggs, salt, and meat) is balanced by the other end of the spectrum, yin foods (alcohol, sugar, spices, and tropical foods). The middle balance point of the spectrum is whole grains, beans and vegetables, with occasional fish. This is what macrobiotics recommends. This is also the foundation of foods eaten by people in the Blue Zones.
Tropical fruits and vegetables have a higher water and sugar content than temperate climate fruits. They thin our blood and dilate blood vessels, creating expansion in our organs and tissues. Too much yin foods can weaken our blood and organs.
In excess, Yang creates heaviness or contraction, and makes us crave Yin to balance. For example too much salty foods (yang) makes you thirsty and crave sweets (yin). Meat and bacon are yang, low in water and fiber content, and higher in fat, sodium and protein. This can be hard on the liver and intestines. If you are eating a diet high in bacon, eggs and meat, you likely crave and benefit from tropical foods and fruits to balance.
To much heavy Yang foods bogs down our organs, which may lead to heavy emotions and thoughts, and creates the craving for Yin. Over doing Yin foods does the opposite, which in excess can make us feel scattered and ungrounded. Leading us to crave more Yang. And so goes the see-saw.
My self-sabotaging behavior, consuming excess alcohol and drugs (extreme Yin), was in great part due to my high meat and egg consumption (extreme Yang).
This is what causes the see saw: when we are eating foods from the extremes, and not consuming enough foods from the center.
That said, it's important to remain flexible and allow for certain Yin foods that aren't indigenous to our environment, whose benefits outweigh their detriments, such as tomatoes, lemons, avocados, olives, and olive oil to name a few.
Christina Pirello's story* is one that continues to inspire me. I met her and her husband at the Kushi Institute in 1991 when they came to attend a Spiritual Development Seminar I was also attending. Christina sat next to me and during breaktime got to chatting often. She had terminal cancer, leukemia, and by universal luck was introduced to and followed the advice of a macrobiotic counselor, Robert Pirello. He became her husband and partner in a very successful business of cooking shows and cookbooks.
We are what we eat. Literally. The quality of our food is creating the quality of our cells. Food is the building blocks of our blood, organs, emotions, cravings, thoughts and perspective.
As our blood quality improves, our organs literally rejuvenate at the cellular level. We can transform our health.
Organs are replenished at the cellular level in different time frames. Blood platelets take 10 days, while red blood cells 70-120 days. Our gut lining regenerates in 4-7 days, and liver cells in 150 days.
By most people's accounts, I've eaten a narrow restrictive diet for many years. Because of that, any time I add something new or different, I feel the effect: joints become more inflamed, certain meridians get flared up and ache, or my sinuses and/or chest are more congested the next morning, and my bowel movements are different.
Now that doesn't mean I'll abolished that food item altogether. If it's something I really enjoy, I'll just have it less often.
What works for me may not work for you. I encourage you to discover for yourself. Notice when you eat certain foods how you feel after, how well you sleep that night, and feel the next day, including your bowel movements.
This kind of cooking takes time and energy. In my case, I feel that it's worth the time and effort. It saved my life - emotionally and physically.
Macrobiotic Cooking for a Healthy Heart, Mind & Body
Learn to make a complete balanced meal to boost your immunity, detox your blood and organs, and nourish your heart and soul!
Gingered Vegetable Miso Soup with Wakame & Tofu, Brown Rice, Adzuki Beans & Buttercup Squash, Arame Sea Vegetables with Carrots & Onions, Oriental Cabbage Quick Pickles, Steamed Broccoli with Lemon Miso Tahini Dressing.
*Resources for Further Reading:
Hunza Indians:
Blue Zones:
Michio Kushi Books:
Christina Pirello
Comments