A year of blogging about Classical Chinese Medicine
We’re running up on the one year anniversary of Deepest Health!* Can you believe it? One year and we’re up to almost 250 daily subscribers (thank you!) and a very respectable daily traffic number that averages around 15,000 page views a month. We also recently reached a search engine benchmark - receiving Pagerank 5! All of this despite the toll that my busy schedule has taken on my posting frequency. I want to thank each and every one of my readers for interacting with me, teaching me, promoting the site and just generally being awesome. Thanks!
I’ve been doing some thinking about where I would like the site to be in another year. The fact is that I would like to see more readers, more subscribers, and more conversation going on. This requires MORE content creation on my part, and I recognize that. I’ve been getting plenty of emails from readers wishing I would go back to my super frequent posting schedule of last summer. I’ve been thinking about whether I want to make blogging a priority again.
My posting frequency has plummeted for a variety of reasons, but it comes down to three major problems.
1. I’m way busy.
2. Getting more readers made me a little afraid to “speak my mind” especially when some of my readers are professors and quite active practitioners in the field.
3. I started to become unsure about what readers wanted.
These reasons are bad ones. To address number one - I’ll always be busy. I can’t let that get in my way. We’ve all had the experience of suddenly finding time for something we’re motivated to make a priority (new love, anyone?) just as we’ve all experienced the converse (taxes, anyone?) So, I guess that’s debunked. Number two is just crass fear. I’m a student. In a little more than a year, I’ll be a new practitioner. I’ve never claimed to be anything else, right? I know I’ve said this before. It scares me a little to know that my professors, my esteemed colleagues and practitioners with lots more experience are reading my words. However, the response has been overwhelmingly positive and it seems like folks want to see me writing more often - so I guess I’m going to have to consolidate my Kidneys and get on with it. T
To address the third issue - it is still a problem. Everyone seems to like something a little different. The most significant problem I have is the worry about writing for practitioners and dorky students (like me) and leaving average folks and brand new students without anything compelling to read. I’m just going to have to hope it works out. I’ve tried writing articles for new patients before, and it just didn’t move me very much. Every once in a while I feel like I put out something of interest to the general public, and those posts are rewarded with good traffic, but I don’t want that to be a focus.
In the end the greatest barrier is a combination of all of these. Because of my fear and lack of comprehension about what readers want has led to my spending WAAAAY too much time with each article. This has made it impossible for me to consider fitting posting regularly into my schedule. With these myths busted, hopefully I can get on with producing excellent content for all of you who are interested in reading it.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this public display of what is a private process. It’s like talking to yourself to work out a problem when you think nobody can hear, only I know you can hear. Such is the blogging life.
Eric
*Note: Deepest Health has actually been around in some form for almost 2 years, but I really began writing in earnest in June 2007
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Tags: Blogging, content, focus, health, overwhelm, rest, students, summer, teaRelated posts
Living in harmony with the seasons: Introduction - Part I
This is the first part in a ten part series about living in harmony with the seasons. I do not have a solid timetable for the release of the other nine parts, only promising that the two parts on Fall/Autumn will be released shortly. I recognize that for some folks, the release of the Fall series will be out of step with their environmental reality (hello Australia!) and I apologize for that. Further, some of you may living in places where seasons are simply not the same as they are in China, where the Chinese theory of seasonal living was conceived. I am unclear as to what folks living in these areas should do - perhaps that is a discussion for another post.
From a Chinese medicine perspective, is essential that we learn to live in harmony with the seasons. There is, of course, no monolithic “Chinese medicine perspective” but regardless of your ideological preference, the reality of seasonal energy and the importance of flowing in step with it is practically irrefutable. There are many mentions of seasonal energy in the Neijing
The recent movement around local and seasonal foods is a nod to the importance of this timeless principle. People are recognizing that living in accordance with their immediate spatial and temporal environment is not just for hippies (although, for them too). Food tastes better, is more healthful, is less expensive and somehow just FEELS better when it is eaten at the right time for the place that one is in. The macrobiotic movement also took note of this and suggested that one eat food that is grown in one’s region.
But the Chinese philosophy on living in balance with seasonal energy goes farther than food choices. In fact, most of what I have found in Classical texts has nothing to do with food but instead focuses on various aspects of a person’s lifestyle. Read more
Tags: Classical Texts (general), dietary-therapy, fall, food, habits, lifestyle-counseling, nature, neijing, seasonal-living, Seasons, spring, summer, winterRelated posts
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
Related posts
6 Easy Chinese medicine methods to have the healthiest summer EVER
One difference between Chinese medicine and materialist medicine is the former’s emphasis on time as opposed to space. So while Western medicine is interested in what specific organ/cell/chemical process is malfunctioning in your body, Chinese medicine is more likely to be interested in the time of day the symptom shows up or what time of year the ailment began. I have a particular interest in what the medicine has to say about the energy of the seasons. Each season is associated with one of the five elements, with the left over element (Earth) being assigned either to the transition time between the seasons proper or to a “late summer” time between summer and fall. I’d like to discuss each of these and provide some recommendations on how to align yourself with the season that most Northern hemispher-ers are experiencing - SUMMER.
First, I want to explain an important concept. There is a lag between what the energy and matter are doing within any given season. To understand this consider the easily observable pattern of heat throughout a given day. The sun is at its peak around the noon hour, but the hottest part of the day is much later. The same goes if you observe the sun through the seasons. Although summer solstice brings us our longest days, the “dog days of summer” with their unbearable heat come later in the summer - in August. So, in a sense, the energy of the sun leads the material response of the Earth’s surface with a considerable head start. At any given moment in the day or in the year your experience of the sun is going to be behind the actual activity of the sun.
If we consider the classic Chinese Taiji symbol, we can understand this concept clearly (see image below). The summer solstice should be placed at the apex of the Taiji. The Yang (white) energy is at its peak - however, the Yin (black) energy is being born. With that under our belt, let’s discuss the summer.
What are the characteristics of summer?
- Yang energy: One of the purest expressions of Yang energy in nature is our sun. The omnipresence of the sun during this time of year shows the deep resonance of summer and Yang. Everything is infused with this Yang energy during the summer.
- Warm temperature: Related to the Yang energy, but worth separate mention. For most folks what they either crave or fear about the summer is the heat! The heat causes us to take part in different kinds of activity, changes our social patterns and can cause some problems.
- Lots of activity: Also related to the full expression of Yang energy is the great amount of activity going on for plants, non-human animals and human beings. Fruits are filling out, summer vegetables are being tended and harvested, all things are in an upward spiral of growth. Animals are raising their babies, foraging for food and putting on plenty of weight for the cold months to come. Humans generally take vacations and take part in many outdoor activities and events. I don’t know about you, but for me summer is a very hectic time - even though I’m usually not in school!
What are the common problems of the summer season? It is important to note that the Neijing indicates that problems in one’s conduct in the summer actually won’t manifest until the Fall - another timelag! So, feeling “ok” right now doesn’t guarantee feeling “ok” in the future. But what are the most common problems we find in the summer months?
- Fluid depletion: All that heat can easily damage our fluids. We’re watery creatures and depleting our fluids can quickly lead to symptoms of dryness, or even allow for the flaring of heat symptoms. We’ve all experienced the unpleasant effects of dehydration - headaches, dizziness, irritability and fatigue. Serious fluid depletion can eventually lead to Yin deficiency, which has a variety of negative consequences.
- Heat excess: Depending on our constitution and the strength of our defensive systems, we may be prone to getting heat diseases. My daughter, for instance, gets wicked febrile illnesses during the summer! Heat in our organ systems can lead to diverse symptoms such as insomnia, headaches, irritation and anger and extreme aversion to heat.
- Overwork/play: The Yang imperative of the summer leads some people to do too much. With so many events, so many visits from friends - on top of the normal workload and the impetus to garden, hike and bike… well, some people feel more exhausted after summer vacation than they did before it!
How can you avoid them to have the healthiest summer ever?
- Common sense suggestions: keep hydrated, keep cool. There’s nothing to substitute for plain old common sense. I know you like the sun. I know you think you should go on that twenty mile hike in exposed terrain at 1pm. But do your body a favor and stay in the shade. If you must be in the sun, take plenty of water and cover yourself as much as you can. Watch non-human animals for cues on what you should be doing.
- Consume especially cooling foods, but AVOID ICE! First, the ice deal. Drinking excessive amounts of iced liquid or consuming excessive amounts of ice cream and ice pops may give you a temporary feeling of relief, but it is murder on your Spleen/Stomach. Drink COOLED beverages, enjoy cold desserts once in a while - but don’t overdo it. Probably the greatest all time summer cooling foods are melons. Watermelon, in particular, has a tendancy to clear Summerheat and even though it is cold, it can benefit the Stomach. You can juice the melon and drink the liquid or just enjoy the perennial summer tradition of watermelon juice down your chin and seeds spit out in a pile in front of you. You might also consider drinking mint, chamomile and chrysanthemum teas. All of these, drunk warm throughout the day or even chilled, have helped me in avoiding heat related discomfort.
- Meditations to ready for the descending energy of the Fall: As mentioned above, the Yin is being born during the highest point of summer. Fall is on its way, even if everything around us screams summer. Often we think about aligning ourselves with the energy of the season when it’s too late - remember the time lag! Right about now (late July) is a great time to start drawing energy inward and preparing for the colder weather. I like to do a fifteen meditation at the end of my day that has the following components: (a) Visualization of the Yang energy on my surface drawing inward to warm my lower abdomen, (b) Contemplation of the way that nature is already preparing for scarcity, (c) Thinking about things in my life that need to be “cut away” during the Fall season. However, I do not make any moves to actually do this “cutting away,” I merely consider the possibility.
- Self acupressure to clear heat and keep energy contained: To work on build up of heat and its nasty effects, I like to stimulate LI-4, He Gu - which you can locate using the following guide. When I’m feeling especially hot, stimulating this point for about five minutes calms it down a great deal. To work on my incessantly floating energy without causing stagnation, I often stimulate KD-1, Yong Quan - which you can locate using the following guide. I like to do this at night when everything is quiet. I just gently press it, using a circular motion and focus on bringing my energy downward. Let me know if you have similar experiences in the comments!
- Spend some time in an ancient forest: Nothing pulls the heat and excess energy out of me faster than spending some time among mosses, springy forest floors and towering giants. I am blessed in that I live in Portland, OR and can visit intact old forests with ease. Find places like this near to you and just spend some time marveling how this ecosystem creates its own little cool and pleasantly moist environment despite the heat of summer.
- Visit a CM physician for a summer tune-up: Of course a list like this wouldn’t be complete without my recommendation that you see an excellently trained Chinese medicine physician at least once during the summer just for a tune-up. Your doctor can help you to clear any pathogenic heat or damp you may have picked up and help to fortify your system against the excesses of summer so you can be healthy and happy through this beautiful season.
Eric
Tags: Character, food, nature, seasonal-living, specific-points, summerRelated posts
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