I was talking to a friend not long ago about the importance of a basic understanding yin (cooling) and yang (warming) in foods. What foods cause heat in your body and what foods are cooling to your body? Here is a list which I've grabbed from somewhere and edited. Different lists seem to have different opinions, for example mango is sometimes said to be cooling whereas I've generally found them warming, so sometimes these lists are unreliable or it could also depend on variety. I guess it's something each of us can only learn to judge from experience.
The classic examples are overheating from excess durian, mangoes, or longans, or going all cold and patchy from excess watermelon. Continuously eating an excess of just yang foods or just yin food over a long period of time can stress the body quite considerably. It also causes increasing sensitivity to further amounts of that particular yang/yin food. It is not uncommon for people to die from overheating on durian in the warmer months, especially if in combination with another warming food. In Thailand it's commonly known that one runs a serious risk of dying if one consumes a lot of whiskey and durian at the same time.
Thus, being more aware of the various effects different foods have can certainly help ensure an increase in bodily comfort and well-being!
COLD
VEGETABLES:
Asparagus
Bean Sprouts
Bok Choi
Califlower
Celery
Chinese Cabbage
Chrysanthemum flower
Cucumber
Dandelion leaf
Eggplant
Seaweed
Snow peas
Turnip
Water chestnuts
White mushroom
White peony root
Zucchini
FRUITS:
Banana
Blueberry
Cantaloupe
Cranberry
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Lemon
Mangosteen
Mulberry
Persimmon
Plum
Pineapple
Rhubarb
Tangerine
Tomato
Watermelon
SPICES
Salt
White pepper.
MISC:
Sugar cane | COOL
VEGETABLES:
Alfalfa sprouts Artichoke
Bamboo shoots
Bitter Gourd
Button mushroom
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cooked Lettuce
Cooked Onion
Corn
Daikon radish
Endive lettuce
Lotus root
Mushrooms
Potato
Romaine
Snow Pea
Soybean Sprouts
Spinach
Swiss chard
Tomato
FRUITS:
Apple
Avocado
Black currant
Cherries
Fig
Lemon
Oranges
Pear
Prunes
Strawberries
Tangerine
GRAINS
Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat
Millet
Wheat
Wild rice
SEEDS
Mung bean
SPICES
Cilantro leaf
Marjoram
Mint
Peppermint
Tamarind
MISC
Sesame oil
| WARM
VEGETABLES
Bell pepper
Chive
Cooked Tomato
Fennel
Green bean
Green Pepper
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leek
Mustard green
Onion
Oyster mushroom.
Parsley
Parsnip
Pumpkin
Scallions
Squash
Sweet potato
Watercress
FRUITS
Blackberry
Coconut
Dates
Durian
Grapes
Hawthorn fruit
Kumquat
Litchi
Longan
Mango
Nectarines
Pomegranates
Quince
Raspberry
GRAINS
Oats
Quinoa
Safflower
SEEDS
Black bean
Chestnut
Lotus seed
Pine nut
Walnut
SPICES
Anise
Basil
Bay leaf
Caraway
Carob
Clove
Coriander
Cumin
Dill seed
Fennel
Fenugreek
Fresh ginger
Jasmine
Nutmeg
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Spearmint
Thyme
MISC
Wine
Vinegar | HOT
VEGETABLES
Garlic
Green onion
Raw onions
Red pepper
SPICES
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Chili pepper
Horseradish/wasabi
Mustard
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