First of all - why increase your Chi and what are the benefits of having healthy, free flowing Chi?
Chi is energy. Energy is necessary for life.
It's what gives you your spark and keeps you firing on all cylinders. To be healthy, your Chi must be plentiful and circulate easily. If your Chi is weak or becomes blocked, problems will arise. So it makes sense to strengthen your Chi and work on improving its circulation through diet, Chi exercises, your environment and your thoughts.
All living things carry Chi energy. This includes the food you eat. The following Chi food principles can guide you towards a diet that restores your body's natural, self-healing abilities by increasing your Chi.
Organically Grown: Eat fresh organic locally grown produce, as these are very high in natural Chi.
In Season: Eat according to the season. In winter eat more pressure-cooked grains, roots and hearty soups, while in summer cook less and eat more salads. The Chi in food is affected by the seasons, so you want your food to support the Chi around you.
Natural: Avoid refined processed high-stress foods containing preservatives, artificial colors and flavors that delete Chi.
Locally Grown: If grown locally and in season the nature of the food's Chi should be in tune with the Chi of the local environment and is more likely to meet the body's needs.
Raised in the Wild: When possible choose meats, poultry and fish that has been raised in the wild as this means that their Chi will be high.
Mood: In order to utilize the Chi in your food, make sure you are relaxed when eating. Irregular eating, skipping meals and eating on the run or while upset all deplete your Stomach and Spleen Chi.
80% Rule: For optimal Chi, eat until you are 80% full. Too much food can disorder Chi, not enough food weakens your Chi. Eating too much causes stagnation in the meridians. Food stagnation leads to internal heat and damp phlegm which together can cause bloating, restlessness, gas, fatigue, a heavy sensation in the body, skin infections or canker sores.
Balance of Flavors: Ensure that your meals contain a combination of the five flavors; sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty. Each flavor has a certain effect on your body, so it's important to ensure that they are balanced. The energy from sour-tasting food (vinegar, yoghurt and many herbs) have an affinity with the liver meridian, bitter foods to the heart, sweet to the spleen, pungent flavours like ginger and spices relate to the lung and salt to the kidney meridian.
Hydration:
Water is vital for life and for the creation of Chi, so make sure you replenish this daily.
Time: The best time to eat a large meal is between 7am-11am, as this is when your Stomach and Spleen Chi is at its most powerful.
Cooking Methods: The way in which food is cooked also affects its Chi. Your particular imbalance will determine the best cooking method for you. However, microwaving is not recommended as it creates internal dryness and weakens your Stomach and Spleen Chi.
Balance Yin & Yang: All life on earth balances two complementary and opposite natural forces: expansion and contraction or yin and yang. Contraction holds our bodies together while expansive forces enable us to breathe, move around, think and feel. To stay in good health your body needs to keep both forces in balance. To do this you need to eat a balance of both expansive and contractive foods.
If you feel heavy, slow, hot, tense, sluggish, constipated, frustrated, irritable or too intense, you need to eat more Yin or expansive food such as fruit, honey, milk, yogurt and salads.
If you have sweet cravings, energy bursts followed by fatigue, cold hands and feet, no will power, feel moody, dreamy, spaced out or confused, irregular bowels, recurring colds and infections, you need to eat more Yang or contractive foods such as cheese, eggs, meat, nuts and tuna.
With an understanding of Chi, Yin/Yang and the meridians, you will be able to choose foods that are appropriate for your particular need.
By following these simple, yet powerful tips, you can increase your energy and improve your health by facilitating your Chi.