As I have gotten older, soup has become more appealing. Reflecting on this and how it applies to Traditional Chinese Medicine, I find this can be explained according to the yin and yang energy of life.
As children, we are full of energy and we usually run pretty hot. The yang energy is usually quite dominant. Have you ever noticed how children love cold things and are less bothered by cold weather? It is the body’s attempt to balance their yang. As we age, calmer energy starts to offset the frenetic pace of childhood. We move in a more focused way, play less on swings and monkey bars and look back at what we used do in complete amazement. The yin and yang energy become more balanced. As the older and wiser ones, time for reflection and a slower existence becomes move inviting. It is the way. It is the honoring of what our body wants and needs. The yin energy becomes more dominant now. We tend to be colder and prefer warmer things. Life takes on a simplicity that is comforting. Thus, the appeal of soup!
Soup is warm and soup is simple. All you need is a big pot, some water and lots of vegetables. You can add beans, rice, pasta…anything you like. It is versatile and forgiving. You can make a soup out of practically anything. Plus, you can freeze nearly any type of soup and reheat it for the cold days that we all know are coming.
I went online to find some soup recipes and there must be thousands to choose from. Soups can be made with vegetables and/or meat. You can use water, stock or cream as your base. Add spices or skip the spices. It is all completely up to you. You choose what to create and how best to create it.
Here’s to the Health of your Life