| Table of Contents |
| 1. What Does ‘Yeet Hay’ Mean? 2. Yin and Yang 3. What Causes One to be ‘Yeet Hay’? 4. What Food Is ‘Yeet Hay’? 5. Food Pairing 6. Can ‘Cool’ Food Cure ‘Yeet Hay’? 7. Quick Fix for ‘Yeet Hay’? 8. Why is ‘Yeet Hay’ So Mind-Boggling? 9. The Bottom Line |
For those brought up in Cantonese households, the words ‘Yeet Hay / jit6 hei3’ (熱氣) might possibly be your worst nightmare. At some point in life, you must have been told off by your elders that eating too many chips is ‘Yeet Hay’, that you should refrain from consuming too many fried chicken in one go.
So what exactly is ‘Yeet Hay’? Is it only a myth our parents use to fend us off unhealthy food?
What Does ‘Yeet Hay’ Mean?
Whilst the Cantonese say ‘Yeet Hay’, its Mandarin counterpart is ‘Shang Huo’ (上火)’, also known as ‘Huo Qi Da 火氣大’. In Chinese Medicine, this concept refers to the build-up of heat internally. When people say they are ‘Yeet Hay’, it typically means they are experiencing symptoms such as sore throat, canker sores, acne, fatigue.
Yin and Yang
‘Yeet Hay’ is a hazily-defined concept unique to Chinese medicine. To understand ‘Yeet Hay’, you’ll have to first grasp the concept ‘yin and yang’. (insert photo) This symbol has been made familiar due to its popularity amongst tattoo designs. Though simple-looking, it carries a deep and profound meaning.
Yin and yang symbolizes the cosmic duality that permeates the universe. There is no day without night, no life without death – you cannot have one without the other. Yang is generally associated with objects and concepts around warmth, motion; whereas Yin, with cold, and stillness. The black (yin) and white (yang) elements stand in direct contrast to one another. Yet, a dot of each opposing colour is situated at the center of the other half, symbolising coexistence – both sides carry the seed of the other. The swirling action signifies harmony, and that together, there is unity in diversity.
What Causes One to be ‘Yeet Hay’?
Yang corresponds to heat, whilst yin, cold. Keeping the two balanced is what constitutes good health. If this balance is tipped such that yang overpowers, ‘Yeet Hay 熱氣’ results; if tipped the other way, ‘Hon Loeung 寒涼’ results.
These are expressions of your inner state of energy. Rather than a disease diagnosis, it describes a certain set of symptoms and sensations. Their manifestation is guided by both external and internal factors. External factors such as weather, food you consume and even stress levels and sleep quality contribute to the manifestation of ‘Yeet Hay’ and ‘Hon Loeng’.
Some may experience ‘Yeet Hay’ symptoms after consuming spicy or deep-fried food, but this is also dependent on internal factors such as your inborn constitution (體質). For instance, whilst those who are innately ‘hon loeung’ may be able to snack incessantly without developing symptoms of ‘Yeet Hay’, you may find yourself falling into the unfortunate state of ‘Yeet Hay’, experiencing symptoms like canker sores, sore throat, or simply the feeling of discomfort after the tiniest bit of chips or hotpot.
What Food Is ‘Yeet Hay’?
In Chinese culture, foods are allocated according to their ‘energy’ profiles – heaty (yang), neutral, cool (yin). It is crucial to understand the energies of food we intake because different food energies interact with our bodies in various ways and affect our state of health.
A question that frustrates most people is: how can we possibly gauge the nature of each and everything we eat? Worry not, we have curated a list of common foods with different energy profiles.
| Heaty | Neutral | Cool |
| -All things fried, oily, spicy -Food grown underground: ginger, chinese yam -Cooking method: All foods that are processed via frying, baking -Meat: chicken, beef, lamb (animals with high mobility) -Fruits: Durian, mango, lychee, peach, cherry pomegranate -Seafood: lobster, prawn | -Staple foods: rice, potato, carrot, sweet potato -Meat: egg, duck -Fruits: apple, grapes, lemon, strawberry, avocado | -Food grown in water: lotus, seaweed, watercress -Meat: Pork (animals with low mobility) -Fruits: Watermelon, Mangosteen, pear, banana, orange, starfruit -Seafood: Crab and Clam |
Food energies are often determined by the way the food is processed and treated. Fries, burgers, and spicy foods are no-brainer ‘Yeet Hay’. However, did you know fruits – something that most of us preach as healthy, can actually be ‘Yeet Hay’?
Similar to the state of energy in humans, food is affected by the environment. Tropical fruits grown in hot, humid regions like lychee alongside mango and pomegranate are thought to have the capacity to generate heat internally. As the elderly may say, ‘一粒荔枝，三把火’, (the consumption of one lychee generates three flames of fire – yang). On the other end of the spectrum, food like lotus, seaweed and watercress which are grown in water consist of more yin energy, sharing the ‘cooling’ effect water bears.
Food Pairing
Once again, to be free from ‘Yeet Hay’, we strive to achieve a balance between yin and yang foods. This balance can be seen in the way we pair our foods. For example, durian – the king of fruits, is always consumed alongside the queen of fruits – mangosteen. They complement each other, for the ‘cooling’ quality of mangosteen balances out the ‘heat’ of durian. This pattern of opposing food energies can actually be seen everywhere. Remember your go-to drinks during hotpot – Sugar Cane Juice 竹蔗茅根 and Sour Plum Soup 酸梅湯? If you are the type to drink coke during hotpot (ie. what elders would say – adding fuel to the ‘heatiness’ from hotpot), I urge you to give sugar cane juice a try, not only is it fresh with a tinge of floral sweetness, it relieves thirst better than coke.
Can ‘Cool’ Food Cure ‘Yeet Hay’?
Adding to the complexity of ‘Yeet Hay’, this actually further branches out into various types, ‘Real Fire 實熱’ or ‘Fake Fire 虛熱’.
‘Real fire’ represents a heightened level of yang, whereas ‘Fake Fire’ stems from a normal level of yang paired with a lowered level of yin.
Bananas are considered to be very cooling. You may think that eating a lot of bananas would prevent the manifestation of ‘Yeet Hay’. However, if your body constitution is innately cool, eating one too many bananas could easily cause fake fire, resulting in ‘Yeet Hay’. As such, indulgence in ‘cool’ foods may not necessarily ‘cure’ one’s ‘Yeet Hay’ – variance amongst different body constitutions plays a role.
Quick Fix for ‘Yeet Hay’?
In order to cure ‘Yeet Hay’, it is believed that consuming cooling foods will counteract the ‘heat’ in the body, bringing yin and yang back to balance, and vice versa.
In a lot of Chinese households, the go-to remedy for combatting ‘Yeet Hay’ is ‘leung cha’ (涼茶), herbal tea. It is an umbrella term for a range of ridiculously bitter teas, with the most common ones as ‘ya-sei-mei’ (廿四味), ‘gai gwat cou’ (雞骨草) and chrysanthemum tea (金銀花菊花茶). No, not the sweetened, mass-produced ones packaged in specific rectangular paper boxes you get off vending machines, nor the ones sold in teabags.
To get an authentic taste of chrysanthemum tea, and most importantly, to obtain the full medicinal effect of it, you will have to follow a traditional Chinese recipe or purchase one from a specialist store.
Why is ‘Yeet Hay’ So Mind-Boggling?
The origin of Chinese medicine emerged centuries ago. Yet to this day, the jargon used and concepts around it can still be very puzzling to foreigners, those of scientific communities or even the Chinese themselves. Unlike Western medicine which is backed by scientific research, evidence, and experimentation, Traditional Chinese medicine believes that illnesses are caused by the imbalance of yin and yang. Such elusive, abstract concepts render it almost impossible to perform scientific studies, hence why some deem Chinese medicine as unsubstantiated and pseudoscientific.
The Bottom Line
Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, the key takeaway is to consume everything in moderation. Overindulgence in one type of food is never wise.
Learn to pay attention to how different foods affect your body. As unique individuals, we are all built differently, the same diet may suit others, but not necessarily you. Want to find out the best diet for you? Take a CircleDNA test to understand yourself better.
FAQs
What is the meaning of yeet hay? ›
yeet hay (uncountable) (traditional Chinese medicine) internal heat.
What helps with yeet hay? ›In order to cure 'Yeet Hay', it is believed that consuming cooling foods will counteract the 'heat' in the body, bringing yin and yang back to balance, and vice versa. In a lot of Chinese households, the go-to remedy for combatting 'Yeet Hay' is 'leung cha' (涼茶), herbal tea.
What does yeet hay feel like? ›However, “yeet hay” can also be used to describe how a person is feeling after consuming these types of foods. The symptoms of “yeet hay” include sore throat, acne, lethargy, and mouth sores. In Cantonese, 热气 “yeet hay” literally translates to “hot air”.
What is Chinese hot air? ›Shanghuo (Chinese: 上火; pinyin: shàng huǒ; lit. 'elevated fire'), also known as Reqi (Chinese: 热气; pinyin: rè qì; Jyutping: jit⁶ hei³; lit. 'hot air') or Heatiness is a concept related to Traditional Chinese Medicine that involves an imbalance in internal energy that causes negative health effects on the body.
Is Yeeting a real word? ›Meaning of yeet in English
to throw something with a lot of force: He just grabbed my phone and yeeted it into the river. Yeet me that water bottle.
What does yeet mean? Yeet is an exclamation of excitement, approval, surprise, or all-around energy, often as issued when doing a dance move or throwing something.
What is the opposite of yeet hay? ›The opposite of yeet hay is liang (涼). Being liang happens very rarely. So becoming yeet is more of a problem. To counteract yeet hay, one can eat certain cooling foods.
What is opposite of Heaty? ›The concept is based on the Chinese philosophy of yin (cooling) and yang (heaty). Rather than being medical tools, the terms 'heaty' and 'cooling' act as a classification system to describe symptoms and characteristics of certain foods and the effects they have on our body.
Do horses love hay? ›Horses love treats and snacks, as well as grass and hay. But make sure you don't overdo it.
Do horses actually like hay? ›As we adapted the horse for colder climates, the horse was well-suited to thrive on hay and other conserved forages. Many pleasure horses on small acreages subsist on hay 365 days a year, and their only involvement with "pasture" is a place to exercise. (Right) Forage should be the foundation of the horse's diet.
What does hay feel like? ›
Good quality hay is soft and pliable, and feels good in your hand. If it feels like you're squeezing a handful of sticks, it is not a good choice of hay to feed your horse.
What does Shàng Huǒ mean? ›After learning all of this, I finally came to understand that 上火 (shàng huǒ) basically means “inflammation”.
Can paper lanterns start a fire? ›The lanterns can reach a height of up to 800 metres, burn for 20–40 minutes, and drift in the air for several kilometres. If one of the lanterns falls to the ground while it is still burning, it can start a fire in a home or amongst vegetation.
Is sky lanterns safe? ›Sky lanterns have become increasingly popular as a way to celebrate. However, they pose a serious fire safety hazard and their use is prohibited by National Fire Protection Association code requirements.
Who started saying YEET? ›Etymology 1
Popularized by a 2014 video uploaded on Vine. Examples of an interjection which sounds like this being uttered while throwing something can be found as early as 1998 (by British presenter Jeremy Clarkson) and 1999 (in the King of the Hill episode "To Kill a Ladybird").
“Bra” is Jamaican slang for “brother,” according to the Dictionary of Jamaican English. It was first recorded in that form in 1943, which of course means that it could have been widespread in Jamaican slang by 1967-1968. Interestingly enough, “bra” is a shortened form of the Jamaican slang “bro'er” from 1907.
What does oof mean? ›interjection. ˈüf. used to express discomfort, surprise, or dismay. I once watched a highlight reel of Tyson knockouts with a roomful of intoxicated medical students who punctuated every blow with phrases like "Oof!
What does bruh mean slang? ›bruh (plural bruhs) (slang) Alternative form of bro (“male comrade or friend”)
What does yute mean slang? ›yute (plural yutes) (Jamaican Patois, MLE, MTE, derogatory, slang) A youth, a young person, often a young black person.
Is Yoinked a word? ›It is a verb which means to take something with stealth, speed and finesse. Example: I yoinked that meal and the money.
Is YEET derogatory? ›
Again, yeet is mostly used as a humorous nonsense word. You can technically use it whenever you want to chuckle, although you should probably avoid using it in professional situations. In fact, you should probably avoid using it in any situation where you might be ridiculed for shouting out a meme.
What part of speech is YEET? ›interjection, verb. DEFINITIONS1. 1. an exclamation used by one when taking something suddenly. It can also be used as a verb meaning to take something abruptly.
What is the opposite of thirsty? ›▲ Opposite of in need of a drink. hydrated. quenched. watered.
What is the opposite of cool person? ›Opposite of being in control of one's emotions. agitated. bothered. distressed. high-strung.
Why do Chinese drink tea after a meal? ›Eases digestion:
Hot tea works wonders in washing down your food thereby keeping your throat clear. It eases off the mucus accumulation and helps in breaking down the food better. As a result, you can expect your meal to digest faster and smoother.
They concluded that habitual moderate-strength green or oolong tea consumption of at least 120 mL/day for one year significantly reduces the risk of developing hypertension in the Chinese population.
What tea do Chinese drink the most? ›Other than water, green tea is the most commonly drunk beverage in China. Chinese produce more green tea than any other kind of tea (black, red, green, white). About 80% of the world's green tea is grown in China. Green tea is generally the least processed form of tea.
Can horses survive on just hay? ›Many pleasure and trail horses don't need grain: good-quality hay or pasture is sufficient. If hay isn't enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse's calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.
Is 1st or 2nd cut hay better for horses? ›The most common choice of hay is second cutting, but first cutting is also good for horses, plus it is usually cheaper than the other two. Choose hay that is soft, green, and leafy, with thin stems, so it is easier for horses to eat.
What hay is not good for horses? ›Sorghum, Sudan, and Johnson grass hay. We do not recommend feeding your horses sorghum or sudangrass hay. This type of hay can have elevated nitrate levels and can be especially dangerous to horses if it is highly fertilized with poultry litter or conventional fertilizer.
Should horses have access to hay all day? ›
Because we like to think our horses follow the same schedule that we do, many people think that horses need less hay at night because they're asleep (and therefore, not eating). However, that's a myth. Horses need access to forage at all times of the day.
How long can horses go without hay? ›Ideally, horses should go no longer than 4 hours between forage meals and be fed on a consistent schedule. However, it's hard to predict when, or if, an extended time period without forage will cause health issues like colic and ulcers.
What do horses love the most? ›Apples and carrots are traditional favorites. You can safely offer your horse raisins, grapes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe or other melons, celery, pumpkin, and snow peas. Most horses will chew these treats before swallowing, but horses that gulp large pieces of a fruit or vegetable have a risk of choking.
Can hay go bad? ›Hay is a natural product that doesn't expire in the traditional sense of the term. When stored in the proper conditions, hay will retain its nutritional value for many months. Hay is required to feature a “freshest by” date that you will typically find on the back side of your hay packaging.
How long does hay last? ›If the hay was of good-quality when harvested and stored in a dry place with sufficient airflow, hay is likely suitable for consumption for two to three years. Keep in mind that hay, even premium forage, loses much of its vitamin content in the first few months of storage.
Does hay smell? ›The smell of typical fresh cut hay is desirable. Hay that smells of mildew, mustiness or rotten odors indicates low quality. Odor should be always inspected regardless of the animal that will be consuming the hay. However extra importance should be given to hay odors if horses will be consumers.
What does Xiao Xu mean? ›小婿 xiǎo xù my son-in-law (humble) I (spoken to parents-in-law)
What does Xiao Xue Sheng meaning in Chinese? ›小學生 xiǎo xué shēng. primary school student schoolchild CL:個|个[ge4],名[ming2]
What does Qing Ting mean? ›The young woman, Qing Ting (her name means 'dragonfly'), leaves a Buddhist monastery and moves to the city. There she meets Ke Fan, and an intense friendship evolves.
What states have banned sky lanterns? ›In the USA, bans include Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Can you let off Chinese lanterns? ›
Sky lanterns are not illegal or banned in United Kingdom, Europe, and United States of America or in any other known countries. Anyone over 18 years of age and capable of handling a lighter can responsibly release sky lanterns.
Are sky lanterns banned? ›Currently, sky lanterns are only banned in Wales, on all council land.
Do sky lanterns expire? ›After the fuel cell is consumed, the residu is 99,8 % cellulose, this implies that according EAN 1344 the sky lantern is fully biologically degradable. Sky lanterns don't have an expiration date, all it takes is to store them in a dry and not to warm place.
What happens to the lanterns after they're released? ›When used in ideal weather conditions, sky lanterns will easily reach heights of over 1000 feet. Typically, it's between 700 and 1600 feet. They will usually make it between 2 and 5 miles from the original launch site before extinguishing. After, they harmlessly float back to Earth to biodegrade.
How do sky lanterns burn out? ›Some lanterns burn up when their internal flames catch the combustible lining, but others fall to the ground intact. Some lantern parts are made of biodegradable paper and bamboo, but the paper is painted and treated with chemicals, and can take months to disintegrate.
Is YEET a swear word? ›Again, yeet is mostly used as a humorous nonsense word. You can technically use it whenever you want to chuckle, although you should probably avoid using it in professional situations. In fact, you should probably avoid using it in any situation where you might be ridiculed for shouting out a meme.
What does YEET skeet mean? ›Not that dudes need another way to say cum, but they've got one with skeet, which is slang for ejaculating. But, skeet shooting is also a pretty common meaning thanks to our favorite game, Fortnite. It is the sport of shooting clay pigeons. Skeet also shows up in yeet skeet, an expression of excitement like “Yay!”
Does YEET mean yay? ›13. Yeet. Yeet means to throw something at high velocity. People also yell the word “yeet” while throwing an object at high velocity. Yeet is also used as na exclamation of victory of excitement, similar to “yay!”.
Is there a W swear word? ›Noun. (euphemistic) The word whore.
Who first said YEET? ›Etymology 1
Popularized by a 2014 video uploaded on Vine. Examples of an interjection which sounds like this being uttered while throwing something can be found as early as 1998 (by British presenter Jeremy Clarkson) and 1999 (in the King of the Hill episode "To Kill a Ladybird").
What does Butters girl mean? ›
(Britain, slang) Synonym of ugly.
What is a black slang skeet? ›(uncountable, slang, African-American Vernacular) The ejaculation of semen.
What is Gotch slang? ›gotch (plural gotches) (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, slang) Men's underwear. quotations ▼
What does BF mean in text? ›(Internet slang) Initialism of boyfriend. (Internet slang) Initialism of best friend.
What is the past tense of YEET? ›Past Tense and Participle of Yeet (Modern USA Usage)
The past tense of Yeet recognized by most people is “yote,” — the same with the participle as well.