All posts by john@acupressure.com.au

EARTH FOOD

Damp, Digestion, Earth Element, Food, Oedema, Sweet, Transitions, Worry, , , ,

Back so soon? Yes, the Earth phase follows close upon the Fire phase and is followed closely in turn by the Metal phase. Think of a round cake that is cut into four large pieces, representing the Water, Wood, Fire and Metal phases. Now take a slice off the end of each piece: these slivers represent the Earth phase which is interspersed at the points of transition. (See a previous post detailing this.) The phase that we are now transitioning in the southern hemisphere is the most evident expression of this Earth energy, the late summer. As the Nei Jing tells us:

During the season between summer and autumn, late summer, the fruits ripen and turn yellow. When they ripen they taste sweet and can nourish spleen qi. The spleen qi is then able to nourish the muscles and flesh. (Suwen 5)

Not only is the Earth Element one of transition, it is also one of centrality. The organs of Earth, Stomach and Spleen, are central to the metabolic functions of the body, namely the taking in and transforming of food into Qi.

The stomach and spleen are like warehouses where one stores all the food and essences. They digest, absorb, and extract the food and nutrients. (Su wen 8)

For this series of blogs about food, the Earth is key, for it pertains to our appetite, taste, enjoyment, appreciation, digestion and utilisation of food.

The taste of Earth is sweet

While the taste of the Earth Element is sweet, this is not the sweetness of sugar, cakes, biscuits and ice cream, all of which are damaging to the Spleen if overindulged. Rather the sweet taste is a natural one that arises from the presence of complex carbohydrates. Zoey Gong in her Five Elements Cookbook says that “Sweet flavour is nourishing, slightly Warming, harmonising, and moistening. Half of your daily diet should come from Sweet foods to help strengthen your Spleen which prevents weak digestion.”

This view is antithetical to many modern dietary models which emphasise high protein and low carbohydrate intake. However, the Chinese medicine view arises from thousands of years of dietary development and is in the context of a diet that is a balance of flavours, colours, hot and cold properties, cooking methods and seasonal influences.

Let’s look at these sweet foods. A quick glance shows that most foods are sweet in flavour, or a combination of sweet and one other flavour. As you might expect, almost all fruits are sweet. Among the leafy vegetables, asparagus, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, lettuce and spinach are entirely sweet. So too are corn, green beans, mung beans, and almost all the root vegetables, especially beetroot, carrot, potato, pumpkin and sweet potato.

Looking at protein sources, all legumes are sweet, things like lentils, beans, chickpeas and peas. So too almost all nuts and grains are sweet in flavour. Among the animal proteins, most are sweet except for duck and ham. Many kinds of fish are sweet, though these are mostly a combination of sweet and salty.

So, when we are advised that half of our diet should come from sweet foods, there is no shortage of choice, but with the proviso that we include fruit, vegetables and grains.

That said, there is such a thing as too much sweet. This is particularly true of sugar-based sweetness which is ubiquitous in processed foods. Overindulgence in sweet food damages the Spleen. Specifically, it creates damp in the body where the Spleen is unable to transform and transport fluids. This can lead to retention of fluid, oedema, sluggish digestion, bloating, loose stools, fatigue, mental fogginess and an overall feeling of heaviness.

Too much sweet taste can disturb the heart qi, causing it to become restless and congested, as well as cause imbalance of kidney energy, which turns the face black. (Suwen 3)

Thinking back to my metaphor of dividing the cake, perhaps I should have chosen a round fruit, say a melon. While yummy cake may be good for the soul, too much yummy cake is definitely not good for our Earth Element.

The colour of Earth is yellow

The Earth Element and its organs of Stomach and Spleen can be further enhanced by paying attention to the colour of food. Include some yellow or orange food with each meal, even if the taste is not sweet. Yellow foods include banana, lemon, pineapple, orange, mandarin, yellow peppers, rockmelon (cantaloupe), mango, nectarine, peach, papaya and passionfruit. Among the vegetables: carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin, yellow pepper and sweet corn. Other yellow foods include turmeric, saffron, mustard, millet and sesame seeds.

Cooking methods

Earth thrives on warm, simply cooked foods which are easily digested and support the process of transformation. Gently steamed porridges of rice or millet are beneficial. Steamed or slow-cooked foods are more easily digested. Stir frying or gentle roasting methods are good as well as light soups and stews. Avoid deep fried foods which challenge the Spleen. Raw foods and cold foods should also be eschewed in this season as they weaken the Spleen and impair digestion.

Don’t Worry, Eat Happy

It is certainly important to eat a healthy diet and pay attention to our food intake, but what should be avoided is an obsession about what we are eating. Worry, obsessiveness and over-thinking is damaging to the Spleen. So while you may be technically eating right, if your every thought is on what is going into your mouth, it may be time to reassess. My auntie Eileen ate sweet food to excess all of her life. When she was 40 her doctor told her if she didn’t change her diet she’d be dead in five years. Well, she didn’t really care, she didn’t worry, she let life slide over her and she lived to be 84, long outliving her doctor. Now, I’m not advising anyone to emulate my aunt’s diet, just making the point not to be too obsessive.

The qualities of the Earth Element include connection, sharing, giving and receiving. There is no better way to enjoy food than in the company of good friends in a relaxed atmosphere that is kind and supportive. Many people find that cooking is a vehicle for this sharing. Indeed, the kitchen is the Earthiest room in the house. Consider that not only is the food itself important, but also the ambience in which it is consumed. Not just what we eat, but how we eat.

Enough rumination for now. See you in the Autumn for the final blog in this series about foods of the Metal Element

SUMMER FOOD

Bitter, Digestion, Fire Element, Food, Heart, Heat, Nei Jing, , , ,

Summer is the season of the Fire Element and this week in southern Australia the full heat of summer is baking us to a crisp. In a four-day heatwave this week, temperatures in Adelaide reached 43 degrees on two of the days. I have certainly not turned on my oven to add to the baking, nor am I thinking of hot soups and stews. These were the fare of winter, that cold season that seems impossible to conceive amidst the heat of summer.

Heat is one of the six pathogenic factors that can enter the body in several ways. Firstly, through prevailing climate, often accompanied by wind or damp; secondly, an imbalance in the organs or a deficiency of fluids; and thirdly through eating foods that generate heat, or exacerbate existing internal heat.

Five of these six environmental factors align with the Five Elements, cold to Water, wind to Wood, heat to Fire, damp to Earth, and dryness to Metal. The sixth factor is summer heat which is specific to hot climates, and which is roughly equivalent to the effects of heat stroke. Regulating heat and fluid balance in the body is a function of the Triple Heater, one of the four Fire organs.

As warming foods are recommended to counter the cold of winter, so cooling foods balance the external heat of summer. Foods to avoid in the summer heat include oily, fried and spicy foods which are all hot. Rather, eat food that is raw, lightly steamed or rapidly stir-fried. These cooking methods are less likely to create heat. Fruits that are cool or cold include apple, avocado, banana, blueberry, grapefruit, kiwi, all citrus, mango, pear, strawberry and watermelon. As for the cool vegetables, go for asparagus, beets, bok choy, celery, cauliflower, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, mung bean sprouts and zucchini. Grains that are cooling include barley, buckwheat, millet, and wheat. Teas that are cooling are mint, lemon balm, hibiscus, jasmine, matcha and green tea. Alcohol is hot so consume in moderation and in combination with cooling foods.

As we saw in the Winter Food post, most animal protein is warming, especially lamb and beef. Protein sources that are cooling or neutral include tofu, seitan (wheat protein), most fish, pork, liver, rabbit, eggs, cheese and yoghurt.

The flavour of Fire is bitter, and bitter foods benefit the Fire organs of Heart and Small Intestine. Many bitter foods are medicinal including bitter greens such as rocket (arugula), mustard greens, dandelion, collards, radicchio, endive, chicory and watercress. Cacao and dark chocolate are helpful in small amounts. But as with any food, overindulgence has negative effects, often on other organs.

The Neijing Suwen chapter 10 observes, “It is said that the heart is benefited by the bitter taste, However, this never implies that one may overindulge. Overindulgence in bitter food will cause the skin to become shrivelled and dry and the body hair to fall out.” Elsewhere in chapter 3 it warns, “Too much bitter taste disrupts the spleen’s ability to transform and transport food and causes the stomach to digest ineffectively and become distended. The muscles and tendons may become scattered.”

The colour of the Fire Element is red, so red foods support the Heart and Small Intestine. Tomatoes, beets, red lentils, strawberries, goji berries and watermelon are particularly helpful as they are also cooling or neutral. Other red-coloured foods such as red pepper (capsicum), cherries and raspberries, while warming, provide the splash of red colour that brings a dish to life.

Above all it is crucial to stay hydrated in the heat. If your urine starts to turn dark, it’s time to drink cool fluids. Avoid very cold drinks and drink fluids frequently in smaller amounts. Chugging a litre of water quickly will be less hydrating than sipping it over a couple of hours.

Enjoy the rest of the summer. Stay cool, and I’ll be back soon for a look at the foods of the Earth Element whose province is the late summer.