Journey to the West's NEW Chinese Diet Therapy consultations

The program includes:

Full, 1 hour initial diet and health assessment with a qualified Chinese Medicine practitioner

Personalised Chinese Medical diagnosis

Suggestions for lifestyle changes which may assist wellbeing

6 – 8 page Chinese Diet Therapy report containing:

           

            An explanation of personalised Chinese Medicine diagnosis

            List of specific foods to avoid

            List of foods to eat more of

            Recipes

            Lifestyle considerations

It is advisable to book a follow-up consultation two weeks after the initial one, that way adjustments can be made and questions asked of the practitioner.

A prologue to the new Spring post - How to make sprouts at home!

HOW TO MAKE SPROUTS

Sprouts can be made with any kind of seed but the most delicious are mung beans and aduki beans.  To make your own sprouts, take a large glass jar, a rubber band, your beans and a piece of chux, cheesecloth or muslin big enough to cover the opening of the jar.  

Put your beans in the jar.  Cover the opening of the jar with the fabric in a single layer.  Place the rubber band around the lip of the jar, over the cloth to hold it on. You should now have a contraption that looks a little bit like a drum.  

Put the jar under the tap and run cold water through the cloth until the water is about half way up the jar.  Swill it around a little and then turn the jar upside down to empty out the water.  When the jar is empty and your beans are rinsed, put the jar in a dark place (I put mine under the sink).  Leave for 24 hours and then rinse the beans again.  Keep repeating this step every day for 4 or 5 days and you should have a beautiful jar full of fresh and delicious sprouts that you can sprinkle over soup, add to stir-fries and top salad with.  VERY easy to do this at home.

5 Reasons why Veggie Gardening is good for Health!

1. Physical exercise

If we work in a desk job, chances are we don’t get a lot of exercise, unless we specifically aim to do so – like going to the gym. If you’re anything like me you don’t like gyms very much. Personally going to the gym makes me feel a bit like a rat in a cage, and that exercise has no point other than getting exercise. Often we lose self-discipline because our exercise has no reason to exist other than itself. Making a contribution to self-nourishment by getting out there and digging, turning over the compost, planting, weeding, watering and fertilising gives our exercise a reason for being and shows us tangible proof that we’ve been Doing Something.

2. Good food.

The flavour of home grown veggies is absolutely unsurpassable. Many veggies that we buy from supermarkets have been sitting in storage for up to months at a time before they go on the shelf. This means that their nutrients are negligible. Fresh veggies straight from the garden contain far more nutrients than supermarket bought ones, and we also have the choice as to what pesticides and fertilisers we use on them so we know exactly what’s going into us when we eat. It’s also fun and incredibly satisfying to be in the middle of cooking dinner and say, “Hang on, just have to dash out to the garden for __(insert ingredient here)__.”. It’s just outside, it’s really damned fresh and delicious, and it also saves money.

For great mail-order organic fruit and veggie seeds, visit www.diggers.com.au .

They have wonderful seeds and great gardening ideas, plus a pack for those with health care cards to start a backyard food garden for a very reasonable price. If you get the opportunity visit their display gardens at St Erth (Daylesford) or Heronswood (Dromana) – they are both beautiful and educational.

3. Connection with Universe

Seasonal veggies only grow in the right season. That’s why they are *seasonal*. Nowadays with global transport and everything available at supermarkets we take things for granted much more than we should. The point about Seasonal vegetables is that when we eat them at the right time of year, when they are in season, we eat with the seasons and live in accordance with the flow of the Universe, visible to us in observation of seasonal change. This has a positive impact on health and wellbeing and allows us to see, absorb and taste the seasons in our food.

Another plus for health and wellbeing is the development of an understanding of the cycles of death and rebirth inherent in growing one’s own food. Compost is derived from waste. It breaks down and becomes rich, fertile soil in which new life grows, and contributes to the nourishment of future food.

I often ask Fertility clients to get themselves a pot and some seeds, and grow themselves a flower or other kind of plant. This helps them to see several things:

a) Nature will sprout the seed when Nature is ready to and all the right factors are present;

b) You can’t grow a seed in soil that’s not ready to be planted in.

A connection with the Universe and the seasons combined with Seasonal eating can help us to understand the factors in our lives which are constant yet constantly changing. It can allow us to prepare for them in advance and thus protect ourselves from prevalent seasonal energies which may overwhelm us and cause disease (see blog entry “Seasonal Change”).

4. The Health and Wellbeing of the Earth

Importing veggies from other countries burns LOTS of carbon in the form of fuel used to transport it. Asparagus, for example, takes 3 years to be edible from seed to fork. If your household is anything like ours, you probably eat at least 1-2 bunches of asparagus a week. Most of the time, the asparagus we get comes from Peru or Mexico, which are in the Northern hemisphere and have opposite seasonal weather patterns to us here in Oz. Whilst I personally don’t mind supporting the economy of Peruvian or Mexican farmers, the food is not sold here in its proper harvesting season, but all year round. It also leaves an enormous carbon footprint. Think of the truck to transport it from the farm to the airport, the plane to transport it over the sea to Australia, the truck to transport it from the docks to the warehouse, the truck to transport it again from the warehouse to the supermarket and last of all, the plastic bag that the supermarket puts it in so you can take it home in your car!!!! So much carbon for one little bunch of asparagus!

Growing food ourselves in our own gardens reverses that aspect of our carbon footprint not only by reducing the carbon from transportation of goods but also contributes to local greenery and plant growth, giving us more Oxygen in our own back yards.

For more information about the Carbon footprint of imported vegetables, see this article from the Independent, a UK magazine: http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/food-miles-the-true-cost-of-putting-imported-food-on-your-plate-451139.html

5. Understanding of nourishment

Throughout history human beings have worked on the land, hunted, gathered and done all else to do with physical labour and since last century, we have been in a position where much of that work is done en masse by agricultural workers. Food arrives at our tables and we have little to do with its production other than going to buy it at the shops. As a result we have very little idea about what sort of energy goes in to nourishing us – is it any wonder so many people are exhausted? When you grow plants you have to water them most days when it doesn’t rain, weed the garden around them so they don’t get overtaken by other plants and fertilise them so they have the right chemicals present. What you are rewarded with is beautiful, fresh veggies which look and taste fantastic. What you are also rewarded with is an understanding of how to give nourishment to receive nourishment. How many of us do all of those things for ourselves? If we develop an understanding of nourishment, perhaps we can learn to provide nourishment to our Selves more effectively.

Revamped website as of 7/8/11

Hi everyone,

Over this weekend we've been updating the website so it looks a bit nicer and is more easily navigable and socially networked. We hope you enjoy looking through it as much as (even MORE than) we enjoyed putting it together for your benefit.

JTTW

Hang on, what season is it?

Hi there folks.

Hasn't this weather been spectacular?

I do remember many years ago having a discussion with a friend about being excited about the sunshine around this time of year. She replied, "But Mum says August is the coldest month! Spring won't be here for ages!". Whilst I might not fully agree with her Mum, because it was damned cold in June (and January for that matter), traditionally speaking, August is pretty cold.

Rabbiting on about the weather, however superficial it may seem, does have a relative importance when it comes to Chinese Medicine and its view of disease. Those of you who subscribe to the Facebook page might have seen a recent post I put up about the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, or Huang Di Nei Jing (Lovingly known by TCM practitioners as "The Nei Jing").

This 2000 year old book, attributed to the legendary character the Yellow Emperor, is the oldest classic of Chinese Medicine and discusses, amongst many other detailed concepts, the Tao, or the Way of the Universe. This includes the shifting of the seasons and the most healthy behaviour in terms of diet and lifestyle according to these shifts.

There is a passage in the Nei Jing which discusses the environmental conditions in which the seasons are out of sync with themselves. It suggests that during these unusual conditions, people are far more vulnerable to catching diseases from the outside. These days we know that colds and flu are caused by viruses but in ancient times the belief was held that weakness in the body's Wei (protective) Qi - similar to the Western Medicine Immune system - could cause Wind to get in from outside and disrupt the opening and closing of the pores.

The symptoms people get when a flu takes hold are interpreted in Chinese Medicine as the body having an argument with the Wind. This generates inflammation in the Lungs and respiratory system and disrupts the Lung's other functions of a) breathing and b) sending fluids to the right place. Fluids congeal in the Lungs, then you get cough and congestion. The argument itself creates what we call "Heat" which can't escape because the pores are blocked, then you get fever.

Whilst "a virus" is an accurate description of what is wrong when a cold or the flu arrives, it doesn't give much explanation about what is *going on* inside our bodies. The ancient Chinese really seem to have had it figured out. Although the way in which disease is described is poetic and based in metaphor, it all makes very good sense. Microbiology wasn't discovered until the 17th Century and in the absence of modern science, treatments had to be devised to heal people from a context that was familiar to everyone, using the materials they had on hand. So they did it.

Those contexts are still completely valid in the modern world. Regardless of technology or scientific advancement, sedentary lifestyles and everything on demand, we are still living on Earth. We are almost completely at the whim of Mother Nature. Climate change is coming thick and fast and these unusual weather patterns are going to start becoming a lot more normal to us. As a result, we may find our immune systems getting thrown around a bit, and subsequently weakened. Those treatments that were current 2000 years ago for times when the weather behaved out of season are still available and in use by Chinese Medicine practitioners all over the world. There are a number of herbs which can be combined to make a formula that supports the Immune system and prevents disease taking hold. There are also dietary and lifestyle considerations that a TCM practitioner can advise you on.

Chinese medicine is ancient medicine for a modern world.

Roast Vegetable Risotto (with or without chicken)

Ingredients

300g Arborio Rice

Chicken or vegetable stock cubes (I use Massel because they are larger and vegetarian, even the Beef ones)

200g pumpkin, cut into pieces

1 carrot, cut into large chunks

1 small zucchini, also cut into chunks

6 button mushrooms on the largish side or 1 field mushroom

*optional is 1 skinless chicken breast, diced

About 1Lt of water

½ cup of white wine

Salt & pepper to taste

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1tb olive oil for roasting

1tb olive oil for frying the rice at the beginning

150g baby spinach leaves

1 fresh tomato, diced

4 basil leaves or dill leaves, shredded./chopped.

Method

Preheat oven to 200C

Place veggies on a tray in the oven with olive oil, salt & pepper.

Roast for ½ hour or until done.

20 minutes into roasting the veg, fry chicken pieces in 1tb olive oil until mostly cooked through. Add 1 clove garlic and toss through chicken. Remove from heat.

In the same pan, add Arborio rice and toss until coated with oil. You will hear a popping sound when it’s ready for the water to be added. Start adding the water a bit at a time, until the rice is covered, stirring continuously. As water absorbs add stock and wine and stir until further absorption occurs. Once you can scrape the bottom of the pan and the liquid parts it’s time to add more water. Keep adding water gradually and stirring for 15 minutes or so until it all absorbs. Taste the rice to make sure it’s not crunchy. If it’s still a bit hard, keep adding water gradually until it softens. Once the rice is ready, turn the heat down very low. Make sure there’s not too much water in with the rice as if there is it will go gluggy and become glutinous. It should be dry but not hard, moist but not gluggy.

Remove veggies from oven and add to rice, stir in. When combined add chicken, remaining garlic, herb(s), spinach and tomato.

Serve. Save some for later or take it to work for lunch the next day =)

Winter, complete with a recipe!

As the Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine) says; “Therefore, the change of Yin and Yang through the four seasons is the root of life, growth, reproduction, aging, and destruction. By respecting this natural law it is possible to be free from illness. The sages have followed this, and the foolish people have not.”

WINTER

As mentioned in the last blog entry, Winter is the time of year where Yin flourishes the most. All the Yin aspects of life are abundant – water, stillness, cold, and holding within. A valuable example of this is seen in nature when the seeds of the year to come are concealed within the Earth, sleeping and preparing to wake with the coming of Yang in the Springtime. Animals hibernate during Winter and it’s easy for us humans to forget that we, too, are animals. Sure we are mostly removed from nature but when we remember that we rely on nature for food, breath and life everything seems a lot more simple.

Element: Water

Organ: Kidney

Emotion: Fear

Prevailing Environmental Factor: Cold

Colour: Black

Flavour or Taste: Salty

Common ailments: Colds and flu, arthritis, muscle and joint pain (especially Lower back and Knees), stomach problems

Things to do during Winter:

Get up later, go to bed earlier

Keep warm, stay out of the wind and rain

Preserve Yang by eating warm (temperature) and warming (energetically) foods.

Rest more, thus preserving Yang and supporting Yin

Things not to do during Winter:

Wear midriff tops or low-cut jeans

Expose yourself to the elements

Excessive exercise

Consume raw or cold foods or liquids directly from the fridge

All of the suggestions above are aimed at the preservation of Yang – the Movement energy, warmth, potential for growth and Qi – and the encouragement of healthy and flourishing Yin. Ideally this would all make perfect sense, and in a way it does. If you already have an abundance of something (in this example, Cold, which is outside us) it stands to reason that it would not be the brightest idea in the world to *overdo* the Cold by continuing to add to it. This means that we should keep what Yang we have warm, to avoid its dissipation, and don’t put out the fire by drinking cold liquids, eating cold foods or hanging around outside in the cold for too long! Think of it like saving up for a holiday, or preserving your energy before a big day ahead. Spring is, indeed, the “big day” of the year and we need to keep all the growth potential, warmth and fiery energy that we have in order to sustain the burst of Yang that it will bring.

So, folks, try and keep your Yang safe for the Winter season, and support your Yin by eating stews with bones in (Lamb Shanks are fantastic, as they contain lots of Yin but are Yang in nature) – if you are vegetarian go hard on the lentils and beetroot, and eat lots of the wonderful things that contain large amounts of iron to nourish and support the blood.

Lamb Shanks with Lentils and Cabernet Merlot

1 Lamb Shank each, frenched (ask the butcher)

2 whole, fresh baby beets each

2 small potatoes each

1 small carrot each

1 stick celery each

1tb olive oil

1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped, per person

1 anchovy

½ cup Lentils (those yummy little tiny green French ones are great) per person

½ cup Cab Merlot per person

½ tsp brown sugar

1tb balsamic vinegar

Black pepper to taste

Sea salt to taste

2 bay leaves per person

Flour for coating the shanks – gluten free folks may do without

Parsley seeds for flavour

Oregano – dried or fresh

3 cloves garlic each (reserve one for the end)

About 500ml water each.

1 small onion each

1 vegetable or beef stock cube (I use Massel so they are huge, one for two people.)

Normally this dish is made for at least two people but if you’re on your own you can cook it up in advance and have a meal for the next few days – this type of dish is always better a day or two after it’s been cooked.

Preheat oven to 150c

Coat shanks in flour

Heat oil in the base of a flame-proof casserole and place shanks in, on moderate heat until browned. Turn and repeat.

Remove shanks.

Add chopped onion, garlic (reserve one for Ron, as I said before)

celery, parsley seeds, pepper, salt, oregano and sugar.

Caramelise ingredients and add more olive oil if necessary.

Place shanks back in, arrange vegetables around the edges.

Add lentils then pour over the liquid ingredients*

Add olives and anchovy (mashed together) for extra salty goodness.

Put on the lid and place on centre rack of oven. Cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If liquid reduces too much as a result of cooking, add more water but don’t let it overflow.

Remove from oven, add 1 clove of minced garlic per person and stir in. The liquid should be relatively thick by now, what with all the lentils and juice from the meat and veg so you probably don’t need to reduce it. If there’s too much fat, skim it off. If there’s too much liquid (ie it’s runny), either pop it back in the oven for 10 minutes or so with the lid off, or put it on the stove and keep an eye on it whilst the water evaporates.

Serve it up and enjoy!

Think about how you are nourishing Yin and preserving Yang, and directing the nourishment toward the Kidneys, all with one bowl of delicious food =)

*Please note that quantities of liquid ingredients are relative to size of cooking vessel. If anything add less water.