饮食男女,人之大欲存焉,即人之死生系焉。举世之人,皆知男女之事纵欲必致伤生,即饮食之
中,亦惟知纵酒过度必至戕命,至于嗜味纵口,疾病丛蓄,甘陷溺于其中而不知警。盖病之生也,其
机甚微,由积渐而毒始发,及病之成也,第归咎于外感六气、内伤七情,鲜有悔悟于平日口腹之贪饕
者。考之《内经》曰∶饮食入胃,游溢精气,上输于脾;脾气散精,上归于肺;通调水道,下输膀胱;
水精四布,诸经并行。是为无病之人。此言水谷之益人也。今也饮食不节,恣食浓味,惟恐不及,血
沸气腾,济以燥毒,清化为浊,脉道阻涩,不能自行,疾已潜滋矣,犹恬不知畏。虽晓之以物性,陈
说利害,无如美食在前,馨气当鼻,馋涎莫遏,其可禁乎。或反托词肠胃坚浓,福气深壮,何妨奉
养。纵口固快一时,积久必为灾害。前哲格言,爽口作疾,浓味厝毒,谓之何也。或者疑《内经》曰精
不足者补之以味,又曰地食人以五味,则嗜味何伤。不知味有本于天者,有成于人者。谷粟菽麦,自
然冲和之味,有益人补阴之功,此《内经》所为本天之味也。若人之所为者,皆烹饪偏浓之味,有致
疾伤命之虞,安于冲和之味者,心之敛,火之降也;以偏浓之味为安者,欲之纵,火之胜也。且谷食与
肥鲜同进,浓味得谷为助,其积之也久,宁不长阴火而致虐乎。彼安于浓味者,未之思耳。昔人《饮食
垂戒箴》曰∶山野贫贱,淡
薄为常,动作不衰,体健而康,均此同体,我独苦病,悔悟一萌,尘开镜净。可知茹淡者安,啖浓
者危。试观古今来寿登百岁以上者,多出于民间,而身都通显家享丰浓者,罕有其人,岂天命定数
,独彼寿而此否乎。又或者曰∶视养我者均为我贼,食物固可废欤?曰∶浓不如薄,多不如少,虑患
而谨节之,畏危而坚忍之,举匕箸如儆戈矛,不与肉食者同其陷溺,宁负我生之腹,不负生我之天,
是亦卫生之一道也。
嗜味纵口,必致伤生,已淳淳戒之矣。即日用菜蔬之属,各有性寒性热之不同,或益或损之宜辨,
苟非平时留神审择,亦阴受其患而不知。兹复就家常需用之食物,搜考本草诸书而摘录之,惮知所去
取而慎择焉。按本草诸书,坊间旧刻不下数十种,究无一可据,或性味彼此柄凿,或损益自相矛盾,甚
或侈陈反忌,竟无一物敢入口者。姑举其一二言之。如食品诸物,载鸡肉同虾、鲤鱼食,成痈∶芥菜
同鲤鱼食,成心瘕。凡 馔中多以此合食,曾未见有为害者。且又谓鸭肉与鳖同食杀人,尤属妄诞,骇
人耳目。至如一物也,言主治则云能化痰能益气,言反忌又云食之生痰动气。将信为化痰益气而食之乎
,抑信为生痰动气而禁之乎,令人无所适从,何须费辞饶舌。惟延禧堂《集解》颇能辟之,谓诸家食忌不
可尽信。然亦以“猪之临宰,惊气入心,绝气入肝,皆不可食”等语,信为有据,叙入篇中。独不思心
之与肝,凡畜同具,屠宰之时,皆不惊不绝乎,何仅一猪为然。且既云心不可食矣,何又云心可入心补
心;既云肝不可食矣,何又云肝能入肝明目。荒唐无稽之说,不可殚述。兹则删其繁芜,正其悖谬,就常
食习见之物,分类而剖之,确而可信,简
而易稽,俾饮之食之者,洞悉其物性,审择其损益,庶有助于养生者之趋避也。
Diet and sexual desire are the greatest human desires, and they determine life and death. People in the world know that indulgence in sex will inevitably harm life; regarding diet, they only know that excessive drinking will lead to death. As for craving flavors and indulging one's mouth, causing diseases to accumulate, people fall into this trap without realizing the need for vigilance. The mechanism of disease onset is very subtle; it develops gradually until toxins manifest. Once a disease is established, people usually blame external influences of the Six Qi (Wind, Cold, Summer-heat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire) or internal injuries from the Seven Emotions (Joy, Anger, Worry, Overthinking, Sorrow, Fear, Fright), rarely repenting for their gluttony in daily life. Examining the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), it states: "When food enters the stomach, its essence floats up and is transmitted to the Spleen; the Spleen disperses the essence, sending it up to the Lung; it regulates water passages, transmitting them down to the Bladder; water essences distribute in all directions, flowing through all meridians." This describes the state of a healthy person, illustrating the benefit of grains and water to humans. Today, however, people do not regulate their diet, recklessly consuming rich and strong flavors, fearing they might miss out. This causes blood to boil and Qi to surge; combined with dryness and toxicity, clear Yang transforms into turbid Yin, meridians become obstructed and stagnant, and Qi and Blood cannot circulate freely. Diseases have already secretly proliferated, yet people remain unaware and unafraid. Although one may explain the nature of foods and state the pros and cons, when delicious food is before one's eyes and fragrant aromas reach the nose, drool flows uncontrollably; how can this be restrained? Some make excuses, claiming their digestive systems are robust and their fortune is strong, so indulgence is permissible. Indulging the mouth brings momentary pleasure, but accumulated over time, it inevitably leads to disaster. Ancient sages said, "Pleasant-to-taste foods cause illness; rich flavors harbor toxins." What does this mean? Some doubt the *Neijing*, citing "Deficient Jing should be supplemented with flavor" and "The Earth provides humans with Five Flavors," asking what harm there is in craving flavors. They do not realize that flavors originate either from Nature or from Human preparation. Grains like millet, beans, and wheat possess natural, balanced flavors beneficial for nourishing Yin; these are the "flavors from Heaven" mentioned in the *Neijing*. In contrast, human-prepared foods are often overly cooked and strongly flavored, posing risks of causing disease and harming life. Those who prefer balanced flavors exhibit restrained hearts and descending Fire; those who prefer strong flavors exhibit indulgent desires and flourishing Fire. Furthermore, when grains are eaten together with fatty and fresh meats, the strong flavors aided by grains accumulate over time, likely aggravating Deficient Fire and leading to conditions like malaria. Those accustomed to strong flavors simply have not reflected on this. The ancient text *Admonitions on Diet* states: "The poor in the mountains and fields eat blandly as a habit, move vigorously, and enjoy health. We share the same body, yet I suffer from illness. Once repentance arises, it is like dust clearing from a mirror." Thus, eating blandly ensures safety, while eating richly invites danger. Observing history, those living past 100 years are mostly commoners, whereas those in prominent families enjoying rich diets are rare. Is this due to fixed destiny, where some live long and others do not? Others might ask: "If everything that nourishes me is also my thief, should food be abandoned?" The answer is: Rich is inferior to bland, much is inferior to little. One must guard against disasters by being cautious and restrained, fear danger by persevering, and hold chopsticks as if holding spears. Do not sink into indulgence with meat-eaters; rather than betraying the belly given life by heaven, betray heaven itself. This is also a way to preserve health.
Craving flavors and indulging the mouth inevitably harms life, which has been repeatedly warned. Even daily vegetables differ in cold and hot natures, and their benefits or harms must be distinguished. If one does not pay attention and choose carefully in daily life, one will secretly suffer harm without knowing it. Here, we examine commonly used foods, consult various Materia Medica texts, and extract relevant information, hoping readers will know what to discard and select, exercising caution. According to various Materia Medica, there are dozens of old editions in the market, yet none are reliable. Some contradict each other in properties and flavors; some contradict themselves in benefits and harms; some list extreme taboos, leaving nothing safe to eat. Let us cite a few examples. Food records state that eating chicken with shrimp or carp causes carbuncles; eating mustard greens with carp causes heart masses (Xin Jia). Yet, in many dishes, these are eaten together without harm. It is also absurdly claimed that eating duck with turtle kills people, which is shocking and baseless. For a single item, some texts say it treats phlegm and tonifies Qi, while others say it generates phlegm and agitates Qi. Should one believe it treats phlegm and eat it, or believe it generates phlegm and avoid it? This leaves people confused. Why waste words? Only the *Jijie* (Collected Explanations) from Yanxi Hall refutes these claims well, stating that dietary taboos from various schools cannot be fully trusted. However, it accepts as credible statements like "When pigs are slaughtered, shock enters the Heart, and dying breath enters the Liver, so both are inedible," including them in the text. But did one not consider that all livestock have Hearts and Livers, and are they not shocked and dying at slaughter? Why is this unique to pigs? Moreover, if the Heart is inedible, why is it said that pig Heart enters the Heart to tonify it? If the Liver is inedible, why is it said that pig Liver enters the Liver to brighten the eyes? Such absurd and groundless theories are too numerous to recount. Here, we delete the繁杂 (complex/irrelevant) parts, correct the contradictions, classify commonly eaten items, analyze them, ensuring they are credible and easy to verify. This allows consumers to understand the nature of foods, carefully weigh their benefits and harms, thereby aiding those who practice health preservation in avoiding harm and seeking benefit.