First of all - why increase your Chi? What are the benefits of having healthy, free flowing Chi?
Chi 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 unrefined 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.
80% Rule: For optimal Chi, eat until you are 80% full. Too much food can disorder Chi, not enough food weakens your Chi.
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.
Hydration: Water is vital for life and for the creation of Chi, so make sure you replenish this daily.
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, salads, tomatoes, potatoes and vegetables.
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.
By following these simple, yet powerful tips, you can increase your energy and improve your health by facilitating your Chi.
