In Chinese Medicine, lamb is considered a Yang food, which means it brings warmth to the body and increase the body's Yang aspect. For people with Yang deficiency, eating lamb can correct their imbalance, but for people with symptoms of Excessive Heat or Yin Deficiency should be cautious when consume lamb.
Symptoms of excessive heat are: Skin eruptions, redness in the eyes, canker sores in the mouth or the tongue, inflamed or bleeding gums, nose bleed, and sore throat. Excessive heat in the body may also cause scant and dark urine, constipation. When the body has excessive heat, the tongue may appear reddish in color, and with thick yellowish coating.
Symptoms of Yin Deficiency are: Feeling hot in the palms of hands and feet (one indication is you like to expose your feet when you sleep), impatience, hot flashes, red cheeks, insomnia, dry mouth and sore throat, dizziness, ringing in the ears and night sweats.
These symptoms suggest the body either has too much fire (Yang Excess) or not enough water (Yin Deficiency), eating lamb is only going to exacerbate the conditions. On the other hand for those who are Yang Deficient, eating lamb can greatly improve the condition.
Symptoms of Yang Deficiency are: Feeling cold in general, especially hands and feet,lack of appetite, pale face and lips, loose bowel or diarrhea, clear and copious urine, sweat easily, lack of energy, pale tongue, white tongue coating and teeth marks on either side of the tongue.
When someone is Yang deficient the body is in a state of needing more energy and warmness, and eating lamb can accomplish this goal. Other food good for increasing the body’s Yang includes cinnamon. So for those people with Yang deficiency, occasional cinnamon rolls can make you feel good. Exercises can also increase the Yang of the body. So for folks who are Yang deficient, after eating the lamb stew and cinnamon rolls, some light exercise is in order.
People with symptoms of Excessive Heat or Yin Deficiency should be cautious when consume lamb, while for those who are Yang Deficient, eating lamb can correct their imbalances.
Another factor to consider when eating lamb is the seasons. Winter is cold, therefore more Yin in nature, so eating lamb in the winter can increase the body’s Yang to balance with nature’s Yin. Summer is hot and Yang in nature, so avoid eating too much lamb to avoid excessive fire being generated in the body.
