Thanks to all who came and contributed your celebratory spirits to our Moxa, Tea & Winter Poetry Open House on December 18! I had a great time!
Several of you requested more information on the herbal teas served at the Open House. So, I've posted a menu of the snacks & herbal tea blends below!
Want to learn more about the medicinal qualities of the herbs used in the tea blends? Please scroll down for detailed descriptions.
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, prosperous 2012!
Stephanie
Menu
Snacks:
black bean soup with satsuma yams;
assorted root vegetables roasted with olive oil, sea salt, fresh rosemary & oregano;
baked kabocha squash garnished with butter, roasted black sesame seeds & dried kelp flakes & cilantro;
millet steamed with black 'forbidden' rice;
crispy walnuts (hu tao ren);
dried goji berries (gou qi zi), raisins, cranberries;
mandarin oranges
Teas:
Spicy Holiday Blend
Spicy cloves and cinnamon bark, sweetened with licorice root and jujube dates -- this tea evokes the winter holiday spirit, conjuring memories of warm mulled beverages. Medicinally, this blend deeply warms and invigorates the body's yang Qi, helping the internal organ systems function more effectively. It aids digestion and treats cough and wheezing. It alleviates aches & pains of all sorts and delights the soul – perfect for the deep of winter.
Ding Xiang (clove: warms, supports digestion)
Rou Gui (cinnamon bark: warms, invigorates yang qi of deep internal organs)
Hong Zao (red jujube dates: sweet, calming digestive tonic)
Gan Cao (licorice: sweet, harmonizing, digestive tonic & detoxicant)
Sheng Jiang (fresh ginger: warms lungs and stomach, eases digestion, releases cold and flu pathogens)
Rooty Tonic Blend
Sweet and earthy in flavor, this blend of astragalus and ginseng roots plus a bit of angelica root, sweetened with longan berries and red jujube dates, is the perfect antidote to any type of stress. This combination of tonic, adaptogenic herbs is a simplified version of the popular Chinese herbal formula Gui Pi Tang, commonly used to treat fatigue and emotional agitation due to overwork and overthinking. This tea was described by tasters as “grounding.”
Huang Qi (astragalus root: adaptongenic immune tonic)
Ren Shen (ginseng root: powerful Qi tonic & adaptogen: facilitates recovery from stress, illness, injury)
Dang Gui (Chinese angelica root: powerful builder and vitalizer of Blood)
Long Yan Rou (longan berries: Qi & Blood tonic: support the brain; counteract overexertion)
Hong Zao (red jujube dates: sweet, digestive tonic, calm the mind)
Sour & Sweet Digestive Blend
This warming and distinctively multi-flavored blend is an antidote to indigestion. In addition to facilitating improved metabolism of nutrients, it calms the mind, supports the Lung, eliminates phlegm, and can help ease cough. The five-flavored schizandra berries were added primarily for their complex taste; however, if drunk over the long term, these berries tonify the Kidney Qi and Essence and improve skin quality, brain health & sexual function.
Shan Zha (hawthorn berries: eases indigestion, supports cardiovascular health)
Chen Pi (dried citrus peel: regulates Qi, clears phlegm to support digestive & respiratory health)
Wu Wei Zi (shizandra berries: multiflavored astringent; tonify Kidney, support Lung, enhance brain function)
Zhi Gan Cao (honey-fried licorice root: sweet, warming, harmonizing, digestive tonic)
Hong Zao (red jujube dates: sweet, digestive, Qi & Blood tonic, calm the mind)
Medicinal Properties of Herbs used in Blends:
Spicy Holiday Blend:
Spicy cloves and cinnamon bark, sweetened with licorice root and jujube dates -- this tea evokes the winter holiday spirit, conjuring memories of warm mulled beverages. Medicinally, this blend deeply warms and invigorates the body's yang Qi, helping the internal organ systems function more effectively. It aids digestion and treats cough and wheezing. It alleviates aches & pains of all sorts and delights the soul – perfect for the deep of winter.
Cloves & cinnamon bark are spicy & very warm. They move Qi to increase circulation, but more importantly, they warm the body, strengthening vitality and internal energy. In Chinese herbology, they are frequently used as warming adjuncts in Spleen & Kidney Yang tonic formulas. In conjunction with other herbs, they help treat cold-induced disorders of the digestive, urinary or sexual/reproductive systems & alleviate pain related to deep cold, including abdominal, menstrual, and joint pain.
Cloves have the particular use of directing Stomach Qi downward. They alleviate vomiting and hiccoughs, which are considered abnormal uprising of Stomach Qi.
The twigs and bark of the cinnamon plant are both very commonly used in Chinese medicine. Cinnamon bark is warmer than cinnamon twigs. In fact, it is one of the most warming of the Chinese herbs. It is considered to penetrate more deeply into the body, warming the Yang of the Heart, Spleen and Kidneys. That is, it warms the visceral organs, helping them to function more effectively. Cinnamon bark is also said to calm the nerves. Its energy is also said to “move upwards and float,” dispersing energy blocks in the neck & shoulders, warming the flesh, and bringing a rosiness to the cheeks.
One of the unique functions of cinnamon bark is alleviating wheezing in chronic asthma cases where the Kidneys are weak and fail to grasp Lung Qi. Cinnamon bark also helps move Qi & Blood in cases of Qi or Blood stasis due to cold. In this capacity, it helps treat amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, chronic pain conditions and helps heal chronic sores. From a western naturopathic medical perspective, cinnamon has a remarkable capacity for balancing blood sugar.
Red jujube dates & licorice root were used as sweeteners in this blend. Both of these herbs are wonderful Qi and Blood tonics. They are used as “adjunct players” in many, many Chinese herbal formulas, where they function to harmonize and moderate the properties of the major herbs in the formula.
Red jujubes are often used in conjunction with major Qi and Blood tonic herbs like ginseng and dang gui (Chinese angelica root), enhancing the efficacy and digestibility of these herbs. In addition to tonifying the Spleen, building Qi and nourishing Blood, red jujubes are also mildly sedative and help calm the Spirit. They are useful in imbalances characterized by weakness, shortness of breath, lassitude, reduced appetite, loose stools and emotional lability, as they build the blood and help the digestive organs extract energy from food more efficiently.
Licorice root is the master “harmonizer” in Chinese herbalism. It helps diverse ingredients in complex herbal formulas work effectively together. It also smooths the effect of harsh-acting herbs, and adds a deliciously sweet flavor to formulas. Moreover, it has the unique quality of entering all twelve of the body's major organ-related channels. In this capacity, it guides the healing properties of any herbal formula throughout the entire body.
Aside from being an important digestive tonic (aiding the body's assimilation of nutrients) and Spleen Qi tonic (treating low energy, weakness, low appetite, loose stools, etc.), licorice root has some other interesting functions. It nourishes the adrenal glands. It helps build and strengthen muscles, while also relaxing muscle tissue, alleviating painful muscle spasms. It is commonly used in formulas to treat leg cramps, intestinal spasms or uterine pain. An expectorant, it moistens the Lungs to stop coughing and wheezing. It helps cool down a hot sore throat and eliminate microbes in the case of viral or bacterial infection. It's a powerful detoxicant, ridding the body of over 1200 known toxins without distressful side-effects. In China, licorice tea is drunken by smokers to soothe their dry throats, as well as by singers and public speakers, because it improves the secretions of throat mucosa. Licorice root has anti-inflammatory properties similar to cortisone, but without the side effects. Finally, like cinnamon, licorice root helps regulate blood sugar, counteracting hypoglycemia.
Rooty Tonic Blend:
Sweet and earthy in flavor, this blend of astragalus and ginseng roots plus a bit of angelica root, sweetened with longan berries and red jujube dates, is the perfect antidote to any type of stress. This combination of tonic, adaptogenic herbs is a simplified version of the popular Chinese herbal formula Gui Pi Tang, commonly used to treat fatigue and emotional agitation due to overwork and overthinking. This tea was described by tasters as “grounding.”
Astragalus and ginseng roots are perhaps the most popular and powerful tonic root herbs in the Chinese pharmacopeia. They help the body recovery from illness and injury, and help it to adapt to physically and emotionally stressful circumstances. In terms of Chinese medicine theory, both astragalus and ginseng strongly tonify the Qi of the Lung and the Spleen, bolstering the body's digestive and respiratory functions. In this capacity, they treat weakened conditions characterized--in extreme cases-- by shallow breathing, shortness of breath, cold limbs, sweating, lethargy, lack of appetite, loose stools, or organ prolapse. Both astragalus and ginseng rebuild Qi and blood after severe blood loss due, for example, to childbirth, traumatic injury, or surgery.
Ginseng, king of tonic herbs, is considered a master-adaptogen, helping a person adapt to all kinds of stresses. It enhances endurance and resilience, builds muscles, increases mental and physical efficiency, and prevents overfatigue. It is considered a useful herb for elderly people, improving memory and cognitive power, and counteracting intellectual deterioration. It helps to regenerate fluids and alleviate thirst after acute debilitating febrile illness. It is also useful in treating emotional problems: it benefits the Heart Qi and calms the spirit, alleviating restlessness, anxiety, insomnia and forgetfulness due to Qi and Blood deficiency.
Astragalus root is perhaps best known as an immune-building adaptogen in Chinese herbalism. One of its major uses is strengthening patients who are prone to frequent cold and flu infections. In terms of Chinese medicine theory, astragalus is considered to augment the protective Qi (Wei Qi) that resides at the surface of the body. Stronger surface Qi is more effective in regulating the opening and closing of the pores of the body, preventing invasion by pathogens, but also allowing the body to rid itself of toxins and microbes through appropriate sweating. In a related function, astragalus helps curb excess sweating related to a range of physiological imbalances. Other functions include reducing edema through a mild diurectic action, countering prolapse or excessive uterine bleeding, and helping to discharge pus and regenerating tissue in the case of chronic sores and ulcers.
Studies conducted at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center at the University of Houston, the world's largest cancer research institute, demonstrated clearly that astragalus root improves the immune response in humans undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Patients taking astragalus during such treatment tend to have far fewer side effects and to recover at a higher and faster rate.
Chinese angelica root (dang gui) is the most popular blood tonic, blood vitalizer and gynecological herb in the Chinese pharmacopeia. Like the two Qi tonics described above, ginseng and astragalus, dang gui is helpful in rebuilding the blood to counter exhaustion after severe blood loss (particularly after childbirth or menstruation). It is superior in its ability to rebuild red blood cells and widely used to treat anemia. In China, women are often fed meat cooked with dang gui and ginger to help them recover from childbirth. Dang gui also helps clear away dead blood cells and circulate fresh blood. It is a superb regulator of women's menstrual cycle, used in cases of amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea. It might be used with cinnamon twigs (gui zhi) in cases of menstrual pain due to cold in the uterus. Though it is most commonly used as a woman's herb, men use angelica root to help build muscle, repair injury and improve circulation. An additional property of angelica root is its ability to treat chronic constipation due to Qi and Blood deficiency. For this it might be combined with crushed cannibis seeds (hu ma ren) and walnuts (hu tao ren).
Longan berries, a less commonly known tonic herb, were added to the rooty blend, along with red jujube dates, to add sweetness. Longan berries are typically spoken of as “the student herb” due to their unique capacity for treating fatigue and emotional lability related to excessive thinking and overwork. Specifically, in Chinese medicine theory, they tonify Spleen Qi and nourish Heart Blood, calming the spirit and treating insomnia, palpitations, forgetfulness, and dizziness. Red jujube dates, described above, are somewhat similar to longan berries in their ability to treat emotional conditions by nourishing Qi and Blood.
Sour & Sweet Digestive Tea
This warming and distinctively multi-flavored blend is an antidote to indigestion. In addition to facilitating improved metabolism of nutrients, it calms the mind, supports the Lung, eliminates phlegm, and can help ease cough. The five-flavored schizandra berries were added primarily for their complex taste; however, if consumed over the long term, these berries tonify the Kidney Qi and Essence and improve skin quality, brain health & sexual function.
Hawthorn berries (shan zha) and dried citrus peel (chen pi) both aid digestion. Hawthorn berries help break down meat and greasy foods and guide them through the digestive system. They ease abdominal distention and pain and stop diarrhea. Dried citrus peel (chen pi) is a “qi regulator,” helping to move Qi in the digestive tract. Chen pi is not a tonic, but by helping move Qi, it helps improve the efficiency by which the Spleen and Stomach transform food into energy for the body. In this way, it also eases symptoms of indigestion – distention, bloating, belching, nausea and vomiting – considered to be related to stagnant Qi in the digestive tract.
In addition to aiding digestion, hawthorn berries are commonly used in the modern-day treatment of hypertension and coronary artery disease. They have been shown to lower blood pressure, cause systemic vasodilation, and prevent and treat atherosclerosis.
In addition to being a digestant, chen pi is also used as an adjunct in treating respiratory illness. Its unique abilities to “transform” phlegm and dampness,and to “regulate” the flow of Qi enable it to clear the respiratory passages and treat cough. Again, chen pi is not a tonic. But is often used with tonic herbs to improve their digestion and assimilation by the body.
Shizandra berries (wu wei zi). The name “wu wei zi” translates to “five-flavor fruit.” These notable berries were added to this blend partly for their complex flavor. In terms of Chinese herbal theory, these berries possess all five flavors—sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent-- and each of these flavors has a different physiological effect on the body.
Schizandra berries were historically consumed by Chinese royalty and Daoist masters. They are said to contain all three life-enhancing treasures spoken of in Doaist health teachings-- Qi, Shen and Jing. They are an excellent tonic for brain & mind, sharpening concentration, memory and alertness, while also being mildly calming. Schizandra berries have been shown to enhance intellectual activity and work efficiency. They also improve vision. Taken over time, schizandra berries add softness, moisture and radiance to the skin, and are reputed to improve sexual function in men and women.
Clinically, schizandra berries support the Lung and treat chronic cough and wheeze due to Lung and Kidney deficiency. They also astringe leakage and stop diarrhea or excess urination due to Kidney or Spleen weakness. They inhibit sweating and calm the heart, treating irritability, palpitations, dream-disturbed sleep and insomnia. Recently they have been used to treat allergic skin disorders and to improve liver function in hepatitis patients.
Honey-fried licorice and red jujube dates were added to bring sweetness, enhance digestibility and enhance the calming and tonifying effects of the blend.
Thank you to Evelyn & Sean at Spring Wind Dispensary, San Francisco, for their thoughtful advice and help assembling these herbal blends. www.springwinddispensary.com
References:
Bensky, Dan and Gamble, Andrew. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Revised Edition.
Ron Teeguarden. The Ultimate Source of Chinese Tonic Herbs and Superfoods. Website: www.dragonherbs.com
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Moxa, Tea & Winter Poetry Open House
Sunday, December 18, 2011
2:00pm-5:00pm
West Berkeley
to RSVP & for location information,
please call 510.495.5752
or email stephanie@stephaniedoucette.com
If you can, please bring a poem reflecting the theme of winter to share.
Children are welcome!
What is moxibustion?
Moxibustion (or "moxa") is the practice in Chinese Medicine of burning dried mugwort and other fragrant herbs at certain points of the body. Moxa stimulates healing by warming and strengthening the body’s vital forces and moving qi and blood. Moxa is deeply nourishing and protective. It is particularly appropriate for this time of year because it strengthens the essential energies of the Kidneys. It is useful in strengthening immunity as well as helping with chronic pain and cold conditions of various kinds.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Deep Nourishment: Winter Food & Cooking Tips
Two themes guide our discussion of winter eating:
1. Yin and Yang
In winter the outside environment becomes Yin: cold, dark, still. The Yang energy of plants (the energy of upward growth and metabolism) is pulled deep into the roots. Nature enters a state of rest and storage.
Matching these environmental patterns, the Yang Qi of our bodies also draws deeply inward, warming our internal organs. With Yang deeply inward, Yin energy of our environment pervades the more surface levels of our body, helping us to adjust to cold winter surroundings.
In winter, we can easily loose energy to our environment (whereas in summer, we easily gain energy from a predominantly Yang environment.)
We can keep ourselves healthy by eating foods that mirror these patterns of inner warmth, rest and storage. It is important for us to protect ourselves from the elements and to nourish ourselves with deeply warming foods.
2. Kidney Energy Predominates
In winter, the energy of the Kidney predominates. The Kidneys in Chinese Medicine are regarded as the root and foundation of the body's energy. The health of our Kidneys determines our overall health, the health of our bones, our reproductive capacity, and the grace with which we age. They are responsible for our enduring strength and stamina.
The Kidneys are particularly vulnerable to damage by cold and overexertion in winter. However, they are also uniquely available at this time of year for nourishment through food. Our food choices should be influenced not only by considering the Kidney, but also themes associated with the Kidney and wintertime in Chinese medicine: water, depth, darkness, inward-focus, etc.
Winter is a critical time to eat foods whose energies penetrate deeply inward, warming our Yang energies, supporting Yin, and nourishing our Kidneys. Following are some tips for winter eating and food preparation:
1. Match your environment:
Eat Foods in Season: A trip to a local farmers' market will help you know what's in season. At this time of year, your body thrives on storage vegetables like carrots, parsnips, burdock root, celery root, onions, winter squash, yams, and potatoes. Seasonal fruits include kiwis, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, kumquats and other citrus fruit, as well as dried fruit.
Dark-Colored Foods match the Yin energy of the season. These include sturdy winter greens like kale and collards, mineral-dense seaweeds and sea vegetables, dark-colored mushrooms like shitakes, and dried berries like goji berries.
Other "storage" foods include dried grains and beans. Brown rice, millet, wild rice, dark-colored strains of quinoa, dark-colored beans like kidney, black and aduki are all particularly nourishing in winter, as are nuts and seeds. Walnuts, almonds, and black sesame seeds nourish the Kidney in particular.
Meats: Winter is the best time of year to add moderate amounts of nutrients from animal products to our diets. Particularly nourishing in winter are those deep nutrient storehouses: organ meats and bones.
(A note on meat: Generally speaking, I advocate eating a small to moderate amount of meat or seafood, a few times per week to once per day, especially in the colder seasons, as a source of concentrated nutrients and energy. Animal products should be consumed in the context of a meal including cooked grain, vegetables, savory broth and a garnish of fermented food to aid digestion. Dietary needs and preferences vary, of course, in relation to individuals' constitutions and lifestyles. The way in which meat is cooked significantly impacts its digestibility and its nutritional affect on our bodies.)
Winter is a great time of year to get into the habit of eating bone broths and stocks. Simmering bone stock overnight is a great way to draw out minerals from an animals deepest stores, rendering them easily assimilable to our bodies. Broth and stock can be stored in our freezers and used to enhance soups and stews throughout winter.
See my article on bone broths and stock for recipes and further discussion.
Organ meats, especially liver and kidney, are also nutritionally potent. Dark-colored and originating deep in the body, they match the themes of winter according to TCM theory. It is advisable to seek out organ meats from organic or pastured animals, as the internal organs can be storehouses for toxic chemicals used in raising factory-farmed animals. Liver pates or liverwurst are a luxurious treat at winter celebrations.
As winter and the Kidney are associated with water and the sea, Chinese Medicine traditionally advised eating deep-sea animals to tonify the Kidney energies in winter. Consider adding some shellfish, oysters, shrimp, trout, wild salmon, sardines or cod liver oil to your diet at this time of year.
2. Cooking-styles for warmth and nourishment:
In Chinese Medicinal cooking, different cooking methods are used to accentuate the energetic qualities of foods, be they warm or cool. We increase the warming nature of foods either through hotter cooking methods (roasting, baking, braising or frying), and/or longer cooking time (think slowly-simmered soups, stews and stocks). While long cooking times reduce the contents of certain vitamins, they make minerals more available to the body.
Winter is really the only good time of year to consume some fried foods. While meats and fried foods are harder for our bodies to digest and can be hard on our vascular systems, they are warming and provide stamina in winter. Be attentive to the choice of fat in which to fry. Animal fats, which are highly saturated, can be heated to high temperatures with little damage, creating non-greasy fried foods. Think bacon grease or ghee. Less saturated vegetable oils don't typically perform well at high heats. They form free radicals which are virtually indigestible and, thus, damaging to our bodies. Peanut oil, an exception, is one of the most stable vegetable oils at high temperatures.
Fried foods in small amounts to garnish winter meals of grains, beans and vegetables. Compliment meats and fried foods with naturally fermented foods, like raw sauerkraut or pickles. These support the digestion and assimilation of heavy foods, starchy foods and oils.
3. Salty: the flavor of winter
Salty is the flavor associated with winter and the Kidney in Chinese Medicine. Eating more salty food in winter helps consolidate your energy, turning your focus inward. But all salt is not created equal.
Stick with truly unrefined salt, such as Celtic sea salt and salt mined from ancient sea beds. These are not bright white in color, but grayish or light pink, indicating the presence of the wide array of minerals naturally present in seawater. Fortunately, these sea salts are now available to us in health food stores. Also, I recently learned from a teacher about Korean sea salt, which is among the purest and most mineral-dense in the world—available to us in Korean food markets here in the East Bay.
Refined salt is pure sodium chloride, stripped of other minerals. It is much harder for the body to balance than natural sea salt. Keep in mind that the chemical composition of our bodies is quite similar to seawater. (Also, remember that water and the sea are associated with the Kidney and with winter in Chinese medicine.)
Again, winter is a great time to eat raw fermented foods like miso, tamari or shoyu (traditionally brewed, high quality soy sauces) and pickles or sauerkraut. Foods foods are not only salty, but also "storage" forms of food, "cooking" slowly over an extended period of time, so to speak. Thus they match the energy of the seasonal environment.
Healthy salts should be eaten in moderate amounts, of course, in a way that enhances--but doesn't overpower-- the flavor of our food.
Aside from salty flavor, bitter-flavored foods, like collards and turnip greens, also help to consolidate energy within during winter time.
4. Eat earlier in the day. Don't overeat.
In wintertime, the yang energy required to digest our food is in shorter supply. Despite our increased nutritional needs this season, our digestion tends to be more sluggish in winter than at other times of the year. Additionally, digestive energies are highest first thing in the morning, decreasing through the course of the day, according to Chinese Medicine theory.
The implications of this is that we are advised to eat most heartily in the morning, but to eat smaller meals later in the day. The days are short now. Try to eat your last meal of the day before 7:00pm. Eat a simple evening meal. Soups and or a bit of grain with lots of savory liquid are good choices for dinner. Late night eating tends to cause indigestion and interfere with sound sleep.
I'll conclude this article with some lists of foods traditionally considered to strengthen the Kidneys in Chinese Medicine theory:
Whole grains: millet, wild rice, dark-colored varieties of grains such as quinoa
Vegetables: parsley, sea vegetables, yams
Fruits: especially dark berries; dried fruits
Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, black sesame seeds
Beans: all beans, particularly dark varieties such as black and kidney beans
Animal foods: bone broths, clams, crab, lobsters, oysters, organ meats, pork
Traditional foods to strengthen Kidney Yang:
Whole grains: oats, spelt, sweet brown rice, quinoa
Vegetables: cabbage, garlic, kale, leeks, mustard greens, onions, parsnips, parsley, green onions, winter squash
Fruits: cherries, dates, raspberries
Spices and herbs: anise, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, caraway, citrus peel, cumin, dill, fenugreek, fennel, ginger, rosemary
Beans: aduki, black beans
Animal foods: chicken, crab, lobster, organ meats, shrimp, trout, wild salmon
Traditional foods to strengthen KidneyYin:
Whole grains: amaranth, barley, millet, rice, wheat
Vegetables: asparagus, beets, eggplant, potatoes, sea vegetables
Fruits: apples, berries, lemon, grapes, mulberries, melon (in season)
Beans: all dried beans, miso
Animal foods: anchovies, cultured dairy products such as yogurt and kefir, duck, goat cheese, raw cheese, eggs, organ meats, pork, shellfish, sardines
Traditional foods to nourish Kidney Jing:
microalgae, chlorella, blue-green algae, barley and wheat grass, fish, shellfish, liver, cod liver oil, kidneys, broth made from bones and marrow, almonds, raw milk and cheese, ghee, nettles, bee pollen, goji berries
For more information on the Kidneys (Yin, Yang, and Jing), please see my associated article.
Sources:
Bliss, Nishanga. Real Food All Year: Eating Seasonal Whole Foods for Optimal Health and All-Day Energy. To be released by New Harbinger Press in Spring, 2012.
Liu Ming. “Nourishing Within” lecture series: 11/26/11 lecture.
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