The Amazing, Extraordinary, Unused Power of BITTERS - Just In Time for Spring

Every natural medicine in the world recognizes that the flavor of the food we eat not only provides a variation in taste, but has specific therapeutic actions that allow all of our food, each time we eat, to be a form of medicine to us.  This actually happens whether or not we intend it.

When we eat a flavor in moderation, we allow great benefits to be presented to the cells of our body. This creates the opportunity for abundance and optimal health.

TOO LITTLE: When we eat a flavor in deficiency (too little), there are amazing and wonderful substances that our body needs but we don’t get them and we create a state of deficiency in our body.

TOO MUCH: Also, when we eat a flavor in excess (too much), we cause other conditions of excess within ourselves and we can clog things up and accumulate masses of stuff.

In the Five Element Nutrition of Chinese Medicine, the 5 Flavors and their actions when used in moderation are:

·         Pungent – disperses, increases circulation, warms

·         Sweet – tonifies and moistens

·         Sour – astringes, promotes digestion

·         Bitter – resolves damp, dries, detoxifies

·         Salty – softens hard masses, affects body fluids

In the U.S., we tend to be a society of excess, and particularly we massively overuse the flavors of Sweet and Salty, while grossly underusing the flavors of Sour and especially Bitter.

Right now, as we approach the season of Spring, we are coming out of Winter when we normally eat food that is richer and heavier.  At this time our bodies want (and need) to detoxify, clean out – do a little Spring Cleaning on ourselves.

BITTERS is an excellent addition to our diet right now, from March through the end of May.

I have been playing around with varieties of the Bitter flavor, and I found an herbal product that I really love, Bitters in tincture form from Urban Moonshine, a very cool herbal company in Vermont.  To use them, add about ½ to 1 dropper to a small glass of water and drink it either 15 minutes before or after a meal.

Here’s a link to a really informative on-line free lecture on the Benefits of Bitters from Urban Moonshine master herbalist, Guido Mase:  https://soundcloud.com/urbanmoonshine/guido-mase-bitters-lecture

My best tip for Spring – bring some Bitters into your life and enjoy the benefits of gently detoxifying your beautiful mind-body-spirit!  I’d love to hear back on how your digestive health changes from using them.

To our abundant health,
Cynthia McMullen
Instructor: Five Element Nutrition
Alaska Institute of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture & Massage Therapy

True Warrior Immune Boosting Soup

From my workshop tonight on 5-Element Nutrition, here is a delicious Metal Element immune boosting soup that is quick and easy to make.  If you are familiar with cooking with Chinese herbs, it would also be excellent to add one or more of the following, depending on actions desired: Huang Qi, Ren Shen, Bei Sha Shen, Chen Pi, Xing Ren.

In a soup pot, place the following ingredients:

8-10 cups water (OR 2-4 cups broth with additional water)

1 cup sweet rice, rinsed

½ lemon – sliced very thin w/ peel on

2 Tbsp Vegetable or Chicken Broth Powder

1 Tbsp Shiitake Mushroom Powder (optional)

1 Tsp quality sea salt

Bring to an almost boil, then lower heat and cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Next add:

1 pear, peeled & sliced thin

1 spoonful (to taste) dried hot chili peppers

Cook another 15 minutes, remove from heat.

In a frying pan, sauté the following together until slightly crispy:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1” fresh ginger root, peeled & chopped

2 cups baby Bok Choy

4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Sprinkle of soy sauce

When done, add to the rest of soup and serve.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Chowder, Earth Element

We had a lot of fun in last night's 5-Element Nutrition class on Balancing Your Earth Element.  One aspect of the Earth Element is that if you eat too much of the "sweet" flavor it becomes heavy and damp, so it's important to try and consciously incorporate some of the other flavors to balance it.  These are: salty, sour, bitter, and pungent.

Note that the energetic "sweet" flavor is not just sugar. Sugar is an extreme sweet, so less extreme examples are whole grains, fresh fruits, and veggies like carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, and others that have a natural farm-fresh type sweetness to them.  This category also includes simple carbohydrates that break down into sugar.

As promised, here is the recipe for the Earth Element food we tried. This recipe uses sweet potatoes which are energetically "sweet" and balances them out with celery and green peppers which are both "bitter".  It's super easy to make.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Chowder

Place the following ingredients in a crock pot, then turn on for 4-6 hours OR cook in a large pot on the stove top for about 45 minutes.  This makes about 6-8 servings, and yes - you can freeze it and take some to work for lunch here and there :-)

1-28oz can chopped, peeled tomatoes
1-15oz can garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained & rinsed
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
5 celery stalks chopped
1 beautiful green pepper chopped
2 Tbsp millet (I used millet grits)
2 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
Top off with water to cover vegetables
small spoonful quality sea salt
Spices: 1 tsp Turmeric, 1 Tbsp Cumin, 1 Tbsp Garam Masala (or to taste)

5-Element Nutrition: Balance Your Wood Element - Recipes

As requested, from my recent workshop, these are the 4 recipes we ate to balance our Wood Element (Liver/GallBladder).  Unless noted, recipes are my own.

1) Kindness Water

In a 1 gallon water pitcher, combine the following:

Organic lemon slices

Organic lime slices

Organic grapefruit slices

 - remove any seeds, but leave the peel on all of the citrus fruit to intensify the sour flavor that benefits the Liver.

 - use 2-3 thin slices of each.

1 sprig fresh mint leaves

Fill with purified water, let sit for at least 15 minutes, serve.

From a Chinese medicine point of view, water is best served room temperature.  Ok to refrigerate this up to 3 days.

2) Green Apple Salad

Tart green apples are excellent for the Liver.  In addition, this salad is light and refreshing, making a great Spring side dish.

Combine in a bowl:

3 organic Green Apples, peeled, sliced into small pieces

4 stalks organic Celery, rinsed, chopped into small pieces

¼ cup toasted Walnuts, bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes then chop

½ cup Raisins, I used organic Sunview brand green seedless, which are really plump and sweet.

Drizzle 1 large spoonful honey over the top.  I used Wee Bee Honey, naturally raw with pollen, propolis, and honeycomb bits in it.

Add 1 cup plain yogurt.

Stir everything together and serve.

3) Potato Cauliflower Curry (Aloo Gobi)

This is a recipe I tried from a great book, The Healing Spices by Bharat Aggarwal, PhD, 2011.  I included it because it highlights Turmeric which is a spice that is incredible for the Liver. It's also very important to find delicious ways to get anti-cancer vegetables into our food as often as possible (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts).

Ingredients:

2 Tbs vegetable or olive oil

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin seed

1 shallot, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 ½ lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

½ tsp diced fresh ginger

½ tsp chili power

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbs garam masala (Indian spice mixture)

Salt, to taste

¼ cup chopped cilantro (optional)

1.  Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the turmeric and cumin seeds until the spices render their aroma, about 30 seconds. Add the chopped shallot and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until the shallots are soft, about 8 minutes.

2.  Stir in the diced tomatoes, cauliflower, potatoes, ginger, chili powder, and ground pepper.  Reduce the heat, cover partially, and cook for 40 minutes, stirring frequently.  If the curry appears too dry and the vegetables start to stick to the pan, add some water.

3.  Add the garam masala, simmer 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep covered until ready to serve.  Sprinkle with cilantro, if using, and serve.

4) Millet & Maitake Mushroom Curry

I thought the above recipe for Potato Cauliflower Curry needed something to go with other than plain rice, so I made this dish as a similar complement.  Millet is a delicious yellow earthy grain that benefits the Liver, and Maitake is a medicinal mushroom which strongly supports the Liver.  This recipe also highlights turmeric, “guardian of the liver”.

1.  Put the millet on to cook.  Use 1 cup millet to 3 cups water, bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer until done – about 20-30 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit covered when done.

2.  Make the Maitake Mushroom Curry.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 fresh Maitake mushroom, rinsed and chopped.  Ok to substitute a re-constituted dried Maitake if fresh is not available.  8 Shiitake mushrooms (fresh or dried) would also be a viable substitute.

1 28-oz can peeled, ground tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped

1 tsp ajwain seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp curry powder (I used a Madras Curry variety from Summit Spice & Teas)

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1.  In a cast iron or other skillet, heat the olive oil.  When hot, add the ajwain seeds and turmeric.  Wait about 15 seconds then add the chopped garlic and ginger.  Stir.

2.  Add the chopped Maitake mushroom and stir until the mushroom is starting to brown, about 5-8 minutes.

3.  Add the can of tomatoes, turmeric, ground cumin, garam masala, and curry powder.  Stir.  Add salt and pepper to taste, stir again.

4.  Add the millet 1 large spoonful at a time, stirring in, until desired consistency is formed.  Ok to add a little more water if needed.  I like this to be slightly on the wet side, rather than thick and dry.  Serve.

Keep any unused millet refrigerated for 4-5 days.  Add to a soup like rice, or even mix with oatmeal in the morning.

Cynthia McMullen, Program Director at Alaska Institute of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture & Massage Therapy, teaches a very popular 12-chapter series in 5-Element Nutrition.  Workshops are held once each month, open to the general public.  For more information: www.touchoftao.com

Cooking With Chinese Herbs

As promised, here is the recipe for the soup I made at tonight's 5-Element Nutrition workshop on Chinese Herbal Healing Broths.

THAI CABBAGE SOUP with QI BUILDING HERBS

This soup is delicious and gives a good idea of how you can play around with edible Chinese herbs.  The purpose was to give workshop participants a sample of how easy yet deeply satisfying herbal broths can be, and also how strongly you can "feel the Qi" from them!

Step 1:  either make your own broth (vegetable or meat), or use an organic pre-made broth of your choice.  I usually use 4 cups of broth and add additional water as needed.

Step 2:  Get the herbs ready to add to the broth. For this recipe I used Huang Jing, Kombu, 1 dried Maitake mushroom, Hong Zao, Ren Shen, Gou Qi Zi, & Huang Qi.  In this group, only the Huang Qi (stick-like root at the bottom) is not edible and will be removed after cooking.

HINT:  I have found it much easier to add most herbs as they are, and chop them into small pieces after they have softened from being cooked in the broth.  The Hong Zao (red dates) however are extremely soft after cooking, so I usually cut them while still dry, as below:

Step 3: Begin warming the broth in a stainless steel pot on the stove. Add the herbs, cover, bring to a gentle simmer for 30-minutes.

Step 4: Remove from heat and strain the herbs out.  You'll have a nice container of herb broth that you can now use as is - keeps for up to 7 days in the refrigerator & you can freeze it.

 

Step 5: If desired, chop the edible herbs into small pieces and add back into the broth.  They are very tasty and add a somewhat exotic quality to whatever you cook them into.

HINT:  If using both edible & non-edible herbs, be sure to place non-edible herbs in a muslin bag or cheesecloth so you can easily separate & remove them.

Here you can see how the same herbs from the 1st picture have plumped up and softened.  They will now be very easy to cut into little pieces.

Step 6:  In a food processor, shred 1 large potato, a bunch of carrots, and 1 small green cabbage.  

Step 7:  In a large soup pot, heat a spoonful of coconut oil and a dash of olive oil.  Once hot, add a healthy shake of "Panch Phora" Indian seeds.  This is a great combination of fenugreek, brown mustard seed, nigella, cumin, and fennel. If you're in Anchorage, I get mine at Summit Spice & Tea.  I also added about 1 Tbsp fresh chopped ginger root.

Step 8: Once the seeds release their scent and begin to lightly pop, add all of the shredded veggies.  Then add the herbal broth.  Add additional water if needed to make a nice soup consistency.

Step 9: Cover and simmer for about 30-minutes, until veggies are cooked well.  If desired, add a small amount of curry and salt to taste.

HINT: When cooking with Chinese herbs, it's best to keep additional spices to a minimum.  In this soup, I added about 1/4 the amount of Panch Phora and Curry that I would normally use.

Step 10: Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.  Then add 1 can Coconut Milk, stir well, and it's ready to serve.  Enjoy!!  (Makes about 8-10 servings)

Herbal Recovery After Child Birth

A lot of women could use some herbal help recovering their strength after child birth.  The actual birth is the easy part.  After that is when you really go to work! 

Here's an e-mail I got from a new mom who was tired, overworked, and so busy she barely had time to cook for herself.  I did an Auricular Therapy (Ear Reflexology) treatment on her to help balance out her Earth energy and stimulate her appetite and Wei Qi.

"I feel so much better after the ear treatment. Eating feels normal and I'm cooking better.  Was wondering if you had some good crock pot recipes with or without herbs that could help build me up.  I'm looking for inspiration."

I LOVE cooking with herbs!!  Here's a great recipe I'll share.  It uses one of my favorite Chinese Herbs, Huang Jing (Rhizoma polygonati - Siberian solomon's seal).  This herb is also safe to ingest while breast feeding. 

NOTE OF CAUTION:  # 1 Taoist Principle is  EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.  Take it easy and eat a little bit at a time.  More is NOT better.

Here's my e-mailed response:

Try making a stew with the herb Huang Jing (Materia Medica chapter 12 - tonfies Qi, nourishes yin, strengthens the spleen & kidneys, moistens the lungs) and tastes great!


Sample Recipe: (all organic, of course)

2 potatoes, unpeeled, chopped
3 carrots, unpeeled, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 small piece of red meat, cut into small pieces (optional)
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth + additional water if needed
1 cup tomato sauce or 1 can diced tomatoes
9 grams Huang Jing
1 spoon quality sea salt
Other spices to taste but keep it mild

Put it all in a crock pot with the Huang Jing on top, in the liquid. Cook 4-6 hours. Remove the Huang Jing - it will now be softened so you can cut it into small pieces and re-add it to the stew. Add a little corn or tapioca starch to thicken the juice a little. (In a glass, mix 1 heaping spoon corn or tapioca starch with about 1/2 cup water. Stir well, then add to the crock pot and stir. The heat from the liquid broth will thicken with the starch so it's more like a light gravy.) Stir it all up and eat 1 serving each day until it's gone. Let yourself feel the strength that Huang Jing offers, and listen to what it teaches you.

Where to buy Huang Jing:  Stop by The Oriental Healing Arts Center if you're in Anchorage, or ask you local acupuncturist.  If there is a Chinatown near you it should be easily available.  I'm not sure about health food stores, but you could try.  This recipe uses the whole dried herb.  Powder or tincture forms may be available as a last resort.
 
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
We teach these classes at our school
Ancient Healing Secrets - 4 Week Intensive Introduction to Oriental Medicine
Taoist Five Element Nutrition
Taoist Herbology

Fresh Tomato, Lemon, Leek Soup

I have a friend that had surgery last week, so as part of her nutritional recovery I made this soup for her. All of the ingredients will provide her liver the ability to release some of the toxins naturally accumulated from the break down of anesthesia and the other medications being taken. The soup is also nourishing, so it will provide some nice energy for her recovery. Plus it’s delicious! It only takes about 15 minutes to make.

Makes 1 large or 2 smaller servings.
All ingredients are organic.

Soak 3 medicinal mushrooms (dried shiitake and/or maitake taste wonderful) in 1 cup almost boiling water.

Juice the following: (If you don’t have a juicer a blender can be substituted)

4 Roma tomatoes
½ Meyer lemon (or any lemon – the Meyer type is just extra beautiful)
2 cloves garlic
5 sprigs fresh thyme (if using a blender use only the leaves or a couple shakes of dry thyme)

Heat the fresh juice lightly on the stove top, but don't let it boil.

Add to the pot:

½ cup filtered water
soaking liquid from the medicinal mushrooms
1 leek, cleaned and sliced

(Save the mushrooms to cook into something else for yourself).

Once it’s hot, serve and enjoy!

Thai Cabbage Soup

I recently watched someone open the refrigerator door, stand there and stare for a minute, close the door, and move onto their cupboards. With a bored look on their face, they ended up ordering take out. This is the memory I had when I opened my own refrigerator door this morning wondering what I was going to make.

I wasn't in the mood to be bored, so I found myself challenged to be creative and awesome with whatever I had – I was going to make something incredibly wonderful! And it was – so here it is to share with you. (Even my 2 picky eater kids loved it!)

In a food processor use the grater attachment to grate:
1 small cabbage
3 small potatoes, unpeeled
2 carrots
2 cloves garlic

In a soup pot, heat:
2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 tsp. olive oil

When the oil is hot, add 1 spoonful of Panch Phora (this is a great Indian food spice mixture that blends together fennel seeds, cumin seeds, brown mustard seeds, nigella, and fenugreek. Locally I get it at Summit Spice & Tea Co. in South Anchorage. If you can’t find it pre-mixed the single spices should be fairly easy to find.)
Once you can smell the spices, add the grated vegetable mixture from the food processor and lightly sauté for about 3 minutes – long enough to coat the vegetables in the oil and get them a little hot.

Sprinkle a little sea salt over the top, then add enough chicken or vegetable broth to barely cover the vegetable mix, turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Add 1 can of coconut milk and stir. Soup should smell heavenly exotic and have a creamy consistency. Serve topped with a spoonful of flax seed oil. When eating, try not to smile too much or make loud sounds of satisfaction that will leave your neighbors wondering what you're doing.

The cabbage is a great food to stimulate natural liver detoxification. The spices and the carrots have an affinity with the Earth element, as does the potato which – with the skin left on – provides both fiber and nutritious satisfaction. Coconut milk has many health attributes and contains lauric acid which is useful in strengthening the immune system.