See how easily you can use 5 element theory to eat optimally
I’ve been seeing quite a few articles about balancing color in one’s diet as a way to eat well. These articles are always so beautiful - illustrated with plenty of photos of gorgeous blueberries, tantalizing tomatoes and the like. Further, the concept of choosing your food by color is an attractive one, simple and engaging of the senses. I’d like to add a little to the conversation by showing how you can similarly choose foods to create an exciting and balanced diet by using two symbol categories associated with the five elements: color and flavor. Each elemental phase has a color and flavor traditionally associated with it, and while competing theories exist regarding the exact assignment of correlation - what I’ve listed below is what is most commonly agreed upon.
My thought is that by using the following structure as a guideline, you could easily create a balanced diet. Below I just list a few examples of foods that would fit in each category, you should pick a variety of foods in each category for maximal health. I have experimented with this structure in a number of ways:
- I’ve used a different element for each of 3 meals and 2 snacks
- I’ve tried to use all five elements in each meal
- I’ve even used the creation and control cycles to have fun with recipe planning! Let me know if you use this structure and how it works for you in the comments!
- Fire: Element of Heart, Pericardium, Triple Burner and Small Intestine. Resonates with the season of summer, inspiration, intimacy and the Sun.
- Red, the color of Fire
- Red vegetables: Tomatoes - from a Chinese perspective, tomatoes are cool in nature and have both sweet and sour flavors, and go to the Stomach and Liver channels - both prime candidates for suffering due to heat. From a Western perspective, tomatoes are a great source of antioxidants like Vitamin C as well as being a source of lycopene, a cartenoid thought to be helpful in cancer prevention. Other red foods: Beets, strawberries, raspberries, pomegranates
- Bitter, the flavor of Fire
- Bitter greens: Swiss chard - Bitter flavor clears heat, and given that these leafy green are cooling, they can be a great addition to the diet of someone who has followed the Standard American diet and thus have a lot of built up heat and dampness. From a Western perspective, all leafy greens contain very high amounts of essential vitamins and minerals, as well as providing a healthy amount of fiber. Other leafy, bitter greens: collards, kale
- Red, the color of Fire
- Earth: Element of Spleen and Stomach. Resonates with the times between the seasons or the very late summer, nurturing, stability and the earth beneath our feet.
- Yellow, the color of Earth
- Yellow vegetables: Yams/sweet potatoes - Okay, so these are often orange in color, but some are paler. Work with me, here. From a Chinese medicine perspective, sweet potatoes are sweet in flavor and neutral in nature. They work on the Spleen, Stomach and Large Intestine - so work powerfully on a number of levels in improving digestion. From a Western perspective, they are a potent source of antioxidants and vitamin E. Other yellow vegetables: corn
- Sweet, the flavor of Earth
- Whole grains: Whole wheat and/or spelt, brown rice, quinoa, millet - People are often confused about the sweet flavor in Chinese medicine. This is not the sweet of ice cream, Skittles and soda. To experience the ideal sweet flavor, take a bit of well cooked brown rice and chew thoroughly. That’s sweet. :) So whole grains are the ideal candidate in this category. Rice is sweet and neutral and goes to the Spleen and Stomach. It is the perennial digestive booster, powerful enough to be effective but gentle enough for convalescing individuals. From a Western perspective, whole grains are the foundation of a great diet - providing key minerals, B vitamins and fiber for digestive health.
- Yellow, the color of Earth
- Metal: Element of Lung and Large Intestine. Resonates with the autumn, justice, permanence and high mountain glaciers.
- White, the color of Metal
- Tofu/tempeh and other legumes, fish, chicken: quality protein sources in line with your ethical standards, keep it free-range, organic, local and well-cooked. Most of the greatest protein sources are white (or beige, or something like it). For those of you who want to argue about some of the legumes, point taken. But even many beans that are one color on the outside are pale within. Any of these sources, when prepared sans cream sauce, are excellent sources of protein as well as many minerals. In the case of legumes and their products (tofu, tempeh, etc) you will also get a decent amount of fiber.
- Pungent
- Onions: Flavor is important, and pungent flavor is great for keeping energy moving through the body. Onion is both bitter and pungent in flavor and warm in nature. It goes to the Lung, Stomach and Large Intestine. It can activate the Yang principle of the body as well as helping draw energy downward as might be desirable in constipation. It also reinvigorates stomach fire when used responsibly - good for sluggish digestion. From a Western perspective, there is some evidence that onions may have protective effects against cancer. Other pungent foods: garlic, chilis
- White, the color of Metal
- Water: Element of Bladder and Kidney. Resonates with the energy of the winter, wisdom and contemplation and the vastness of the ocean.
- Blue, the color of Water
- Blue fruits: Blueberries - Blueberries have been in the media a lot lately, mostly their antioxidant benefit is touted. Unfortunately, I do not have information about the Chinese classification of berries in front of me but my sense is that they are probably both sweet and sour, with a neutral nature and probably an affinity for the Large Intestine among other organs. The data on blueberries from Western medicine is easy enough to locate - they are a potent source of vitamins C, E and several protective compounds that are being heavily researched now. Other blue fruits: boysenberries, black raspberries, blackberries
- Salty, the flavor of Water
- Seaweed, condiments: Again, for food to be a holistic experience it must not only satisfy our intellectual understanding of nutrition or our emotional need to be able to look forward to a long, healthy life but the food must also taste good. I have used seaweed in place of salt in many situations with great results - many products are available to make this a simple experience. Other condiments are also fine, especially high grade sea salt and organic nama shoyu.
- Blue, the color of Water
- Wood: Element of Liver and Gallbladder. Resonates with the springtime, Yang energy, motivation and new beginnings and a rapidly growing field of grass.
- Green, the color of Wood
- Green vegetables: Broccoli, from a Western perspective, is a powerhouse food full of vitamins, minerals and the ever crucial fiber. There are so many green vegetables to choose from, this is a category that you can expand pretty much endlessly - even including a green food of each flavor for a five flavored green feast! Other green vegetables: Lettuces, peas, celery, green beans
- Sour, the flavor of Wood
- Citrus: Lemons - From a Chinese perspective, most citrus have both sweet and sour flavors, but lemon is distinctly sour. Its nature is slightly cool, which makes it a great candidate for cooling summerheat - the old time tradition of lemonade has some basis after all! It also goes to the Liver and the Lung - given that the sour flavor astringes, it may be helpful in restraining Lung Qi as in a cough or restraining an overactive Liver. From a Western perspective, these fruits are a prime source of Vitamin C. Other citrus limes, grapefruit
Enjoy!
Eric - Green, the color of Wood
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Tags: fall, five phases, flavors, food, nature, Seasons, spring, summer, winterRelated posts
New content organization for Deepest Health
I received some great feedback via email in reply to my post about content categories. It’s not so easy to write a blog like this one, not least of all because the available posting topics are so many that it can be a bit paralyzing when I sit down to write. So, at the suggestion of a couple of readers and some of my blogging mentors, I am going to follow the lead of most newspapers and provide regular “columns” that rotate weekly. This will help me to hit all the topics that readers have said they would like to see as well as giving me a little nudge on a foggy Wednesday morning when I’m not quite sure what I want to write about!
- Classical Texts (Monday) - Delving into theory from a Classical point of view. Something like this post about the Neijing and its recommendations for physicians.
- Food and Drink (Tuesday) - Discussion of Chinese dietetics, with suggestions and recipes. Like this post about the Top 5 Underappreciated Benefits of Tea.
- The Profession of Chinese Medicine (Wednesday) - Primarily for students, but also useful to practicing professionals - everything from study tips to book and material reviews to conference reports and information about the AAAOM. An example: This post about the scope of practice for CM physicians.
- Fun with Theory (Thursday) - Although theory is woven through many of the other categories, here I will discuss it explicitly. Much of this will be organ systems related for a while, but will also include thoughts about five element, six conformation, wen bing, san jiao and other systems of differentiation. One example is this highly popular post about the Chinese organ system clock.
- Herbal medicine (Friday) - Here I will do features like Herb-of-the-week and, eventually, combination or formula of the week. You can see my first Herb-of-the-Week post, on Cinnamon Twig as an example.
- Acupuncture (Saturday) - I might work on a point or point category of the week feature, or I might just discuss issues around acupuncture and related arts. So far, the best example of this kind of post is in my introduction to acupuncture and related arts.
- Not on a particular day (or on Sunday) - Various reviews, more meta posts (like the one you are reading now), news posts, link posts and anything else that comes up.
Hopefully this format will help me to stay organized as well as providing my readers with all of the content they requested. Thanks for your help! Tuesday’s food-related post will be coming soon!
Eric
Tags: Acupuncture, Blogging, content, deepest-healthRelated posts
6 Essential Tools for deep study of any subject
After over ten years in school, scholarships almost every year and honors at diverse schools in diverse subjects I feel like one thing I can speak with authority about is study. Whether I was learning biology, philosophy, sociology or medicine I was always looking to optimize my study time so I could make the most out of my short time in school. Although I appreciate the need for balance in a student’s life (I have been raising a kid and trying to make a living during my entire college and graduate school experience) I also believe strongly that a student’s job is to learn - and learn well. When else will you be expected to delve deeply into a subject that you love? Here are the tools I have found to be indispensible in my work as a student.
1. Dictionaries, specialized and not.
I would be lost without my Far East Chinese-English Dictionary
You should find dictionaries for your field that help you to understand specialized terminology. I think people feel a little embarrassed at having to use a dictionary. I’ve noticed in some CM students, they feel that they should already know some of the basic terms (Qi, Blood, etc…) but simply do not have a good grasp on these basics. Of course, these terms are somewhat experiential and one’s understanding of them grows with time - but a standard definition is definitely useful. I’m sure this is the case in many fields.
I also have a general online dictionary cued up for non-specialized terminology that I need to understand. You might be surprised how many times you just glaze over words you’re not sure about. I know that some speed-reading techniques and other systems teach one to use the superior comprehension ability of the brain to simply grasp the overall meaning of a text, but I have found those methods to impair a deep understanding of most writing. I don’t take EVERY word seriously, but if I repeatedly run over a word and find that my mind sort of fogs up as I pass over it - I just look it up and see if that clears things a little.
2. Easily accessible bookmark file of reputable websites.
When I started school in Chinese medicine I took some time to do research on the web looking for reputable websites in my subject area. I mostly used my gut in judging a site “reputable” but generally looked for decent writing, usable design, good inlinks and outlinks and preferably a community of commenters engaged in interesting dialogue. After a month or so, I built up a great group of bookmarks that helped me to find the basics on any given question I had about Chinese medicine. Unfortunately, in Chinese medicine there is a dearth of quality websites covering anything more than the most basic information in very TCM terms - but this is changing.
If you don’t own your own computer but rely on your school’s computers you will have to use other strategies to keep track of your favorite sites. One possibility is to use a social bookmarking site like Del.icio.us but that can become unwieldy. You can also use a service like Google Bookmarks.
However, I do want to recommend that you get a computer of your own if possible. There are loan programs available and you don’t need the fanciest machine on the market to be functional. If you would like to start investigating computers, I can recommend the site Cnet.com as a great place to start exploring your options. Also, get a Mac. ;)
3. An excellent study space. For me, establishing excellent study space has been essential. I invested a little bit of money in a decent desk and covered it with plants and beautiful colors. I have all the pens, pencils, post-its, rubber bands, binder clips, GTD related materials (file folders, file cabinet, label maker, organizer, etc) easy at hand. I have music available and my computer in easy reach. I have plenty of light and a chair that doesn’t make me want to scream in frustration after five minutes. This didn’t cost me a lot of money, but the money I did invest has been worth it.
4. Relevant searchable notes from classes. One minorly obsessive thing I do is review my notes at the end of each term and file them according to subject. I don’t keep all of my notes - just those that are decently written, coherent, and in a subject that I will continue to study or is foundational for other things I will be studying. Sometimes I will file according to class if a class contained diverse subject material or if the instructor’s particular spin or personality was the most important part of the class. The point is to be able to find an excellent amount of information on topics I am interested in with a relative amount of ease.
Lately, I have been taking notes using the Notebook layout feature in the 2004 version of Microsoft Word. Though it is a bit buggy, it is highly useful, if only because of the Audio note feature. With this feature, you can record audio of the lecture while you are typing (I use the internal microphone in my MacBook) and when you go back to review notes, it puts a little audio icon in the left hand margin and when you click the icon it takes you to the audio that (theoretically) matches those notes! It works about 90% of the time, and I love it when it does work.
I have used various note-taking methods, notably the Cornell notetaking method (that’s a .pdf document), but find that it has been more work than its worth. Your results may vary - but do investigate special note-taking methods and find what works for you. Going to every class, taking useful notes and doing something with those notes should be your bread and butter as a student.
5. Easily accessible stack of most relevant books.
Books are expensive. In graduate and professional school, they are even MORE expensive. I am going to start doing book reviews on this site soon, and some of the books I will be reviewing will seem extravagantly priced. As a student, I have tried various methods to mitigate the high cost of some of these books - buying with a group of friends, using library copies, looking for the same information in other formats… but especially if what you are studying is going to be your profession (as in Chinese medicine study) I think it’s best just to save the money and buy the book. You can try sources online to find cheaper copies like Amazon.com
The books I access the most are in a stack on my desk and they don’t move much - and not just because they weigh too much to carry around. I leave them there because they are useful almost every day I’m studying. The less I have to get up and search for something, the less likely I am to become distracted during a study session.
6. Pen and paper or other brainstorming system. Sometimes when I’m studying I get stuck. I just can’t think anymore, or I’m sick of working on a given subject or I can’t figure out how to structure the next paragraph of a paper. That’s when I turn to good ol’ pen and paper and do some brainstorming. I don’t use any fancy methods. I just start writing. Sometimes this will turn into a mindmap, sometimes a reframing matrix, sometimes just a list of thoughts. I actually typically turn to a method like this when I meet resistance in some school-related project rather than pulling up a website or picking up a book. Why? Because when I’m having a hard time thinking something through, more information rarely helps the situation. If I need more information, I usually know it and know where to find it.
If some information source doesn’t immediately come up in my mind as a solution - I turn to brainstorming.
I’d love to hear some of your favorite study tools - let us know in the comments!
Eric
Tags: Character, Classical Texts (general), education, Learning, Personal Development, students, study-methods, studyingRelated posts
Why Chinese medicine students must come together
I want to preface this article with the caveat that I only know about American CM practitioners and that much of what I have to say could be limited to that demographic. But, perhaps there is a more global appeal. One of the things that shocked me when I entered this profession as a student to find widespread disorganization at both student and professional levels. At my school, it’s exceedingly difficult to get anyone interested in organizing for the purposes of setting a course for the future or acting on issues before they become problems. Getting people motivated to fix something that is already broken is somewhat easier. I understand that people are busy, that as students we have to do a lot of lifestyle triage to maintain sanity.
However, I also know that the future of this profession lies with us - with the students. We are at a critical juncture in human history. We are at a critical junction in the development of health care - I need only mention the recent rash of documentary style movies about various health crises (Sicko, anyone?) and you will know what I mean. Out-of-pocket healthcare costs are spiraling out of control, medical mistakes continue to be a leading cause of death in the country and people are choosing “alternative” medical treatments at higher rates every year. The people need a better way and we as current and future CM physicians know a better way.
But acting alone or, at best, in small groups is not the answer. It won’t help us lobby Congress to get better loan options as students, it won’t help us get loan forgiveness, it won’t help us to become licensed in more states, it won’t help us stave off attacks from the FDA and other medical professions. Even on a lower level, being organized is good business sense. When you have a broad and deep network of peers to coordinate with, to build referrals with and to discuss difficult cases with - your acumen as a physician will increase, your patient numbers will increase and your ability to reach the widest number of suffering people will increase.
It does take work, though. It takes sacrificing time. It takes sometimes talking through difficult issues with people you don’t necessarily even like. It takes late night conference calls and marathon committee meeting sessions. It takes being willing to have your mind opened and changed. Sometimes it means eating a little crow.
I want to be part of a healthy, thriving profession that is working as hard as it can to be a solution for the health care crisis facing the United States and much of the world. I want to start working towards that as a student to build a firm foundation for my development as a professional. I want you to join me. Will you?
Eric
Tags: networking, organizing, professional-development, students, unityRelated posts
Chinese medicine (AAAOM) conference in Portland, OR this October!
A quick announcement which I will follow with a discussion about my current thoughts on professional development in the Chinese medicine field…
October 18-22, 2007 - the AAAOM, the premiere professional organization for Chinese medicine practitioners in the United States, will be holding an International Conference and Exposition in Portland, OR. The theme for this year’s conference is “Strength through Unification.” Although that theme name is mildly reminiscent to me of some kind of Maoist refrain - I really like the thought and energy behind it.
AAAOM is the new hybrid of the East and West coast professional organizations and I feel that this recent restructuring has created some space for change to occur in our profession country-wide. It being in Portland is just icing on the cake, given that Portland is - in my estimation - uniquely poised to be the epicenter of the natural healthcare revolution.
Add to all of this the fact that the new professional student organization, parented by AAAOM and herein referred to as the AAAOM-SO, is experiencing similar invigoration. I just met with a member of the governing body of the organization who gave me a lot of great ideas and infused me with energy! We discussed the need for greater unity between the student bodies at all of the many Chinese medicine schools in the country, despite the fact that we may not agree on everything or may have different approaches to the medicine. In fact, because of the diverse voices we need to find ways to communicate and cooperate on action items that impact everyone. One of the action items we discussed was student loan forgiveness for CM graduates. At this point, CM graduates are not eligible for loan forgiveness. The woman I spoke with is a flight attendant by training and through conversations with various high-profile passengers has learned that getting CM graduates into VA hospitals is a possibility. If we get into this federal institution, we can be eligible for loan forgiveness.
It’s a long road, to be sure, but one that is worth travelling. However, getting down that road quickly and effectively will require unifying our efforts and coordinating action. This is one of the purposes of the AAAOM-SO.
This conference looks to be time well spent. Great speakers and multiple networking opportunities, all in one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. Registration can be done through their website, which was recently redesigned and looks great. If you are a student, there are special rates in the works. When I get the official word I will be sure to do a quick update to this post with the information - but the preliminary information indicates that students can get a year membership to AAAOM-SO and full conference registration for only $100. If you are a student at my school - hold on to your seats - we’re going to do a coordinated registration.
Eric
Tags: aaaom, conference, networking, professional-development
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