Chinese people base a major emphasis on food and the energy they get from it. The concept of Chi or energy is derived from these foods, and it is common for food to be associated with certain types of benefits. There are five elements that are used in order to keep the human body healthy and balanced. They are fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. These five elements are used in either mutual generation or mutual overcoming. These are the concepts that help a person either use these elements’ energy in either a negative way or a positive way.
For example, water helps wood grow a mutual generation, whereas mutual overcoming could be metal cuts wood or water puts out fire. These elements need to be balanced to maintain a healthy lifestyle. An increase in one and a significant reduction in the other can lead to illnesses. Each of these elements is represented by specific organs, such as the heart for fire, lungs for metal, liver for wood, kidneys for water, and the spleen for the earth. In addition to this concept, each element has a specific color which helps determine what type of food should be consumed to keep a person healthy.
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Talking more about a balanced diet, there are certain foods that are associated with every color, which in turn represent every element.
Black food
Black foods are the way to go for healthy kidneys, ears, bones, and reproductive organs. There might not be a huge variety of black-colored foods, but food such as blueberries, seaweed, tea, black beans, and aubergines should do the trick. The color black is also a representation of water.
White Food
Food that is white in color represents the element of metal. These foods are good for the repiratory system and related organs. They also help make the skin and large intestine better. These include Chinese staples such as rice and noodles, and it is also essential to balance these out with other foods. Any other food that is white is also included in this category.
Yellow Food
According to the five elements theory, eating foods that are yellow will benefit your spleen and digestive system. This can include foods like corn, squash, egg yolk, honey, orange, and soybeans as typical color foods. Foods that are yellow also stand for the element of earth.
Red Food
Red is healthy for your brain, small intestine, and heart, and this color represents fire. Carrots, red pepper, tomato, and other foods fall within this category.
Green Food
The final hue is green, representing the element of wood, which stands for the muscles, joints, liver, and eyes. Given that most fruits and vegetables fall under this category, green is one of the color options with the largest variety. Additional instances include mung beans, wasabi, and Chinese leeks.