We are about to have dinner together. Before that, I would like to take a few minutes to explain our unique menu we are going to serve you tonight.
As you know when the baby was still inside the mother's womb it was nourished by the nutrition from its mother. The nutrients were transferred directly into the baby through the baby's belly button. After the baby was born its umbilical cord was disconnected by the Doctor. The baby had to be fed with milk through its mouth.
From birth the food continues nourishing the baby and helping the baby grow. It also maintains its health. So the food becomes extremely important for human life.
Therefore, in order to keep the body healthy, people have to choose the good food and the right combinations which benefit the organs in the body.
According to the Ancient Traditional Oriental Medicine Theory, the ancient people recommended a diet based on the balance between Yin and Yang, the negative and positive. The balance between Yin and Yang is established by harmonizing the four energies and the five flavors in food.
The four energies in food are warm-hot and cool-cold. Warm-hot belong to Yang and cool-cold pertain to Yin They also correspond to the four seasons of the year. Warm-hot indicate spring and summer Cool-cold indicate autumn and winter.
Therefore in order to balance the Yin and Yang in the body, cool and cold Yin foods calm the vital organs and are recommended for spring and summer menus, warm and hot Yang foods stimulate the vital organs and are good for autumn and winter menus.
The five flavors are based on the five elements activity.
Bitter is known as fire, sweet is known as earth, pungent is known as metal, salty is known as water, sour is known as wood/tree.
Each of the five flavors has a natural affinity for one of five solid yin organs and its yang counterpart.
Biter moves to the heart/small intestine. Sweet influences the spleen (pancreas)/stomach. Pungent affects the lung/large intestine. Salty associates with the kidney/bladder. Sour has affinity to the liver/gall bladder.
So each type of food and flavor has a purpose for our wellbeing, as each one will go and nourish certain organs in the body, if combined in the proper way.
The most important part is to cook foods that are compatible.