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HUMOR SECTION

 WISDOM SECTION MAIN MEAL

Spring 2007

SPRING TIME IS HERE!
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In oriental medicine, WOOD or TREE is the element.
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The LIVER & GALLBLADDER are the organs involved at this time of the year. These are the organs most sensitive to stagnation. The Liver maintains harmony of movement in the body. Happy people are those whom have smooth flowing energy in their liver, and do not get angry too fast. Their emotions are harmonized.

The Liver & Gallbladder have to do with the distribution of vital energy and are related to the eyes and the vision. The condition of these organs can be seen in the nails: thickness, color and texture. The imbalances of these two organs can be observed by sudden spurs of motivation and strength followed by extreme fatigue.
 

 ~ Bad temper.
 ~ Eyes that have lost their sparkle.
 ~ The body has a rancid smell.
 ~ Decline of sexual performance.
 ~ Hemorrhoids.
 ~ Headaches.

Liver problems are Yang in nature (contracting)
Connected to: high intake of animal food, High protein, high fat. It is best to stay away from those foods.

Fasting in the spring time is good for these organs. Get up from the table still little empty. Liver problems need a lot self discipline to fix.

The GALLBLADDER has to do with decision making.
When there is too much excess in the GB, we experience headaches at the base of the skull.
Also gives pain to the ankle. GB also effects the Pancreas, the two organs have their ducts very close to each other. The GB also effects the spleen.

Having the Gallbladder removed effects the ability to make decisions. Fat metabolism is compromised because without the GB the Liver has to work much more to do its job.




FOOD BENEFICIAL TO LIVER and GALLBLADDER

Keep oil intake at a minimum, in the spring time it is not good to eat to much fat.

If you have dry skin: lower the oil intake or need to change to a more yin type of oil like olive oil.

DANDELIONS (taraxacum officinal) are the best greens for disorders of the Liver and Gallbladder. This plant has medicinal powers. Mix the leaves in salads, or cook them for greens. Take 6-7 flowers with the stem, wash them and eat only the stems for 2 weeks every day.


It brings relief for chronic inflammation of the liver. For those whom are always tired without energy, Dandelion flower stems are a wonder of relief. It also improves the stomach gastric juices and helps to clean the waste material accumulated in our digestive track. Gives relief to gall stones because it helps remove them. Brings relief to gout, jaundice and spleen disorders.
 

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DRINKS TO USE as MEDICINE
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one part RAW CARROT juice And 1/2 part CELERY or PARSLEY Juice, when used in small amounts is very medicinal to the Liver & GB.
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SHITAKE MUSHROOM TEA is very beneficial for liver tension.
Soak 1 dry shitake, then cook in 2 cups water. Bring to a  boil then simmer.
Add 1 or 2 teasp of grated daikon and 1 teasp shoyu soy sauce.
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FERMENTED foods are good for liver and Gallbladder.

Miso soup has cleansing properties
Shell fish added to miso soup is also beneficial for this organs.


LEAFY GREENS daily
DANDELIONS, KALE, COLLARDS.

BROCCOLI AND CARROTS are good for Liver function

GRAINS USED FOR THIS CONDITION : Rye, Barley, Wheat, Oats

SOY BEANS

WAKAME,  ARAME are best

SOUR TASTE use sour fermented vegetables:
1) sauerkraut
2) radishes
3) daikon

Grated Daikon has a sharp taste, it is good to help melt away accumulated fat.
Mix grated daikon and carrot equal amount and has a more mild taste.
Ad few drops of soy sauce.
   

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MAIN MEAL

MISO SOUP

Ingredients

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10 cups spring water
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3 inch piece of Wakame (soaked and chopped in small pieces)

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1 Carrot (cut matchstick style)
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1 leek cubed
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1 parsnip (cut matchstick style)
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1 hand full snow peas
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2-3 Tablespoons Mugi Miso (Mugi is Japanese for Barley)
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2 Scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
 

Preparation

Bring water, carrot, onion and parsnip and the white of the leek to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the green leaves of leek and return to a boil. Add Wakame and return to a boil. Then lower heat to as low as it will go and add Miso which has been diluted with some of the warm broth. (just put some of the hot liquid in a cup and stir the Miso with it)

Cook for two minutes, making sure it does not boil, so none of the live enzymes and nutrients are damaged. Serve with a spoonful of scallions to open your breakfast (or, of course, any meal) and enjoy it with our warm regards!

 

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DANDELION GREENS (delicious with a touch of bitter taste)

Ingredients

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Dandelion greens
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1 clove garlic
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pinch of salt
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Spring water
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Extra virgin olive oil

 

Preparation

Blanche greens in boiling water, about 3 or 4 minutes.  Plunge into cold water to stop cooking.  Squeeze them dry and chop into small pieces.  In hot skillet, sauté garlic (keep the clove whole) until golden.  Add greens and salt and sauté until done.

 

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MOGWORTH SOBA

Ingredients    

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One package of mogworth soba noodles,
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Spring water,
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2 carrots chopped,
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1 small onion diced,
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Soy sauce

 

Preparation

Bring a quart of spring water to a boil, add 2 teasp of sea salt and the soba noodles, stir with a wooden spoon so the noodles do not stick together, bring back to a boil on high flame, cook them until tender but not to soft. Drain in a colander, add some cold water to stop the cooking process.

While the noodles are cooking , sauté' the onions in a little extra virgin olive oil  until look transparent, add the carrots stir them and cover with lid. Cook  until tender add some soy sauce.
Pour the carrot mixture over the cooked noodles or serve to the side.


Serve

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PRESSED SALAD

Ingredients    

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The leaves of baby Bock Choy, cut in morsels
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Few leaves of Endive broken to peaces,
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A carrot cut in long strips with a potato peeler
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1 or 2 Tabl of rice vinegar
 

Preparation

Mix all the vegetables, add sea salt, put a dish on top of the salad. The dish shouldn't touch the side of the bowl, put a weight on the dish and press the salad 1/2 to 2 hours.

This process makes the salad pickle little and more digestible.
Add the vinegar, mix well and serve

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DRY DAIKON WITH ARAME

Dry Daikon is sold in Chinese supermarket, Daikon is a big white radish, it could be eaten fresh or dry.
The dry form is sold in bags and it could be shredded very thin or in bigger strips.

Ingredients    

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One cup of dry Daikon soak in water for 20 minutes
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¼ cup of soak Arame sea vegetables
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spring water
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Soy sauce
 

Preparation

Put the Daikon and the Arame in a pan, cover with spring water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover with lid and simmer for 35 minutes.
Uncover let the water evaporate add some soy sauce, continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Serve

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STEAMED GREENS AND ACORN SQUASH

Ingredients    

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Mustard greens
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Acorn squash

Preparation

If you have a bamboo steamer is good if not a steel one is ok.

Steam them separately because the greens will take only 3 minutes to be ready.
The squash will take longer, check it with a fork, it is ready when is soft, add few drops of soy sauce in the last minute of the cooking.

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LOTUS ROOTS

Lotus roots are delicious and very medicinal especially when we have a cold, because helps the body to eliminate mucous from the lungs and bronchial tubes, when we make a tea with them.

Here is a delicious side dish

Ingredients

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1 lotus root sliced very thin rounds,
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1 large onion sliced in thin half moons
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1 tabl sesame oil
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soy sauce

 

Preparation

Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onions and sauté' until are soft and transparent.
Add the lotus root on top of the onions and enough water to just cover them.
Bring all to a boil, then lover the heat and cover with lid.
Cook them until all the water is gone, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, add few drops of soy sauce.
Cook few more minutes.
Serve

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SWEET RICE COOKIES

Ingredients

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1 cup of sweet rice flour,
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1 1/2 cups of pastry flour,
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1 cup raisins,
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1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds,
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1/2 cup sesame seeds,
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1/4 teasp sea salt,
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2 Tabl vegetable oil,
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1 1/2 cups apple juice.

 

Preparation

Mix all the dry ingredients, add the apple juice, mix well.
Spread batter in a oiled & floured cooking sheet. Each cookie should be one tablespoon of batter spread very thin.
Bake in 30° oven for 25 minutes.

  

 

Buon Appetito!

Rosanna 

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HEALTH TALK

In Macrobiotic every body talk about "Discharge", but what is  discharge?

A discharge could be many different things: A pimple, a boil or a discoloration of the skin, and usually, it is accompanied by pain or discomfort.

Discharge is like pealing an onion , there is always a deeper layer.

In the body, if is a physical discharge  we can see it , but if the discharge is  psychological  we can only feel it, and feelings are difficult to  put in words.
It only hurts.
Anyway as we continue to peel the layers of our Being we take off all that "stuff".
The stuff that has to go.... because if you old onto it, it will kill us.

Well where do you get at the end of all that peeling....Only to the deeper level. and to a deeper discharge with deeper pain and deeper feelings.

On the way to the core....

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HUMOR

 
What are you doing with yours??

 

 

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WISDOM


 
 
God and I in space alone And nobody else in view,
 "And where are the people? "O Lord" I asked,
 "The earth beneath and the sky overhead,
And the dead I once knew?"
 
"That was a dream," God smiled and said, "
A dream that has ceased to be true.
There were no people living or dead,
No earth beneath, no sky overhead,
There was only Myself and you."
 
"And why do I feel no fear?" I said,
 "Meeting you here in this way?
For I have sinned, I know full well;
And is there heaven and is there hell;
And is this judgment day?"
 
"Nay, those were but dreams" the Great God said,
 "Dreams that have ceased to be.
There are no such things as fear arid sin,
And you yourself have never been;
There is nothing at all but Me."
 
Anonymous

HUMOR SECTION

 WISDOM SECTION MAIN MEAL