It can also be used to warm the interior and support Zang Fu function. Some foods are neutral while others are cool, cold, warm or hot. Hot conditions can be subdued with cool foods, while cold conditions can be warmed by hot foods. Deficiencies can be corrected with foods that support the body's weakness. Excesses can be drained and the balance between Yin and Yang restored.
Food is pretty powerful stuff.
Exterior conditions can be help with foods that move outward, warming the exterior, promoting perspiration and reducing fever. These are generally foods with a pungent and sweet flavor. These foods are also good in summer because of their hot energy. Among these are black pepper, cinnamon bark, ginger, green and red pepper and soybean oil. On the other hand, foods which move inward are good in winter, since they are cold energetically and tend to be bitter or salty.