Yang and Hot Body Type
The Yang and Hot body type tends to have a sturdy build and sensitivity to warm temperatures. Common characteristics of being Yang and Hot:
- Frequently feels hot
- Has a reddish complexion
- Mouth dryness
- Prefers cold drinks when thirsty
- Easily annoyed
- Bouts of insomnia
- Scanty urine of a dark color
- Hard stools
Possible herbal formulas: liver heat, kidney yin, flu heat, heartburn
Yang and Hot individuals are encouraged to eat more fruits and vegetables which are cooling in nature: carrot, banana, watermelon, persimmon, pear, grapefruit, lily bulb, mung bean, white fungus, bitter gourd, lettuce, bamboo shoot, kale, tomato, lotus root, laver, kelp, spinach and celery. Duck, jellyfish, and crab are proteins with cooling energy.
Yang and Hot individuals are advised to minimize intake of warming foods such as spicy and fried foods. Alcohol is pungent and hot in nature, so people with excessive yang should refrain from alcohol.
The criteria for selecting food according to body type is to balance the body's yin and yang. For example, if a person with a yang & hot body type (heat predominates in the body) eats cooling foods, the cold energy of the food is absorbed into the body and reduces the internal body heat. This helps to balance the body’s interior and overtime the physical constitution gradually becomes neutral.
The Chinese believe cooking food is an important process in aiding digestion. Cooking primarily makes food easier to absorb. Cooking also alters the nature of food so that it caters to individual needs.
Some basic rules in cooking:
- Use fresh, organic, and seasonal foods.
- Prepare and blend foods and recognize the need for an energetic balance.
- Cook food lightly and serve warm to make digestion easier.
- Steaming, poaching, and boiling makes food more yin.
- Deep-frying, stir-frying, and roasting make food more yang.
In reality it is difficult to classify a person as being one specific body type. Individuals are usually a blend of two types. For example, a person might be a blend of cold and dry; damp and hot; or cold and deficient. You should always mix different flavors and energies according to your needs when planning a balanced diet. Eating properly for your constitution is a conscious process of shifting to a more balanced diet. The shift will not restrict your diet. You may give up or limit some foods, but you may also discover a whole variety of foods that you have never tried before.
If you want to learn more, you may schedule an appointment with a TCM doctor to guide you with Chinese dietary advice, which is not limited to only Chinese recipes but inclusive of all ethnic cuisines.
