My Favorite Yin-and-Yang Dish

We all love to eat. However, we must remember that we eat to live, and not live to eat. Some foods are more stimulating than others. Too over-stimulating foods, however, over-stimulate the nervous system, and therefore may not be beneficial if they are consumed too much. Caffeine, for example, has been said to kill vitamin B in the body; although it has immediate uplifting effect, its long-term effect is undesirable.

In Chinese diet, the emphasis is on balance and harmony, rather than stimulation. Any external stimulus may prevent this expression of harmony from within.

Chinese diet is all about balance and harmony. Chinese diet is yin and yang (the female and the male, respectively)—using foods to balance and complement each other for optimum health rejuvenation and wholesome wellness. These two opposing forces in Nature balance and complement each other, thereby resulting in perfect harmony, without which there is only internal chaos, leading to disease and accelerated aging.

One of my favorite recipes is Fruit and Vegetable Curry.

Ingredients:

3 bananas, sliced

3 tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, sliced

4 whole cardamom pods

2 apples, sliced

raisins, a handful

cranberries,  dried and sweetened, a handful

raw almonds, a handful

pumpkin seeds, a handful

1 stick of cinnamon

4 cloves

1/2 inch ginger

1-2 tablespoons of curry powder to taste

Put all ingredients in a pot. Bring to boil, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with brown rice.

I just love this nutritious dish. It is simple and easy to prepare.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau