Yin is the cold or cool energy. Cooling foods like aloe
vera, honey, cucumbers and peppermint are examples of
Yin foods.
Yang is hot or warming energy. Hot foods like chili,
beef and cherries are examples of Yang foods.
When your Yin and Yang are in balance, you skin and hair
are at their best.
Oily skin, Yang.
A person with oily skin, a tendency to break out in
pimples and a hot temper tends to have an excess of
Yang, not enough Yin.
Pimple, boils and the like are due to toxic heat.
Smoking and stress also aggravate the situation. Note
that stress can lead to acne and dry skin at the same
time.
If that sounds like you, the best food for you would be
the cooling food. Food like carrots, cucumbers,
peppermint, honey suckle, apples, bananas and
chrysanthemum are great for cooling the 'fire'.
Like wise, use cooling herbs and ingredients in your
skin care. Lavender, peppermint, aloe vera, barley,
lemon and honeysuckle are great for oily skin.
Dry skin is Yin.
If you have parched, dry skin, wrinkles, a tendency to
gain weight, hands and feet that are cold when other
people feel warm, chances are that you tend to be more
Yin than Yang.
For your case, go for foods that are more yang in
nature. Also eat some food with good oils, like walnuts
and avocado. You skin needs the oil.
You should eat avocado, papaya, soybeans, honey, ginger,
royal jelly, ginseng and sunflower seeds.
A good way is to season meat with ginger and soy sauce,
and stir fry with garlic.
For natural skin care ingredients, go for honey,
oatmeal, ginseng and sweet almonds and star fruit.
Sensitive skin and your intestines.
If your skin is sensitive, your large intestine is out
of balance. Work on detoxifying your body.
Green mung beans, honey, honeysuckle and chrystanthmum
flowers help with this condition.
Skin care ingredients that would help include milk,
honeysuckle, avocado and kaolin.
The Yin and Yang of Beauty
Detoxification.
The Chinese believe that when the body is balanced, the
body will be healthy and beautiful. Healthy skin is
beautiful skin. Health gives you that radiant glow that
is beautiful.
The 3 most important steps to beauty are:
detoxification
digestion
regeneration
Eat foods with detoxifying properties. Examples are
apples, watermelons, walnuts, cucumbers, sweet potatoes,
tomatoes, watercress, tofu, barley, honey and milk.
Tip: For a delicious dessert
Wash and skin a sweet potato.
Slice it into cubes.
Boil it in some water until tender.
Add honey or rock sugar to taste.
Serve with the water.
Digestion.
Some foods that help with digestion include apples,
bananas, lemons, olives, pineapples, carrots, spinach,
potatoes, tofu, ginger, peppermint and wine.
Looks like the adage "An apple a day keeps the doctor
away" appeals to the Chinese as well.
Regeneration.
For regeneration, get plenty of sleep.
Foods that help you sleep include apples, papaya, sweet
potatoes, tofu, barley, chamomile, honey and rose hips.
Tip: A delicious drink can be made by boiling rose hips
with a little rock sugar to taste. Cool and refrigerate.
It is very rich in vitamin C.
In addition, some foods that are good for promoting
healthy skin include Asian pears, bananas, melons,
cherries, red and black dates, bean sprouts, broccoli,
sweet potato and brown rice.
