A long life through balance in nutrition

How we can correct imbalances in our eating habits and thus prevent illness and restore well-being, also on a mental level.

Deutsche Version

A healthy and vital future lies in the right balance of food. The nutritional science of the Far East, which is based on the Yin/Yang principle and what is commonly known as macrobiotics, says that all diseases of the modern world are caused by the fact that 90% of the food of the so-called civilized countries has a predominant Yin character.

Even if we don’t eat an excessive amount of ready-made products or tinned food, we have lifted many things that were inaccessible to our ancestors – and if then at most as a luxury food – to the rank of main meals and consume an excessive amount of them.
So we consume sugar in drinks, sweets, pastries and desserts – all according to the motto „There is always room for ice cream“ or the temptation of cola being „a refreshing drink“. Already the manufacturer refines spinach with a dash of cream and we eat exotic fruits like bananas, mango, pineapple and avocado all year round. We demand that cheese should be melty, cereals should have a crunch and drinks should be fizzy.

This form of nutrition, which is often based exclusively on pleasure, has little to do with what we are supposed to eat and even less with balance. This not only leads to imbalance on a physical level, but also brings an overemphasis of Yin energies to the mind and spirit.
We see results of this in being influenced by advertising and the media, indecisiveness, changeability and moodiness, lack of concentration, lack of integrity, resistance and perseverance as well as lack of clarity in the inner world and in expressions with others.

The following list gives a vegetarian overview of what we should consume to restore balance. The list is vegetarian because the consumption of meat and fish in itself is much more yin than eating plant-based food.

The recommendation for a short term treatment or, if necessary a long lasting diet change is to only eat Yang food to restore the balance and afterwards to make sure that the diet (even if you eat an ice cream every now and then) will never be completely out of balance again.

Depending on their basic energy, foods can be moderate YANG, strongly YANG or very strong (extreme) YANG. The same applies to Yin foods. The following is an overview of vegetarian Yang foods without claim to completeness.

Cereals and cereal products

According to macrobiotics, this category of food belongs to the most Yang, because what we eat as grain is the seeds of the new plant. Seeds and kernels carry the whole plant in an extremely concentrated form and the plant unfolds through the Yang power of the seed, the kernel (the center) to full (expanded – Yin) size.

Whole grain cereals in unprocessed form are therefore very Yang.

Moderate YANG: wholegrain wheat, wholegrain rice, wholegrain barley, wholegrain oats, wholegrain corn, wholegrain rye, Bulgarian wheat, wholegrain wheat semolina, wholegrain corn flour, puffed rice, black bread

Strong YANG: buckwheat, millet, basmati rice, natural rice, amaranth, sorghum millet

Very strong YANG: cereal germs, wild rice

Fruits

Most fruits are Yin, as they contain the sustaining nutrients so that the seed is well supplied with everything (maternal) it needs during its first time in the soil.

Fruits that are Yang taste sour, bitter and astringent. This also applies to apples and blueberries; the sweet ones among them are not very Yang anymore.

Moderate YANG: wild strawberries, quinces, rose hips, blackberries, raisins, blueberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, pomegranate

Strong YANG: black blueberries, sour thorn, barberries, apples, raspberries, red currants, cranberries, red blackberries, sloes – the fresh fruit

Very strong YANG: Dried sloes, wild apples (wooden apples), dwarf apples

Fruits with fat content

Moderate YANG: black olives, chestnuts

Strong YANG: hazelnuts, walnuts, cashew nuts

Very strong YANG: pistachios, almonds

Vegetables

Medium YANG: celery (root), white onion, spring onion, garden squash, green beans, dandelion, white radish, garden radish, spinach, green garlic, white cabbage, artichoke, kohlrabi, red turnip, rutabaga, black salsify, sun root, Brussels sprouts

Strong YANG: chicory/endive, red onion, cauliflower (above ground part), carrot (root), parsley (root), leek (whole), nettle (leaves), broccoli (above ground part), Chinese cabbage (above ground part), savoy cabbage (above ground part)

Very strong YANG: Red cabbage

Legumes

Moderate YANG: Mung beans

Strong YANG: Chickpeas, soy, adzuki beans

Very strong YANG: none

Milk products

Moderate YANG: goat milk

Strong YANG: goat cheese, ghee (clarified butter)

Very strong YANG: none

Miscellaneous

Moderate YANG: free-range eggs (egg yolk), soya cheese, quail eggs (whole), roe of any kind (attention: most fish eggs still require a killing of the fish)

Strong YANG: fertilized eggs (egg yolk), porcini (whole), sesame paste

Very strong YANG: bee pollen, salt

Oils

Moderate YANG: olive oil, corn oil, almond oil

Strong YANG: Soybean oil (attention: high in omega 6), mustard oil, canola oil, castor oil

Very strong YANG: sunflower oil (attention: high in Omega 6), sesame oil

Spices

Moderately YANG: Celery (Fol.), Anise (Sem.), Horseradish (Fol.), Dill (Herb.), Peppermint (Fol.), Garden Mint (Fol.), White Mustard (Sem.), Parsley (Herb. ). Tarragon (Fol.), Turmeric (Rad.), Onion (Bulb.), Wild Garlic (Herb.), Lovage (Herb.), Scottish Lovage (Herb.), Nutmeg (Fruct.), Green Pepper (Sem.), grapeseed (Fol.), Egyptian garlic (Herb.)

Strong YANG: hot peppers (chilli, hot peppers – fruct.), Basil (herb), thyme (herb), caraway (sem.), Coriander (sem.), Laurel (fol.), Ginger (rad.), Horseradish (Rad.), Dill (Sem.), Black Mustard (Sem.), Black Pepper (Sem.), Cinnamon (Cort.), Garlic (Bulb.), Saffron (Flor.), Angelika (Rad.), Cayenne Peppers (Fruct.), Chervil (Fol.), Cardamom (Fol.), Garden Cress (Herb.), Allspice (Fruct.), Spearmint (Fol.), Monarda, Watercress (Herb.), Real Black Cumin ( Sem.), Sage (Herb.), Fenugreek (Sem.)

Very strong YANG: savory (herb), ginger (rad.) dried, rosemary (fol.), Oregano (fol.), Cloves (gem.) dried

How we can correct imbalances in our eating habits and thus prevent illness and restore well-being, also on a mental level.

Deutsche Version

A healthy and vital future lies in the right balance of food. The nutritional science of the Far East, which is based on the Yin/Yang principle and what is commonly known as macrobiotics, says that all diseases of the modern world are caused by the fact that 90% of the food of the so-called civilized countries has a predominant Yin character.

Even if we don’t eat an excessive amount of ready-made products or tinned food, we have lifted many things that were inaccessible to our ancestors – and if then at most as a luxury food – to the rank of main meals and consume an excessive amount of them.
So we consume sugar in drinks, sweets, pastries and desserts – all according to the motto „There is always room for ice cream“ or the temptation of cola being „a refreshing drink“. Already the manufacturer refines spinach with a dash of cream and we eat exotic fruits like bananas, mango, pineapple and avocado all year round. We demand that cheese should be melty, cereals should have a crunch and drinks should be fizzy.

This form of nutrition, which is often based exclusively on pleasure, has little to do with what we are supposed to eat and even less with balance. This not only leads to imbalance on a physical level, but also brings an overemphasis of Yin energies to the mind and spirit.
We see results of this in being influenced by advertising and the media, indecisiveness, changeability and moodiness, lack of concentration, lack of integrity, resistance and perseverance as well as lack of clarity in the inner world and in expressions with others.

The following list gives a vegetarian overview of what we should consume to restore balance. The list is vegetarian because the consumption of meat and fish in itself is much more yin than eating plant-based food.

The recommendation for a short term treatment or, if necessary a long lasting diet change is to only eat Yang food to restore the balance and afterwards to make sure that the diet (even if you eat an ice cream every now and then) will never be completely out of balance again.

Depending on their basic energy, foods can be moderate YANG, strongly YANG or very strong (extreme) YANG. The same applies to Yin foods. The following is an overview of vegetarian Yang foods without claim to completeness.

Cereals and cereal products

According to macrobiotics, this category of food belongs to the most Yang, because what we eat as grain is the seeds of the new plant. Seeds and kernels carry the whole plant in an extremely concentrated form and the plant unfolds through the Yang power of the seed, the kernel (the center) to full (expanded – Yin) size.

Whole grain cereals in unprocessed form are therefore very Yang.

Moderate YANG: wholegrain wheat, wholegrain rice, wholegrain barley, wholegrain oats, wholegrain corn, wholegrain rye, Bulgarian wheat, wholegrain wheat semolina, wholegrain corn flour, puffed rice, black bread

Strong YANG: buckwheat, millet, basmati rice, natural rice, amaranth, sorghum millet

Very strong YANG: cereal germs, wild rice

Fruits

Most fruits are Yin, as they contain the sustaining nutrients so that the seed is well supplied with everything (maternal) it needs during its first time in the soil.

Fruits that are Yang taste sour, bitter and astringent. This also applies to apples and blueberries; the sweet ones among them are not very Yang anymore.

Moderate YANG: wild strawberries, quinces, rose hips, blackberries, raisins, blueberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, pomegranate

Strong YANG: black blueberries, sour thorn, barberries, apples, raspberries, red currants, cranberries, red blackberries, sloes – the fresh fruit

Very strong YANG: Dried sloes, wild apples (wooden apples), dwarf apples

Fruits with fat content

Moderate YANG: black olives, chestnuts

Strong YANG: hazelnuts, walnuts, cashew nuts

Very strong YANG: pistachios, almonds

Vegetables

Medium YANG: celery (root), white onion, spring onion, garden squash, green beans, dandelion, white radish, garden radish, spinach, green garlic, white cabbage, artichoke, kohlrabi, red turnip, rutabaga, black salsify, sun root, Brussels sprouts

Strong YANG: chicory/endive, red onion, cauliflower (above ground part), carrot (root), parsley (root), leek (whole), nettle (leaves), broccoli (above ground part), Chinese cabbage (above ground part), savoy cabbage (above ground part)

Very strong YANG: Red cabbage

Legumes

Moderate YANG: Mung beans

Strong YANG: Chickpeas, soy, adzuki beans

Very strong YANG: none

Milk products

Moderate YANG: goat milk

Strong YANG: goat cheese, ghee (clarified butter)

Very strong YANG: none

Miscellaneous

Moderate YANG: free-range eggs (egg yolk), soya cheese, quail eggs (whole), roe of any kind (attention: most fish eggs still require a killing of the fish)

Strong YANG: fertilized eggs (egg yolk), porcini (whole), sesame paste

Very strong YANG: bee pollen, salt

Oils

Moderate YANG: olive oil, corn oil, almond oil

Strong YANG: Soybean oil (attention: high in omega 6), mustard oil, canola oil, castor oil

Very strong YANG: sunflower oil (attention: high in Omega 6), sesame oil

Spices

Moderately YANG: Celery (Fol.), Anise (Sem.), Horseradish (Fol.), Dill (Herb.), Peppermint (Fol.), Garden Mint (Fol.), White Mustard (Sem.), Parsley (Herb. ). Tarragon (Fol.), Turmeric (Rad.), Onion (Bulb.), Wild Garlic (Herb.), Lovage (Herb.), Scottish Lovage (Herb.), Nutmeg (Fruct.), Green Pepper (Sem.), grapeseed (Fol.), Egyptian garlic (Herb.)

Strong YANG: hot peppers (chilli, hot peppers – fruct.), Basil (herb), thyme (herb), caraway (sem.), Coriander (sem.), Laurel (fol.), Ginger (rad.), Horseradish (Rad.), Dill (Sem.), Black Mustard (Sem.), Black Pepper (Sem.), Cinnamon (Cort.), Garlic (Bulb.), Saffron (Flor.), Angelika (Rad.), Cayenne Peppers (Fruct.), Chervil (Fol.), Cardamom (Fol.), Garden Cress (Herb.), Allspice (Fruct.), Spearmint (Fol.), Monarda, Watercress (Herb.), Real Black Cumin ( Sem.), Sage (Herb.), Fenugreek (Sem.)

Very strong YANG: savory (herb), ginger (rad.) dried, rosemary (fol.), Oregano (fol.), Cloves (gem.) dried