Taoist diet

While there are many different historical and modern schools of Taoism, with different teachings on the subject, it is safe to say that many Taoists regard their diet as extremely important to their physical, mental and spiritual health in one way or another, especially where the amount of qi in the food is concerned. One Taoist School based on the Lee style of Taoist Arts recommends a Taoist Diet called Chang Ming which means Long Life.

A typical Taoist diet could focus on:

Increase intake of the following:
Whole grains and products made with them, Vegetables (ideally organic and seasonal), Fruit (not tropical; dried fruit is very good, and only what is in season), Seeds and nuts, Tofu and soy, Herbs (although herbal usage is normally carefully prescribed), Tea .

Decrease intake of the following:
Red meat (which can be difficult to digest) , Refined products (such as white sugar, flour, and bread) , Artificial additives/preservatives of any kind , Dairy products (such as cheese, yogurt and cream, with the exception of the milk of running animals, in the winter)  Cold drinks and foods (outside consumption in the summer months) , Herbs

Some Taoists practice herbalism in their diets. Many believe that using different herbs in their food can help increase the positive energy in their bodies, and that by mixing two herbs with opposite effects they can decrease the negative energy and increase the positive energy.