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Although food serves as a means to nourish the human body, it has its appropriateness and inappropriateness regarding the Zang-Fu organs (Zang-Fu organs). This is because substances possess either Cold or Heat properties, just as human Zang-Fu organs possess Yin or Yang. If the organ's Yang Qi is unbalanced and does not receive Cold-natured substances to harmonize it, the organ's Yang will become excessive. If the organ's Yin is deficient and does not receive Heat-natured substances to support it, the organ's Yin will become excessive. If the Zang-Fu presents symptoms of both Yin and Yang imbalance and does not receive neutral (neither Cold nor Heat) substances for regulation, the Zang-Fu will become further disordered and imbalanced. In the past, Confucius observed the hexagram "Yi" (Nourishment) and stated that the superior person should be cautious in speech and moderate in diet. This indicates that while food benefits the body, there are principles of moderation inherent within it. Moreover, among foods, there are distinctions regarding suitability for different individuals; how can one fail to investigate these? Regrettably, people only know what tastes sweet to the mouth and fills the stomach, without considering that the principle of food entering the mouth is identical to that of medicine treating disease: if compatible, it benefits the Zang-Fu, dispels illness, and preserves health; if incompatible, it damages the Zang-Fu, exacerbates illness, and hastens death. This is why food is discussed in medical texts alongside medicinal herbs.

However, there are hundreds of types of food. Let us briefly distinguish commonly consumed items. Among grains, such as fermented flour starters, broad beans, bean oil, wine, and vinegar, these are of the most Warm nature. Items such as sorghum, rice, japonica rice, aged warehouse rice, black soybeans, yellow soybeans, white beans, peas, cowpeas, and sesame seeds are slightly more Neutral. Items such as millet, broomcorn millet, buckwheat, mung beans, tofu, fermented soybeans, and soybean paste are of the coldest nature and lack warmth. This illustrates the differentiation of Cold and Heat among grains. Similarly, among melons and vegetables, ginger, garlic, scallions, chives, celery, coriander, crown daisy, white mustard, and carrots are of Warm nature and not Cold. What about Chinese yam, water spinach, calabash, pumpkin? Can they be considered unbalanced? Furthermore, cabbage, amaranth, rapeseed, spinach, bitter greens, lettuce, cucumber, bitter melon, winter melon, watermelon, pickled melon, various bamboo shoots, taro, and eggplant—are they not Cold? This shows the differentiation of Cold and Heat among melons and vegetables.

Regarding fruits, longan, lychee, jujube, maltose, brown sugar, white sugar, lotus seeds, grapes, honey, walnut kernels, bayberries, papaya, olives, green peaches, plums, and chestnuts are of the most Warm nature. Torreya seeds, Polygonatum rhizome, loquat, green plums, and peanuts are of the most Neutral nature. Pears, water caltrops, lotus roots, orange pulp, water chestnuts, lily bulbs, sugarcane, ginkgo nuts, dried persimmons, and persimmon frost are of the most Cold nature. However, raw plums, though Warm in nature, tend to generate phlegm and promote dampness; raw peaches, being drying, tend to assist heat and toxicity. This demonstrates the differentiation of Cold and Heat among fruits.

Among trees and stones/minerals, nothing is warmer than Sichuan pepper and black pepper; nothing is more Neutral than edible mushrooms (Tricholoma); nothing is colder than wood ear fungus, button mushroom, table salt, and tea leaves. This illustrates the differentiation of Cold and Heat among trees and minerals.

Regarding poultry and beasts, chicken, duck, pheasant, partridge, dog meat, mutton, beef, deer meat, deer sinew, and cat meat are of the most Warm nature. Pigeon meat, bird's nest, turtledove, wild goose, goose, teal, bamboo partridge, and pork are of the most Neutral nature. Rabbit meat, elk meat, and elk sinew are of the most Cold nature. However, pheasant, chicken, and partridge, although Warm, may inadvertently trigger wind-pathogens or induce sores; pork, although Neutral, carries the risk of generating phlegm if consumed excessively. This shows the differentiation of Cold and Heat among poultry and beasts.

As for fish, turtles, shellfish, and insects: crucian carp, silver carp, hilsa herring, grass carp, bighead carp, minnows, sea shrimp, and eel belong to the Warm category. Common carp, mandarin fish, white fish, black carp, shark, requiem shark, abalone, loach, paper fish, cuttlefish, and razor clams belong to the Neutral category. Snakehead fish, moray eel, grouper, sea snake, field frog, crab, turtle meat, tortoise meat, field snails, and clam meat belong to the Cold category. However, shrimp and eel are drying in nature, potentially causing wind-movement and assisting fire; grouper, turtle, and crab are Cold and toxic, potentially causing qi-dispersion and blood-breaking effects. This illustrates the differentiation of Cold and Heat among aquatic creatures.

Furthermore, within flavors: pungent and strong-smelling foods assist Fire and scatter Qi; heavy and sweet foods assist Warmth and generate Phlegm; soft and slippery foods facilitate bowel movements; hard and tough foods are difficult to digest; cooked and processed foods may cause Qi stagnation. To treat food like medicine, one must understand the Warm, Cool, Cold, and Heat properties of substances and determine if they match the patient's syndrome of Excess or Deficiency. Only then can one master the way of preserving health, which is far superior to taking medicine. If one fails to examine this carefully, merely enjoying the taste of food, resulting in daily dietary habits contradicting medicinal therapy until death occurs unnoticed, and then blaming the physician—whose fault is this? Alas, how absurd!