Diet for Health

Adam Newhouse
We are all part of the ever-unfolding cycle of two complementary forces: Yin and Yang. The force that keeps all things together in their proper shape and form is the Yang energy, the right hand of the Creative Principle. Yang forces, however, have their lifetime and cannot hold on forever. In the end, the cohesive pull of Yang energy will turn around into the swelling forces of Yin. The Yang will disappear into Yin, the other hand of the Creative Principle. Waiting a little longer, the Yin forces will turn around too, crystallizing back into Yang.
To stay healthy and alive, our bodies must maintain a particular ratio of Yin and Yang. By observation and experiments, we have determined that the overall ratio of 5 units of Yin to unit of Yang (5:1) is the optimal for most healthy people (we will call this ratio the “Critical Ratio”). To maintain our health, we must maintain the Critical Ratio. If we did nothing, we would disintegrate into complete Yinness and die.
To make things more interesting, various organs of our bodies will have different Yin and Yang ratios. In fact, some of our organs will be Yin and some will be Yang. If we interfere with those ratios, we will experience all sorts of diseases. Take the pancreas for example, a typical Yang organ which depends on a steady inflow of Yang energy. If we deliver too much Yin to our bodies on a consistent basis, the Yang forces of the pancreas may eventually succumb to the tension and the Yang organ will begin to swell up. As a result, the ability to produce insulin in response to increased sugar level in our bloodstream will be severely compromised.
One way to maintain the Critical Ratio is by a healthy diet. However, it is a most delicate matter because different foods will cause our bodies to be more Yin or more Yang, and do so in varying degrees. While the energy of cooked brown rice should provide us with the perfect Critical Ratio of 5:1, other foods may be overly Yin or Yang for us.
As a general rule, Yin and Yang extremes should be avoided for persons with diabetes. Not to worry! We can create all sorts of dishes with simple ingredients such as brown rice, beans and vegetables.
Maintaining Yin and Yang balance in cooking and food preparation, while of primary importance, is not the only thing to bear in mind. We must also remember about keeping secondary balances. First, we keep a proper balance of Acid and Alkali-producing foods. Second, we balance our food to be in tune with the seasons. And lastly, we eat whole foods whenever it is reasonable to do so.