Fruit: apple, apricot, avocado, banana, lemon, lime, mango, mulberry, pear, persimmon, pineapple, pomegranate, watermelon. Beans: adzuki, black beans, black soya, kidney, lima, mung. Bean Products: tofu. Nuts and seeds: coconut milk, sesame seed, black sesame seed, walnut.
Soy products such as tofu and beansprouts, crab (such as the Shanghai hairy crab), most fruits, and vegetables such as watercress, cucumbers, carrots and cabbage are considered yin foods.
Yin foods include asparagus, cucumbers, tomatoes, bananas, watermelon, tropical fruits, raw fruits and vegetables, soy products, many types of seafood and pork. They are bitter, salty and light. They are also 'cooling' on the body.
Yin/Cool: Millet, barley, wheat, buckwheat, eggplant, cucumber, celery, peppermint, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard leaf, spinach, amaranth, pea, mung bean, pear, cantaloupe, apple, pineapple, persimmon, coconut, strawberry, orange, tangerine, mango, papaya, green tea, tofu, mushrooms, egg white, sesame oil, ...
In Chinese medicine, avocados are cool in nature and are especially important to nourish yin, building blood, moisten the intestines, and creating healthy cervical mucus while also supporting breast milk in nursing mothers.
Root vegetables, such as beetroot, carrots and turnips, and tubers, such as potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes, are considered 'fresh'. Milk, yoghurt, light cheeses and eggs are also seen as yin, alongside some seafood such as oysters, mussels and all shellfish.
Yin deficiency can often be the result of prolonged stress levels and fatigue. A chronic disease, poor dietary habits, and sometimes genetics can also lead to a deficient yin. To keep bodily functions up and running, restoring yin balance becomes inevitable.
In Chinese medicine, mangoes are considered sweet and sour with a cooling energy and are known as a yin tonic.
Vegetarians and plant-based eaters tend to fall under the "yin" category. Yin bodies tend to gravitate toward — and benefit from — warming, hearty "hot" yang foods, which include: stews and soups, cooked root vegetables, baked winter squash, baked tofu, boiled spinach, oatmeal, quinoa, and buckwheat.
According to Chinese medicine, honey has a balanced character (neither Yin nor Yang) and acts according to the principles of the Earth element, entering the lung, spleen and large intestine channels.
According to traditional Chinese Medicine, wild salmon is a wonderful source for nourishing the yin and blood. Yin is an element in the body which moistens and cools, it can occur as a substance such as tears or cervical fluid, or it can be insubstantial in the form of energy.
Coffee is warming, drying, bitter, and sweet. It's a stimulating herb (duh), so it's associated with Yang energy. It has the action of stimulating the movement of Liver Qi, and purging the gallbladder.
Food recommended by Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Chia seeds and seeds in general have a downward movement in the body (think seeds planted into the earth) and can help bring all that anxious energy down to nourish the yin and calm the mind. Goji Berries: believed to nourish the blood and yin.
Here are some examples of cooling (Yin) foods: Cooling meats: duck, pork, egg. Cooling grains: millet, barley,wheat. Cooling vegetables: celery, broccoli, spinach, napa cabbage.
Symptoms of too much Yin and not enough Yang are: feeling cold, not thirsty, low energy, edema, frequent urination, looses stools, and slow pulse.
Foods to avoid
It is important to ensure that stimulating foods are not being consumed, as these will only further depleate yin. Caffeine, alcohol, sugar and strong heating/ pungent spices all belong in this category.
A few examples of yin foods include white sugar, white processed breads, pastas and pastries, soft cheeses, watermelon, apples and green beans. There is ample information on Chinese yin yang food therapy online; a simple search will produce numerous resources.
Each type of tea has a certain predictable effect on the body under certain circumstances. Green, white and puer Sheng teas are oxidized very little and are refreshing by nature. They are therefore considered as Yin.
For example, if a patient comes to my clinic with a cold, clear mucus, and feeling weak or fatigued, the dietary recommendation would be for them to incorporate more yang foods, like animal protein, nuts and seeds, avocado, and red onion.
Avocados are fruits which are a rich source of mono saturated fatty acids. This element helps in eliminating heat from the body and reduce the level of toxins in the blood. It is easy to digest avocados which helps to lower the energy consumption in the body, keeping it cool and balanced.
Bringing balance to this body constitution requires cooling essences to counteract excess heat commonly found within a Yin Deficient body. Your new best friends are green teas, especially matcha, and also mint and the cooling florals of hibiscus.
Treatment for yin tonification
Drink thin fluids – water, herbal tea, clear soups and watery fruits. Some added salt in food (health permitting) to retain water. Some raw foods, especially vegetables (not in the evenings) to cool the body.
Some elements nourish each other and some elements control each other. Water is the most yin for example. It's slow, dark, and cold. Fire is the most yang.