This may be another post on foods- I know- but how much more basic can you get about your health? I reposted this photo from elotus.org from their Facebook page. They are an excellent organization and definitely worth the e-visit. Especially if you are an acupuncturist.
Not too long ago I found myself in a Trader Joe’s. I was perusing the produce section and found, much to my delight, a guacamole “kit”. Now, I realize that many of you reading this will be thinking, “Just how backwards is this acupuncturist when it comes to cooking- who needs a kit to make guacamole?” I am sure that, given the chance and no matter the depths of poor cooking you have seen, I can probably astound you anew. I mention this because no matter how remedial your culinary skills, even the most basic of good-food combinations can provide wonderful therapeutic results when you think how food is medicine.
Avocados are chock full of potassium, vitamins A and E and essential fatty acids. According to traditional Chinese medicine they are beneficial for the heart, blood circulation and the skin. They help lessen the symptoms of PMS and fight cancer.
Tomatoes can be high in potassium, beta-carotene, lycopene and vitamins C and E. They also fight cancer, help maintain healthy skin, protect the heart and support fertility.
Limes have potassium also (getting the sense that guacamole is a good source of potassium yet?), limonene, bioflavonoids and vitamin C. Limes boost immunity and help reduce coughs, colds and the flu. Limes help kick cancer to the curb.
Onions are a source of vitamin C, and have similar sulfur-based compounds as found in garlic.
I didn’t use the jalapeño peppers provided because I don’t roll that way so your homework is to find out the nutritional properties of jalapeños if you are interested.
Sea salt, besides providing whichever minerals are found in it, also detoxifies, clears heat, lubricates dryness and is considered a yin tonic (remember: the therapeutic dose only that is appropriate for you!)
And that was the kit. What other foods do you put in your guacamole? Let us know in the comments section and I’ll include the health benefits of those foods too!
If you are eating gluten-free these days and haven’t found this gem yet check out this website:
http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/
Yummy!
Have you ever gone fishing, caught a beautiful fish, cleaned that fish and then wrapped that fish in packaging to keep it until you cooked it in just the way you like it? Have you ever bought fish sticks out of the freezer at your local supermarket? VERY different experiences. Granted, with the way we have all agreed that daily reality should go, most of us don’t have the time to fish on a regular basis but anytime you can connect/be involved with any of your food from it’s beginning to end is incredibly healthful. Just think about all the potential encoding that goes along with each step of our fish experience. To catch that fish maybe you were on a boat or shoreline in a beautiful location with friends or loved ones. At some point you would’ve had to learn how to clean and package fish; learning something new is wonderful for the brain. And then the cooking part- how satisfying is it to cook something delicious (dare we say nutritious?) for yourself or others?
Just recently I had the opportunity to help friends with their coffee crop. We picked the beans, separated the beans from their skin (sorry- the correct terminology has escaped me so far!) and then helped package the roasted beans. The picture on the label is original artwork by the coffee grower. All this happened amongst friends on beautiful days in a spectacular location. Is it fair to say that this is the best coffee on planet Earth? Why yes, I would have to say it is.
What full-process food stories do have to share? Tell us about them in the comments section. Thanks!
Can anything be better than travel? A chance to refresh, renew and reconnect to things we love. And also a chance to try new, healthful, delicious beverages. This wonderful concoction is brought to you by Susan G of the BIG island. She prefers not to drink simple water but instead brews this deliciously delectable ginger turmeric lemonade. Lucky for us that she does and is willing to share!
Ginger is a warming tonic for the digestive system. It stimulates the circulatory system. In China it is sometimes used as an antidote for seafood poisoning. For motion sickness, morning sickness or post-operative sickness it’s a great nausea tonic. Ginger can also help with fevers and coughs. And you thought it was only a garnish for sushi! Actually, it’s not by chance that ginger comes with your sushi. The warmth of the ginger counteracts the cold of the cold sushi rice. Neat huh?
Turmeric is a cousin of ginger. It alleviates indigestion, bloating and stomach upset. It is anti-inflammatory in nature (I saw the immediate effects of this lemonade at work on a case of gastritis) as well as a powerful antioxidant. It has culinary, medicinal, cosmetic, dying, gardening (it’s a natural ant repellant) and ceremonial uses. Curcumin is one of the compounds of turmeric showing great promise medicinally. Preliminary studies show that it has the potential to fight the effects of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. It is used in some sunscreens and is anti-cancerous.
Mint is great for good health! It shows abilities in decreasing indigestion, gastritis, bloating and flatulence. It also decreases the signs of irritable bowel syndrome.
Lemon juice is a good source of vitamin C, bioflavanoids and potassium. The juice is a super booster for the immune system. Lemons and lemon juice are good for mouth ulcers and gum disease.
If you choose to add in the honey, know that it can be good for you too. Yes, it’s 70% sugars and the glycemic index ranges from between 30 and 80, but it is full of trace amounts of different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants making it a better sweetener choice than refined sugar. Here’s a little factoid about honey: it’s 40% denser than water.
Check out Susan’s step-by-step picture directions:
Mahalo Susan!
Oh, and just for fun- want to hear real-time, streaming humpback whales singing in Puako, Hawaii? If it’s the right season click here to hear!
Happy Monday! I hope everyone in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with gratitude and goodness.
As we all know, Thanksgiving is a good opportunity to eat. So just what beneficial things are you doing for your health when you sit down and eat all those traditional foods? Let’s find out!
Turkey- a good tonic for your digestive energy
If you have ham instead- ham produces fluids and quiets rebellious qi
oysters- are a blood tonic
walnuts- lubricate the intestines
chestnuts- circulate blood and can help stop bleeding
figs- are good for the stomach
mandarin oranges- are slightly diuretic, they lubricate the lungs, help relieve coughs and transform phlegm
apples-produce fluids, they also lubricate the lungs, as well as increase digestion
pears- clear heat and lubricate dryness
persimmons- tonify qi, blood and yin. They quench thirst and lubricate the lungs.
butter- is a yang, qi and blood tonic
whole wheat- a great tonic for your energetic kidneys
squash-circulates the blood, decreases inflammation, helps to relieve pain and is a digestive energy, qi and blood tonic.
asparagus- clears heat and fire, and dries damp to name a few of its benefits.
spinach- tonifies qi and blood, clears heat
egg- is a good blood tonic
string beans- tonify qi, blood and yin
corn- is a diuretic
peas- descend rebellious qi, act as a diuretic and help promote bowel movements
pepper- helps warm the interior
garlic- circulates qi and blood, warms the middle
cloves- warm the interior
nutmeg-circulates blood and warms the interior
rosemary- is calming and moves blood
carrots- dry dampness
pumpkin- a qi and blood tonic and dries damp
sweet potato- a blood and yin tonic
celery-clears heat, dries damp, calms
Of course this isn’t a complete list but hopefully it gets everyone thinking about the variety of ingredients found in a Thanksgiving meal and how each bite can do good work for you.
And remember, always make good food choices reflecting your unique food/health needs
Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. ~Doug Larson
Did you ever think about your food as medicine? Chinese medicine often does and prescribes food to help with chief concerns. The saying goes: “Food is medicine and medicine is sometimes food.”
What is your food doing for you?
102 degrees today…that’s HOT! (And not in the Paris Hilton sort of way.) What’s a person to do to try to lessen the effects of all this heat? TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) has some answers.
TCM observes that the health of the body is affected by the environment/conditions we find ourselves in. Most of us employ traditional Chinese medicine concepts without even realizing that we are doing so. If you’ve been to the office you’ve probably heard the example of health being like a see-saw. One see-saw of health is the balance between hot and cold. You need to have both in appropriate amounts in the right places and times for maintaining good, balanced health like a perfectly horizontal see-saw. For various reasons, too much cold or too much heat can accumulate in the body leading to an imbalance in health, or in other words, a tipped see-saw. People who live in colder climates will often have different health issues than people who live in warmer areas. If the see-saw is tipping too far over on the hot side, for example 102 degree days, employing cooling substances and techniques can bring that see-saw back into balance. What do you do when it’s a really cold day? Drink nice warm beverages and sit by a crackling fire- both actions being very therapeutic. What do we do when it’s 102 degrees? Some of us go for a swim. We say it’s “refreshing”. What we’re really doing is employing a cooler condition to offset the heat to bring the see-saw back to horizontal. Swimming is just one therapeutic “tool” for cooling off. Food is another. The following is a list of cooling foods. Make sure to eat with care and always do only what works best for you. Consider any allergens, high-sugar foods, and any other reason why a particular food might not be your best choice even if it does help cool things down. If you have any questions call the office.
Veggies- alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, bamboo shoots, beets, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, pumpkin, lettuce, spinach, watercress, zucchini
Fruits- apple, apricot, avocado, lemon, peach, persimmon, strawberry, tomato, mango
Seeds/Beans- tofu, mung bean
Meats- chicken eggs, clams and crab
Herbs- mint
Other- tea.
Now, besides what you eat, how you eat it will also affect a food’s cooling ability. Tea is cool by nature but you can increase it’s cooling nature by drinking it iced or decrease it’s cooling nature by drinking it hot.
The most important idea of all? Eat only foods appropriate for you and do everything in moderation. Experiment and have fun!
I don’t know where celery’s bad rap started but it’s time to propel celery to the veggie stardom it well deserves.
The English word celery comes to us by way of French by way of Italian by way of Latin borrowed originally from Greek. Celery was important enough to the early Egyptians to be made into garlands which were found buried with King Tutankhamen.
If it was good enough to be buried with kings isn’t it good enough to be included in everyday food habits? Many think so. Celery, along with bell peppers and onions form the triad of staples for Cajun and Creole cuisine.
So what, exactly, is so good about celery? Well, just know that when you include celery into your diet you are eating a good source of beta-carotene, potassium, calcium and vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, coumarins, flavonoids and fiber. It’s believed that coumarins help to lower blood pressure, tone the vascular system and help to prevent cancer.
And, unless you have an allergy to celery, choose to include this delightful veggie to help with fluid retention, constipation, rheumatism, gout, arthritis and stress. Celery may also help with migraines, lower cholesterol, detoxify the body enough to help avoid cancer, enhance the function of some white blood cells, and also replace electrolytes after a good workout.
Celery…it isn’t just for Thanksgiving!
