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LATE SUMMER 2007
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In oriental medicine SOIL<EARTH is the element
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STOMACH, SPLEEN AND PANCREAS (The three organs work together)
Late summer is the season when the energy of these organs becomes more active.
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COLOR: orange, deep yellow and brown
BODY FLUIDS: saliva
PARTS OF THE BODY: knees and elbows
ORGAN: mouth
SENSITIVITY: taste
SYSTEM: lymph
TISSUE: flesh
FLAVOR: sweet
GRAIN: millet
BEANS: chick peas
VEGETABLES: winter squash
FRUIT: very sweet
ANIMAL FOOD: Sword fish, Tuna, Pheasant
MOODS:
• POSITIVE: imagination, trusting, sympathy, encouraging
• NEGATIVE: worry, skeptical, cynical, doubtful, jealousy


STOMACH:

The entire body depends upon the functioning of the stomach for its nourishment.
This organ does not like dryness it prefers moisture.
Eating ,exercising and body heat effect the meridian of this organ.
The color of the lips, eyelids and the muscles indicate the condition of the stomach.
(the muscles of the breast, ovaries, esophagus, fatty tissues and the arms and legs).


DISORDERS of the Stomach:

• Too much acidity will corrode the stomach walls
• Ulcers are caused by excessive gastric secretions
• Too little gastric juices will increase the growth of bacteria that may cause irritation of the stomach walls. This condition may produce too much mucous throughout the entire system. This decrease in digestion strength and the ability to assimilate food properly, further increases the production of mucus.
• The condition we call heart-burn is another problem of the stomach that is caused by gas in the funding region


IMBALANCES of the Stomach are indicated by:

• The person affected becomes overly conscious of the stomach and the food chosen is influenced by the mood. and appetite
• Tension gets built up in the neck and shoulders and arises a tendency to worry about minor details
• The legs feel heavy and get cold below the knees
• Feeling tired all the time and often yawning
• Belching a lot after eating, hyper-acidity and tension in the stomach region
• Pain around the heart which is caused when the pit of the stomach becomes too hard and puts pressure on the heart
• Inflammation of the stomach lining which can cause sores in the corner of the mouth and along the stomach meridian

SPLEEN

The spleen is the principal organ of digestion. Spleen health is associated with the ability to taste food and its condition is indicated in the color and texture of the lips.
This organ dislikes dampness and prefers dryness

DISORDERS of the Spleen

• Pain and abdominal distention, absence or irregular menstrual cycle, diarrhea, constipation, dysentery, frequency of urination and/ or incontinence
• Insomnia and mental disorders
• Difficult breathing, pain in the chest
• Impotence, frigidity
• Weakness/numbness/chilling of the legs and knees, pain in the ankles and feet, inflammation and paralysis of the big toe

The center of the spleen meridian is in the Pancreas and includes the functions of all the organs that secrete digestive enzymes such as: the stomach, gall bladder, small intestine, mouth, reproductive organs, glands and the cerebral cortex.

SINCE FACTS ARE DIGESTED BY THINKING
Too much thinking and lack of exercise causes a reduction of digestive juices which results in poor digestion

MOOD
Positive: imagination, sympathy
Negative: worry

IMBALANCES in the spleen give rise to the following:

• A tendency to worry and thinking too much
• Craving food and feeling hungry all the time, eating quickly and in between meals
• Feeling restless
• Do not like to exercise
• Love for sweets & high liquid content
• Wanting to take frequent naps, due to lacking gastric juices.
• Dry mouth
• Pain in the back of the knees
• Difficulty in standing or sitting
• Distortion of the joints


EXCESSIVE ENERGY IN THE SPLEEN MERIDIAN
is caused by not chewing food well and consequently, not digesting properly, so there is a lack of perseverance to thoroughly assimilate things.


PANCREAS:
The pancreas is an organ of secretion that produces pancreatic juices that are mildly alkaline as well as hormones and insulin.

DISORDERS of the pancreas

• Hypoglycemia
• Diabetes
• Pancreatitis

HYPOGLYCEMIA or low blood sugar:

Blood sugar levels are too low when insulin secretion is not constant, the pancreas is producing too much insulin, or the liver is too weak to accomplish its work. This condition is the result of eating too many simple carbohydrates (refined flour and sugar).
Hypoglycemia leads to constant cravings of yin food such as sweets, candies, alcohol and coffee.
Eating heavy baked oily desserts drops the blood sugar
Hypoglycemia is a precursor to diabetes

DIABETES:

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas is not able to produce insulin in adequate quantities or the system is unable to absorb the right amount of insulin. Blood sugar tends to get too high and close to danger levels, and fat and protein break down and enter the blood stream. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1, also called juvenile diabetes; and
Type 2, also called adult onset diabetes.

Dr. .Klaus Schwartz, MD. Phd, conducted a lifetime of research and in his studies discovered that Chromium is a very important factor in the human body, because it is also essential in regulating the blood sugar metabolism.

According to Dr. Schwartz, chromium is present in whole grains, but almost all of it is depleted in the refining process of flour products. It has an accumulative effect in that, the body is able to store it. We also get plenty from our mother at birth, if she has a good reserve herself. The problem is that, in the last few hundred years or so, fewer and fewer people eat a whole grain diet. So even at birth, we are getting lower amounts of chromium in the body to start with. Research seems to indicate that this may lead to an increase in the incidence of diabetes among younger people. Years ago, many people lived to 60 or 70 years of age before they exhibited signs of diabetes. Today, it is common to see people with this condition in their 40's. In fact, the adult onset of diabetes is even beginning to appear in children 5-10 years old.

PANCREATITIS:

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas.
Acute pancreatitis occurs suddenly and last for a short period of time, usually resolves.

Pancreatitis occurs when the body is attempting to burn away accumulations in the system caused by a diet of excesses. The body wants to clean up before the condition becomes serious.
Chronic pancreatitis does not resolve and result in a slow destruction of the pancreas.
The cause is drinking to much alcohol and/or a diet of excesses.

It is common for the pancreas to grow tumors benign or malign.

MORE ABOUT CHEWING . . .

Chewing gives us the ability to digest food and absorb ideas.
The more we chew, the more we digest food, and the more we absorb ideas. It is physical and mental.
Chewing helps to stabilize the Pituitary gland, which helps to balance many functions of the body
Chewing from both sides of the mouth will balance both sides of the body.
Chewing circulates body fluids; to make things circulate in our life it is important to chew more, especially if we have some kind of difficulties in our life.
Chewing with an open mouth makes us lose energy.
Chewing with a closed mouth circulates energy and absorbs it.
Chewing promotes better thinking.
The Earth and the Heavens' energies touch each other in our mouths as we chew.

GOING BACK TO BASICS

With the environmental concerns that the world is facing today, the rape of this planet and the erosion of humanistic values it is good to reconnect our attention to a basic way of life, so lets start with the food that we eat.

GRAIN CULTIVATION IS NOT POLLUTING
ANIMAL RAISING IS VERY POLLUTING

GRAIN IS VERY EASY TO STORE
ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TO STORE

GRAIN KEEPS FOR A LONG TIME
MEAT DETERIORATES FAST

The food that we eat has an effect on the environment, not just our bodies and minds. In grain, the fruit and the seed have merged to become one. A grain is composed of the root, the seed/germ, the leaves, stem and the fruit, plus an invisible energy field that vibrates and strengthens the seed enabling it to grow into a plant. The vibration is the part that makes the seed alive. When we eat that energy, we feel strong.

Grain has two components that make them unique among the world of foods. They are complete in themselves and they are endlessly adaptable. Grains are adaptable to the varied geographical and climatic conditions of our planet. Barley has the widest growing area of any other grain. It can grow north beyond the Artic Circle and as far south as Ethiopia .

Grain can be stored for hundreds of years.

When we eat whole grains, in time we see life more complete, because we eat the whole thing, the seed and the fruit, plus the invisible energy.

SO, EAT THE WHOLE AND YOU WILL HAVE A COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE WHOLE.

Whole Rice can be eaten every day and yet it remains delicious to the taste There are mental, spiritual and physical benefits that come from eating food that has this wealth of unique qualities. For example, brown rice opens the mind. It improves the ability to connect or synthesize different ideas, in much the same way as it enhances other foods. It promotes a sense of oneness with our surroundings. With brown rice and whole grain at the center of our diet, we can significantly improve and maintain the health of our bodies, minds and spirits.

When we are in a healthy state we are more keen to understand that all of life is one, and the neglect and destruction of one aspect or part of it, destroys the balance of the whole.

Brown rice can be cooked with all other food to the mutual enhancement of each. For example, it is often served with all types of meat and seafood and with other grains, as well as beans, seeds, nuts and vegetables. Rice can also be combined with dairy products to create sweet dishes or with fruit and other foods to create satisfying desserts.

The amount of whole grain that we eat in a day is important too. When we eat 50 % or more whole grains daily, we become more focused and more active.

We cannot separate the way we eat from how we eat. The position of the body while eating is important too. The spine needs to be straight, and we must be sitting on a chair or on the floor in a lotus position. If the position is not straight, it shows a lack of vitality, weak intestines, weak digestion, lack of appetite and appreciation.

MILLET SOUP WITH SWEET VEGETABLES Ingredients: 1/4 cup soaked aduki beans 3/4 cup millets one small onion one parsnip diced one carrot diced a cup of diced kabocha squash Or other winter yellow squash 4-5 leaves of escarole finely sliced 5 tablesp. barley miso few lives of diced wakame sea vegetables spring water

Preparation
Put in soup pot the aduki beans with enough water to cover and bring to a boil, reduce the flame, cover and cook for one hour.
Put in a soup pot the  millet, onion, parsnip. carrot, squash, and enough water to make a soup, bring to a boil then simmer on a low flame for 20 minutes.
Add the wakame cook for 5 minutes, add the escarole, cook one more minute. Add enough miso diluted in some soup liquid - the miso amount is determined by the quantity of serving of the soup, it should be one teaspoon for each dish of soup. Let it simmer one more minute and serve.

SUSHI CALIFORNIA STYLE Ingredients Two cups brown rice !/4 cup sweet brown rice One sheet of nori sea vegetable Few blanched carrots cut in long sticks One peeled cucumber cut in long sticks One avocado peeled and cut in long pieces One cup toasted sesame seeds. Umeboshi paste Spring water

Preparation
Cook rice in 4 cups of spring water for 45 minutes, let it cool down.
Cut the sheet of nori in half.
Put one piece each of carrot, cucumber and avocado in it and roll the nori around it using a sushi mat.
Continue to roll the nori sheet until all the vegetables are finished.
When the rice is cool, wet the sushi mat in water and put it on a cutting board.
With wet hands, put rice in the sushi mat in a thin layer, but only cover one half of the mat. Then, with the fingers spread a small portion of umeboshi plum paste in the center of the rice, along the part where the nori roll will be placed.
Roll the sushi mat in a way so the rice covers the entire nori.
Press with the hands the rolled up sushi mat and fix the end pieces.
Unroll the mat. You will have a little tube of rice.
Roll it in a plate covered with the sesame seeds.
Cut into one inch pieces using a very sharp knife.
Serve

BLANCHED VEGETABLES Ingredients One bunch of broccoli cut into medium size pieces 10 or 15 Brussels sprouts 3 carrots cut into long strips

SAUTÉD ZUCCHINI WITH ONIONS Ingredients One onion diced 3 zucchini diced 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil sea salt

Preparation
Sautè the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the zucchini and continue to sautè until tender, but not mushy.
Add salt to taste in the last minute of cooking and Serve

STEAMED COLLARD GREENS

Ingredients
One bunch of collard greens.
A bambu steamer.
Spring water.

Preparation:
Cut the green leaf along the middle line and stack them up on each other facing the same direction,
When you have a good size pile, cut leaves in diagonal thin strips going along the leaf veins
Bring the water to a rolling boil to generate a good amount of steam
Place the cut collards in the steamer. Cook for 3 minutes, add shoyu on the greens, continue to cook one more minute and Serve

CREAMY FRUIT DESSERT Ingredients One container of fresh raspberries One pint of blueberries 2 apples peeled and diced 2 pears peeled and diced 1 cup of apple juice or more 1 or 2 tablesp. of Kuzu root 2-4 tablesp. water.

Preparation:
Bring apple juice to a boil then add the fruit and quickly return to a boil.
Completely dissolve 1 tablesp. Kuzu in 2 tablsp. cold water and add to the fruit while stirring constantly.
If the mixture is too thin, dissolve and add more Kuzu until desired thickness
If it is too thick, add small amounts of apple juice until you get the right creamy consistency. Serve either warm or chilled

Buon appetito

In this time of the year energy starts to go down until becomes very condensed by late autumn.
To get our body to become used to the colder weather we need to begin to adjust our diet by including in our meals root vegetables and squashes.
The products of the earth during this time of the year are beautiful in colors and have some natural preservatives quality and can be stored for several months.
We have to adjust our cooking by introducing more rich tastes and styles, with longer cooking time, such as bean stews, sweet rice and mochi, hot amasake and purèed squash soups.
The food we enjoy in cooler weather, such as tempura, fermented foods and long-cooked stews and soups with root vegetables and squashes produces a warming effect on the body.

WISDOM

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful
beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most
frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure
around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear;
our presence automatically liberates others.


Nelson Mandela