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JOHN KOZINSKI MEA, FSMA
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Do You Have Enough Yin Vitality?

11/22/2019

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From ancient to modern times around the world the macrobiotic philosophy of balance as a longevity practice has been expressed in many different ways. One version is in traditional Asian medicines that incorporate an ancient Chinese understanding that there is a particular way to express the principle of balance in the body called Yin and Yang.

In the human being through food and rest we consume, assimilate and store energy that is bound as energized matter in our flesh, organs and bones. It is in all physical substances. This is known as the Yin phase.  Once a certain amount is stored, energy is expended and released to provide energy for the body and mind. In some cases, the energy is released in an aggressive and explosive manner. In Asian medicines related to China, this is known as the Yang phase. Health arises from the balance of these two phases.

Activity and rest are the balancing agents of life as is eating and not eating. We need a certain amount of mental and physical activity and a certain amount of rest to stay healthy. Likewise, we need a certain amount of food with time to eat and then to digest our food.

Too much activity in the form of work, exercise, stimulating the mind through screen time, study or stress can cause too much energy to leave the body without resources to rebuild it. The expression for this experience is burning the candle at both ends. Too much activity or stimulation can burn out the substance of the organs leading to overall depletion and sickness.

Unfortunately, in our modern industrial society where activity is valued, we have a lot of stress from work, economics, the environment and relationships. It is easy to burn out our candle. People either choose to be active socially and physically or have to because of finances. A lack of sleep or inactivity contributes to this burn out.

Food creates energy and activation of the body and mind (the Yang) as well as builds the body (the Yin). It is important to balance our foods between these tendencies. In modern society, people's diets are often lacking nutrients or are overly rich with poor quality fats, sugars and flour products. From eating this way eventually the digestive organs become overworked and lose the ability to assimilate nutrients to re-build body structures.

Many people are running on empty by consuming excessive amounts of stimulants like coffee, alcohol, refined sugars, some legal drugs, and now with increasing decriminalization a lot of marijuana. Excessive use of these stimulants along with using pharmaceutical drugs will deplete the body on a deep level burning out your important deep storage of energy in the body.  In Chinese Medicine this valued high consolidation of energy is known as the essence or Jing in the body.

People on natural diets are often missing foods that build this deeper substance or Yin in the body due to emphasizing an overly light diet with an excess intake of raw vegetables and fruits. Foods missing from  many natural diets include the moderate but regular use of natural meats and animal based products such as beef, lamb, organ meats, eggs, fish and grass fed dairy products, natural fats such as butter and coconut oil, whole and some processed grains, beans, seaweed, cooked dark leafy greens and adequate sea salt. These foods are known to build the deeper substance of your tissues, organs and bones as they are very concentrated in nutrients. A diet centered on cooked foods with elements that foster good digestion is also important for the assimilation of nutrition and energy from foods to build up the inner strength of the body and mind. Those who choose to be vegetarian or vegan have to be careful about their diet and lifestyle by also utilizing supplements and tonic herbs. This can work for some vegans but for others a modicum of at least fish, eggs and/ or dairy might be required. 

Eating the above mentioned foods along with other balancing foods insure the Yin/Substance of the body is preserved and rebuilt. Along with adequate rest, sleep and other lifestyle practices I teach in my counseling and classes, special Qigong practices called Nei Gong are also beneficial to preserve the Yin or inner vitality.

Besides food, certain tonic herbs and formulas are important to preserve and develop our inner strength and vitality especially as we age. These include tonic herbs and substances such as goji berries, he shou wu, royal jelly, rehmannia, and the formulas Shou Wu Chih and Six Rehmannia tea.  For creating longevity, herbs to activate the digestive system are sometimes added to help the assimilation of energy and nutrients to help build the Yin or inner substance of your body.

A deficiency of the Yin or inner strength can manifest as cancer, immune disorders, heart disease, diabetes and diseases associated with aging such as in the bones, joints, skin and teeth. It can result in hair loss, a lack of vitality and more. Protect your Yin with good diet and lifestyle practices.

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Getting Ready for Winter with Food

11/17/2019

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It is time to get our bodies ready for winter. In the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts, we just had our first snowfall. The temperatures dropped overnight into the teens.

More than 4 decades ago, I first studied the macrobiotic philosophy of health which included eating according to the seasons. I went on to study this understanding of balancing with the seasons in traditional systems of oriental medicine.

Balancing with the seasons is based on an energetic understanding of health, food and lifestyle. This energetic understanding is the basis of all macrobiotic longevity health systems around the world. It is included in my modern 21st century  Full Spectrum Macrobiotic Approach.


One basic energetic macrobiotic understanding of food that is applicable to staying healthy with the winter season is that food has warming or cooling properties. Since winter is naturally cold, it is important to eat more warming foods and less cooling foods. Even with our modern systems of central heating, it is best not to have your house too warm and to eat for warmth to keep your body more vital.


Warming foods include heavier grains. Preparations such as traditional sourdough bread, oats, buckwheat, sweet rice and cooked vegetables are good. More animal products can be eaten and other adjustments made according to your needs, health condition and dietary preferences.

Red meat and fatty fish such as wild salmon and sardines are more warming. If you eat these types of foods, it is good to have them more often. Lamb and organ meat is particularly warming. All animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs and cheese in general can be eaten more often as they generate heat due to thier very heavy condensed quality.  In winter, these foods can be cooked in more warming styles such as baking, broiling and stews. Modest portions of 4-6 oz. are best balanced by meals centered on vegetables and grains.

Vegetarians can create more heat in their bodies by eating the warming grains above, focusing on cooked foods and eating often grass fed cheese and eggs. 

Besides essential supplementation with vitamins, it would be best for vegans to focus on warming grains, cooked vegetables, and have sautéed vegetables and grains often to create heat. 

In addition, vegans and vegetarians should avoid raw vegetables, raw fruit, tropical fruit and tomatoes in the winter. All of these foods are naturally cooling.  Both vegetarians and vegans usually have cold metabolic conditions due to a lack of or low amount of animal foods. Cool conditions lower the metabolism which can lead to disease. Sometimes vegans think it is a benefit that heat does not bother them in the summer, when in fact it is not always a healthy sign. Raw food is naturally cooling. This is one reason some raw vegetables and salads are appealing in the summer heat.

​Another traditional macrobiotic longevity concept is that the digestive system is like a stove and cooking pot. Food needs to be mostly cooked all year round for better digestion. The modern explanation is that human beings don't have a rumen, a stomach with bacteria to break down raw fiber. Because of this, a human diet should be mostly cooked in order to break down the fiber to release the nutrients (and energy) from food.


The winter's cold makes the body burn hotter. Because of this, the body can handle eating more fats to create heat. If you are eating animal fats, these have the most warming effect from natural animal foods such as meat; grass fed raw cheese and butter. The best vegetable fats for cooking that create heat are olive oil and coconut oil. Be sure to serve fats with salt and mild spice such as ginger, black pepper or garlic for better digestion.

Foods to limit or avoid to keep healthy with the seasons are those that are naturally cooling including  raw vegetables, raw fruit, excessive sugars, alcohol, coffee, tea, soy products, very hot spices, tomatoes, eggplant, and tropical fruit.

Lastly, eating enough calories in one's diet is extremely important to generate body warmth. Winter is not a time for fasting or skipping meals. Most people find that their hunger naturally increases in the winter. Eat a good quality diet to stay healthy and eat more in the winter not less. 1

Eating with the seasons is fundamental to staying well in the winter. Now is the time to begin building our internal warmth.

1. https://www.macrobiotic.com/macrobiotic-diet.html

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    John Kozinski

    Health Educator, Counselor, Pioneer and practitioner of macrobiotics for almost 40 years, John Kozinski has devoted his career to helping people achieve and maintain optimal health.

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The information and educational material on this entire website is based on the opinions, research, and experience of John Kozinski unless otherwise noted. It is not medical advice. John Kozinski recommends you do your own research and consult with qualified health care professionals.
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