The Yin and Yang of Food

So I LOVE cooking! But there is one thing I enjoy almost as much as cooking, grocery shopping! I love going in with my list (yes it is necessary) and filling my cart with fresh veggies, fruits and whole grains!

I recently just went read through a chapter for my school (Integrative Nutrition) where I was studying the Yin and Yang of foods. The main focus was centered around cravings (don't we all have them) and I left the session wanting to share all of my new learning's with the world! Although cravings will be another blog post I wanted to share the root of where many come from.

Yin and Yang. Polar opposites. Gravity (Yang) and centrifugal force (Yin). They both work together whether we are aware or not. Up and down, in and out. This law translates into the food we eat, and our bodies take huge notice to this law!

YIN FOODS:

-White flour

-Milk, yogurt

-Alcohol

-Caffeine

YANG FOODS:

-Red meat

-Eggs

-Cheese

-SALT

As a society, eating the standard American diet, many eat both extreme YANG and YIN foods that are  highly processed, high in fats, salts and chemicals.  And because of this, it creates extreme imbalances in the body, creating cravings. If you are eating extreme Yang foods your body will crave extreme Yin foods.

 Over time, eating in such extremes will create symptoms like headaches, diabetes, cancer, and the number one killer in America, heart disease. Over time many people turn to over the counter drugs, less sleep, more stress. When did it become normal for us to take aspirin daily??)

The only way to lessen these cravings is to incorporate BALANCING FOODS into our diet.

-Leafy greens

-Whole grains

-Vegetables

-Some fish

-Fruits and nuts

THINK ABOUT THIS: When you have a diet full of balancing foods and eat them consistently you find yourself having more energy, sleeping better, having a balanced mood, less stress, AND YOU HAVE LESS CRAVINGS!

So back to shopping for food at the grocery. When you are looking for foods, keep in mind the balancing foods. I am not saying you must avoid the Yin and Yang (I love me some pizza on Friday nights which happens to be very Yang and salty!) but it will benefit your overall health and cut down your cravings if you base your diet around BALANCING FOODS.

Another way to speed up the cooking process is pre-washing and pre-cutting. Sometimes (wait all the time) I have things that happen unexpectedly and I need a quick meal (or else I know I am going straight to the nearest cafe) so when time is crunched, I have all of my food ready to go!

Here is a look at some Balancing foods with some yin and yang thrown in there too!

Top shelf: Cowboy caviar (recipe below) cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms.

2nd shelf: Carrots, kale, chives, parsley.

3rd shelf: Strawberries, red bell pepper, hummus, cheese.

4th self: Yogurt and eggs.

Have your veggies and fruits washed and ready to eat!

Sliced cabbage. Great to throw some stir fry, salads, or burritos!

Parsley. Great for adding flavor to anything!

Kale, I add this stuff to everything! Such a great super food filled with nutrients!

Apples, grapefruits, lemons, kiwis, watermelon and a ton of bananas (graham goes through these like crazy!)

Veggies and root vegetables. Yams, red potatoes, garlic, onions, avocados, and tomatoes!

Whole Grains! Pasta, pita pockets, couscous, and almonds (nuts and seed). I also always have shelled hemp seeds, and chia seeds to throw in anything and everything!

Need some inspiration? One of my favorite recipes (vegan) is the perfect option when preparing ahead of time so you can enjoy it over and over again without a ton of time in the kitchen.

 Pita Pockets filled with quinoa, cowboy caviar, and yams

 This took me about 10 minutes to put together and it was more than amazing! Slice and cut the yams and cook until tender. I had pre-cooked the quinoa, otherwise cook according to box (about 15 minutes).

RECIPE:

1 green bell pepper

4 vine tomatoes

1 onion (optional)

1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can of black eyed peas (drained and rinsed)

1 can of corn (drained and rinsed)

1-1 1/2 cups of your favorite Italian Dressing

Mix and ready to serve! This is a great salsa for dipping or you can add it to a salad, to rice or burritos like I did. Make it your own and have fun with these great flavors!