The tastes of freedom

This week, like Jews around the world, I've been getting ready for Passover. Usually one part of the story will float around in my mind each year, and it becomes a kind of theme for me. This year, I've been thinking of something that happened after the Jews left Egypt. While wandering in the desert, subsisting on the 'manna from heaven,' the people began to complain, and wax sentimental for their lives under Pharoah in Egypt:

"We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for free, the cucumbers, the watermelons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic!" (Numbers 11:5)

Only a short time after being bent double under the yoke of Pharoah, the taste of freedom has become stale. The exciting flavours of bondage take on an allure in retrospect, and the people yearn for the delicacies that they used to eat, 'for free.' Jewish commentators like Rashi point to this as the key distinction. The food wasn't 'free,' the people were laboring, and dying, in return for their meager portions. What was free was the lack of responsibility. As slaves, the Jews had no agency, and therefore no choices to make.

As we make changes to our eating habits, for our health, for ethical reasons, and for communal and global well-being, many of us experience times of longing for the tastes of our former lives. Sometimes as we wander in the desert, we lose touch with why we made these choices in the first place. Up and down the aisles in the store, we wander, looking for something we can eat. Feelings of frustration, of longing for foods we used to eat, and even for the state of ignorance that let us 'freely' eat, without thought for our health or the implications of what we bought and ate can overwhelm us.

The story of the Israelites continues: Moses, the exasperated baby-sitter, asks God what he is to do with this intractable lot. I'll send them the meat they ask for, to eat for a month, until it sickens them, replies God. Like us in our modern day, the Israelites fall back into old habits, and sicken themselves.

According to Jewish tradition, the time of wandering in the desert, after the exhilaration of the sudden liberation from Egypt, was a necessary process to prepare the people for the entrance into the promised land, and the responsibilities of governing themselves.

The reason this story has been my Passover theme this year, is the parallels to be drawn as we change our lives, from the bondage of unhealthful foods and living, to the true liberation of commitment to responsibility to ourselves and our communities. We cannot leap, in one bound, from one way of living to another. We must allow ourselves to 'wander,' to relapse, and to experience the frustration of sometimes feeling out of step with the world around us - it's part of the process.

May the spirit of liberation be with all people, and may we eat and be merry!

Reflections on Roe v. Wade

"It is important to remember that Roe v. Wade did not mean that abortions could be performed. They have always been done, dating from ancient Greek days.

What Roe said was that ending a pregnancy could be carried out by medical personnel, in a medically accepted setting, thus conferring on women, finally, the full rights of first-class citizens — and freeing their doctors to treat them as such."

-Waldo L. Fielding, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Boston for 38 years. Dr. Fielding was writing in a NYT article about the aftermath of illegal abortions he witnessed as a physician.

As a physician of TCM, and a healer, I see access to safe, legal abortion as a crucial part of a healthy society. One in which women's choices and agency are respected, and both men and women have the freedom and ability to make decisions about the course of their lives, including family planning, sexuality, career, living situation, travel, and so on, without interference from legal, corporate, or religious authorities. Choice and access in health care means healthier individuals, families, communities, and nations. It means access to quality, affordable care, and freedom to choose so-called 'alternatives' such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, midwifery and so on.

Health and wellness flourish in conditions of freedom. Lack of agency, lack of opportunity and lack of control over one's body, are fundamentally antithetical to health. Let me close by quoting Justice Blackmun, author of the Roe V. Wade decision. I couldn't have put it better myself. Let us indeed focus on promoting the conditions which truly foster maternal health, the flourishing of life, and the well-being of the women, men, and children in our communities.

The states are not free, under the guise of protecting maternal health or potential life, to intimidate women into continuing pregnancies. -Justice Harry A. Blackmun, Roe v. Wade, 22 January 1973

Zay gezunt! May you be well!

The Miracle of the Oil (and other Fats)

The winter holiday of Hanuka starts next week on December 11. Among other things, the holiday celebrates a miracle of olive oil: one little vial lasted 8 days, keeping the ceremonial candelabra in the ancient Temple lit. Jews mark the holiday by lighting candles every night for the eight days of the holiday, one more each night, and give due attention to the role of oil in the story by eating fried foods for eight days. There is then a several week recovery period for our gallbladders.

As I was contemplating the upcoming holiday, I naturally began to think about oil... and other fats. Despite the constant drone about how people are eating too much fat (and getting too fat), I find the piece of dietary advice I give most often to my patients is to eat MORE fat. Better fat that is!

There is a lot of information out there about fats, much of it contradictory. For some interesting information countering the popular notion that saturated and animal fats are terrible for you, I direct the interested reader to the Weston Price Foundation, and especially the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I was very impressed by the overview of the so-called 'lipid hypothesis' in Michael Pollan's latest book, In Defense of Food. The lipid hypothesis is the theory that fat makes you fat, that fat clogs your arteries, causes heart attacks etc. It is in this book that Pollan lays out his controversial but compelling health claim: EAT FOOD. I couldn't agree more.

When it comes to fats, quality is key. 'Bad fats', which have been transformed in the factory farm or the laboratory from food to fiend, are very damaging. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, different people in different circumstances will benefit from differing types of fats in different amounts, depending on their constitution, lifestyle, and stage of life. Eating enough good quality fats is important for everyone, and promotes skin and hair health, healthy brain function, and hormone balance.

Good quality fats are expensive, but a little goes a long way. They enhance to flavours of all foods, and help our bodies access the fat soluble vitamins found in many vegetables. Here's my fatty favourites, in a nutshell (groan.)

1. Good quality fats are minimally processed, fresh, and kept cold and dark. Look for cold-pressed oils, grass or pasture fed animal fats.

2. Eat foods. A piece of fish is preferable to a fish oil supplement in my opinion. The one 'fat supplement' I will recommend to people (especially vegetarians) having trouble getting fats, is Udo's Choice Oil. I prefer people to pour it over their food rather than take the capsules. Digestion begins in the mouth when we taste and smell our food.

3. Try some different fats: avocado, coconut oil or cream, nut oils and butters like almond and tahini (sesame seed butter), organic ghee (clarified butter).

4. Completely avoid hydrogenated fats: margarine & shortening. Not food!

5. If you have been eating a low fat diet, don't suddenly increase your fat intake. That can lead to painful symptoms and even risk of gallstones.

6. Minimize seed oils. They make up a much larger part of our diet than ever in history, and are often highly processed and refined. These include canola, sunflower and safflower oils.

7. Eat vegetables with a little fat. The flavour, and nutritional benefit, of the veggies will be enhanced. Saute greens in a little olive oil or pancetta, drizzle some cold pressed nut oil over your steamed veg or salad (salad dressing is a health food!).

8. Fats are a concentrated food. That one little vial at the first Hanuka made it eight days! To meet an average person's requirements is only 5 tablespoons of olive oil - that's if everything else you ate was zero fat.

As always, my philosophy, echoed by the sages of TCM old and new, is 'all things in moderation, including moderation.' Enjoy your latkes and other fatty holiday goodies, and if you feel the need, check out this older article on Janurary 'detoxing'.

TCM Perspectives on Preventing and Treating Colds and Flus

Flu season is now well upon us – how many people do you know that have already been down this year? Many people are still considering whether or not to get vaccinated – both against the H1N1 and the seasonal flu. There are pros and cons on both sides: there are worries about the safety or efficacy of the vaccines (including the preservatives they come with), as well as worries about the potential severity of this year's H1N1 virus and the fact that complications related to seasonal flus are the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. It is an issue each person or family should educate themselves about to make the best choice for them, including taking into consideration their risk factors such as pregnancy, having a chronic illness, being a health care or child care worker, etc.


Whether or not you choose to get a flu vaccine, it is very important for all of us to take care of our body's resistance at this time. There are the usual recommendations: washing hands frequently (anti-bacterial soap is not necessary), especially after coughing or sneezing (and always using a tissue, or coughing or sneezing into the elbow, not the hand); avoiding sharing food and drink with others to prevent cross-contamination; avoiding touching the eyes, nose, and mouth; and avoiding close contact with those who have a cold or flu. If you are sick, stay at home and avoid contact with others, until at least 24 hours after your fever has subsided.


The best prevention is to follow the above advice to prevent exposure to cold and flu pathogens. Whether or not we get sick when exposed to pathogens is determined by 1) the strength of the pathogen and 2) the strength of our body's defenses, which in Chinese Medicine we call Wei Qi.


In supporting the body's ability to defend itself, proper rest cannot be underestimated: the body doesn't function properly without it. Sleeping at night is like recharging our cell phone batteries – our qi, blood, and yin gets replenished during this time, allowing us to function on full power the next day. If our qi is depleted, we do not have the ability to fight illness.


Also important in keeping our qi healthy, free-flowing, and strong is to do our best to be aware of and moderate the stresses we are facing. We are much more susceptible to illness when we are feeling stressed, stretched, and run down. The fall and winter is the natural time for rest and storage: to keep warm, keep the back of the neck covered, and avoid drafts and wind; to eat hearty, warming foods such as soups and stews; to sleep a little more and conserve our energies. It is important to live according to the energy of the seasons for optimal health.


It is also important to eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Warm, cooked foods, especially cooked with warming and/or digestive herbs such as onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, clove, cumin, fennel, coriander, basil, mint, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, etc. - help aid our digestion and keep our qi strong. Baked pears (especially the Asian variety), perhaps with a bit of local honey, almonds, and walnuts, is a tasty dessert that's good for lung health.


We should stay hydrated, drinking lots of fluids, particularly warm beverages. Ginger tea (1 inch of ginger, sliced and simmered for about 15 – 30 minutes) or ginger and green onion soup (the white parts are especially powerful) are great when you feel like you may be on the verge of coming down with something.


Sinus lavage (netipot) is very helpful for maintaining upper respiratory health, especially if you are prone to allergies, colds, and sinus problems. Similarly, a warm or hot (though be careful that is not scalding) salt water gargle can help prevent viruses in the throat from proliferating, and the mucus membranes clean and moist.


Some people like to take supplements to help boost the immune system, including vitamin C and zinc. Astragalus is a powerful Chinese herb popularly used to boost immune function. Airborne is a supplement which contains a famous Chinese herbal formula for colds and flus (Yin Qiao San) – it is best taken at the first sign of catching a cold, and can be taken throughout the course of a cold to keep symptoms low-grade and to help speed recovery. While some of these Chinese herbs and formulas are now available over-the-counter, it is best to see your Chinese herbalist to be sure that these herbs are right for you and the conditions you present with.


Acupuncture can help to boost immunity, and to address symptoms such as sore throat, fever, headache, body aches, stuffy sinuses, runny nose, cough, and others. Chinese herbal formulas can be very helpful to both strengthen immunity and to treat colds and flus. Many Chinese herbs not only treat symptoms but have potent anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, often without the bacterial resistance that has developed through the widespread use of modern antibiotics. These formulas should be prescribed by an herbalist, because our medicine is tailored to each individual's constitution and symptom presentation. While modern bio-medicine claims that there is no cure for the common cold, Chinese medicine has been treating it for thousands of years.

The fire season

A lot of people say that there are no seasons in Los Angeles, but of course that's not true. When I got here I was informed that there are two seasons: fire season and mudslide season (back home in Canada we say there are two seasons too: hockey season and road construction season).

As the horrible fires of the past few weeks have shown, we're right into fire season now. Coming soon will be the hot Santa Ana winds, which are known to drive people crazy. What can we do to help cope with the hot desert winds, the dry air, and the smoke?

1. Don't expose yourself to smoke and dust. It's hard, but resist the urge to go for a jog outside. Stick to indoor activities, especially when the air is very polluted and in the heat of the day.

2. Stay hydrated. Check my summer cooling post for a recipe or two, and some products I like for hydration and sore throats are Traditional Medicinal's Throat Coat and ElectroMix, from the Emergen-C people. There is also a Chinese herb called Pang Da Hai, which produces a soothing, slippery drink when steeped. In China the opera singers sip it to keep their throats in tip top shape. Ask for some when you come in for a treatment!

3. Sinus flushing. Keep dust, smoke and irritants out of your nasal passages by using a neti pot or sinus rinse.

4. Eat lung supporting foods: If you are suffering from dry cough, irritation, and fatigue, try adding pears, okra and white fish to your diet. Pears are especially useful. Eat the Asian ones raw, or try poaching them or baking them for a sweet treat.

5. If your lungs are a chronic weak spot, you might consider taking Cordyceps, a traditional tonic herb. Check with me or another herbalist to see if Cordyceps is right for your presentation.

breathe easy!
Kirsten

The Importance of Food

In Chinese Medicine, the Qi (energy or life force) we receive from our daily intake of food - called Post-Heaven Qi - is what fuels the activities of daily life. This is in contrast with Pre-Heaven Qi - the life force we are endowed with at birth - often compared to a person’s genetics. The Pre-Heaven Qi is like your savings account – you certainly don’t want to draw upon it to run your daily life. Thus, Post-Heaven Qi – which is determined by the quality of a person’s diet, as well as the digestive health of the person (called Spleen Qi, or Central Qi) is incredibly important to a person’s health and longevity.

As a Chinese Medicine practitioner, I am frequently wary of the various ‘diets’ touted for weight loss or increased health and vitality – often they are recipes for disaster! While the best diet for any individual is determined by the state of their own digestive health or Spleen Qi (e.g., those with weak Spleen Qi require milder and easier to digest foods than those with heartier digestive energy), there are certain dietary recommendations that are relatively universal:

• Eat regularly – do not under-eat or over-eat
• Make time to eat – sitting down, not working or otherwise engaged
• Eat a variety of foods, mostly plant-based (though a completely vegetarian or vegan diet is not advocated in Chinese Medicine)
• Eat whole grains
• Eat warm, cooked foods
• Avoid cold, raw foods – people with strong Spleen Qi can tolerate a couple of salads a week. Those with weaker digestion should avoid salads and raw fruits altogether. Raw foods are more difficult to digest and weaken the digestive energy over time.
• Avoid processed foods, including refined sugars and flours
• Minimize fried or greasy foods, alcohol, dairy, and overly spiced foods (chilies)
• “Fasts” and “cleanses” should be undertaken with caution – the vast majority of people’s digestive energies are too low to tolerate these extreme measures, and their systems can become even more weakened. A more healthy and balanced approach that can work for all constitutions is to consume only organic, home cooked whole grains, legumes, and steamed vegetables (perhaps with some digestive herbs and spices added) for 2 to 4 weeks.
• Certain spices help to facilitate digestion – ginger, mint, fennel, cardamom, cumin, cilantro, basil, dried orange peels – add these to your cooking, or make these herbs or spices into teas!

Signs of Spleen Qi or digestive weakness include loose or soft stools, bloating or gas, discomfort after eating, poor appetite, low energy or fatigue, being easily bruised, and other symptoms. As our digestive energy weakens, our bodies are not able to transform food into pure energy for daily functioning, and instead creates what we call Dampness. In Chinese Medicine, Dampness is the origin of the “mysterious diseases” – it is a lingering and difficult to treat pathogen that can manifest in numerous ways.

Dampness is also engendered by poor diet – particularly processed foods, including refined sugars and flours; raw and cold foods; alcohol; and greasy foods. Signs of Damp accumulation in your system include lethargy, foggy headedness, dull aches and pains or feelings of heaviness in the body, weight gain, yeast and fungal conditions, among others.

Diet modification as stated above can go a long way to supporting your digestive energy to provide health and vitality for the long-term. Acupuncture and herbal medicine has been shown to greatly improve digestive function for those with troubling symptoms. Remember, however, that food should be eaten with joy and pleasure – if you eliminate what used to be your ‘comfort foods’ because they are harmful to your system, make sure you investigate new comfort foods that are wholesome and nourishing for your body, mind, and spirit.

Hot Enough For Ya?

We're having another of our all too frequent heat waves here in Southern California. Just in time I present you with some insights from TCM to help you keep your cool.

1. Don't get too cold. What?! I know - sounds counterintuitive. But when we chill our bodies by sitting in overly air conditioned malls, movie theaters and offices, our metabolisms fire up to compensate and heat us up. End result? When you venture out of the ice box of air conditioning, you're flat on your back from the heat. Keep air conditioning to moderate levels (your power bill will thank you too), and if you have to sit in it, keep a cardi or scarf on to keep the chill off your bare skin.

2. Don't chug a slushee! Even though a gallon of crushed ice may sound like just what the doctor ordered when it's 100F outside, your body won't thank you! Just like the air conditioning, giving the inside of your body the Big Chill will cause it to stoke up the home fires to compensate. In the end you'll be hotter when the momentary chill wears off. You're better to sip cool or room temperature beverages. Here's my favourite cooler:

2 liters of filtered water (about 8 or 9 cups)
handful of mint leaves

Place the leaves in a drinking jug and pour the water over them. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to gently bruise the leaves, releasing their minty flavour into the water. If you tend to stomach upset in the hot weather, add a few slices of fresh ginger. You can do this anyway as it gives a lovely taste.


More cooling recipes can be found in The Tao of Nutrition, a book by Maoshing Ni and Cathy McNease. I took a course with Cathy this weekend and was very inspired to continue using the balancing and harmonizing principles of Traditional Chinese Nutrition in my life and in my practice. I'll be giving a talk next month on TCM and digestion - stay tuned for the date.

Over the next few weeks you'll see more posts from two new authors at LifeMedicine. We'll have more to teach, more to talk about and more fun! Be well, and come and see me for a cool down!