III. The Five Livestock as Supplements
"The Five Livestock as Supplements" refers to the meat from livestock such as cattle, dogs, sheep, pigs, and chickens. These foods have a tonic effect on the human body, supplementing the nutritional deficiencies of the five staple grains, and are the main supplementary foods in a balanced diet. Animal-based foods primarily supply the body with protein and fat. Moreover, the protein in livestock is of high quality and can complement the protein from grains. Animal-based foods are also a major source of fat for the human body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, these are considered "substances of flesh and blood with a nurturing nature," and their tonic effect is indeed superior to that of plants and herbs. Furthermore, animal-based foods are rich in many trace elements such as zinc, iron, and manganese, which are important nutrients for normal physiological metabolism and enhancing the body's immune system.
IV. The Five Vegetables as Fillers
"The Five Vegetables as Fillers" refers to vegetables such as kale, chives, scallions, broad beans, and onions. All kinds of vegetables contain various nutrients such as trace elements, vitamins, and dietary fiber. They have effects such as stimulating appetite, filling the stomach, aiding digestion, supplementing nutrition, preventing constipation, lowering blood lipids, lowering blood sugar, and preventing colon cancer. Therefore, they are extremely beneficial to human health.