"An omnivore is a gourmet"—The balance of variety and refinement
The human body requires a wide range of nutrients. From the perspective of human evolutionary history, a variety of food sources is necessary to meet the nutritional balance. Although the variety of foods in our daily diet is limited, in real life, the types of grains, vegetables, fruits, and wild plants foraged by humans are virtually infinite. A diet that is overly simple and refined is, in fact, harmful and of no benefit, especially detrimental to growth and development. Picky eating and an overly refined diet can easily lead to deficiencies in trace elements like iron, zinc, iodine, minerals like calcium, and certain vitamins, as well as an excess of some nutrients. Therefore, in addition to paying attention to the color, aroma, taste, and appearance of food, it is even more important to promote a diverse food source.
The ancients said: "An omnivore is a gourmet." The renowned nutritionist Professor Li Ruifen once mentioned that to maintain good health, one should eat 25 to 30 different types of food each day—that is truly diverse!
"Food should be warm"—The balance of hot and cold in the diet
"In eating, do not have scaldingly hot food, nor have ice-cold food," this points out the balance of hot and cold in a diet. "Food should be warm." Consuming too much raw and cold food can damage the spleen, stomach, and lung qi; mildly, it may cause a cough, and severely, it may lead to diarrhea. People with a weak constitution and a cold stomach should eat less raw and cold food, and be especially cautious during the summer. Folk wisdom also emphasizes, "When hungry, do not eat hastily; on an empty stomach, avoid cold food." Conversely, food should not be too hot, as it can easily scald the stomach and throat. It is reported that in areas with a high incidence of esophageal cancer in northern China, residents have the habit of drinking hot water and hot porridge. Therefore, the ancient physician Sun Simiao, in his book "Qian Jin Yi Fang," pointed out: "Hot food injures the bones, cold food injures the lungs. Hot food should not scorch the lips, and cold food should not freeze the teeth." Thus, one should pay attention to the balance of hot and cold in the diet.
"Avoid activity before a meal, and avoid stillness after a meal"—The balance of activity and stillness before and after a meal
The balance of activity and stillness before and after a meal is equally important, because the various foods and nutrients consumed daily must be balanced with the body's energy expenditure. The "Xiang Dang" chapter of the "Analects of Confucius" says: "When eating, do not speak; when sleeping, do not speak." This shows that the ancients advocated for a quiet and focused mind before and during meals, without distraction or loud conversation, to facilitate food intake and digestion. The ancients also said: "Lying down immediately after eating prevents digestion, leading to the accumulation of food and the onset of a hundred illnesses." An ancient medical text on diet therapy states: "Lying down after a meal can cause illnesses such as lung qi disorders, headaches, and abdominal bloating, because the nutrient qi and defensive qi cannot flow smoothly, and qi and blood become stagnant." Therefore, one should be appropriately active after a meal. As the saying goes, "A hundred steps after a meal will allow you to live to ninety-nine," which shows that a slow walk after a meal is beneficial to health.
"A happy stomach is a peaceful stomach"—The balance of emotions before and after eating
Maintaining a calm and pleasant mood before and during eating is conducive to the normal function of digestion; conversely, it can harm the spleen and stomach. The "Ju Tong Lun" chapter of the "Su Wen" (Basic Questions) says: "Anger causes qi to rise, joy causes qi to become sluggish, grief causes qi to dissipate, fear causes qi to descend, fright causes qi to become chaotic, and overthinking causes qi to stagnate." It is hard to imagine that normal digestive function can be maintained when qi and blood are in disarray. The ancients said: "Do not get angry immediately after a meal, and do not eat immediately after getting angry." All abnormal emotions during the eating process should be eliminated as much as possible.
Music is very beneficial to digestive function. In the book "Shou Shi Bao Yuan," it says: "The spleen likes sound; it moves and grinds food upon hearing it." Therefore, the Chinese Taoists not only proposed the saying "the spleen grinds food upon hearing music," but also developed a complete set of "musical notes" and "梵音" (Buddhist chants), playing soft and pleasant music to accompany meals.