Energy Trends

One of the very particular characteristics of diet, which the Western part of the population finds difficult to understand and perceive, and modern science turns its back on, stems from the East Asian perception of reality. Within the philosophy of our teaching, this characteristic ranks as the seventh rule of the Zone of Optimal Functioning, where we strive to set not only metabolism but also health through diet.

The basis for evaluating energy tendencies are the Chinese terms yin and yang, which have become quite domesticated in our regions over the past few decades. And even if there is a person unfamiliar with this knowledge, their graphical symbol will surely not be foreign to them.

They are most commonly perceived in their meaning as two mutual opposites, for example, plus and minus, or black and white. We then tend to use them in everyday life as allegorical comparisons in this sense. Both terms originate from China, which within its cultural and philosophical history assigned them a clearly defined meaning. However, that meaning is somewhat different than what we tend to perceive in a simplified sense in our environment.

To properly understand this, one must realize that Asians use a completely different language, which has its particular specifics compared to the Indo-European ones:

The main thing is the fact that the Chinese know only monosyllabic words, which do not undergo conjugation or declination. Therefore, it is a great challenge to correctly interpret their meaning when translating into our language. It is common, then, for one expression to have considerably more meanings than is customary among European nations. Moreover, to truly understand, one needs to know a little about the principles of Eastern philosophy, which differs from our Western one by several basic features:

1. It does not try to explain and clarify everything that is part of our reality. It does not work only and solely with rationality, but uses something we might call “empathy“ or "insight". Their reasoning does not dominate by logic, which is one of the main reasons for the misunderstanding between the East and the West.
2. Understanding is not achieved merely by advancing their rationality with critical thinking. Doubting, i.e., criticism, is typical of Western thought. For instance, a chronically well-known quote from René Descartes is “I doubt, therefore I think, I think, therefore I am“, on which modern science built its philosophy.

Thus, in trying to understand how reality functions, Chinese philosophy discovered that in everything that exists, there are two opposing principles:

1. The principle of male, active, bright was defined, which they called yang.
2. Opposed to it is the female, passive, dark, which received the designation yin.

The terms yin and yang are therefore considered to be two mutually opposite and contradictory forces that are found everywhere. These forces are not absolute. This means that if we observe any object or event and try to describe and evaluate it with these two terms, our assessment will differ depending on the angle of view from which we observe it. This leads to one essential finding:

Yin and yang cannot be taken literally.

They are forces (states) that are constantly in motion, and thus changeable at every moment.

Very important is the correct interpretation of the entire symbol:

Black and white symbolize darkness and light. Dots of opposite color then indicate that within each force, there is also an opposite force, and the nature of the force depends on the observer. This is an understanding that most of the Western world, dogmatically bound to the logic of its rationality, fails to grasp. A typical manifestation is the tendency to describe both states as opposites black – white, good – evil, or yes – no.

Both processes can also be evaluated based on the relations they have:

Yin and yang support each other.
If one of the forces increases, the other always retreats proportionally. They are thus interconnected, one cannot exist without the other. Everything in the universe is in balance. If the observer notes that yin increases (and thus yang retreats), it is a state that in a holistic sense does not actually exist because the whole must always be in balance (changing energy flows, that is states of existence only of partial parts).

They do not exclude one another.
Even though they are described as opposites, they are not absolute. Due to integrity (duality), it is impossible for anything to exist purely as yin or just yang. Therefore, the graphical representation of both forces includes dots symbolizing this principle.

They change into one another.
A typical example is the constantly alternating day and night. However, both states are not absolute. This means that, for example, an astronaut is able to observe the Earth from a higher perspective, seeing day and night simultaneously. Similarly, we can evaluate the principle of good and evil from a holistic view - what is good for one may not be for another.

They are dependent on each other.
One principle cannot exist without the other – day without night, good without evil.

Yin and yang are further divided into yin and yang.
This means that when describing a state that we designate as yin, upon further observation, we find that this part consists of more states of yin and yang.

While we are discussing states (tendencies), it is clear that the topic of interest involves factors that cannot be measured and numerically evaluated. They are "only" exactly unassessed and constantly variable tendencies. Philosophically speaking, the relationship between yin and yang is the moment of all events, manifested in every form of existence.

When we view these symbols from a spiritual perspective, we can define them as bearers of spiritual content. This means that they contain messages that need to be read.

Yin and yang are often used to express the energy quality of diet. Unfortunately, this leads to many misunderstandings and misinformation, which can be attributed to the founding members of macrobiotics who tried to simplify the relationship between diet and our health.

In the Chinese context, yang refers to an active (fast), bright, centrifugal (ascending) principle. Yin is the opposite, representing passive (slow), dark, cold, and concentrating.

When the basics and principles of macrobiotics were defined in the last century, aiming for maximum simplicity and transparency, the meanings of both terms were slightly "adjusted". The aim was for all meanings of both terms to correspond to the impact of foods on metabolic behavior. Essentially, there was one single change, replacing the meaning of centrifugality and concentration.

Macrobiotics perceives yin as energy that is:

• slow,

• cold,

• dark,

• ascending (centrifugal, expansive).

Yang, on the other hand, is understood as a tendency that is:

• fast,

• hot,

• bright,

• concentrating (centripetal).

Since for the average mortal, not to mention someone of non-Asian descent, this way of thinking is too complex, it makes sense to look for expressions as close as possible to the Indo-European language, ideally in a single-word form. Since our aim here is the relationship to diet, we can, in simplified terms, assign the meaning RELEASING to yin, and to yang STRENGTHENING.

The essence of both terms in relation to the influence of foods on digestion and their impact on metabolism is very simple. Foods with a releasing tendency (such as legumes, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, milk, coffee, alcohol, sweets) cause dilation (expansion) of some tissues and organs. Typical examples are alcohol, which dilates blood vessels, fats releasing the production of bile, or fiber relaxing the intestinal processes. Simultaneously, it results in the release of energy from the body, potentially leading to fatigue and apathy, or slowness. Moreover, the releasing tendency influences thermal processes in the body (such foods generally cool).

Conversely, foods with a strengthening effect (meat, eggs, some dairy products, salt) drive metabolic processes towards actions that increase, for example:

• muscle tension (“strengthening” the muscles),

• pressure (blood pressure),

• density (bones, stool).

Modern science can biochemically explain these processes (calcium and magnesium ratios in the diet, protein amounts and their structure, salt content in the diet, and the resulting change of ratios between sodium and potassium, etc.).

In this sense, it does not mean that simplified labeling of the capabilities of foods to affect metabolic processes in one direction or another is, compared to the rational approach of modern science, either good or bad. It is simply a different perspective. Therefore, if we want to view reality holistically, it is unwise to entirely avoid any assessment system.

For the classification of diet quality from the perspective of yin and yang to be complete, it's necessary to state that there are foods considered to be harmonizing, sometimes termed neutral in terms of their effect on metabolism. These are grains, specifically their whole grains. "Energetic neutrality" here means that their consumption (of course, after thorough cooking) does not drive metabolic processes in any extreme direction (towards yin or yang). Of course, this is relative; it's always essential to start with the individual's uniqueness. On a general level, however, within the effort to categorize and classify into systems and charts, this form of energy "neutrality" is closest to reality.

Once we familiarize ourselves with the meanings of both terms, the challenge is to begin applying them in practice.

It is often presented that a person’s general goal should be balance. We know the diet has a significant impact on which metabolic processes will occur in the body. Based on which foods are included in our menu, in what amounts, mutual ratios, and also the manner of culinary preparation, the yin and yang characteristics of the diet will change.

The resulting dish or entire diet regimen offers the following options:

1. Lead the behavior of the body and mind towards yin (it will be overall releasing),

2. Lead the behavior of the body and mind towards yang (it will have a strengthening impact),

3. "Oscillate" around potential balance.

And at this moment, the question arises: what path to take? Although homeostatic systems in the body aim to maintain healthy balance, they simultaneously have resilience (flexibility). In terms of diet, to pursue absolute balance at all costs by predominantly consuming neutral foods (whole grains) is not always beneficial in everyday life. The primary goal is to adjust the diet to lead the body and mind to adapt to the actual or longer-lasting situations.

A typical and perhaps slightly extreme example would be athletes. The higher the load they experience, the more they deviate from the supposed balance. Diet must also be adapted accordingly. For example, in general, aerobic (endurance) sports have a natural need for a larger share of releasing foods in the diet compared to anaerobically loaded individuals. From the yin and yang perspective, it's very simple – activity at lower heart rates does not require significant strengthening (concentration). It is thus counterproductive to go against this form of naturalness. Anyone can easily recognize the difference between the body of a marathon runner and a sprinter or bodybuilder, determined as much by the training method as by different diets. The dietary difference between endurance and strength-focused athletes is apparent at first glance. Among anaerobic athletes, there will always be a higher presence of salty food options (yang = strengthening) and proteins (yang = strengthening), including animal-based food groups (yang = strengthening).

In the same way, we can manipulate the diet in any other situations: speeding up or slowing down metabolism, guiding systems to balance to resolve health complications, etc. All that is needed for this is an open mind and a natural, undistorted approach to observing everything in our reality.

However, it is always necessary to respect the mentioned balance. As soon as the ratio of yin or yang foods in the diet prevails, this extreme will be reflected in the behavior of the body and thereby health itself. These extremes are typical not only for our population but essentially affect the entire so-called "modern" way of eating:

Grilled steaks, hamburgers, cream-based stews, bread with cheese or ham – these are all typical meals with a strong yang (strengthening) impact, which so many people favor and which, in total daily intake, prevail.

The opposite are typically releasing meals like croissants, toasts with marmalades or honey, muesli bars, cereals with milk, bread with butter, sweet pancakes, sweetened beverages, beer, etc.

Both extremes take the entire metabolism away from balance. In the case of a surplus of yin, one can expect a load on the pancreas and blood glucose levels; with yang, it is most often the intestinal tract. Because the body naturally tends to keep any deviations under control through homeostatic regulatory systems, most people commonly consume a mix of both extremes in their diet. With a surplus of yin foods, we automatically crave yang foods, and vice versa. The result is an undue burden on the metabolism, leading to the development of civilization diseases.