Guest guest Posted March 29, 2000 Report Share Posted March 29, 2000 -- --------- Forwarded Message --------- DATE: Thu, 23 Mar 2000 23:38:33 Dagmar Riley <dagmar-riley Letter-from-China _____ LETTER FROM CHINA March '00 (2) A newsletter on and modern China by Dagmar Riley ______ In this issue: THE 5 ELEMENTS ....(A)Short Revision ....(B)Balancing Liver Disharmonies - 2: Nutrition <continued> BEIJING MEMOIRS OF MY CANADIAN FRIEND ROBIN ....The Forbidden City 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 WOOD is associated with: Spring - Birth - Anger - Wind - Liver - Gallbladder - Eyes - sour. Balancing Liver (Wood) Disharmonies includes 3 aspects: *your lifestyle *nutrition *medical (self-)treatment Food Classification is according to 2 principles: 1. Yin and Yang, including the 4 energies of food: hot and warm (Yang), cool and cold (Yin). 2. The 5 Flavours: sweet - earth, bitter - fire, sour - wood, pungent - metal salty - water For BACK ISSUES of this series, please visit http://www.topica.com/lists/Letter-from-China or send an e-mail to gesund2000 B)BALANCING LIVER DISHARMONIES - 2: Nutrition <continued> For all new readers who just joined us: This issue is a continuation of last issue, and it might be necessary for your understanding to read the March (1) issue. Today's issue will be a bit technical (but necessary!), providing you with a list of foods pertaining to the Wood Element, a sample recipe, and a small test including a patient analysis to deepen your understanding of what you have learnt. List of foods pertaining to the Wood Element (Liver) HOT: Spices: Vinegar Meat/Fish: Crayfish, lobster Drinks: Schnaps over 32% vol WARM: Spices: Balsamico, yeast, tamarind, wine vinegar Herbs: Basil, stinging nettle Vegetables: Leek Nuts: Hazelnut, sesame Fruit: Raspberry, cherry, medlar, passion fruit Meat: Lamb liver, pork liver, goat liver, chicken, duck NEUTRAL: Herbs: Tarragon, chervil, parsley, sorrel Vegetable: Calabash, sweet potato Fruit: clementine, rose hip, tangerine, plum, grape, Meat: beef liver COOL: Herbs: Dill Vegetable: Green salad, green beans, sauerkraut Fruit: Apple, blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, orange, sour cherry, gooseberry, lemon Oil: Sesame oil Meat: calves' liver Drinks: Cider, rose-hip tea, hibiscus tea Dairy products: Sour milk, sour cream COLD: Vegetable: Bamboo shoots, pickled gherkin, cucumber, dandelion, rucola, spinach, tomato Fruit: Pineapple, kiwi, grapefruit, rhubarb Dairy products: Yoghurt, kefir, curd cheese Meat: Duck liver, goose liver Drinks: Champagne I have chosen a western cuisine recipe as an example rather than a Chinese recipe since I thought it would be easier to copy. The following recipe is taken from the book " Fuenf Elemente Ernaehrung " (in German) by Dr. Fahrnow and is calculated for 4 persons. The letters in brackets after the ingredients represent the respective element: (W)= Wood, (F)= Fire, (E)= Earth, (M)= Metal, (Wa)= Water and whether they are Yin foods or Yang foods. Green beans and Tomato Ingredients: 500g green beans (W, Yin) 3 tbsp of lemon juice (W, Yin) 500g tomatoes (W, Yin) a bundle of parsley (W, neutral) 1 tbsp butter (E, Yin) ground pepper (M, Yang) salt (Wa, Yang) basil (W, Yang) Function: Harmonising, cooling and strengthening the Liver (Wood). Wash the beans (W), cut into pieces and put into pot. Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice (W). Wash and cut the tomatoes (W) and the parsley (W). Add tomatoes, parsley, butter (E) and pepper into the pot and cook for 10 minutes. Take off the stove and carefully add salt (Wa). Sprinkle rest of the lemon juice over the beans and decorate with the basil (W). Some additional information on the thermal quality of foods: We can make a dish predominantly Yin or Yang in nature (it is not advisable to exclusively use Yin or Yang ingredients) by choosing the ingredients according to their Yin or Yang properties. Adding spices with Yin or Yang quality can also modify the overall thermal quality. We can also influence the Yin or Yang character of a dish by using different preparation methods: To make a dish more Yin, steam or boil in water. To make a dish more Yang, fry or simmer for a long time. Foods that contain a lot of water are usually cooling. Vegetables and meat that are grown artificially quick using fertilizer and hormones are less warming than their naturally grown counterparts (but also less healthy). Let's test our understanding of Chinese nutrition: A woman has been overweight for years. She easily feels tired, and, except in extreme hot weather, always has cold hands even if the people around her feel hot. She finds it hard to get motivated for everyday tasks and sometimes feels depressive. In the morning she only comes alive after 2 cups of coffee. Should this woman attempt a diet of " healthy " fruit juices like pineapple, kiwi, grapefruit and orange? All of the woman's symptoms point to a Yang (energy and warmth) deficiency (see Letter from China [00/3(1)]). As " health " means Yin (substance, blood and body fluids)and Yang (energy and warmth) being in balance, supporting and restricting each other, a Yang deficiency will, over the long run, be unable to restrict Yin. The body does not have enough energy (Yang) to transform and distribute its substances (Yin), resulting in the accumulation of fat and water in the body tissues (Yin excess): The woman becomes overweight. We can see from the analysis of the symptoms that the woman needs food providing her with Yang energy. The juice diet using pineapple (Wood, COLD), kiwi (Wood, COLD), grapefruit (Wood, COLD) and orange (Wood, COOL)will give her the opposite of what she needs and deplete her Yang even more. The diet will ultimately make her gain weight. Instead, she would benefit from predominantly (but not exclusively) eating food classified as warm or hot, eating cooked food rather than raw foods, and regularly drinking hot soups and beverages. If imbalances have existed for years already, it is advisable to consult a TCM doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment. Herbal treatment or acupuncture help to deal with imbalances that have already affected several organs and produced complicated patterns that are not easy to rebalance by the layman's nutritional therapy. However, nutrition can *help prevent imbalances that you know you are prone to *rebalance disharmonies that are the result of a short term strain on the body (weather, stress, uncomplicated illnesses, etc.) *support professional treatment *and significantly improve your general well-being by setting free energies that were trapped by bad digestion and malnutrition before. You now have a good basic understanding of Chinese nutrition theory. Although you don't know the classification of all common foods yet, you can find out at least the thermal quality (Yin or Yang) of a food by thinking about how you feel after eating it. You can also find out if a food is suitable for YOU if you think about how it makes you feel. Knowing the basic theory and then developing your own intuition is the best way to a healthy life-style. Join me next time when we will discuss medical (self-) treatment to balance Liver (Wood) Disharmonies. *********************Ad 1******************************* Astronomy Digest is a Free Monthly On-Line Astronomy Magazine with Current Astronomy News, Product Reviews, and much more. http://astronomydigest.com *********************Ad 2******************************* Lift Your Life from Acceptable to EXCEPTIONAL! Subscribe to Get LIFE LINED UP! Weekly ezine. Tips, Quotes & Strategies for Creating SUCCESS on your own terms, personally & professionally. -llu *********************End Ad***************************** ______ 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.] I woke up to a beautiful sunny, clear day. The temperature was about -2C, however there was no wind. I decided this was the day to go to the Forbidden City. It is only about 10 min down the road on the north side of Tianamen Square. After paying my 30 Yuan I entered the huge red gates of the city. In front of me was a massive courtyard surrounded by walls and buildings in the classical Chinese style with carved white marble bridges over the river/moat that runs through it. Ahead was another huge door and the promise of more doors beyond it. I strolled through the yard over cobblestone pavement and noticed a sign saying Hall of Paintings. Curious, I had to explore. I entered and was amazed to find an art gallery of ancient watercolours depicting stories of the histories of the various dynasties that had lived in the city. The detail was exquisite and as I strolled through the rooms, lights automatically came on to light up whichever group of paintings I was viewing, going off as I passed that particular group. Knowing I had much to see I left and went through the next huge door/ passageway. In the next courtyard were signs announcing the Bronze Gallery and the Ceramic Hall. The Bronze Gallery was first. Inside were massive bronze castings of food containers the size of barrels with carvings etched all around them. Also found were wine heaters, goblets, incense burners and various bowls and vessels of every description dating as far back as thousands of years BC. In the next room were daggers, tools of everyday living and artefacts going back even further. I realized this was a really ancient race. In the Hall of Ceramics I found objects starting back when pottery was first discovered - crude and the colour of clay but as I continued into the room you could see the experience coming through. I felt that I was seeing the development of porcelain from the beginning of time. Each dynasty learned from the next and soon I was seeing incredibly painted and glazed ceramic figures, bowls, dishes and vases until the intricacy was astounding. A camel in perfect detail standing almost 3 feet tall with a Chinese warrior astride it. A depiction of one of the rulers the same size - I felt as if I was looking into a real face. Realizing time was passing I moved on to the next wonder. As I walked out of the hall I was on a back road which led to one of the dynasties palaces. I looked through the windows and I could see the original furniture of the ruler, his dowager (wife) and his concubine (in the same house - a civilized lot), as it was when they lived there. The furniture didn't look all that comfortable but it had retained its original splendour. As I wound my way through the back roads (all cobblestones) each doorway had another surprise. Massive bronze lions, dragons, and various vessels the size of a hot tub were displayed in each courtyard. This truly was a huge place. Through one door I found myself in a garden full of rock sculptures, pavilions and old protected trees that looked as if they had been there forever. They probably had! This was my favourite so far. I spent a long time wandering through the gardens, over pathways that had been walked on for thousands of years looking at structures that had been there as long. I only wish I could have seen it as it was with the people actually living there in their costumes and doing the everyday things of living. As I noticed that the sun was starting to go down and the air was getting chillier I knew that I had reached the limit of my exploring for today. I could see a stand of pine trees on a hill in the distance with more pavilions on the top of the hill. I knew that to go on I would not be able to spend the time needed to enjoy the new sights, so I decided to leave the second half of the Forbidden City for another day. I also decided that this was a sight that Michael could not miss so I am going to entice him back so that he will be able to enjoy this incredible place with me. I noticed as I returned to the entrance that only on the other side of the walls was a modern city with cranes dotting the skyline but while you are inside, the modern world falls away and you are transported thousands of years into the past. I really hadn't known just how old this civilization was until I came here. As I sit here typing this I am still awe struck by the sights I have seen today. The Forbidden City is a place that everyone should see at some time in their life to appreciate the age and the development of man and his achievements. I will write about the second half of this wonderful place in a future update, since there is no way I can leave Beijing without going back. ______ 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 two weeks on Fridays. 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. comments, suggestions or criticism gesund2000 and write " comment " in the subject line. for back issues gesund2000 and write " back issues " in the subject line or visit http://www.topica.com/lists/Letter-from-China _______ Copyright ) 2000 by Dagmar Riley. All rights reserved worldwide. _______ Enlighten your in-box. http://www.topica.com/t/15 --------- End Forwarded Message --------- --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Share what you know. 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