Guest guest Posted September 30, 2000 Report Share Posted September 30, 2000 This newletter has some very good info on improving digestion that also can be applied to cuisines other than Chinese. Victoria > >Letter-from-China > >Dagmar Riley <dagmar-riley > >Letter from China [00/9] > >Fri, 29 Sep 2000 08:14:21 -0700 > >dagmar-riley > > > >_____ > > > >LETTER FROM CHINA > >September '00 > >A newsletter on and modern China > > > >by Dagmar Riley > >______ > > > >In this issue: > > > >THE 5 ELEMENTS > >...(A) Short Revision > >...(B) Balancing Spleen Disharmonies - 2 > > > >BEIJING MEMOIRS OF MY CANADIAN FRIEND ROBIN > >...100-day birthday > > > >DISCLAIMER > >SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE information > >______ > > > >Please feel free to FORWARD this newsletter to friends. > >______ > > > >A)SHORT REVISION: > >The 5 Elements are a symbol for the 5 basic energies of > >the Universe. > >The 5 Elements are: Wood - Fire - Earth - Metal - Water. > > > >The Element EARTH is associated with: > >Indian summer - Maturity - Brooding - Humidity - Spleen > >- Stomach - Mouth - sweet. > > > >For BACK ISSUES of this series, please visit > >http://www.topica.com/lists/Letter-from-China > > > >B) BALANCING SPLEEN DISHARMONIES - 2 > > > >Balancing Spleen Disharmonies includes 3 aspects: > >*your lifestyle > >*nutrition > >(nutrition is part of your lifestyle, but it's a large > >enough issue to be treated separately) > >*medical (self-)treatment > >including herbal products, acupressure etc. > > > >In this issue, we will look at the second aspect: Nutrition. > > > >Earth is associated with the organs Spleen and Stomach, > >according to Chinese medicine the primary digestive organs. > >Their ability to transform food into substances that can be > >used by the body and provide it with energy is essential > >for the health of all other organs, hence the Chinese saying > > " when the stomach is healthy, all illnesses can be cured " . > >My teacher of Chinese herbs taught us to always put herbs > >into the prescription that protect and strengthen the stomach > >- which makes sense considering that the herbs can only > >develop their curative effect if they are absorbed well by > >the digestive system. > > > >There are two basic types of energy that make up a person's > >health: The energy that you inherited from your parents > >(the " pre-heaven qi " , your constitution) and the qi that is > >absorbed through nutrition ( " post heaven qi " ). > > > >Whether or not you have plenty of post-heaven qi does NOT > >only depend on what you eat but how and in what form you > >eat it! If you eat food in a form that harms the digestive > >system (too cold, too much of one kind, eaten under stress > >or irregularly)it will not be absorbed well no matter how > >healthy the ingredients of the food might be " theoretically " . > >E.g., if your digestive system is weak and this leads to > >deficiency in certain vitamins, taking vitamin pills won't > >do much good. You will have to take the vitamins in a form > >that strengthens the digestive system so that it can absorb > >the vitamins - in other words: Correct nutritional habits. > >A lot of nutritional theories only consider the chemical > >composition of the food - they don't consider you and how > >you work. > > > >You yourself know best how your work and how you feel after > >eating certain foods: Do certain foods, certain combination > >of foods, the preparation (cooked, raw) etc make you feel > >bloated, tired after eating, without energy, leave you with > >cravings? Or does it (long-term!) make you feel like you got > >exactly what you needed, and leave you energized and > >comfortable? > > > >Thus, balancing and strengthening the Earth organs Spleen > >and Stomach is important for everybody, whatever element type > >you are! A " stomach & spleen " diet is neutral to warm and > >should be the basic diet for everyone. You can then modify > >this basic diet with foods of your element and foods of cold > >or hot energetics according to your element type and imbalance. > >Follow the basic rules, experiment, and learn from your > >reaction. > > > >We said that Earth types > >*like things to stay as they are. Changes make them feel > >uncomfortable. > >*don't like extremes (as opposed to e.g. the fire type who > >always needs a stimulation) > >*relaxed: He/she loves to have a lazy afternoon with his > >friends. > >*dislike cold or easily feel cold. > > > >The Spleen is pretty much the same: > > > >*The Spleen like things to stay as they are. Irregular meal > >times, skipped meals and too much variation of foods or too > >many exotic foods we are not used to harm the Spleen. > > > >*don't like extremes: Too much food harms the Spleen. > > > >*relaxed: Eat slowly, peacefully and with reverence for the > >food. Hasty eating, eating when angry or eating while concentrating > >on something else (business lunches) harms the Spleen. > > > >*dislike cold or easily feel cold: The Spleen dislikes cold > >and it dislikes dampness. Refrigerated drinks are the best way > >to destroy your digestive ability: The stomach needs to be warm > >to digest effectively. Cold drinks make no sense anyway, even > >in summer: If you drink refrigerated drinks, the body has to > >produce warmth to maintain body temperature in the digestive > >tract - there is no real cooling effect. > > > >But not only cold drinks, all uncooked foods like salads, > >yoghurt and sandwiches are classified as cold foods. A > >salad with a warm meal does not do much harm (eat raw > >foods like the Chinese - together with a warm meal), but > >the excessive consumption of cold foods leads to sluggish > >digestion. Raw foods were hailed as healthy in the west > >because we used to " cook our food to death " , which is > >also not healthy, but only raw foods are not the answer. > > > >If you stir-fry or cook your food for a short time the > >enzymes will not be destroyed and the food retains all > >its nutrients. > > > >The sweet taste pertains to Earth. Sweet foods tonify and > >act harmonizing, but this only goes for natural sweetness. > >Processed foods with added white sugar do the opposite: > >They rob energy. When we get sugar cravings, all the body > >really demands is nourishing food. When we give it processed > >sugary foods like chocolate, the demand is not fulfilled but > >worse, and the craving gets stronger and stronger. > > > >Naturally sweet foods are usually foods that look " earthy " - > >brown or yellow - like pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, most > >beans, carrot, rice, corn, barely, millet, all nuts like > >chestnut or walnut, seeds like sunflower seeds, sesame, > >figs, dates, apricot, honey melon, papaya, raisins, honey, > >malt, tofu. > > > >Cooked cereals are extremely good for the Spleen and Stomach; > >they are easy to prepare, easy to store and keep and combine > >well with most other foods. Ground corn (Polenta) is a good > >example: It is available all year and combines well with all > >vegetables and meat. You can also get ideas from cuisines of > >other countries for good recipes including cooked cereals. > > > >Sweet fruits are cooling and are good to eat in the summer, > >when under stress (over-activity causes pathogenic heat) or > >when suffering under other heat symptoms like sleeplessness. > >Beware not to overdo it though: Remember that the Spleen > >doesn't like cold. Too much cooling fruits harm Spleen qi > >and cause dampness. > > > >Most meats generally pertain to Earth, tonify qi and are ideal > >to strengthen the Spleen. Again, the quantity and way of > >preparation is important: Eaten in small quantities and cooked > >in water is best, e.g. in soups. > > > >Soups are ideal for overactive people that have high-pressure > >jobs and are constantly under stress (although we all tend to > >be overactive and over-stimulated). Over-activity causes heat > >by depleting the Yin aspect of our bodies. Soups replenish Yin, > >but are warming the Spleen at the same time and are thus ideal > >food for stressed people with a weak digestion. Eating more > >soups (freshly prepared, no instant soups!!) will dramatically > >improve your digestive system. > > > >Ginger is very good for people who have a deficient Spleen, > >causing e.g fatigue, soft stools, pale face/tongue/lips, being > >tired after meals, feeling bloated after meals, feeling cold > >easily. Add fresh ginger to your meals or drink it as a tea. > > > >Asian and African cuisines are good examples of the above > >guidelines. Let yourself be inspired and develop your own > >individual style. Eating food just because it's healthy isn't > >enough: Good food has to be enjoyed! > > > >**************** 1************************* > >LIVE A LIFE YOU LOVE! > >Creating a truly delicious life doesn't have to be an unfulfilled > >fantasy! We can manifest as much passion, love, prosperity, > >health, fun and joy as they want. This FREE e-zine will help! > >To email: livealifeyoulove- > >or visit http://www.livealifeyoulove.net > >**************** 2************************* > >Dare to Discover Your Passion, Decide to Live Your Destiny now! > >For Unique, Action Oriented Doers. Inspiration and Coaching daily. > >Via email:DiscoverYourPassion- or > >web: http://www.5passions.com/subpage.html > >*****************END ************************ > > > >BEIJING MEMOIRS OF MY CANADIAN FRIEND ROBIN > > > >[i had the opportunity, over the past year, to visit China. > >My husband is a refrigeration mechanic who was sent to > >Beijing to build an ice rink in a shopping plaza so that > >you can skate and shop. Since I love to travel, I quit my > >job to follow him. This is the story as it unfolds.] > > > >Well, here I am back in Beijing again. I arrived after a > >relatively good flight: The plane was only half full so I had > >a double seat to myself and was able to get a much needed > >sleep with my feet up. I was able to see a wonderful sight > >on the trip over Russia. I happened to look out of the window > >just as we were passing, what I believe was a dormant volcano. > >It rose up from a snowfield, to seemingly almost reach the > >plane. It was a perfect cone shaped mountain covered from top > >to bottom with snow and with the bright blue skies and sunshine > >was quite an incredible sight. One of the flight attendants > >told me that she had flown over it while it was active and > >that she had never forgotten it. > > > >As we approached Beijing it, of course, became overcast so > >I was unable to see Mutianyu, which was where we saw the > >Great Wall. The air was grey again but it was warmer than > >T.O. so it was nice to be walking outside. Michael met me > >at the airport and we arrived back to our apartment without > >much delay. > > > >After showering, I was anxious to see our friends at the > >Goose and Duck again, so off we went to eat and hug. Everyone > >was as I remembered and it was wonderful to see them all. > >Amy had done a few things to the bar since I had been there - > >installing a huge screen for showing CD videos (movies) on > >Monday nights and a framed copy of an article on the Goose > >and Duck Farm was hanging on the wall. As I went to look at > >it, I saw some familiar faces in one of the photos. Yes, it > >was Richard, Diana, Michael and I around the hot pot - taken > >when we had gone to the farm to show them the country and > >the Great Wall. Amy had kept 3 copies for us, so when it > >gets framed it will be a wonderful souvenir to add to our > >collection. We spent a few hours catching up and since > >I was beginning to fade, decided to go home and sleep. > > > >The next day I met Michael for lunch and got back into the > >Beijing culture again by taking a walk, avoiding the bicycles > >and taxis and reading the newspapers in the glass cases on the > >road. > > > >On Friday night we had been invited to a 100-day birthday > >party. What is that? Well apparently since life was very tough, > >babies often didn't survive past 3 months and so the 100 day > >birthday was celebrated, a tradition that still continues. > >It was a typical birthday party with gifts and little kids > >running all over the place, but worked more like a " drop in " > >with people coming and going all night. I met an ophthalmologist > >from China who had to give up medicine here since he only made > >$30.00 CDN per month and couldn't afford to continue his > >practice. He was now in the regular business world. > > > >On Sunday Michael was working, trying to get the rink finished, > >so I took the opportunity to go to the farm and see what was > >new. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and the air > >clear. Something that I hadn't seen since I got here. The > >workers there were frantically trying to finish the activity > >venues in preparation for a large (130 people) party that will > >be occurring next weekend. A volleyball court was almost > >finished as was the soccer pitch, and basketball stands (nets) > >were ready to be raised. > > > >John and I had told Amy about horseshoes, which would be a > >great game for around the bar to entertain the patrons in the > >warm weather. They had never heard of it over here and so > >Amy had her blacksmith make sets of shoes to be used and I > >showed the workers how and where to dig the pits. Amy is building > >an additional 10 brick cabins and they were rapidly being done. > >The people here are so hard working - it was 6 pm on a Sunday > >and they were still working. > > > >So far this has been a quieter trip for me, since I had > >already seen many of the sights around Beijing, but now > >that I am finally getting my days and nights turned around > >I will be checking out places that I have missed such as > >the Lama Temple. > > > >The interesting thing is that my ear for the language has > >improved since I was last here and I now have many new words > >and one complete sentence (you paid what for that - are you > >crazy? " ) to add to my foreign language skills. The taxi > >drivers are now talking to me in Chinese - since I have my > >destinations and directions down pat. However, I am soon > >found out when they see I have no idea what they are saying. > >They give me the thumbs up sign and a big grin so that I > >don't feel too bad. > > > >Well, I guess that is all for now. Stay Well. > > > >_____ > >DISCLAIMER > >The material in this newsletter is intended for > >informational purposes only. I do not prescribe and I > >do not diagnose. If you use the information in this > >newsletter without the approval of a health professional, > >you prescribe for yourself, which remains your constitutional > >right, but the author assumes no responsibility. > >_______ > >SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE > > > >The Letter from China is published every last Friday of the > >month. > >New rs will be forwarded the current issue. > > > > > >by sending a BLANK email to: > >Letter-from-China- > > > > > >by sending a BLANK email to: > >Letter-from-China- > > > >submit your own personal stories > >gesund2000 > >and write " article submission " in the subject line. > > > >for back issues visit > >http://www.topica.com/lists/Letter-from-China > >_______ > > 2000 by Dagmar Riley. All rights reserved > >worldwide. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >_________ > >T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 > >Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics > > > > >--------------------------- >--== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- >Before you buy. > > _______________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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