What Foods Are Yin Vs. Yang?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, food can be a healing tool that's based on your unique makeup. Some people naturally run hot or cold; practitioners often use a combination of food, herbs, and acupuncture to rectify any imbalance. "Food, cooling or warming, may be consumed based on constitutional type to help correct some of the abnormality in constitution and prevent illness. In this case, food is used for therapeutic purposes," Jinhua Xie, a certified acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist and professor of oriental medicine, told the HuffPost.

As for which is which, yang foods produce heat. Beef, cinnamon, caffeine, eggs, garlic, ginger, onions, peanuts, and sweet potato are all considered warming, Mindbodygreen reports. If you're more sensitive to the cold and tend to be fairer in complexion, adding yang foods to your diet can help you feel more centered and balanced.

Yin foods help to cool the system and work well with those who naturally struggle with heat. Apples, bananas, broccoli, cucumber, celery, kale, mushrooms, spinach, and watermelon all represent cooling foods that can temper internal heat, according to ot the outlet. Think of it this way, when you're freezing, you're more likely to relish in the idea of having squash soup than reach for a cold cucumber.

Finding internal balance may come down to which foods you're consuming. Determine your natural constitution to find the best yin or yang foods for you.